Argh!!

[ColoRockiesFan]

I had a yea/boo kind of day yesterday. I got my trailer winterized and parked in a great (inexpensive) location that is very close to home so I can visit frequently. YAY!

Then on the way home, I was rear ended at a traffic light by a young woman not paying attention (perhaps texting or talking on a cell phone?). She managed to peg me twice - she ran into me once then panicked and hit the gas again instead of the brake and hit me again.

No one was hurt - but my bumper, and possibly my tailgate, is trashed. I had no idea that my Ford F150 PU would be so fragile. NOW I have to worry about the repair shop fixing everything right so I can tow the trailer safely. What a PITA. (At least I wasn't towing the trailer - then I would have been heartbroken instead of annoyed).

Has anyone else has a similar problem? How did it work out?

[Westcliffe01]

When I owned my first "new car" (only a year old) I got hit twice in 2 days by idiots. One guy ran a red light and hit the right side - he was drunk (expensive to fix but little serious damage). The next morning I stopped at a yield sign and a guy on a motor cycle wasn't paying attention and found himself on top of the lid of the trunk with the rear bumper tail lights etc mangled by the bike. Fortunately he didn't come through the rear window... While fighting the insurance company (this happened just before Xmas and all the collision shops were closed till the second week in Jan and then had a big backlog), a friend got killed in a car accident and on the way to his funeral in a mega rainstorm, I had a Labrador run right in front of the car on a hwy at 70mph and took out everything of value on the front end. Both headlamps, grille, radiator, AC condensor etc etc...

Since then, all I have ever had are fender benders.

If you spend time on the road, sooner or later something is going to happen.

[Carol H]

Assuming you have insurance its should work out fine. Key is to pick a repair shop with a *good* rep. As Keith mentioned if you drive frequently the odds are in your life time its going to happen a time or two or three or......

I had an incident with a car that was only 2 weeks old at the time - not a nice feeling. As the car was so new all new parts were used to replace what was damaged and 10 years later even in the bright sun you could not see any differences in colouring of the parts that were original to the car or those that had been replaced &/or repaired.

If your worried about the integrity of the hitch make sure when you take it in to the insurance adjuster for the repair estimate that you point it out to him. Do it again when you take it to the repair shop. Insurance adjusters have been known to miss a thing or two and a *good* repair shop with call the insurance company and do battle with them on your behalf in order to get it fixed correctly.

[ColoRockiesFan]

Thanks Carol - I do have excellent insurance and will remind both the adjuster and repair shop to carefully check the towing gear.

Keith - wow. Talk about a long string of bad events.

I guess I've been very fortunate up til now. I've been driving for almost 40 years and for 12 of those years I was a police officer working patrol. And I never had a crash. Hope its another 40 some years before another one.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by ColoRockiesFan

I guess I've been very fortunate up til now. I've been driving for almost 40 years and for 12 of those years I was a police officer working patrol. And I never had a crash. Hope its another 40 some years before another one.

Gezzz Lisa that is what I would call amazing LUCK or it could be simple you were driving in lower traffic volume areas. Here our insurance rates vary based on where you live in the province. If you live and drive - same driving record and same car - in a city you pay way more than if you live in a rural area with less traffic. I live in a city so unfortunately have found the insurance companies have been right & my cars have been pegged as bumper cars more than once.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by ColoRockiesFan

No one was hurt - but my bumper, and possibly my tailgate, is trashed. I had no idea that my Ford F150 PU would be so fragile.

My understanding is that vehicles are currently designed to absorb or dissapate the force of a crash rather than your body. The metal is easier to repair than you. Let's see how you feel 3 days from now.

Last time I was rear ended in a similar fashion, I felt a bit stiff that day. 15+ years later I still have to deal with the pain on a daily basis.

[carlkeigley]

I drove for decades with nothing happening (luck?).

Then it began. In a '92 Geo Metro (rear ended, completely totaled).
Not a car you want to be hit with. Young bucks known
for not watching what they are doing.

Missouri driver pulled out in front of my '92 mint Astro van (totaled).
When we all got stopped, everyone but driver hit the road running.

Then wife was broadsided in our 2000 GMC Sierra by a kid on drugs.
He was severely injured with broken leg with bones protruding. The
hit was so hard wife was slung into telephone pole 15 feet away. (totaled).

Had a 2005 GMC Sierra.....rear ended by a girl texting at a stop light.

We bought a 2012 Scion xB........was hit by inexperienced driver (girl) in
an old cadillac that looked like it had run into several cars. We hadn't made
the first payment when this happened. Exceptional body shop recommended
by insurance company. New rear end, wheel, tire, and body parts.

Hopefully this fulfills our quota of bad luck for the next several decades.

We still have the 2012 Scion xB, bought a 2010 Toyota Tacoma, and a
2002 Astro Van (because I like those old dogs).

[Bob Miller]

Back to the Question:
If the trailer hitch itself is damaged I suggest that you ask that it be replaced rather than repaired. Body shops may be good with tin and stuff, but welding a damaged hitch is a different story. Just remind them of the liability if it breaks after being repaired.

[Carol H]

Lisa, one thing that I would do is take lots of photos of the damaged truck. Sadly it doesnt take much damage to result in a big number for the repair. If and when you go to trade in or sell the truck in the future anyone running a Carfax or something like that to get the cars history will see the accident recorded against it (at least that is the case here) and they see only the dollar value. You may need to explain what it was that was damaged to a buyer. In my cars case there was no major mechanical damage and all the dollars spent were to replacing outer body parts - such a a whole bumper and trunk lid etc. People buying want to know for a fact that was true so pictures help as does keeping a copy of the repair estimate or final bill with the details of what was actually done.

[ColoRockiesFan]

Got the good word today that all my repairs will be 100% covered by insurance? No deductible!

I'm taking the truck in on Thursday for the damage appraisal. I'll definitely take some pics before I go.

Thanks for the ideas and support!

[carlkeigley]

Glad for you Lisa.

They can make it like new.
Mainly because they don't bondo like they used to, they just remove and replace.

[Marv Watson]

My “two hit” experience:

A number of years ago (pre-egg days) I had a black ice incident. I mistakenly changed lanes on a flat “bridge” - probably over a culvert - at about the same instant a just-barely wet surface from snow flurries turned to ice. I was traveling at 55 instead of the posted 70 because of the conditions. My car (’91 Buick Roadmaster wagon) would not change direction, brakes were useless, so I had to ride it out, taking out a merge sign at a freeway entrance and sliding along a guard rail for bit of a distance.

I was shaken up, of course, and got out to check the damage. The impact caused quite a bit of damage to the right front, but the car was driveable. Walking back to driver’s side I noticed a police car on the opposite side who had seen me, so I waited for him. The officer took my license and registration, when back to his patrol car to check me out.

While waiting for his return, I was violently jolted forward, then back in my seat, and an instant later saw the entire right side of a pickup truck slide along my side of the car. That driver had hit the same ice spot I did, followed the same path to the guardrail, clipped the back end of the Buick before careening around me. Fortunately for the officer and me, we were both in our cars when that happened. The officer returned to me, gave me my stuff back and a ticket - but only for illegal parking or some such thing, not a moving violation, and proceeded up the line to check on the pickup driver.

I put the car in Drive and somehow managed to cover the remaining 80 miles home. In that distance I saw that the black ice had gotten dozens more vehicles. The car could not be repaired.

[Bob Miller]

It's all in the title.....

Originally Posted by Marv Watson

My “two hit” experience:

A number of years ago (pre-egg days) I had a black ice incident. I mistakenly changed lanes on a flat “bridge” - probably over a culvert - at about the same instant a just-barely wet surface from snow flurries turned to ice. I was traveling at 55 instead of the posted 70 because of the conditions. My car (’91 Buick Roadmaster wagon) would not change direction, brakes were useless, so I had to ride it out, taking out a merge sign at a freeway entrance and sliding along a guard rail for bit of a distance.

I was shaken up, of course, and got out to check the damage. The impact caused quite a bit of damage to the right front, but the car was driveable. Walking back to driver’s side I noticed a police car on the opposite side who had seen me, so I waited for him. The officer took my license and registration, when back to his patrol car to check me out.

While waiting for his return, I was violently jolted forward, then back in my seat, and an instant later saw the entire right side of a pickup truck slide along my side of the car. That driver had hit the same ice spot I did, followed the same path to the guardrail, clipped the back end of the Buick before careening around me. Fortunately for the officer and me, we were both in our cars when that happened. The officer returned to me, gave me my stuff back and a ticket - but only for illegal parking or some such thing, not a moving violation, and proceeded up the line to check on the pickup driver.

I put the car in Drive and somehow managed to cover the remaining 80 miles home. In that distance I saw that the black ice had gotten dozens more vehicles. The car could not be repaired.

[Byron Kinnaman]

That little thermometer in your vehicle that tells you the outside temperature, remember it's the air temperature displayed. The road temperature can be 12°F-15°F colder. I've actually seen a road surface temperature of 25°F when vehicle was reporting 50°F air temperature.

The weather guys never tell you this, but talk to the sanding truck drivers.

[Marv Watson]

The last couple of posters missed the essence. It's not about the beginning of the ordeal ,(my mistake in not seeing a "level" bridge, and owning a car without a thermometer) it's about a time I got hit twice...the original post question.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Marv Watson

The last couple of posters missed the essence. It's not about the beginning of the ordeal ,(my mistake in not seeing a "level" bridge, and owning a car without a thermometer) it's about a time I got hit twice...the original post question.

I don't think the essence of your post was missed. You got hit twice because of an icy bridge. I think you missed my point though. You made the point that bridges freeze first. I was extending that point that all is not as it seems.

[ruscal]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Lisa, one thing that I would do is take lots of photos of the damaged truck. Sadly it doesnt take much damage to result in a big number for the repair. If and when you go to trade in or sell the truck in the future anyone running a Carfax or something like that to get the cars history will see the accident recorded against it (at least that is the case here) and they see only the dollar value. You may need to explain what it was that was damaged to a buyer. In my cars case there was no major mechanical damage and all the dollars spent were to replacing outer body parts - such a a whole bumper and trunk lid etc. People buying want to know for a fact that was true so pictures help as does keeping a copy of the repair estimate or final bill with the details of what was actually done.

Carol,
You bring up a good point regarding the Carfax report. I recently spent 3 months trying to sell a car that had a Carfax stating some right side damage. The damage was replaced by new parts. No structural damage or airbag deployment. The car was repaired equal to new. I could not even get anyone to come look at the car with asking price $5000 under wholesale bluebook. Once a "dirty Carfax" is noted you will be giving the car away. The Carfax stigma will cost the owner of the vehicle down the road.
I wonder if a person could demand no report to Carfax as part of an insurance settlement? Or a stigma surcharge could pre pay the car owner 25% of the cars value on top of the repair. People are not being "made whole" when being compensated by the insurance companys due to Carfax depreciation. Some potential buyers were good with the repair being done correctly, but would not buy a car with a dirty Carfax.
Russ

[cpaharley2008]

I can not believe that Carol got a ticket for "Parking" after an accident. That seems ludicrous particularly when the officer observed the whole thing. I wonder why he had not set up his flashing lights as a warning for others, rather than waiting to watch the carnage to begin.

[Bob Miller]

It's well known among law enforcement officers that accidents attract accidents. Drivers are known to get so fixated on an accident scene that they drive right onto it. Hence the chances of getting hit a second time aren't all that far fetched.

About the CarFax thing;
I acknowledge that it's a bummer for the owner when an accident happens but, considering how many vehicles have been damaged and not properly repaired, I'm on the side of knowing a vehicles history.

In some states that's a mandatory report and the ins company has no control over it being reported or not.

Sounds to me like "Depreciated Value Loss" coulld be a good test case for a small claims court somewhere.

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I can not believe that Carol got a ticket for "Parking" after an accident. That seems ludicrous particularly when the officer observed the whole thing. I wonder why he had not set up his flashing lights as a warning for others, rather than waiting to watch the carnage to begin.

I hit a lady at 5 mph. I dented the chrome trim around the wheel opening of her Cadillac. She was stuck on the ice and couldn't move. We had to hang onto our vehicles to not fall. I towed her to the gas station a 100 yards away. Meanwhile, there were two more car accidents, the police reporting slid clear through the intersection and off the road, and the sanding truck slid through the intersection on a red light.

I got a ticket for care required or some such thing. I took it to court, judge told me I needed to learn how to drive. I pointed out the city apparently needed to teach the police and sanding trucks how to drive, also. She threatened to have me in contempt of court…