My 3 week old truck got rearended by a 16 year-old in a Blazer last week. I was sitting at a stoplight and he was going about 50-55mph when he DRILLED my truck.

I definitely need a new bumper, bed, tailgate, taillights, rearpanels, tow hitch, spare, line-X.

That damage alone plus labor is over 5k. The Ford Collision Center I took it to is checking out potential frame damages. I'm currently driving a POS Toyota Camry!

They have not even mentioned the possibility of the truck being totaled. If the frame is damaged, the fixes could reach over 10k.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I also would appreciate any advice on anything else that needs checked out. Tranny? Brakes?

Thanks.

 

Well, if he hit you that hard, it's a good possibility you have damage to the back of the cab.
I hope he has good insurance, for you sake.
Unfortunately, there are way to many idiots out there.
Good luck.

 

Complain till there is no end. In the last three years I had a lady pull left in front of me. It totaled my SHO. Then back in December I had a dump truck come left of center and hit my then 2003 F-150. Both ended up being totalled from not accepting there offers to settle.

When push comes to shove...... As long as your OK is that matters. There only cars / trucks.......

 

GO TO THE DOCTOR!!! If you were hit at those speeds, there are several possible injuries that you may have of which you are currently not aware. I have had to live with pain radiating from a neck injury for a while. It eventually led to surgery (costly) and missed time from work. I am totally against ridiculously litigious people chasing ambulances, but I would hate for you to have injuries that affect your quality of life that are not going to be paid for by the insurers of the ignorant. I know I sound like a lawyer, but I am simply one who has suffered with neck pain and realizes the debilitating effects of the same.
I hope your truck gets fixed, and that you are injury free. I would have the truck inspected by a third party after it is fixed, to have someone concur that the fix was absolute.

 

Robcee has an important point, and that is to get looked at by a doctor. The kid's insurance (or yours, if necessary) should cover that under personal injury. You don't want any surprises later on. I'm talking xrays, maybe an MRI or whatever to rule out any problems inside your skull as well as the bones in your spine. You also want to make sure the seat belt did not damage any internal organs.

As far as the truck is concerned, have an independent assessment *before* you accept an insurance settlement. Once you sign on the dotted line, you're generally stuck. I'm not suggesting that his (or your) insurance company will try to screw you, but they are in business to make a profit, and any damage that shows up 6 months from now will be on your nickle, not theirs.

Good luck!

Dave...

 

My previous truck (01 F-150 Scab) was involved in an accident in early 03, total cost to fix $ 7,000.00 and the insurance did not total it out.

Moral of the story: don't let your wife drive your truck, she ran into those 4 foot cement filled posts in a parking lot.

 

Originally posted by anaheim
... Moral of the story: don't let your wife drive your truck, she ran into those 4 foot cement filled posts in a parking lot.

LMAO, that's hilarious! So sad it's funny.

A few years back my sis ran into a mailbox (someone's) and my mom ran into the garage door. (My parents' house) The mailbox story I only heard about and never saw the damage. The garage door I saw busted and felt bad for my dad so I offerred to pay for a new one. Total cost: $1,100 ouch!

Now whenever I drive my mom somewhere and she gives me the lecture about me being reckless I remind her about the garage door deal then she gets real quiet.

 

I am extremely nervous of drivers behind me now after I got smacked during stop-n-go rush hour traffic on the highway this past winter. Kid was only 18, wasn't paying attention, and couldn't stop in time. My girlfried went away in an ambulance for neck injuries (she is fine now, btw). I didn't even put anything under my insurance (except for medical, because NYS is no-fault). Everything, including the rental car for 3 weeks, lost wages for my girlfriend, all towing, collision shop fees, and a pay-out to my leasing company for the totalled RAV4.

On the upside, I did end up in one these nice bad boys, and got $2K in my pocket from an overage that his insurance paid for my totalled vehicle.

I now avoid the highways in my area during busy times, and I give myself plenty of time to stop so that the idiot behind me has plenty of time to stop. No sense in riding someone's *** when you have to stop anyway.

Nick, what did the kid have to say for himself after being so careless? I would humbled, to say the least, if I just walked away after almost killing myself and a fellow driver. He was probably too busy playing with the radio or on a cell phone, I betcha.

Good luck in your situation. Post here with any questions or problems. I bet quite a few people in here have stood in your shoes in the past and can offer advice.

- Justin

 

Boy, reading this makes me feel not so bad about my 2 inch dent. Sorry to hear it. I came so close to rearending someone myself today. My heart was pounding super fast. I was rubbernecking another rearending accident. Plus I was in a hurry to get to the Phillies game tonight.

 

I feel your pain brother, been there and had it done to me too. Had it done to a new car I had only one day, then went to the body shop for a month. Been rear ended and front ended and had both me and the wife visit the emergency room. Luckily we healed up pretty good. Just goes to show you cant be too careful, cause if you watch the rear, they come at you from the front or side or top etc. I hope they fix it to your satisfaction or replace it if they total it out. Good luck either way.

 

Like Robcee said, if there's any question at all, see a doctor. My brother was rear-ended and did get an award, but even then it wasn't enough. At the time he thought "I got money for this?" but that was then. His back is a mess and he had to battle an addiction to pain meds.

When I lived in Tucson, I was hit twice while in new cars at the same light. The first time I was really drilled and the car was in the shop for two months. I was okay and so was the car after the repairs. The second time was a little sneakier. A car in front of me stalled and the girl behind me drove into my bumper. I thought everything was okay, but missed the fact that the bumper was bent. That one came out of my own pocket.

The bottom line is that now is the time to make sure the other guy pays for any damage. If you miss something, it'll come out of your own pocket later. I'm not one for suing the daylights out of the other guy, but you don't want to pick up the tab yourself either.

 

[Nick2004]--- That blazer must have been crusing to do so much damage.

A very similar car ( A GMC Jimmy) rear ended my 97' F150, totally crumpled his hood/bumper and broke open his radiator , when I looked at my truck all that was wrong was that his paint was smeared on my bumper.

 

I am a firm believer in lifting the damn rig till they can go under you. lol

 

Yeah after we made sure we were all right, the 16 y.o. starts crying and says. "That was my favorite car in the world. Ever!"

I said son, "That had to have been your first car in this world." (it was totaled, 2000 Blazer)

He then told me that the reason he hit me was because he sneezed. I'm thinking, you sneezed and then what did you do, gun it?

He actually hit me twice, which makes me think he never even touched the brake.

It looks like there is only very minor frame damage and minor inertia damage to the cab. The whole back half of the truck is still getting replaced. The repairs should take about 3 weeks. I still think the insurance should spring for me to have a rental truck instead of this camry. It seems only reasonable to me, but what do I know?

 

IMPORTANT

before you settle, read this about diminished value consumer FAQs!.

Thany you very much.