Question for body shop guys...just got rear ended

Thanks guys for the nice comments...But I actually didn't give you the WORST case scenario. So if you got a couple more minutes here it is.

Receiver hitches have been proven to take a 5 mph impact without showing any damage to the vehicle. It was proven by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

There have been a number of posts (even in this thread) where drivers have been hit in the rear and haven't suffered and vehicle damage but the bullet vehicle is all messed up. Although we might think this is a good thing here's the BIG problem.

If you or more likely your wife and kids end up with a whiplash injury (Note: The 5 mph or 8 kph impact is actually the worst speed for whiplash) your insurance agent will come out and look at your vehicle and this is what they'll say; "John, your vehicle doesn't have any damage so how could you possibly have been injured?" Now you're screwed. You'll need an attorney to fight them to get any compensation.

The next problem is that attorneys have no idea on how to litigate this low speed impact. In fact, they may even side with the insurance company and think you're lying. A low speed impact is really difficult to prove for them.

So I spent 3 years developing a "rear end collision kit" that I actually sell to attorneys to help them prove these types of cases. I've seen where people have spent $20,000 to $30,000 of their own money for rehabilitation and not received a dime from their insurance company. This really sickens me.

To date, we've helped nearly 30 attorneys prove these cases and we have not lost yet. Receiver hitches are injuring people and we don't know the problem even exists until we're in the situation ourselves.

The worst part is 25% of the people driving a vehicle with a receiver hitch never tow a thing. That's a huge liability.

Here is the conclusion that I put at the end of each of the "Summary" letters I write for attorneys.

"Conclusion:

Receiver hitches prevent rear end collision damage and increase rigidity.

Rigidity influences crush distance and the “crash pulse” in a rear end collision.

Less crush distance and a “stiff” pulse will cause greater neck movement / acceleration than a “soft” impact pulse and a stiff pulse will cause a high neck movement.

Over-ride situations create higher acceleration.

A vehicle equipped with a receiver hitch produces a stiffer “crash pulse” increasing acceleration to the occupants neck and the risk of whiplash by 22%.

Since the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has clearly documented that receiver hitches will take impacts to 5 mph without showing any damage; it is my professional opinion that you simply cannot associate damage to the vehicle with injury to the occupants…especially when the vehicle is equipped with a receiver hitch for towing.

And since a ball mount is pinned directly into a receiver hitch (and is not energy absorbing) there was no energy absorbed by the ball mount that was attached to the rear of the vehicle driven by Mr X.

I feel to a reasonable degree of certainty, that Mr. X’s 2000 Ford F350 was hit directly on the receiver hitch and ball mount which resulted in very little visible damage.

Because a receiver hitch has been proven to increase the risk of whiplash it is my professional opinion to reasonable degree of certainty, that this accident was sufficient to produce whiplash resulting in the injuries to Mr. X and his passenger Ms. Y after being rear-ended."

Whiplash is the greatest danger with receiver hitches and insurance companies will try everything they can to not have to pay.

This is the Biggest problem we have when driving a vehicle with a receiver hitch.

Jeff

 

Awesome post!!!

 

Bevis:

The big difference is that these attenuators crush which shortens the length of the lever. The absorbers will crush 2.125 " and the tube will crush 3.5" so the length of the lever goes from 8" to less then 2.5". Unlike your ball mount which is roughly 8" - 9" in length and that length is fixed.

These will also work the same way if hit off-center. The tube will bend to conform to the angle of the bullet vehicle and then start to crush.

But the biggest reason is that the tube doesn't allow the bullet vehicle to grab on like your ball mount. Your ball mount will punch a hole in the bullet vehicle because there isn't a wide enough surface area to dissipate the force. (Your ball mount is about 2.5" wide)

Once a hole is punched in the bullet vehicle it basically has control and more than likely will force the ball mount downward.

Jeff

 

Bevis:

We don't offer any warranty for frame damage...

Our biggest objective is to protect the passengers first and the vehicle second.

75% of all rear end collisions are less then 10 mph and that's the area we've concentrated on. It's the area with the highest percentage of whiplash injuries.

And, to be honest in a rear end collision above 10 mph the least of your worries is the frame. You need to walk away without getting injured.

As I mentioned earlier though, to date no one with one of our attenuators has had frame damage and we've had well over 100 reported crashes. The NHTSA estimates that for every one reported crash there are at least 2 to 3 times that many that go unreported.

Our warranty is that if it ever bends or breaks from a rear end collision - at any speed - we'll replace it FREE.

Nobody in the aftermarket industry has a warranty like this and nobody in the aftermarket industry has ever crash tested their products - that I know of.

This receiver hitch problem is a big secret - nobody wants to tell you about it. The OEMs and the companies that make receiver hitches hide it and the insurance companies love it because they prevent damage and force you to hire an attorney if you get injured. It's a win / win for them.

Jeff

 

Well just so you guys know what happened, they wouldn't total it so I am getting a frame-damaged but "repaired" vehicle back regardless of what my wishes were. Keep in mind I was sitting at a stop light perfectly happy until I got rear-ended. The local Toyota shop pumped a bunch of sunshine about how it is "in spec" and "I-Care certified" or some other mumbo jumbo. Meanwhile, I am just fed up. You can't bend steel and bend it back and it be right...REGARDLESS! Of course this is my opinion and it obviously doesn't amount to a squirt of piss.

So it should be ready Friday and I am now fighting with them for a diminished value claim. Once that is settled I will be selling it and starting over it looks like. This is a bunch of crap. Basically in the span of 9 months I have been plowed into by two jackwads and lost two rigs I had just finished building.

One other comical note. It took the body shop 5 days to return my call and give me the news...I do understand they had to take a lot of my truck apart. But anyway, the insurance company started giving me crap about how I need to return the rental. Uh NO! I still have to go to work and your "preferred Allstate shop" still has my truck!!!

Anyway, guess I am done for now. I REALLY appreciate everyone's comments and advice as well as listening to me rant. Take care.

 

That really really sucks, I'm sorry to hear you're in such a situation. Work/school/daily life can be stressful enough without getting screwed on your truck. I hope somehow you get some good out of this.

 

Saga freaking continues. I go to pick it up and they frankensteined my bumper back together with used parts, including a used hitch. WTF? Is that normal? They also repaired my tailgate instead of replacing the skin so you can faintly see that it has been repaired. Oh and I climbed underneath to look at the frame and it may be within "spec" but the ripples are still there! I pointed all this out to the secretary (you read that right, the main contact wouldn't come assist me) and she looked at me with a blank stare, handed me my paperwork and walked off. I am on the phone with the insurance company now. This just isn't right and I am not going away. I don't know how much ground I have to stand on but geez!

 

You got that right Beavis! I have really kept my cool which is not like me...guess I am getting older. I have started the appeal process with their insurance and I will see how that goes. It just so happens, my wife is good friends with an attorney that does automobile insurance claims so we have a meeting with her just to make sure we are doing everything the right way. If they refuse to work with us, we plan to go the legal route. I really appreciate all of your assistance on this (as well as everyone else that has offered great advice and tips). I will keep you posted!

Oh and after I had a chance to look the repairs over some more, it does not appear the bumper is mounted square and it also appears to still be sloping downward. Not much but it still is not right.

 

Don't take possession of the truck, leave it at the shop and contact your agent.

 

Back to the body shop and back in another rental. I don't think they realize that a Ford Focus will NOT get me to my ranch house or the duck lease!!! This has been such a frustrating battle. I have still managed to keep my cool and I am not giving up but man what a struggle! I do know they are NOT going to total it regardless of how much I bitch. My only hope now is to actually get the body shop to fix it right then go to war on the diminished value. Obviously that fight is put off until the body shop can get the repairs done right. Oh and the inspector from Allstate just told me it is "industry standard" to "cold-straighten" a frame...even though it is still not right (that is where diminished value comes in) and it is "industry standard" to use used parts to put your vehicle back together when available. I still think that is a load of crap but I don't know how much better I can state it. I still may have our attorney draft a letter...going to talk with the wife about that. Anyway, I am sure I will have another soapbox update soon...thanks for listening!

 

When my old truck got rear ended I requested and fought to get a rental truck. I do construction and I told them I could not work without one. They set me up with a Njssan Titan while my truck was being repaired.

Get it repaired the best you can, get your diminished value check and sell
It.

 

You and I think alike! That is my exact plan!

 

Glad you're fighting OP, this is why frame damage to me is a non-repair item.

 

Agreed peerunner! I just dropped it back off and asked the body shop guy to go outside and look at the undamaged tacoma sitting in the parking lot. The I said please don't call me until it looks like that.

 

Damn man just saw this, sorry to see that blue beauty all beat up and...oh no one of my decals has been molested...thats some bs right there!!

 

Funny thing is spieler, they replaced the decals! No clue where they had them made?!?!

 

Probably had a vinyl guy to measure and he recreated your decal and cut it.

 

What the... Lol. Yeah those aren't difficult and most full Shops should have the files! Hope they used good vinyl!

 

I doubt it spieler. That is ok, I am trading this truck off as soon as the diminished value claim gets resolved. Then I will have to order another set from you!

 

Dont blame u there, thats a lot of BS to go though. You know where to find me brother!! Good luck!