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B112
USA
5225 Posts |
 Posted - 04/11/2015 : 17:18:20
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| Hi, My Durango was head on impaled when a smaller car took a left turn in front of me. Last weekend went from a great weekend day to a bad day. I am working with a shop which will give me quote on a full frame repair. I'll be looking for more suggestions and adding photos of my ordeal. Disappointing and shocking how poorly insurance companies treat us. |
Michael |
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olcowhand
USA
5115 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2015 : 17:35:03
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| If main frame damage has occurred, your truck should be totaled. I am assuming the other driver was insured? If so, I'd get a bad case of hard-nose & tell them you'll meet them in court. |
Daniel in Ky -- So much to do, so little time!
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2015 : 20:43:05
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| If it is more than a few years old and the airbags deployed it's probably totaled. Hope no one was hurt! |
  Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
Edited by - skunkhome on 04/11/2015 20:44:17 |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2015 : 20:51:53
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Unless you are really attached to that vehicle I would be pushing the insurance company to buy it from you. Would like to see a photo when it's convenient for you.
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East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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B-16_IC
USA
2823 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2015 : 21:13:48
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Sorry to hear about your crash, hope there are no injuries incurred. Having over 20 years experience in autobody I can tell you some of these insurance companies are constantly getting worse at customer service. Are you dealing with State Farm? They can be one of the worst. With these late model "hydroformed" frames anything over a slight bend or sway means replacement of the frame. They cannot be straightened like the older ones, and certainly not heated.
I certainly hope you can get this straightened out quickly and to your betterment. Stick to your guns, and scrape together any receipts you may have from recent expenditures or repairs to that vehicle. That all ads to the value when negotiations begin. |
Life is all about paying. Pay attention, or pay the consequences, the choice is yours. Rich |
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B112
USA
5225 Posts |
Posted - 04/12/2015 : 21:15:40
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Right now a shop is telling me they have done a complete frame replacement and we have a source with two Durango frames. I am still taking to the insurance company, but as you look down the photos you'll see the bumper turned the frame back and didn't destroy the fenders completely. I'll be finishing with the shop and insurance company this coming Monday. For now, I'm looking for the best way to undercoat the replacement frame assuming I do replace the frame. Then look at some stainless break lines and perhaps headers while the truck is under repair. The book value on a 2000 RT durango per Kelly Blue Book is listing around $4921.
Well we were having a great day with my 4 year old able to ski a complete run from the top of a VT mountain to the bottom for the first time:
To this scene where a small car turned left in front of me:
(Small car bounced and spun around - NO ONE HURT!!! Thank god. I was in no hurry and was able to slow the car down to maybe 15-20mph.)
To the results on my SUV:
(No my air bags did not deploy - the small car had both airbags deployed.)
Sad to see the tow away:
Brand new bumper and 18 hours+ of undercoating work in Oct/Nov 14:
(Bumper is moved back about 6" which seemed to slide under the fender)
Yes I used Stainless steel bolts to reattach that air dam:
(Lights did not break. That was a brand new bumper as the 2000 Durango bumper did rust out. I took the time to coat the inside of the front of the frame when I replaced the bumper.)
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Michael |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2015 : 09:00:06
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Definitely has an under bite. Sure glad no one was hurt. Going to be a tough call for the insurance company and will probably come down to how many miles are on the vehicle. Your new front bumper really to a hit.
Did any of the airbags deploy? |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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B112
USA
5225 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2015 : 13:59:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Cvans
Did any of the airbags deploy?
My airbags did not deploy, but the smaller car they did. Yes, waiting to talk with the insurance company and the shop to how much it is to repair. Definitely good I had a new bumper without rust, as the rusty one would have let more damage occur to the vehicle. Mileage is 78,000. Fairly low for the age of the vehicle. I serious stored that truck in the garage many years. We're driving it more lately in the winter, but I was retiring that truck to my private use in a year anyway. I just don't want to loose that long term plan nor have to have a payment which I did not have prior to the accident. I definitely am being forced to a change in life not to my doing. Again, thank god everyone is ok and we can chalk up a lesson learned in here. Think agreed value or stated value insurance! |
Michael |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2015 : 22:30:22
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| Your right about low mileage. However it goes I hope your satisfied. It's bad enough to have to go through something like this without being hassled by the insurance company. |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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lilypad
USA
638 Posts |
Posted - 04/13/2015 : 23:24:19
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| The insurance company will only pay the book value. You can negotiate the amount based on low mileage etc. but that won't raise the value much (only if you were buying). If the repair cost is more than value you can offer to buy it at the scrap value and then pay to have it fixed. That may or may not be a good deal. Good luck. |
RLM
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B112
USA
5225 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2015 : 21:03:42
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| My insurance company came in with a good current vehicle value, which may be higher than the repair estimate which the shop is quoting me. The problem is my insurance company is valuing the repairs higher than the current vehicle value and we may need to list the vehicle as totaled by law. So I can repair the truck, but it will have a salvage title. Now I need to find out if I can get the vehicle inspected and get that removed... or do I totally destroy the future resale value? If I repair the vehicle will a second accident not pay me for my repairs? So I have some open questions. The real pain in all of this is I had a perfectly good truck very well maintained, expected 8 to 10 more years of current usage and now I could be stuck with a payment of $500/month today. In any case I look at this, having an accident has changed my financial situation. Definitely need to look at the agreed/stated value policies and how that effects me. By law if my vehicle is totaled on a stated value policy, will I be forced into a salvage title? Even if I could repair it? We probably do as much work on some of our tractors as it will take to restore this truck.... crazy. Don't drive your tractors on the road (laugh). |
Michael |
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Cvans
USA
4405 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2015 : 21:17:33
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Good your keeping your sense of humor. It's too bad that someone's carelessness has to be a financial burden on you. Doesn't seem fair.  |
East Central South Dakota
The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2015 : 22:19:51
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| I'm afraid you are stuck with a salvage title if they decide it's totaled and you buy it back and get repaired. The salvage title effectively cuts the value in half. My SIL's father backed into his car and the insurance company totaled it because the repair costs they estimated was $50 over their limit. He had to let the car go and buy another that wasn't as good as the one he had. I think he should have sued his father who did the damage then walked away untouched. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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lilypad
USA
638 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2015 : 23:15:28
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Michael, you really should do the American thing and buy one of those new aluminum F-150 Fords or the new light duty Dodge diesel. Making payments on a $50,000 truck will keep you motivated to work hard. If you negotiate hard you might get one down to $40,000.  |
RLM
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B-16_IC
USA
2823 Posts |
Posted - 04/14/2015 : 23:27:28
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Salvage title depends on the state you are in, states vary on policies. The car I currently drive got flooded at a friend's property in a flash flood, insurance totaled it but I kept it and repaired, that was 100,000 miles ago. They paid me market value minus the salvage bid they got on it. This car has a clean title to this day since it never officially changed hands, I owned it before, during, and after and I would assume it would be the same in your case but I don't know your local laws. One would need to "disclose" prior damage exceeding a certain number depending on the DOT laws.
Personally I would keep it and repair if you like the vehicle and feel confident in it's reliability, you may not with a different one. You know this one's history. Unless the frame is bent behind the wheel it does not warrant total replacement, it can be sectioned (bent part cut off and replaced with a good piece). This is a manufacturer and industry approved repair, I've done it several times and I am ASE certified to do so.
Current public opinion of "salvage" vehicles is basically formed from Dateline type hoopla. There are indeed some fly by night shops that do some scary work that make the rest of us look bad. They also do insurance repairs and pass that off as good work . Besides one has to remember that a brand new car stays out of salvage status for crashes WAY nastier than yours incurred. Oh, and those Carfax reports only tell what they know which is only what they've been told which ain't always the truth.
Sorry for the rant but this is a subject I happen to know well and have made a living at for all my adult life. We bodymen are the scurge of the earth according to some, but we just try to walk the thin line formed by the manufacturers, insurance companies, and customers, all of whom want a different result it seems.
Once you have made up your mind Michael, stick to your guns. You are the one who needs to be happy with the outcome, with your vehicle situation and your finances. If it doesn't feel good to you, don't listen to someone else, even me! |
Life is all about paying. Pay attention, or pay the consequences, the choice is yours. Rich |
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skunkhome
USA
12824 Posts |
Posted - 04/15/2015 : 08:31:50
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| In this state, Louisiana, a salvage title is a death sentence for your values regardless of the condition of the vehicle. However, If you plan to drive the wheels off it, it is of little concern. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Durango frame got wrapped up
