Oh man, the dreaded event happened.
My 1-1/4 year old 97 PSD 250 got creamed in the right rear bedside last night. I was driving in the left lane and a Durango made a lane change into the left lane and smashed in my rear bedside from the bumper forward to the wheel well. Also mashed my tailpipe against the RR tire. I was able to pull the tailpipe back off the tire far enough to be able to drive it (boy are those things hard to bend!) by sliding a stout piece of oak board into it and pulling backwards.
The other driver stopped and apologised. I called the police and they showed up to take the report. The other driver was a 17 year old kid talking on his cell phone (I had noticed that when I passed him initially).
It happened in the city at relatively low speed. He must have initiated his lane change and didn't notice that I had to slowed down for a car 3 cars ahead braking for a left turn.
I got his insurance info and filed a claim with his company. My only hope is that they honor the claim against their policy holder. It was clearly his fault as it essentially was a rear-ending type accident. Of course I have my own insurance, but I'd still have to pay the deductible.
I dreamed of owning a truck like the one I have now for 10 years and last year I finally took the plunge and sold the old 88 250 gasser so I could buy this one. It was cherry when I bought it with only a trailer hitch dent in the tailgate, which I gladly accepted considering the condition of the rest of the truck (only 73k on it when I bought it).
Anyway, a few words of sympathy as well as any specific advice as to what questions I should be asking when I take it to the body shop for repairs would be appreciated!
Thanks fellow FTE-ers!

 

Man. That sucks out loud. But... the body shop should have you up 100% in no time.

jimbo

 

I feel your pain thats a terrible feeling. Post some pictures and try to find the good in this , new exhaust, fix that dent in the tail gate did the tire or wheel get damaged . Good luck and let us know if we can help.

Dave

 

Was a citation issued to the other driver? Assuming it was you will not have any difficulty gettng his insurance company to assume responsibility.

Doesn't sound like any structural damage? Should not take any time for the body shop to have you up and running. Couple of weeks probably.

 

shoot for an aftermarket exhaust while your at it!! you could probably get a 4 inch for about the same as stock replacement!

 

I love it!

 

hey why settle for stock when someone else can pay you to upgrade!!!! im just waiting for somebody to hit me so i can do a few upgrades. maybe even a deer would do the job.

 

Update:
The other guy's insurance is going to pay. I was thrilled.
But........they say I told them that the tailpipe that was mashed against my rear tire was prior damage!
When I filed the claim with them, being an honest person, I informed them of the trailer-hitch dent in my tailgate. They apparently wrote down tailgate and tail-pipe.
The adjuster for their insurance company looked at my vehicle while I was at work. I only saw him very briefly when he handed me his sheet with the figures on it. I gave it a cursory glance and then had to go back to work (school teacher/zoo-keeper: can't leave those critters unattended!) I finally sat down this afternoon and gave it a good going over and saw that they listed the tailpipe damage as "prior".
I called the company. They stubbornly refused to send him back out or to make an adjustment to the claim. The person I was talking to even pulled up digital photos that the adjuster had taken.
Man, my bedside is caved in from the bumper to just past the midsection of the wheel well! An idiot can see that the tailpipe was mashed against the tire in the process! I was so furious, but I kept my cool.
My recourse is to have the body shop that I want to take it to inspect it. Supposedly, if they "verify" that the tailpipe was damaged by the crash, the insurance company will pony up the bucks.
I am really disgusted. Nice guys finish last is true in this case. I was impressed with the speed with which the insurance company handled the claim and the treatment I got initially. I mean, many people would have tried to pass off the tailgate dent as part of the accident, but I was completely honest about that. They asked if I would need a rental car when I took my truck to a shop, and I declined....IN THE INTEREST OF FAIRNESS.....because it is not a major imposition for me to catch a lift to work 6 miles away since half the teachers in my school drive right past my house on their way to and from work.
What I should have done was left that tailpipe mashed against the back tire and hit them with the towing charges. Then rented a car. And claimed the tailgate dent was the kid's fault.
Man, it pi**e* me off.
I'll go to the body shop and get him to report the obvious to the insurance company. They better pay it or I'll, I'll, I'll..............get screwed like everyone else who tries to do the right thing.

 

I hate to see it . You are honest with the ajuster and he takes atvantage of you! When i deal with insurance ajusters i give them nothing and tell them i want it all i bet they get a peice of what they save the company? Hope everything works out. Call them up and tell them your neck hurts, than you'l see a different attitude from them, BTW take the rental you paid for it with your preemiums sometimes you have to think like the insurance company to be made hole again.. If all elce fails i'll sick my wife on them for you