Rear ended advice

So it finally happened, my previous 2016 tacoma lasted 2 months until someone did a hit and run on the front and now my 2017 got to a new record of 6 months without being hit..

Anyways, this time it doesn't look as bad, some asshat hit someone right behind me, probably sitting too close to me, and they ended up sliding right into my hitch mount, pushing me a couple inches forward.

At first glance it doesn't look bad, nothing much happened cosmetically although the black piece where you are supposed to step feels a bit loose, but of course Tacoma and rear ends have their history and I'm not taking any chances.

If it's nothing major, I'm assuming that taking a cash payout and making a run for it would be the best option? How would I go about doing that?

Furthermore, I tried to get an estimate earlier today in a Toyota collision center but the technician said they needed to dissemble the whole back bumper to look at frame or hitch damage and give me a correct estimate(But he was already saying somewhere around $2k) so I needed to contact the insurance of the person that hit me to set up an appointment and get a rental for a whole week, all which sounds like bullshit to me.

Anyone know any good reputable shops around Atlanta? Really wanted a Toyota Center but I feel I was getting bs'd today.

EDIT: Unless I truly have frame/significant damage I also don't want to go through a body shop due to the dimished value that could come from it, already got fk'd over by that on my previous Tacoma when trading it in.

 

That is bullshit. My brother love-tapped a dumpster in my truck last summer and the techs could tell just from looking underneath that the steel bumper mount had been bent. Don’t see why you’d need to take the whole thing apart to do a visual inspection.

Curious how this turns out for you

 

Not to be funny, but yes.. to be funny. Take pictures of the gap mis-alignments of your bumper end-caps and the bed/cab. WE all know this is the sloppy factory process, but the adjuster won’t know better... Hey, it could have been the hit that misaligned it!

 

Just sayin' this was $3600 in damage.

Tailight broken and a few scratches to the bumper and bedside. Nothing major.

Edit: Guy reversed into me, wasn't my fault.

 

Yes you are right, will do so tomorrow, as I only visually inspected it today but you can't obviously tell as good as a pic comparison.

Yep, not surprised, body shops will go all out even for the smallest stuff.

 

Take the cash payout and buy an aftermarket steel rear bumper. Ricers hate them

 

They painted the entire side of the box and tailgate for a small scratch. According to them, only way to match. I'll say this though, looks better than factory paint, so I'm not complaining.

Maybe not so much looks, but FEELS, their clearcoat is way smoother.

 

There’s some truth to what they are saying but that doesn’t really look bad enough for frame damage. Get under the truck and see if the hitch is bent if it is then there might be frame damage. Diminished value depends on the state and the extent of the damage. I would get a few quotes from shops you trust.

 

If you don’t know how to fix collision damaged cars, then you aren’t qualified to say what’s bullshit and what’s not

 

Bullshit

 

I don't know how to, that is correct but I also know that a good body shop can make a decent assessment, in most cases, without taking apart my vehicle and keeping it for a whole week. Not my first rodeo and just had a close friend's new OR rear ended last month.

 

Because when you take a damaged car apart, it can’t go back together genius