Thought I would update this thread.....

Finally got a picture - and finally in the shop after 17 days!



My body shop guy invited me to the shop this morning to take the preliminary measurements on the frame. we did 6 different measurements mostly checking for square, and all came out where they should. So far, it looks like the frame is OK. He is still going to put it on the frame machine for the detailed measurements.
If they come out OK, it's mostly just a remove and replace deal - beside the cosmetics, getting upper and lower control arms and steering rack. Of course, as he tears it down he'll replace anything else that isn't right.

I also talked to the alignment guy (different shop) and told him that if everything isn't dead on, that I am not accepting the truck.

So far, this is good news to me - hope it all comes together properly!

Now back to fighting with the insurance company.......

 

Looks like a pretty good hit but not horrible.

Do the passenger side doors open?

 

They may be able to straiten it like new, but it wont be worth squat later. When you go to trade it in and they as if there has ever been any damage greater than 25% of the vehicles value question, it will kill your trade in value. If you can get them to total it you should.

 

that pic don't look too bad...i seen WAY worse and it turned out OK, i know several guys up here buy salvages and rebuild them and sell 'em cheap and no one seems to have any issues. if a got shop is doing the work, it should be just like new, but i'd still be pissed about the whole thing.

 

The passenger doors didn't open after the wreck, but I didn't pull real hard. The body guy said the front door was pinched against the fender - pushed the fender in by hand and the doors work fine.

The estimate by the my insurance adjuster is $5500 so no where near totaled.

Actually I'm pretty relived that the frame looks OK, but still pissed about the whole situation - now my insurance company has to go into arbitration to get the money back from the other company.

I've been without my truck for 17 days now, and will still be another 2-3 weeks.
Of course all the snow will be gone by the time I get my 4WD back.......

One thing I will say though, is I am so glad I was in this truck in this wreck - it was a very violent hit (55mph broadside into a car) and the truck handled it very well.

 

Been around the car business for 45 years and I've never heard anything about 25%. Must be a left coast thing.

 

This is why you want to go through your insurance company from day one. The other company is going to pull things on you which you have no experience to handle. Why would you deal with that when you have an insurance company to take care of if for you? Besides, the other insurance company does not want to deal with you, they want to work with your insurance company.

 

Every time I traded one in on the east coast I had to sign a statement saying it had never been damaged like that. Although I never understood that, they could have just requested a CarFax statement.

 

now would be a good time for the shop to do any painting you would want done, or swap things, grille-bumpers-heads. everytime i ever filed a claim i had things added add to truck or things repainted as part of the deal.

 

Well, now I am starting to see this. In 35 years of driving, I've never been in a situation like this before.
I really started to see this when my insurance adjuster's estimate was a bit higher than the other one - looked like a screwing coming.......

My body shop guy said the same as you greencrew - that I am better off letting my insurance handle the repairs and getting their money back.

Thanks for all the input and advise guys - it does help calm my nerves a bit!

 

I hear ya - getting my DSG grille surround put on, plus a door ding in my bed side.
Plus I finally decided on my new summer tires/wheels - when it finally comes out of the shop it will look better than before.

 

Not to hi jack your thread or anything but I just found this in the general discussion part.

Your truck looks pretty good compared to this!

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/DSC02456.jpg

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/DSC02457.jpg

http://i660.photobucket.com/albums/u...t/DSC02460.jpg

I think it would be safe to say that that truck is totaled!

 

Good thing he had that brush guard!

 

Tell them that 70% in unacceptable. I had a guy admit fault and his insurance ate 100% and then some. If they broadsided you that is there fault and you should be held 0% at fault. I would speak with your insurance agent and tell them that other insurances 70% is BS. If you get the feeling your being jerked around get yourself a good lawyer. Remember insurance will screw you any chance they can get to save money. [/QUOTE]

Get statements from the other driver and police officer. If you have evidence that the other driver admits fault, it's a lot harder for his insurer to argue contributory negligence.

Be sure to let them know that their arbitrary denial or reduction of payment for your claim will result in a department of insurance complaint as well as a law suit against their insured.

Oh, and don't forget what I said previously about diminished value :-)

 

I was in an accident this past Friday. An older man in a midsize car crashed into my back bumper and receiver hitch. I was driving through a construction site at around 25 to 30 miles an hour. No clue to his speed at the time of impact. It bent my hitch to the right and under the bed to the spare tire. my bed was pushed up against the cab with very little dents in the cab itself. I was able to drive truck home but it felt different. It will take 10 days to get any info about the other driver. My truck is a 2011 F150 Ecco Boost and I don't have gap but I paid a lot down and almost have it paid off. I owe less then $5000. and paid over $40,000 new less then 2 years ago. I don't want a new wrecked paid off truck. I was wanting to have a new truck paid off in 2 years. What do you think they will do to my truck? Fix it or replace it?