My truck got rear ended... is it totaled?

Hey TW.. hard times for me right now and just wanted to get some input on this.

While I was fully stopped on the #3 lane on a red waiting to make a right, my wife and I were waiting for about 30 seconds for the red light. We then heard some loud tire screeching from behind us then a boom and looked at each other with this face of “oooo someone messed up” towards each other and about 3 seconds later BANG!! We were struck from behind... my wife and I sort of blacked out for a few seconds from impact and surely enough someone was lodged underneath my truck. I thank god my wife and I are okay along with the other parties involved. I didn’t happen to hit any cars in front as I was pretty far from them when the collision happened. So all damage was made to the rear of my truck. Now, since this happened on Thursday and the party at faults insurance is still on standby for accepting liability I haven’t been able to determine by the insurance adjuster what the condition of my truck is. I made a claim with my insurance as well against the other party and my adjuster will be checking the truck out Monday - Thursday.

Now from what I’ve seen on my truck this is the damage I’ve noticed.

-rear driver bedside
-rear bumper
-tailgate
-tow hitch bracket
-leaf springs and brackets
-axle
-shocks
-driveshaft
-transmission

So here’s what I can say about those items. The rear driver bedside is pushed up, in and out towards the left. Rear bumper is pushed inwards and up. Tailgate brackets that hold it in place is broken off. The towing package that whole bracket is pushed in and up. The driver leaf spring is pushed forward and bent out of place. The driver leaf spring bracket for the rear of the leaf spring is pushed forward and up which bent the frame of the vehicle where the bracket is. The rear axle is pushed forward on the driver side which pushed the driveshaft forward which pushed the transmission I’m guessing cause now my transmission is squeaking a lot (maybe the bellhousing shifted or bent?). So with that which I’ve seen visually I do not know how much it will all cost to fix. From what I’ve been told, it might be a total loss... what do you guys think???

Here are some photos of the accident and some photos I was able to get of the damages. Some photos are stills taken from video, sorry if some are blurry.



This is where the frame is bent


Here’s the other guys car the one that rear ended me


Yup. I just want to have an idea as of now what the outcome may be as far as fixable for my truck or total loss...

Anyone that has input on what it may be please chime in, thanks TW.

I did want to add though, the place my truck is at is Crenshaw Collision Center and my truck was brought there along with the other parties vehicles. Now when I came by the day after the accident to pick up some personal belongings, I noticed the shop already touched my vehicle and the other parties vehicle as well. My leaf spring looked more straight and the other parties car already was being taken apart??? The adjuster hasn’t even came by from the other parties insurance or mine. Wouldn’t that mess with the original condition of the vehicles from the accident and affect the adjusters look on them? I don’t know it was just kind of odd, I thought it was supposed to be left alone till the adjuster comes by. Well that’s it for now I guess.

Once I get the final decision from the adjuster either Monday - Thursday I will update this thread with what they say. Let’s see which decision is closer either fixable or total loss?!?

Thanks again TW, I love this forum and hope to still be a part of it. Even if I have to get a new truck it’s going to be another Tacoma so, I will still be here lol!

 

By the Shop touching it they may be trying to make it look not so bad to the Adjuster so they can get the work (just my opinion) BUT they should not touch it until the Adjuster has seen it and you have Decided Where you want the work done..... personally (again my opinion) I would take pictures of it at the shop and asked them to cease work until adjusters from Both insurance have have viewed and made the offers to you.

 

I had that thought! I felt that’s what they may be doing!

So I do have pictures of the truck at the scene and I did take pictures of what I seen different when I came the next day. I hope that will help. Thanks for your input my man!

 

Did you sign a work order with the collision center? if not then they should not be doing anything to your truck.

 

Nope, I did not sign any paperwork. I just listed my name and my contact information for them to call me.

 

Once your insurance sends the information to the collision shop of choice, the collision shop will then "tear down" your vehicle. This allows for all of the damage to be seen and an estimate to be written. The adjuster shows up, reads over the estimate written by the collision shop and verifies with the damage seen on the vehicle. Its normal practice for a vehicle to be taken apart before an adjuster shows up. A lot of times, pictures are sent to the adjuster, and they'll approve work over the internet.
Personally, I think your truck will be on the line of totaled/fixable. I would lean towards totaled, but I have personally fixed worse. Nonetheless, glad you're safe and good luck with the outcome!

 

Obligatory Sorry for your loss OP glad everyone is ok, that's the important part. If your frame is tweaked at all its toast otherwise it doesn't look unsalvageable. Might be a good time to go for the high clearance rear bumper and some rear suspension upgrades. Good luck.

 

Okay. Well my I had barely notified my insurance that my truck was at Crenshaw collision center earlier this morning as my Attourney just opened the claim with my insurance last afternoon. I seen the difference in my trucks appearance yesterday morning before I opened the case with my attourney. So I’m not sure my insurance communicated with Crenshaw collision until maybe after I let them know about it this morning. Hopefully it’s nothing fishy.

Otherwise, I appreciate your Input greatly Chad! Thank you!

 

I definitely hope it does buff out, and I don’t have to give up the truck. I have already made a connection. I just don’t want to have it be fixable and for it to never be the same cause of all the bent parts and bent frame. If it’s going to be fixed of course I’d like it to be 100% like it never happened.

I’m glad everyone is okay as well. The driver that hit me was pretty shocked after he hit me and didn’t seem he knew how to get out of his car, so I helped him out. Glad he didn’t have any major injuries.

Yeah, that all does sound good. I have to start planning! It’s either major upgrades or new Tacoma!

Thanks for the input!

 

Wait, You hired an Attorney to handle an accident this small? That seems very odd.

 

It was suggested by my wife’s father we do so. As far as my wife and I being okay and well after the incident. We still sustained very bad back/neck/shoulder issues after it happened. The police were on scene rather quick and no parties were actually able to obtain insurance policies personally. The reporting officer took down all policies and stated the report would not be ready for a couple of weeks. So as my wife and I needed medical attention her father contacted an attorney that helped him before to provide us help through the process as this is the first accident We’be been into and didn’t know much of what to do. I did not know being represented by an attourney was a bad decision? Did I do wrong by going that route?

 

OP, glad everyone made it out relatively unscathed from the accident. In my opinion the other party’s insurance will definitely not be looking out for you, and your insurance more than likely will do the bare minimum to keep you satisfied. As long as the lawyer you retained only gets paid if and when you get paid then it could be advantageous having someone in your corner who is experienced with these issues. The drawback to utilizing the attorney is you may net less at payout time than had you gone in alone since the attorney get a portion of the payout.

 

Bent frame =

 

No you didn't go the wrong route in hiring a attorney. This is LA and most people are under insured. Are you going to the attorney's doctor or your own? I would want to see my own physician.

 

Okay. Yeah I know it’ll be less of a payout now that I’m utilizing my attourney. Money isn’t so much an issue on this for me though. I really just wanted to address the injuries my wife and I sustained right away and wanted to make sure that I would be covered through the whole process. So I hope all goes well with our healing process.

Thanks for the input my man!

 

Sorry about your truck, but glad you and your wife made it out without any life-threatening injuries. Did you get the full story on what caused the accident? Street racing, medical condition causing the driver to lose conscientiousness, texting driver?

 

That’s what my wife’s father said. The driver might be under insured and the attourney could help with that. Well I am going to a chiropractor my attourney suggested. What’s the difference going with that towards my own?

 

Thank you my man! No I did not get the full story, the officer who took the report stated the report will be open to public within a few days to 2 weeks. It’s only been 3 days. I did plan to call CHP today just to ask for an update on it. From what I heard, kid was going 45mph down that off ramp and impacted my car at that speed. From what it looks like, he tried to switch lanes from #3 to lane #2 then hitting the 2nd party which was in lane #2 then bouncing back to my lane #3 and hitting my rear driver side.

 

Typically that's the way it's done, but it can be a hassle. The fact the doctor and the lawyer are in cahoots. It's easier to make a case when the doctor will say what the lawyer pretty much wants. Your family physician has nothing to gain from this accident, unlike the lawyers doctor.