2008 Rear Ended - Thoughts?

It's a shame such insignificant damage (for a pickup truck) will likely total it.

Cut those bent sections off nice and even, weld replacements back on (either fabricated or junkyard). New bumper, new or repaired bed/tailgate (if you can find them?), good alignment check...then the truck would be just as good as it was!

It's a low-mile V6 Tacoma will a clean frame, worth saving!

ToolCat

 

Any updates?

 

Scary..hoping it all works out well, primarily your health. Watching my wife go through this as well from some texting moron.

I'd fight like hell even if you like the offer they make for your truck citing that mileage..

 

Yup. Always is. $2650 my ass!!

 

Talked to the body shop manager last week and he's saying it's totaled. The insurance adjuster for the other company is refusing to call him back so he can relay this info to him! He says they cannot fight this and demand the truck be fixed elsewhere as it's a frame issue and once it's declared un-repairable, that's it! I'm going to contact some supervisors tomorrow at the other insurance company so I can get this closed already! I've been looking within 200 miles of Pittsburgh for 2008 Tacoma TRD Sports with 31k miles and there ain't none! The trucks I'm finding have 100k miles plus and are listed at $20-22k! I'll take $25 and be more than happy!

Also been pricing new Tacomas as well as 4Runners! Jesus H are they expensive! Dealer told me yesterday that Toyota produced just 87 4Runners last month and there are 1600 US dealers all fighting for them!

I think what I might do is just hold on to the buyout money until my injury claim settles and then go from there. I have an older 2003 Exploder that is holding up well so as long as it stays that way, I can wait a while. Honestly, I think the other insurance company, if they were smart, would just tell me to go pick out a like new Tacoma and we'll call it a day! I'd probably go for that and forget the injury lawsuit. I have limited tort here in Pa. and a brain injury like I have is considered an injury that can overcome the limited tort protocols but I'm researching settlements that others have received for this sort of thing and I'm seeing maybe $20k before the lawyers take their 40%. I'd do a new Tacoma as a trade off for sure!

Thanks, fellas, for listening to the rants!

 

That's half the battle. The other half is getting you better.

 

I had an issue we're I couldn't get good cooperation from the other person's insurance. I let my insurance know and they took care of everything. That's been my go-to every since.

 

Here's a good one, fellas. Got a call from other drivers insurance company saying she only has the Pa. minimum on collision liability ($5,000). They want me to open a claim with my insurance to cover the remaining amounts! Costs are at $12k already! I have no collision as my Taco was paid off so I chose just liability! So, now, it looks like I'm probably going to have to have the body shop re-assemble the truck, go pick it up, and find another shop to fix the frame and other damage so I can unload the truck for what they want to pay! What a f&cking load of bullshit here! This bitch entered my world and turned it upside down and I'm the one getting f&cked!

The truck is only a few thousand away from a complete total and they are jacking me off! This bitch should be required to borrow the money, take a loan, get a second or third job, and cover this expense! I feel I should not even have been contacted with her insurance company accepting 100% liability on this accident and injury.

They say to file a claim with my company and they will re-imburse my company for the costs including my deductible! Does that make any friggin sense!? If you're going to do that just friggin pay the money! Why involve and aggravate me!

Tell you what guys, people who follow the rules and live life without bothering others always seem to get f*cked in the end!

 

Same here. September year before last a woman, head down, on her phone, went through a double stop sign and hit me on a crossing highway that has a 60MPH limit. I was in a ND MX5, brand new with 2,699 miles on it. Brand new. I had a dashcam that showed the crash. I had to turn it to my insurance and let them get the money from the party at fault. Plus I got an attorney and sued due to shoulder and arm injury.

That truck can be fixed, considering the age despite low mileage, it may not have a perfect paint match but it will look good and be okay. However, there is diminished value.

 

That state min 5,000 seems low. I would first question that. Almost sounds like attorney time, never used one, never had the need but your situation seems warranted.

 

I can understand the “file with your insurance” thing.

My truck is also paid off. I was rear ended last week and filed with my insurance. I’ll let them deal with subrogation; that’s what I pay them for.

 

Yeah, I've found just letting my insurance handle those is easiest. I pay my deductible, my stuff gets fixed immediately. They'll handle everything with the other insurance, sue, garnish wages or whatever with their army of adjusters and lawyers that does this day-in day-out, stuff gets done fast. When they get their money back, I get my deductible back. Usually less than a month.

But dang OP. I hate to say sounds like you didn't have collision or uninsured motorist? Do you have any other sort of coverage you can claim from your insurance? Or homeowners? You'll have to go to court on your own. Maybe cut a deal with a lawyer, whatever they can get, they get half, you get half. Better than nothing.

Lesson to everybody else, if your rig is worth anything to you make sure you insure it as such.

 

Did the bed hit the cab?

 

I had no collision as the truck was paid off so I went with just liability. In Pa. you aren't required to have under insured coverage on property but rather medical. My thoughts on this is that it's the other drivers fault! They should contact her and inform her the bill is higher than her policy and she is required to come up with the difference! If I take her to court and win a judgement, it's going to be on her anyway! Maybe she has the cash somewhere or a family member who deals and can lend it to her! Effing lowlife scumbag!

The bed just touched the cab on both sides at the bottom. The Toyota body shop says that Toyota, once they see a bent frame, they cannot, or will not, repair the vehicle. Body shop also says that there is always additional costs once the bed is fully removed and the frame replacement starts. If they're at $12k total, he could have threw a few extra thousand in costs on his estimate and helped me get to that totaling cost of the vehicle. That's all it would take I think. It seems to me that since it's not right close to the total cost that they want to just repair it!

Eff it, I'm going to have them put it back together and take it somewhere else to have it fixed as best as possible. I guess I'll get screwed there also as the Toyota body shop will charge her insurance for their work and that will deduct even more from her only $5,000 policy. Hopefully the new body shop can do the repairs for whatever amount remains!

 

I’m reading you have two options:
Accept things as they are, take the L, and be angry.
Lawyer up, have them go after her for repair costs + legal fees, be made whole.

Up to you.

edit: and this is why liability only is so cheap.

 

OP, it is unlikely you will get a judgment against her. You might do a small claims court. I was in a wreck recently, in a brand new MX5. The cell phone texting bimbo only had 100K insurance. My car was $40,000 alone. My biceps tendon was ripped from my arm so that was $125,000 and I think PT was $25,000 and incidentals. My insurance picked it up because I had under-insured coverage. Yes, I got a lawyer and sued and of course my insurance will go after her insurance company for their outlays.

In this world today, the cost of vehicles and medical, you cannot afford to have only liability and in the event you are the cause of the crash, I will not say accident in my case as texting is a choice, not an accident, at least $500,000 coverage.

Tacomas in nice condition are valuable and desirable vehicles. If you value it, have insurance on it. People in general have just become so self absorbed (texting while driving), course (no manners or golden rule) and aggressive (road rage). It is sad, but it is a jungle out there.

 

Couple of issues with small claims:

1. You're capped at what you can sue for, depends on state.
2. (and worse), the judgment is almost useless because you don't have a way to collect. Had to go through small claims before for a dissimilar matter and it took over a year before I saw a dime. Again, may vary by state.

To build on what you said, I always carry high limits for the additional reason of being a homeowner. I don't want to risk losing my house.

 

, ain't that always the case! It doesn't matter the status of their wealth nor their political preferences.