Jeep Accident !! Safety Features did work and I am alive, Now What ?

[wranglernoob2019]

Hi there,

It has been almost three years with my new JLUR and jl forums and sadly i got hit by a truck . I was about 65 mph and out of nowhere came a truck and pushed me out of highway into trees. Airbags (front and side) deployed as expected and saved me - got some minor cuts and bruises and broadly speaking doing ok. I am glad to be alive . What ever safety tests say - the thing is built like a tank and i wouldn't have been alive or walking out of the car - if it was some other SUV. So no question - I am going to stick with jeep for a long time.

Here is my dashcam video Video . It was a custom factory ordered just like you all do and came after months of waiting .. It has been towed to body shop and waiting on evaluation if it is going to be repair or totall loss.





There is frame damage (one side bent other side twisted) and the steel bumper also got bent. Apart from that there is some body damage to fenders, front axle and sway bar etc... Here are some of the pics (below).

1. The rest of the body looks okay -(eg.Grill. windshield, doors), but i think frame and front axle and sway bar, winch etc.. are not working properly or heavy squeaking. Should this be considered a total loss?

2. If insurance lowballs or says it is going to be repaired - Is there a safety issue driving this jeep? How can i push back and what kind of documentation should I be creating ? How reliable are frame replacement and what else could be hiding here as an issue?

3. How is the fair market value calculated in this market ?

4. Will I be better off ordering a new one i.e. 2022 or get some from used market ? (Any experiences with quality of 2021 or 2022 models.. ).

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[Rico1111]

Hi there,

It has been almost three years with my new JLUR and jl forums and sadly i got hit by a truck . I was about 65 mph and out of nowhere came a truck and pushed me out of highway into trees. Airbags (front and side) deployed as expected and saved me - got some minor cuts and bruises and broadly speaking doing ok. I am glad to be alive . What ever safety tests say - the thing is built like a tank and i wouldn't have been alive or walking out of the car - if it was some other SUV. So no question - I am going to stick with jeep for a long time.

Here is my dashcam video Video . It was a custom factory ordered just like you all do and came after months of waiting .. It has been towed to body shop and waiting on evaluation if it is going to be repair or totall loss.





There is frame damage (one side bent other side twisted) and the steel bumper also got bent. Apart from that there is some body damage to fenders, front axle and sway bar etc... Here are some of the pics (below).

1. The rest of the body looks okay -(eg.Grill. windshield, doors), but i think frame and front axle and sway bar, winch etc.. are not working properly or heavy squeaking. Should this be considered a total loss?

2. If insurance lowballs or says it is going to be repaired - Is there a safety issue driving this jeep? How can i push back and what kind of documentation should I be creating ? How reliable are frame replacement and what else could be hiding here as an issue?

3. How is the fair market value calculated in this market ?

4. Will I be better off ordering a new one i.e. 2022 or get some from used market ? (Any experiences with quality of 2021 or 2022 models.. ).

Well that was shocking! But glad you are okay!!! airbags deployed and frame twisted ..they will probably total it and if they try to fix it remember to ask what adjustment you will recieve for re sale because even though it was not your fault...you will never get a full return on it because it was repaired (assuming someone would buy it). Again Glad you are okay...sorry about your Jeep but it can be replaced! You Can't!

 

[guarnibl]

Yep, you're getting a new Jeep.

Glad you're ok man.

 

[OllieChristopher]

First off glad you are OK. Lesson here is to be scanning your mirrors (every 3-8 seconds) and not have loud music or other distractions. I was not in your situation but can say you using the S.M.I.T.H. system possibly could have prevented this accident.

5 Keys Of Smith:

Aim high in the steering

Keep your eyes moving

Get the big picture

Leave yourself an out

Make sure they see you

There is no way of knowing if it's a total loss until the frame and many other components are evaluated. Metal has a memory and there is a good chance a frame alignment rack can straighten the frame. Of course it needs to go to a reputable body shop and mechanic to evaluate.

Best of luck to you. I'm assuming if you are making payments you got Gap insurance and components insured as well. It's standard practice for the underwriter of the policy to recommend you add that into your insurance. Make sure you read all the fine print on your policy.

 

[Pinion]

This is 100% the reason why I roll with a dash cam.

With the used market the way it is now, I'd recommend ordering new and get exactly what you want. This is assuming you have some alternate transpo while you wait.

 

[rohdawg]

If your frame is damaged on both sides, I’d be very surprised if it’s not totaled. Anything less would require major repair work.

Glad you’re okay! I see a new Jeep in your future.

 

[wranglernoob2019]

First off glad you are OK. Lesson here is to be scanning your mirrors (every 3-8 seconds) and not have loud music or other distractions. I was not in your situation but can say you using the S.M.I.T.H. system possibly could have prevented this accident.

5 Keys Of Smith:

Aim high in the steering

Keep your eyes moving

Get the big picture

Leave yourself an out

Make sure they see you

There is no way of knowing if it's a total loss until the frame and many other components are evaluated. Metal has a memory and there is a good chance a frame alignment rack can straighten the frame. Of course it needs to go to a reputable body shop and mechanic to evaluate.

Best of luck to you. I'm assuming if you are making payments you got Gap insurance and components insured as well. It's standard practice for the underwriter of the policy to recommend you add that into your insurance. Make sure you read all the fine print on your policy.

Thank you for your advice . I don’t have payments and own it - so its my loss if they appraised it low. i will look up on SMITH, thnx . i ve been told the other vehicle had sudden mechanical failure and lost one of its wheels and swerved right immediately. so, i am not sure i could have predicted it.

 

[wranglernoob2019]

This is 100% the reason why I roll with a dash cam.

With the used market the way it is now, I'd recommend ordering new and get exactly what you want. This is assuming you have some alternate transpo while you wait.

Thank you .

 

[OllieChristopher]

Thank you for your advice . I don’t have payments and own it - so its my loss if they appraised it low. i will look up on SMITH, thnx . i ve been told the other vehicle had sudden mechanical failure and lost one of its wheels and swerved right immediately. so, i am not sure i could have predicted it.

At speed things happen so fast. We had a driver at my company wheeling a loaded taker when another driver fell asleep at the wheel going up Cajon Pass. He slammed into the steer tire of the tanker causing it to go into a ditch and roll over. He is lucky to be alive. Only a few gallons of gas came out and it was all caught on drive cam.

 

[MandrewSD]

Glad you are ok! Everything else is replaceable. Order what you want new and wait, you will be glad you did.

 

[WOwen]

Important part is you and everyone is okay. New Jeep time! Very exciting. Go new as used Market is Batshit crazy! What's that Smith shit something new? If I did that would induce more anxiety then actually being hit lol. Good luck man!

 

[entropy]

I need to get myself a dashcam. Glad you are ok.

 

[WOwen]

I need to get myself a dashcam. Glad you are ok.

You and me both but then all that clutter would bother me. If I was a car manufacturer I install a driver cam that could only be accessed when an accident occurred. I'm betting at least 7 of 10 accidents are due to some idiot on their phone. See it daily.

 

[Yogi]

First off glad you are OK. Lesson here is to be scanning your mirrors (every 3-8 seconds) and not have loud music or other distractions. I was not in your situation but can say you using the S.M.I.T.H. system possibly could have prevented this accident.

5 Keys Of Smith:

Aim high in the steering

Keep your eyes moving

Get the big picture

Leave yourself an out

Make sure they see you

There is no way of knowing if it's a total loss until the frame and many other components are evaluated. Metal has a memory and there is a good chance a frame alignment rack can straighten the frame. Of course it needs to go to a reputable body shop and mechanic to evaluate.

Best of luck to you. I'm assuming if you are making payments you got Gap insurance and components insured as well. It's standard practice for the underwriter of the policy to recommend you add that into your insurance. Make sure you read all the fine print on your policy.

Somebody's been reading the Commercial Carrier Journal's "Preventable or Not" section !!!
You forgot to ask if he was snacking on his high fibre celery sticks ... LOL

@OP
Wait and see what the body shop, adjuster, and appraisers say. You really can't make any viable decisions without all of the pertinent information.
If, after you have all the information, you are not happy, or feel something is off, seek professional advice.
Open-source internet advice is just like free advice ... it's worth exactly what you pay for it

Bets of luck, and happy to hear you came out of it on the right side of the grass.

 

[mwilk012]

I work in the industry. This is 100% repairable, but depends on availability of repair parts which needs to be factored in to insurance claims.

I don’t see the frame damage, to be honest. The sway bar is fubar’d but that’s not so big a deal. The mounting holes for it are probably destroyed.

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