New Jeep Accident

[jeepranch67]

Like a needle in a haystack, I searched for the best Jeep deal I could find and landed on a 2018 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon edition with 18,000 miles for under $40,000. We had it for 6 days and my wife loves it. We parked outside our daughter's house and took her vehicle to pick her up at a regional airport and got a call around noon that it had been involved in an accident. A girl was driving probably 50 in a 30 mph zone and was messing with her phone, veered to the right up against the curb, and then smacked our parked Jeep in the ass. It knocked it back out away from the curb -- almost to the centerline.

Waiting on insurance but it looks mainly like it pushed the bumper down and also pulled the door and back frame down. some left rear quarter panel damage and pushed that a bit forward so the rear door doesn't open. I'm really hoping this can be repaired.

Thoughts? I've always heard that a wrecked car is never the same again. I also know that I don't want to get screwed by the insurance company and get low-balled and have to pay more out of pocket to get the same Jeep we just had.

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[cornercanyon]

So sorry to hear this news, what a shame. Learn what you can about the adjustment process. There may be someone in the industry here on the forum. Look for a shop you like and trust locally to do the work, a place you can return to as needed. Then be patient while you work through it all. Folks here hope you find a good path forward–

 

[Windshieldfarmer]

If it was hit at 50mph the frame is probably toast….

 

[GATORB8]

She is insured and documented at fault?

May be worth checking to see if your insurance will broker the deal for you, that way you can make sure you're made whole and actually get the cash. I'd make sure you get OEM parts quoted and a rental vehicle. If you want it totaled, you may want to push the dealer's body shop instead of her insurance's recommended or in-house location.

 

[emptyminded42]

Make sure to inform your insurance company about the accident regardless of fault. Provide them any information you have on the other driver as well as evidence of when you purchased the vehicle (since it's new and maybe you didn't add it to your policy yet, but you typically have a grace period to get it added) and any photos of the damage and the timeline of when and how you parked your Jeep.

If for whatever reason the at-fault driver ends up not having a valid policy or has very low limits, you will need your insurance to go to bat for you. This is why you pay them your premium - let them handle this. They will subrogate (go after) the other driver's insurance to get paid for any money your insurance pays you.

 

[Lawn Jockey]

Subrogation is your friend. Let your insurance carrier go after her.

 

[Shiner]

This is exactly why I try to avoid parking on the street at all costs.

Hope it all works out.

 

[Sarge50]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Reminds me off the Allsate Commercial Mayhem Teenage Girl.

 

[Themistocles]

If you are correct about the frame damage, which makes sense in a 50 MPH collision, then it will very likely be totaled. I personally would not be real excited about taking back a vehicle with a repaired frame unless it was just to be used as a low speed rock crawler...and even then I would be a bit hesitant.

I think the advice above is good. Demand a top-quality shop and if there is frame damage push to have it totaled.

 

[aldo98229]

Just last night a guy drove his Camry straight into the ditch right across from my house. There was NO ONE ELSE on the road, yet somehow he managed to smash his car right into the ditch.

He missed barreling into the back of my neighbor’s new Lexus by a hair! I suspect he wasn’t paying attention.

Judging by the damage, he was going pretty fast, too.

What is wrong with these people...?!?

I second the comments above: DON’T PARK ON THE STREET!

 

[EugenesAJeep]

Like a needle in a haystack, I searched for the best Jeep deal I could find and landed on a 2018 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon edition with 18,000 miles for under $40,000. We had it for 6 days and my wife loves it. We parked outside our daughter's house and took her vehicle to pick her up at a regional airport and got a call around noon that it had been involved in an accident. A girl was driving probably 50 in a 30 mph zone and was messing with her phone, veered to the right up against the curb, and then smacked our parked Jeep in the ass. It knocked it back out away from the curb -- almost to the centerline.

Waiting on insurance but it looks mainly like it pushed the bumper down and also pulled the door and back frame down. some left rear quarter panel damage and pushed that a bit forward so the rear door doesn't open. I'm really hoping this can be repaired.

Thoughts? I've always heard that a wrecked car is never the same again. I also know that I don't want to get screwed by the insurance company and get low-balled and have to pay more out of pocket to get the same Jeep we just had.

It will never be the same. I sincerely hope a new one is in your future.

 

[AcesandEights]

Frame damage is an easy fix, unless it's kinked. Everyone gets bent about frame damage, but the frame can be pulled straight, again unless it's kinked and tears. It's a very common body shop repair. So, everyone, stop spreading the myth that a bent frame is a totaled vehicle.

Every state is different, so you'll want to take internet help with a grain of salt, unless the person was an adjuster in your state.

Your insurance will owe you based on your policy, which may or may not provide the same coverage as the other person's liability. What I'm getting at, as an example, if you don't carry rental insurance then going through your own carrier will mean you pay out of pocket for the rental. Although the other person may owe you a rental, your insurance carrier won't be able to set it all up for you unless you carry that coverage. Subrogation is great, but ultimately, your insurance will only be able to subrogate their expenses. If you go through your insurance, you probably have a deductible that has to be paid. You'll get it back after subrogation, but going through your own insurance, you have to play by your policy rules.

If you go through the other carrier and they accept 100% liability (which they would likely do in this case), there wouldn't be a deductible (you don't have a deductible with them). They would likely set up the rental and have it direct-billed to them, not to you and then you request reimbursement. If you have a dispute with them, you can usually take their insured to small claims court for the amounts you think they owe you (there is probably something written in your policy that doesn't allow this).

So, you have options and choices, but try to be informed, or get informed asap. And, take everything you read on the Internet with a grain of salt...I didn't work in your state, so I'm just giving you info based on when and where I worked as an insurance adjuster.

 

[CorvZ061]

It might be best for you to go through your insurance for repairs and let them go after hers. It’ll get your Jeep fixed quicker, and you should know what your policy pays for, as far as parts usage (new, used, aftermarket).

Remember, take it to the best shop for repairs you can, the insurance company might try to steer you towards one of their shops, but you can have it repaired anywhere you want, they aren’t allowed legally to only let you go to certain places.

 

[aldo98229]

Straightening a frame is the least of my concerns.

The real trouble is making sure every engine mount, transmission mount and suspension mount is perfectly aligned afterwards.

 

[Deleted member 72291]

You might want to also look into filing a diminished value claim to see if you can recoup some of the value you’ve lost. I bought a brand new Subaru a few years ago, and less than two months later someone pulled out in front of me destroyed the front end. It was never the same, but I filed a diminished value claim against the guy’s insurance company and got $4500 cash in addition to them fixing the vehicle.

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