First Scratch

Don't know what state you are in but here in NY if my brither decided to take a drive and even if it was without my permission my insurance would still be liable if he got into an accident and it was his fault.
How does that guy that hit you brother even prove that he gave or did not give him permission to drive. Bunch of crap they selling you I think.
Good luck with everything

 

$7000?? I'm not a body man, but I have been around the industry long enough to know that the is under estimated by about 30-40% or more. I'm just looking at your photo's and I'm saying more the $10-$12k range. Especially with that type of accident they will need to remove the interior of the truck to see how much of the impact transferred to the floor pan.

You say it pulls a lot since the accident is telling me that the impact transferred to the frame/body and isn't tracking straight down the road anymore.

 

I'm in NY as well and I agree with your logic. Based on what the Geico agent told me, if the owner pressed charges for theft, then it would be considered a stolen vehicle and the owners insurance is not responsible. I'm waiting for the actual police report to verify that. If not, then I'll keep going after Geico and ask them why his policy is not covering it and demand the explanation in writing.

Agreed, and the body shop also said the estimate was probably low, but they won't know until they get into the truck. If there's more damage, they just adjust it with the insurance company to get more money. I'm confident they'll do a good job.

 

Small update:

I FINALLY got my truck back yesterday from the body shop. They ended up having to replace all the rubber seals on the passenger side of the truck and paint the entire passenger side, including the bed, to get the blend right. Other than that, the original estimate didn't change.

A couple of iffy spots in the paint that I'm not totally in love with, but I admittedly spent an hour looking at every square inch. I probably wouldn't notice otherwise. The doors seem like they're a bit tougher to open and close than the driver side. This was pointed out to me by the body shop manager and said to give it a couple of weeks for the new seals to relax, and then they can re-adjust the doors if needed. They had to re-install my AVS in-channel vent visors on that side and it looks like they glued them in or something because there are remnants of it on the plastic. I have to look closer when I get time and can give her a good wash. Other than that, it looks good. I'll get some time over the weekend to go through it with a fine tooth comb, and will upload some pics.

I'm still in a pissing match with the insurance company. I had to shell out my $500 deductible and the other vehicle's policy is still denying the claim because the vehicle was "driven without permission, which is not covered under their policy". I sent them the police report. There was NO arrest made for theft and nothing mentioned about it, so I'm going to go after them one more time. If all else fails, I'll be contacting the Attorney General's office and the Insurance Department Frauds Bureau, as well as filing a small claim against the guy to get my deductible back.

Nothing is every easy, but at least I have my baby back. Too bad she'll never be the same.

 

Glad you got it back, the situation still sucks, I feel for you.

Also a note about going to small claims. If you go that route it doesn't just have to be for your deductible. It can include all of your court fees and other reasonable expenses related to the incident that you have not received compensation for. Even if you overestimate it isn't an all or nothing, the judge can award and not award items based on what they see is justified.

Also know that you may be doing it just for principle. It is all too easy for people with "no money" to get out of having to pay in a timely manner.

Good luck.

 

This is the very reason I would attempt a small claim. It costs me less than $20 and a couple hours of time to cause this guy some frustration. I don't expect to actually get any money out of him, even if I win, but maybe I can cause him some headaches.

 

Hopefully you can nail them on the insurance fraud.

 

I feel your pain.

 

I don't understand why you had to pay the deductible anyway. A good insurance company would have repaired the damage and then gone after the other driver. They have the time and money to do that crap. If you take him to small claims that is your time that you need to invest and that for $500.

 

Rubber seals relax? I do this for a living and this is news to me--I call BS....

Take a good look down the side of your truck. You will probably notice that the body contour is not straight on the driver side and that it possibly bows slightly out at the B-pillar. Compare it to the passenger side and you may find why the doors open differently, its possible that when they side pulled they didn't pull far enough

 

Dude, that sucks. I hope everything works out for you. I love those dash cams though. I need to read through your thread to see how to wire those things up.

The other owner is saying the guy driving his vehicle didn't have permission to drive it, and as a result, wasn't insured. The driver also didn't have a license, so it falls in the "unlicensed driver" part of my policy. We both have Geico, and they're battling it out with each other. It's like watching two drunk idiots mud wrestle right now. If I didn't file my own claim and pay my deductible, it would still be sitting smashed in my driveway. I'll only go to small claims if they fail to subrogate. It's a total frustration at the moment.

Yeah, I had the same thought when they told me. I just wanted to get home at that point and wasn't going to argue with the guy. The good news is the doors seem to be functioning well. I spent a LOT more time than I should have looking over every square inch of the truck, measuring everything, etc. I'm getting more comfortable with the job the did as time goes on. There's some orange peel in the paint job, but I'm sure nobody would notice unless they're specifically looking for it, and at the right angle. Part of me has thought about trading it in ASAP, but I'm sure I'd lose my ass on it.

 

I know that feeling. I had to show up to a KC Chiefs football game with my wife's Scion XB when my truck was in the shop. Tailgating without a tailgate is embarrassing.

 

The Forester was actually pleasant to drive. It's very snappy and handled great. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

My wife got hit by an unlicensed, uninsured driver with a warrant, also supposedly with no money. He bounced off of two other cars who were sitting at a red-light, along-side my wife. Why is it always these kinds of dirtbags that go careening around in traffic hitting people? If we're going to get hit, why can't it be nice little old rich ladies? I feel your paid, bud. Good luck.