Got Rear Ended today! Need Advice

Well, just as the title says... some idiot in a busted car with no brakes rear ended me today. I have a 2017 DCSB OR 4X4 which I bought in May. Damage wasn't too bad, but it did bust a few clips on the bumper endcap as well as some paint damage. My big concern is that the backup sensors are damaged, but they seem to be working upon initial testing. We stayed for a police report because he was driving a rental car, but the rental was a dated 2006 Lincoln Towncar from a rental agency I have never heard of... Has me slightly worried. Upon calling the insurance company he presented to the HWY Patrolman, they told me that they only insured the rental car and they provided no coverage for any other involved vehicles. WTF! This cannot be legitimate because it is South Carolina law that everyone has to have liability insurance, at the least, to legally drive. At this point, I called the rental agency and they told me that they have their own insurance for vehicles that were involved in accidents with their rental cars... still not very confident, but we will see what happens. Any thoughts or advice with what I have listed to this point is appreciated, but it's not my reasoning behind posting on TacomaWorld.

So... my question (and the reason why I'm posting on Tacomaworld)...

If I have the money from insurance, I would like to potentially go with an armor bumper instead of replacing the OEM bumper. I haven't experimented with Armor before, but have always told myself that if I got rear ended, I would try to utilize the insurance $$$. I have a friend who owns a body shop so I know he will hook it up when it comes to the install, but I don't know a ton about what to look for in a rear bumper. All I know is that I will want to retain the use of the backup sensors that came with the Tech Package I got in my OffRoad.

Anyone had experience with this before, specifically with a 3rd gen?

Thanks!

 

Just a suggestion. Have the person who rear ended you sit behind your truck and then you back up and see if the system is still working. Hope everyone is ok.
Do they have insurance?

 

haha, I hear ya there! Trust me, at first... I wanted to "test them out"! The driver has insurance through his personal vehicle as well as the rental he was driving. He listed the insurance company through the rental car company on the police report so that is currently what I am working with, but if needed, he did mention having personal insurance that could be an option... just requires me contacting him further and getting that information.

 

I think there is only 1 aftermarket bumper available that retains the sensors.

 

FYI. If you go the insurance rout, submit a separate claim for depreciation on your truck.

 

Call Bart Durham..... Maybe only funny if you live in Nashville.

 

Sorry to hear

 

Yeah... The bumper probably isn't a total loss. It could probably be repaired by purchasing only 1 of the 3 parts that go into the bumper. BUT... if I could leverage the insurance money for an armor bumper, I would rather have that.

 

thanks @JimBeam; Rain on my parade. I wish he would have destroyed my back end... wait, I just realized what I said... forget it.

 

Regardless if/when you have to, get the information ASAP. Even call both and have them subrogation each other. Normal thing. But what you don't want is that guy disappearing.

 

Don't worry...the insurance company is going to destroy your back end for you.

 

*Update* My insurance company (USAA) will subrogate with the rental car company's insurance. I received an estimate from my friend who owns his own body shop for $850 and had to perform a photo estimate for USAA which yielded a $650 estimate. I expected that considering my personal body shop is a friend of mine... When I was worried about the difference and getting stuck with a bill, my buddy said he would be able to submit a supplementary estimate once he cracked open the bumper and found other issues. This put my mind at ease, but still has me curious how close I can get to just replacing with an aftermarket bumper.

After some research, I think I have my mind made up on a Fab Fours bumper. They are somewhat local so I plan on picking up the bumper here in Upstate SC. My buddy says no problem, he will be glad to replace with an aftermarket bumper while still trying to utilize the insurance money that is awarded. I AM okay with paying a little more ($200-$300) to take advantage of the bumper replacement if it means I get an aftermarket bumper. Does anyone have experience with Fab Fours? Thoughts? Reviews? The 2 that I'm looking at are

Vengeance Model
https://www.fabfours.com/product/vengeance-rear-bumper-11/

Premium Rear Bumper
https://www.fabfours.com/product/premium-rear-bumper-14/

 

Pics?