I did not mean to give any legal advise just wanted to point out information is king. If you know the cost of the repairs, what your wrecked truck is worth and what kind of hit you might take on resale due to frame damage you might be able to get yourself a better deal. It is hard to find a good body shop that you can trust but they due exist. If you don't know any, ask your insurance company who they work with. At least their list will give a starting point. Most insurance companies will not work substandard body shops, however it is possible to have a bad experience with a good shop. The more you know before you talk to the other parties insurance company about a settlement or before you talk to a lawyer, the better off you will be.

Just as an FYI. I had a 2005 Mustang GT that I wrecked. It needed a new frame rail on the drivers side and the passenger side was repaired. The body shop did excellent work. I had no issues with the car at all. When I went to trade it, no new car dealer wanted it because of the car fax. The car was in perfect condition, no scratches, dents, ran perfect and drove perfect. The best I could do on a trade in was $2000 below rough wholesale. The dealers were just going wholesale the car. I ended up selling it myself for rough condition retail. I had the choice to total the car but I loved it so I had it fixed, looking back the better choice would have been totaling it. I should have done my research.

 

One more thing, I'm not sure how it works where you live. In Illinois, if there are any medical issues due to an accident, our medical insurance companies want to be reimbursed for their costs, either by you or the auto insurance company. Unfortunately we don't know the cost till we get the bill.

 

Ditto on not settling the medical issues, personally I wouldn't try to get anymore than deserved, but no less either. As far as the vehicle damage, I'd push for vehicle replacement. Frame damage like that,.......I wouldn't trust a "repair" even with the new "technologies" out there. I would imagine they'll do the right thing, most have "lifetime" repair guarantees, It will be more cost effective in the long run for the insurance company anyway. Be careful with getting your insurance provider involved, if you have to great, but make sure IT WILL NOT GO AGAINST YOUR DRIVING RECORD. Read all the fine print.
Example: My daughter got her car backed into (by an off duty cop,no doubt) and State Farm "advised" us along the way but, if we filed, it would have been on our record as a claim... crazy rules they have. Just tread carefully, and good luck. Keep us posted.

 

I asked my insurance co how it would affect me if I filed through them, they said I would have to pay a deductible which they would try to collect from the other party s insurance and would not say how it would affect my premiums. I switched insurance companies the day after I bought the truck because my previous company was charging me almost 3 times what I am getting from the new company. I am not trying to make any money off medical, but, I am not going to let them know that if they offer me more. The other driver was lying about the accident at the scene, but the cop wasn't buying it, kinda make s me want to take her to the cleaners.

 

Ouch, THAT after only ten days of ownership?

Just wanted to point out that you have no authority to "make" them do anything. The other party's insurance company has a responsibility to repair the damage. And if that damage can be satisfactorily repaired by repairing the frame, which I doubt, they have every right to fix it.

And if they CAN repair the frame you have no reason to fear it. The frame has a very simple job, and good body shops aren't going to make a substandard repair because they would be liable for injuries resulting from an improper repair. If they fix it right, you win. If they can't they will replace the frame and you still win.

 

Tom is absolutely correct. As long as the technician that works on the truck does a thorough job. And that will be where your research for a good repair shop comes in. Also asking questions of how to handle this situation with your insurance agent isn't going to affect your premiums. I guaranty you that your insurance company is already aware of the accident. Even if you haven't contacted them. And what's to lie about here? You clearly were stopped as a result of the traffic in of you. And the other driver clearly didn't stop until your truck stopped her. I know it sucks. And honestly if it were me, I'd be p****d and sick to stomach about the situation. Now one other thing to keep in mind, and this will sound as though I'm contradicting one of my earlier posts. But you'll want to make sure your truck is fixed at a Ford authorized shop, because if not it could void your Ford warranties.

 

My truck is at the dealership body shop. I know asking my insurance company about my claim will not affect my rate, I had to fax the FR-10 (financial responsibility form) to my company for them to fill out and return to the state. But when you are not at fault, you have the option to file your claim with your own insurance company and have them make a claim against the other party's insurance or file it directly with the other party's insurance company. I elected to do the later to avoid paying a deductible and possibly increasing my premiums.

 

I'm sorry if my post was misunderstood, I meant that if you get your provider involved in the repairs, it can affect your premiums, not saying it will. I have never tried to hide anything from my insurance company, I consulted them throughout the process, but they told me if problems did arise they would repair the vehicle, even though it was the other parties fault and would sue the other parties insurance, with that, my premiums would likely rise......not guaranteed, but a possibility.
Having said that, State Farm did send an adjuster to look over my daughter's car and that the repairs were up to snuff, they were even their when we picked up the vehicle to make sure we weren't getting screwed. They (State Farm) were never out any money, so it didn't affect our premiums.

 

I got the call from the adjuster today. She says they cannot straighten the frame and are going to replace the rear section of the frame according to Ford specs. I asked her if they were going to cut the rear of the frame off and weld on a new rear section... she said that is what she understands they will do. I asked for the whole frame to be replace because I was not comfortable with a welded together frame. She claims that this is what Ford requires and they will not replace the whole frame. She said the truck would be put on a frame machine to make sure the entire frame was straight and the body shop (dealer) would provide a lifetime warranty. She also cut me a check for $775 for not using a rental car. I told her to keep the check and replace the frame... She said she can't do more than Ford requires... Should I be happy with a welded frame and $775? I will be seeking diminished value once the repairs are complete.

 

The welded frame is their fix. What does your insurance company say? Meaning I would have another adjuster look at it before any repairs start. Also talk to Ford body shop, was it their decision or the other persons insurance company adjuster? It might be acceptable, but it also might be a way to save money on your claim.

 

The rental car check is generally a separate deal, me, I would take the check. I don't know your body shop. A properly fixed frame is just as good as a new frame. If they do a good job you won't have any problems. I would find out how they plan to weld the frame. I think vertical welds are not as good as angle welds. Plus they may need to re-enforce the seam. I might talk to a frame guy to find out more about the subject. I would also find out how much a new frame is, just for comparison sake. The hard part is the diminished value you will experience on resale. As you saw in this thread, people are afraid of frame damage. As a result that make your truck worth less when you sell it. Does the lifetime warranty follow the vehicle to a new owner? That may help resale value. FYI stretched limos have welded frames and they put hundreds of thousands of miles on them.

 

Yes and good call. They're never gonna offer you diminished value unless you ask for it.

You have nothing to worry about with a welded frame. In fact, I would prefer that in your situation. To replace the whole frame requires them disassembling the entire truck. All of it. Engine, transmission, front suspension, rear suspension, driveline, cab, bed, and everything else has to come off and be put back on the new frame. And that can be done right the first time, but there is a LOT more room for errors to be made because it's so much more of a complex procedure.

If you can get your truck fixed without disassembling every major assembly you're much better off.

 

I think the biggest price difference is in the labor. It is a LOT more work to replace the frame, and the extra couple dozen hours are probably why they won't do it.

Generally no. I've never seen or heard of a shop or insurance company that has a transferrable warranty. Just about all of them warrant the work to the original owner for the life of the vehicle.

 

I got a call from the body shop after I posted. They said that no insurance company would replace the whole frame. I asked the adjuster the difference in price for a whole frame and it is around $1700 ($3000 vs $4700) more for a whole frame, but the real cost is in the labor. The frame section will come directly from Ford and is a Ford part. This is a Ford Dealer body shop. Right now the total repair comes to around $6700 but after speaking with the body shop, I know they will have to get a supplement once they take the bed off and figure out what has to be replaced on the bed.

 

I'm not seeing an issue with the welded frame piece. My question for the body shop would be how far back do they plan to cut off the old frame. If they snip it far enough back under the bed, the section that bent will be a whole new piece and just as strong. Clearly where it bent is a weak spot in all of our frames or perhaps a crumple zone.

Take the check, fix the truck and in case of resale in the future, let the potential buyer or dealer pay for a carfax. Keep the paperwork to illustrate that the work was done in a Ford dealer's body shop and that the repair meets Ford's and all insurance companies specs.

If you discover that the truck is dog legging down the road after the work is done, have it done again and again.