a couple of weeks ago our 05 e450 was in an accident...its obvious it will need a new door, fender, and windshield along with the utility box corner post and door...just taking a deeper look the cab and box has a gap on the side where the accident took place and some doors that r part of the utility box wont open on either side...the corner sticking out away from the cab took a big hit...i have a feeling the frame is bent and that more than likely it will get overlooked...in addition, the alignment is way off...i hope they dont just reset the toe enough to get it to stay on the road and tell me that is as good as it gets...i want new susp parts...another thing that bothers me is that the cab floor is severely crunched in as well as the whole door frame...how is that fixable without changing the cab...it seems like they r just going to put a new door on and hope it closes...can i demand a new cab?...lastly, the engine (v10) seems to have an intermitant rough idle...ive only driven it a couple of times and it is either as smooth as butter or there is a little shake...even if it shakes for them i have a feeling im going to get the standard 'thats normal routine'

ive never had to deal with getting something fixed after a wreck like this and have seen shotty work all the time...i want it done as perfect as possible but dont know what my rights r or whether my demands r within reason...how can i assure all of my concerns r handled to my satisfaction...idk???

 

The best advice I can give you is to stay in constant communication with your insurance company adjuster and the body shop that is doing the repairs. Ask a lot of questions about what they are going to replace and what they are going to repair. If you do not get satisfactory answers you may consult an attorney about your legal rights. I agree that there is a lot of shoddy workmanship. But reputible body shops can do outstanding repair work and will usually do their best to return your vehicle to you in as good a condition as possible. Good luck. I hope you are pleased with your results.

 

You will probably not get a new cab. With an 05, you will get, or should get new Ford parts, not certified aftermarket or junkyard LKQ parts, I would insist on this. The cab, frame and floor are all repairable. If you could get pictures, I could give you better advise. The cab & the floor are all made up of individual parts. You can drill out the spotwelds & replace pieces as needed without changing the entire cab. This is a much better option in my opinion, as the wiring the stuff you need to change on a cab swap is more of a potential problem. If you have a copy of your estimate, I could also review it for you & let you know what I see. Make sure that they restore the corrosion protection to the cab or any other panels they weld in.(Use weld thru primer)
Each state has different rules, so I can not tell you for sure what your rights are. Almost all States make sure that the truck is repaired to the same condition as it was before the accident. You have the choice to choose where it is being repaired, & also you do not have to accept the insurance companies estimate in most cases, you can arbitrate it if needed.
Most insurance companies will try to pay out as little as possible & many try to steer you to their shops. Generally not a good idea in my opinion, ask around for a shop with a good history of satisfied customers, who will work for you, not the insurance companies. Send me a pm if I can help you in any way !

 

I was going to reply to this, but there really isn't much to add to rockets fine post. Don't let the insurance company steer you to a shop. Take it for a couple estimates and who you feel comfortable with. The insurance company wants to save itself money and if goes to one of their preffered shops it is more likely you will get used or aftermarket parts and hours cut on the estimate to do the job, shortcuts. Ask shops you go to if you can get a few references to check, if the are reputable they shouldn't have any problems giving you some. Or ask several people in your area who they recommend. A ford dealer is not necessarily the best place to take it either (some dealers are real hacks, but don't want to lump them all together), even though they probably see that type of vehicle more often.

 

when someone ran into my 93 f-250 diesel i went and got a estimate from my local ford dealer to have them do the work. (my dad knows the one worker and also the bodyshop foreman). I took it there and got a estiment before i evern took it up to the inturance estimate. They were off by 600 on there prices. I made sure that they repaired it inthe shop i wanted and once they tore into it they showed the insurance company what all neded changed (they were trying tog et them to jsut puddy the old tailgate up instead of puttign a new one on it but they ended up puttign a new one on it). So i was happy when it was all done. it will get stressfull at first cause they try to steer you to what they want and act like they wont work with you but in the end they HAVE to.


jimmy
Dont let them change your mind on anything make sure you stand up for what you want and go to about 4-5bodyshops and ford dealers and everythgin and get estimates to take with you to your insurance for a estimate and show them your estimates.

 

get more than one estimate, and make sure you point out all that you find wrong with it to the inspectors and estimators.
i go through this all the time. the insurance company's will try to pay as little as possible.
on a side note, one of the local kids was hit by another car passing illegally. the insurance adjuster looked and said all you need is a new door, fender and some front end parts. i looked at the pictures, and told him there was frame damage . it was so noticeable in the pics i did not even have to look at the car.
he fought with them for 3 weeks, but in the end, they agreed the frame was bent in the center of the car, and totaled it.