Braavvooo..... 1948f1 I like your opinions,great info ,I keep that in my files.
I also agree to the "full responsability" by Scottman.As for totaling your EX hmmm.
Is 3 years old,repairs well done will keep you rolling for long time.
I've done that and I know that.I have no problems with mine and I've learned a lot from
that experiance.
Choice is yours and I wish you good luck.Keep us informed.

 

I haven't read word for word the whole story but i didn't see anything about 2 or 3 damage estimates, make sure you have someone outside of the insurance company do 2 to 3 estamates. Also don't let the insurance company push you into anything, i had a small trucking company for 20 years and was involved in a bad wreck that totaled out a semi tractor and learned alot about insurance. Its your insurance, they do this everyday, hoprfully you will only have to do this once in your life. They know the values of your truck before it was hit and after it was hit, with the economy the way it is it would be much cheaper for them to fix it and let you take the hit on the trade in than total it because if it is totaled they have to take it in the shorts. Only you can decided what to do! Hope this helps. Just remeber you are still in the drivers seat, the insurance company just trys to make it sound like there are!

Good Luck!

 

I have a 2002 Excursion that was less than a year old when a drunk driver lost control, crossed the median and I hit her car broadside at 65 mph. I was lucky that her car was airborn, so the drag was reduced. It still did about $15,000 damage to the X. I had it put on a rollback and hauled to NW Cincy where I lived. No one in the X was hurt, but she was in a coma for weeks. It was her third DUI and it wasn't her car. Talk about a major fight.... I did get it fixed where I wanted and to my satisfaction, but it was a fight all the way. I was woried about it's long term drivability, but now with 140,000 miles on it I have had ZERO problems due to the accident. It is as tight as it was prior to the accident and other than wear since then it looks great. I took it to CarStar in Fairfield. They came with good reccomendations. They are not fast, and I had to take it back several times for minor stuff, but they fixed it right. They had to straighten the frame and provided me with the before and after report on alignment. There might be better places, but i felt that they put up with my 3 day a week visits to check progress and my **** inspections all the way along. The X is a beast and protects better than any vehicle I have been in accidents in, none my fault. I hate to think what the outcome would have been if I was in a smaller vehicle.... Mass wins every time!

Like you I was planning on selling right after the accident and getting a new one, but am now glad that I held off and didn't take the financial hit at the time.
Best of luck with the process. If the repair is done right you will not regret keeping the rig.
Pat

 

Just to let you know I recently talked to a Enterprise Rent a Car rep about accidents. Their policy is $3000 in damage on any rental vehicle and it goes straight to the auction block without getting fixed and with a clean title. For a wreck exceeding $10,000 its going to be their problem, not mine cause even when fixed, the vehicle has diminished value still from being in a major wreck at one time. Plus the hassle of damaged parts being bondoed, bent straightened, etc, the techs can only do so much. Carmax would reject it immediately. It would never have the same value again as if the accident never had occured. Push comes to shove, make them buy it and give you a check, then its their problem, not yours. If they want to fix it, so be it, and then they can find a new owner also.

 

LabCab,

Sounds like you know how I feel and why...I had no plans on selling the X, in fact had an appointment for prof detailing the next week and had just done a round of maint with fuel filters and synth oil change, tranny filter etc. However, I'm very nervous it will just not be 100% "right" once repaired. Perhaps I'm wrong, and have at least found a couple body shops I'd trust (one that is not backed up several weeks), but as other's have stated here if I DO decide to sell or trade it, even a couple years down the road, I'm sure it will be worth at least $1k less with the front end repair history. If the ins company recognizes that and steps up, I'll fix it and hope for the best.

You're point about mass always winning is so very true. I had let the fuel tank get down to under 1/4 tank and spent $170 +/- on a fill up a few days prior to the accident. Sharing the receipt with my wife later we commented on how depressing that is, but not much we can do other than save the X for trips and maybe less daily driving etc... Neither of us had been in an accident with airbags, and she'd never been in any serious accident. As soon as we got the kids out of the back seat and were sitting on the grass looking at the wreckage she beat me to it and said 'thank God we were driving the big car' as my family calls it because it seemed incredible that we were all fine. Of course my daughter had a bruise from seatbelt and I had a rash from the airbag (hand was on the horn when it blew), but basically fine after a 45mph nearly head on collision. If for some reason I work out a trade or am shopping in the near future, I'll have another one or and Expedition EL. I'll still grimace at the fuel pump, but it's well worth it.

Geoff.

 

1948f1 -- Thanks for the detailed reply, I appreciate your perspective. Funny you should mention the frame stub/end assembly because the shope I'd like to use was the only one to pull up prints from the VIN while I waited and show me that if the bending is slight it can be straightened, but if it's kinked, most common in the crumple zone, the front section or entire frame may be replaced. He was very helpful and acted as though they want to be sure to fix the truck right and go back to the ins comapny as needed for more money to do so.

If I'm gonna trade, I'm toying with the ideal of doing it now if the local dealer is interested in taking it in prior to the working being finished, then I'd sign my "claim" over to them and let them get if fixed up to resell. Have to get it to them to see first, then if that plan does not work out (long shot) then I'll fix her up and hope all is well.

I would imagine I won't be up to 70% of "ajusgted' market value, but I'll keep y'all informed, thanks again for the advise.
Geoff.

 

As far as damage goes, you will certainly take more than a $1000 hit when going to sell it.

 

A good point was made earlier about a frame spec sheet. Advise the shop you want before and after printouts of the frame specs and also a copy of the wheel alignment specs. These sheets do not tell lies.

As far as aftermarket and used parts being utilized in a repair. The insurance company will likely write them if they can be located. They do have a place in the repair industry and I have saved many a car from being a total by using them and cutting down on the repair costs. If you prefer not to have aftermarket parts then make a stink, a BIG STINK! Remind the ins co that you had OEM parts on before and it is a perfect 47k mile truck and you will accept no less. As far as used goes the argument is more difficult. You see an ins co will say "your vehicle has a used fender on it and we are replacing it with another". They are correct and you may have little argument as it is a Ford part. The key here is to demand one from another 2005 model and not accept anything older and you will need to personally inspect the part before accepting. This makes finding used parts pretty difficult as getting a good clean part from only an '05 is a challenge. That stated I would rather have a good used part on my rig instead of an aftermarket. I would only accept good used sheet metal and never a suspension component. If they write used suspension refuse it or demand the part be magnafluxed. It won't be and they can't produce a magnafluxed used part. There are critical safety issues with suspension that have to be considered. Same year parts usage is actually law in many states and I would advise the ins co that it was in your state regardless of you knowing for sure or not. Going in with knowledge and them knowing you have knowledge about your rights and you won't go quietly into the night will benefit you. Believe me, the more you respectfully demand the more you will get. Do not hesitate to go to a supervisor, manager, or better yet regional director to get what you want. Generally the further you move up the ladder the more likely your demand will be met. It is the "pay it and make it go away" philosophy. Management has enough issues and does not need to add your claim to the stack. I am not saying this will work on repair vs. total but probably will on oem parts vs. alternate parts.

When it comes to loss of value you can file a "deminition of value" claim. I would advise the ins co that you plan to do this from the beginning. If you have structural damage to the truck you will have lost value. They will probably advise they will work this after the Ex is repaired so they can inspect the truck's repairs. That is understandable but knowing you will pursue this gives them another piece of the equation to consider when they are looking at what this claim is going to cost them. You have repair cost, rental cost, and loss of value to add up and consider as an insurance adjuster. Injury or lost income does not affect how they handle the property damage portion of your claim. That said, I must admit that it is in the back of their mind, "if we irritate this guy with his truck repair he may obtain an attorney and he had wife and kids in truck and we have quite an exposure there for injury claims". We are all familar with the "you may be injured and not even know it" chiros and such. I would have my family looked over at my personal physician and make sure there is are cervical strains, etc. The ins co may not question anything more on that front if you initially advised everyone seemed ok. They will not want to bring up something that could cost them more if all is quiet on that front. If you bring the subject back up and advise "we got checked out and have been sore, etc." they may try to "cash you out" to control their exposure. They will offer a small settlement for each individual in exchange for a signed release. A few hundred dollars each is the norm. Now this is ok if you are sure there are no problems. Many a folk has gladly accepted this and had a good time at the mall or gone to the casino. When you sign that release you give up your injury rights though. Generally a injury settlement is 3-4 times the amount of med bills. $200 in meds they will not want to go over $600-$800. An attorney will take a 1/3 of that settlement or more. An attorney does not really care about your case with the truck and how it is repaired or if you get a fair settlement there. They make no money on the property damage. The attorney makes his money on the injuries and lost income. They may try to assist you on the auto as an afterthought to try to keep you happy with them. That is my experience with them and rarely have they ever affected any property settlement I have made more than a couple of hundred dollars. Just telling the truth here.
Good luck again and post any questions about insurance and what they are doing and I will try to help.

 

Absolutely agreed!!! I would say you will lose more like $5-$7k or it may not even be accepted as a trade in because of the accident!! If you are gonna drive this Excursion for 10 more years until the wheels fall off, I would get it fixed! But if you even have the slightest idea you may get something different in the next few years fight to get the value of the Ex before the accident even occurred! Remember you are in no way responsible for the accident and should in now way put your self out $1 dollar!! We all pay our share to our insurance companies so that we will be covered in a circumstance like this. So use the insurance that's what it's there for!! You should walk away financially like this accident NEVER OCCURRED! Physically your should be treated in any way that get each one of you back to as close too 100% as you can be!!

Also I would have your whole family checked out at the doctor too, and pass the complete full bill on to the insurance company!! Go rent an equivalent vehicle too and make sure insurance is going to pay for that!!

The attorney statement from the other guy ("An attorney will take a 1/3 of that settlement or more. An attorney does not really care about your case with the truck and how it is repaired or if you get a fair settlement there. They make no money on the property damage. The attorney makes his money on the injuries and lost income. They may try to assist you on the auto as an afterthought to try to keep you happy with them. That is my experience with them and rarely have they ever affected any property settlement I have made more than a couple of hundred dollars. Just telling the truth here.") above is not completely true and is what I would expect a person in the insurance industry to say!! An attorney WILL help in all aspects, especially if you use someone who comes highly recomended with a good reputation! While the insurance gentleman has much helpful insight always be careful and consider the source!!!

Good luck with your fight with these guys, I have been there more than once and it's not fun!!

 

I am once again just telling of my experience with settling property damage with an attorney. I have never seen an attorney take a case for property damage only. It was always done at the request of an individual with an injury case. The attorneys have told me flat out that they don't care to get involved with this aspect of a claim.
As far as the source, yes I am an insurance adjuster. I am just being truthful in my posts. Heck, would I be advising how to approach getting OEM parts and loss of value if I was toting the insurance flag here. I would be trying to sell ya'll on aftermarket and used parts and how you should let the insurance company handle this without any input from the vehicle owner.


As far as an equivalent rental vehicle, I believe he is in an SUV rental already if I recall a prior post. That is good because in many states you are only owed transportation and not a comprable vehicle. I am not wearing my adjuster hat here only telling the truth, again.
I want to see the best outcome for my FTE brethern and truly am advising how an insurance company approaches a loss and settling a claim form my own expierence. You can take it with a grain of salt if you wish.
I don't doubt many of you have had bad expierences with insurance and it is rare if not virtually impossible for an owner to feel good after all of this. Your vehicle was damaged and no matter what I or a collision shop does we cannot change the fact that your vehicle was in an accident.
What we can do is try to make it as painless as possible but there are a lot of issues involved and sometimes expectations that cannot be met.

 

Whoa hold on, I was not bagging on you man. I appreciate your helpful attitude and your very experienced words here for our FTE folks! I do think though that I would like to hear from you being an insurance adjuster: How to get the absolute maximum recovery from an insurance company. Share with us the tips that you would not want anyone to know so we can all be better prepared how to deal with insurance adjusters etc..... While you are helpful I always know that you being in the industry you seemed to just share the standard insurance policies, I would like to hear more, to be honest! I mean how do we "screw" the responsibly party's insurance company? "screw" is a bad term but I think you know what I mean.... I pay thousands of dollars per year and when I get in an accident insurance companies try to screw me every time!!

 

[quote=scottman70;6234761] While you are helpful I always know that you being in the industry you seemed to just share the standard insurance policies, I would like to hear more, to be honest! I mean how do we "screw" the responsibly party's insurance company? "screw" is a bad term but I think you know what I mean.... I pay thousands of dollars per year and when I get in an accident insurance companies try to screw me every time!![/quote

I appreciate the kind words of me being helpful which is what I aim to do. I honestly can't say I know of any way to "screw" the insurance company. I would probably be considered to be doing such by fellow insurance folks by advising what I have thus far. I am just trying to explain how a loss is typically handled and viewed. As far as you being screwed every time, I am sorry you feel that way. Naturally I don't know what occured with your claims. Many times I agree to all a claimant demands and they still feel screwed. It is the nature of my job unfortunately. I have a life long friend that works for the IRS and I joke he is the only person people hate to see worse than me...If the insurance company approves oem parts and repairs the vehicle based on an agreement with you and your shop that you chose they have done pretty much all that can be done to restore the vehicle to pre-accident condition. The quality of repair is on the shop and the owner who chose that shop. An adjuster can't camp out with the vehicle and watch the repair process. I have seen many owners stop by each day and check progress. This gets the shop's attention. I CANNOT advise a person that the shop they chose does sorry work. I will be sued for slander and anything else they can think of that applies. I often see people choose a shop that I know has a history of poor work. Sometimes it is also a shady operation and I know but can't prove they are hiding the deductible. If they are hiding a deductible they are taking away from the quality of the repair somewhere. It is just a game people play especially when the economy is tough and they feel cheated by an insurance company lthough they agreed to a $500 or $1000 deductible when they took out the policy. Regardless, again no matter how good the repair is or your interaction with an insurance adjuster they will never change the fact that th vehicle was in an accident.

 

Thanks again for all the opinions, including JDW1 who reminded me it's a good idea to have at least a couple opinions. Makes perfect sense and just didn't think of it since the car is not driveable. But, I'll just have it delivered by truck to the dealer body shop, see if they want to try to work a trade at the same time but tell them not to tear it down yet. Then, I can have it towed to the 2nd shop which is not too far away. If the ins company does not want to pay for the second tow, I have AAA membership in wifes name that will tow it for free. Hate to drag it on/off any more than nec, but it's already pretty F'd up of course!

And 1948 - I appreciate your ins background insight, glad you're willing to share. I'm gonna ask for the adjusters email tomorrow to start getting a "written" dialog going so when I ask for diminished value $$, OEM only parts, etc I have replies in writing as well. I've been taking notes of our calls, but that's not exactly a record.

Geoff.

 

Lots of good advice so far,I'm an autobody tech for 20 years,I-Car certified,plus several other certifications,one thing I would like to add is that even though the frame damage appears to be in the front frame section I can pretty much garuntee that the entire frame is diamond,this is very common on conventional frames with frame damage to one side,my point being is that whoever repairs your Ex. make sure they check this because that is the very first thing that needs to be fixed on the frame,if anything else is done to the frame first they will not get the diamond out.good luck in your search for a reputable shop and lots of luck in dealing with the ins. co.

 

I am personally very happy that I kept mine and didn't sell it. Thank Heaven I have not been in any other accidents in it and it continues to serve me well. I very quickly spoke to the other insurance company about loss of value and at least with Progressive at the time it was all up to me to prove the loss of value. To do this I needed to sell the vehicle and prove that I lost money. Progressive was not helpful at all in even talking about this. I talked to my insurance company as well and also to the Owner of the Ford Dealership that I bought it from. At that point it I couldn't "prove" to Progressive what the loss of value would be without selling it, so I never captured that value. It has turned out OK in my case. Because I was closley involved during the whole repair process and knew that my truck was fixed right. I would have hated to have to sell it and then fight with Progressive and end up with two initial depreciations on these rigs......

Just keep in mind the most important thing is that the X did it's job in protecting your family! Make the insurance company pay for everything they should and try to keep on good terms with the company Representative. I was professional, but didn't take any garbage out of them and ended up going through 3 claims reps on my Excursion. Mine was in the shop for about 3 months before I signed off on the repair. I got to know the Enterprise folks well. They worked with me and even though we switched out rigs several times due to their rental needs through the summer they took care of me and made sure I was in a full size SUV or Pickup truck as needed.
Good luck with the process.
Pat