Bought a 2013 FX4 two weeks ago to replace my 94 F150 and got to enjoy it for a whole 10 days before I got rear ended at a stop light. The car hit me doing between 30-40, fast enough to make her airbags go off, and it was hard enought to force the bed to hit the cab. Unfortunately, the damage is more than cosmetic body work. The bottom of the bed is pushed up under the bedliner and the frame is bent in front of where the leaf spring connects. My concern is that the adjuster will want to "fix" the frame and I will be stuck with a lifetime of alignment issues, suspension issues, etc. I know the rear of the frame is not as much an issue as if the front was bent, but I don't know how they could fix it without cutting it and welding in a new piece, and how can I know that the frame is true? Any advise is helpful, the adjuster will be looking at it Thursday and I may call her in advance to plead my case...

 

Hard to see but the bottom of the bed is pushed up. Selling the 94 I-6

 

ja6050,

Do you have 12 or 24 month replacemet insurance on your truck?

I suspect they might write that one off. It could end up with other issues.

Good Luck

Green Gem

 

I made the claim under the other driver's insurance (Gieco). I went to the doctor later that night due to neck/back pain and they have started calling me about making "settlement" offers and I have not asked for anything... I haven't even asked for a rental car, because I still have 2 working cars and a truck. Not sure whether to be aggressive with adjuster or play the "all I am asking for is fix my truck right" card.

 

This sucks brother. I don't know how it works down in your neck of the woods, but I've had a couple of vehicles written off by insurance, and both times, the insurance company was 100% fair with me. From what I understand, they don't have any incentive to do a half-assed fix that could result in further troubles down the road. If it can be fixed "properly", then you have no worries.

My opinion is don't start playing hardball until you are sure you need to. See what the insurance ompany says about the truck, then take some time to think about it.

As for the injuries, don't rush to settle that. If it was me, I'd want to make sure at least a month had passed to be sure I wasn't going to have any back/neck issues crop up. Rear-end collisions are very hard on your spine. Could be worth talking to a Doctor or Physiotherapist. Keep a record of any work missed or medical professionals seen.


Good luck man.

 

I agree with seventyseven250, don't rush to settle anything. As a matter of fact I would suggest consulting an attorney before signing anything. Also chances are you will get a new frame. I know a lot of good frame guys who hate trying to straighten any of the 04 and newer Ford truck frames. They claim they are almost too strong to straighten. But depending on how far the damage travelled down the frame, you may get a section of it replaced. By that I mean if there are any buckles under or behind the cab. And if so just how severe are the buckles. Is the frame diamond? Meaning the one side is shoved forward of the other. Judging by the pics. I'd say that is a good possibility. Also if you have any concerns of the repaired frame(assuming it does get repaired) be sure to request a computerized print out of the frame before and after the repair. Just remember you are the victim here. You have the upper hand. Be firm with the insurance co., but be polite. Being rude or belligerent won't help your cause. Keep us updated and post pics after the repairs.

 

Frame damage I'd push for total loss and another truck. ...im currently having my truck repaired as well had it since January. ....but 10 days man that's harsh

 

DO NOT SETTLE the medical yet!!! the truck and medical is totally separate. I was involved in a head on crash in 2010 that i still have neck pains from. My crash happened in October and i finally settled after the doc said it was as healed as it would get..that was March of the same year. Make darn sure you are OK before even thinking about settling.

Good luck and i'm sorry to see your new truck like that.

 

The best advice is right here^^^^^^^^.

You'll also need to know what the other drivers insurance limits are. Geico should cover everything then go after their client for any shortages well after you are properly taken care of.

I hope all is well with you and that you mend quickly. The truck.......they build em everyday.

 

Thanks for the advise, I originally was thinking total replacement, but without knowing the other driver's limits, I don't know how likely that is. State minimums for SC is 25/50/25, but I guess if they replace they truck they could sell my on Salvage title to make up the difference. I just don't want to make a claim against my insurance for underinsured and risk increasing my premiums. Who knows? The disappointment of losing my truck after 10 days has just been huge.

 

I could be wrong here, but I don't think claiming underinsured on your policy will cause your rates to go up. After all the other guy hit you as you can clearly see in your photo. And you can't control how much insurance he carries. If you have any concerns on that issue you can always call your agent for info.. Or you can always look up what your state laws say about this and all your other concerns. However I'd suggest calling your insurance agent. That is part of his/her job. Hopefully you don't have any long lasting medical issues as a result of this collision.

 

I know insurance policies vary, but I'm certian on mine that no matter what insurance the other driver had, it would not count against my record, and my insurance company would make up any shortfall.

Also agree with the above poster who clarified that medical and vehicle damage are two claims, and can be settled at different times. Do not rush to settle the medical claim. There is no hurry.

 

Get your company involved if they don't offer to replace frame. Just call them now for a heads up. You are not charged a claim until they pay, so no point waiting. Don't expect a lawyer will help much if his levels are low, in fact you will lose a minimum of 25 percent of claim once they jump in. Probably more like 35-40 percent. At that low level of coverage, you can make a decision without involving lawyer until after company pays limit. Then call attorney if you go after driver civilly.

 

Insurance companies have these payouts down to a science. Getting a lawyer involved as bakon stated could end up costing you money unless there are some special circumstances to your particular incident. The medical deal for the insurance company is a big concern so they will push to get a settlement as soon as they can.

In the mean time you should get the body shop estimate, to get the truck fixed, as well as look at the salvage value for your truck. There are a lot of webs sites where you could get an idea of salvage values. Ebay has auctions for wrecked vehicles and web sites like Salvage Trucks for Sale | Truck for Sale Used | Truck Auctions | Cheap Trucks for Sale have information.

A good body shop can fix a frame properly and you'll never have an issue. I've had it done & I've bought vehicles that had it done, never had an issue. The down side is when you go to sell the truck you will take a hit on resale do due frame damage. The simple truth is people are afraid of frame damage.

 

Ok so the reason I suggested consulting a lawyer is because the O.P. sounds a little unsure of how to handle this, and he wants to make sure he is taken care of properly. Also a lot of lawyers now have free consultations, especially the ones that deal with these types of instances. Also laws vary state to state, which is part of the reason we aren't to discuss legal matters in the forums. And if you think for one second that the insurance companies are out to make things right for you the victim, your sadly mistaken. And yeah I know a lot of times attorneys are only out for them selves too. But that's where you need to do a little research before deciding what lawyer to deal with. Also as a collision tech. of 18 years that the O.P. will at least have the rear section of the frame replaced. And probably the entire frame will need to be replaced. And just like researching a lawyer, or contractor if you want an addition on your home for example, you'll want to research what bodyshop you'll want to choose. Let's face it the collision industry is full of butchers/hacks. And he'll want to make sure the work is done properly. And don't just assume that if you take it back to your Ford dealer it'll be done properly, because that often times just isn't the case.