Accident damage thoughts...

[Larrymul]

2022 1500 Limited purchased new 11 months ago, and is paid for. I got tangled up in a 37 car pileup last week, a truck spun in front of me from the other lane, I t-boned him then was hit several times domino fashion from the rear. Insurance investigated, I am not at fault. Truck is being delivered to the body shop today for inspection, hoping they total it knowing it will probably never be the same truck.

One question I have is, before the shop makes a decision, what my options might be if they want to repair it, can I fight it? If they total it can I fight for something like diminished value to cover cost difference of a new truck vs. what insurance offers me for settlement? Just looking for some ideas from others who may have been in the same boat. The wheels are winter only, truck has factory 22" in storage. Thanks in advance!

 

[sbcncsu]

Glad you and your passenger are okay! The RAM did a good job of protecting its occupants.
The damage doesn't look too bad but it will add up quickly. The parts are so expensive and the labor to straighten that all out will be pretty extensive. It will likely be totaled, especially if that right frame rail got tweaked and it probably did, twice.
Best of luck to you and your negotiations with the insurance company.

 

[Darksteel165]

Glad you and your passenger are okay! The RAM did a good job of protecting its occupants.
The damage doesn't look too bad but it will add up quickly. The parts are so expensive and the labor to straighten that all out will be pretty extensive. It will likely be totaled, especially if that right frame rail got tweaked and it probably did, twice.
Best of luck to you and your negotiations with the insurance company.

Are we looking at the same pictures? Doesn't look too bad?
He needs a new bed, tailgate, rear camera, rear bumper, front bumper, taillight, headlight, foglight, half of his exhaust, bodywork on side and paint job, front grille, the part above and below the grille, front right quarter panel.
No idea what inside the engine component needs to be replaced nor the frame. Looking at a 30-40k repair easy imo, it's getting totaled.

Diminished value is hard to fight, and if it's totaled you cant fight for diminished value as it's not being repaired. You can fight if the totaled value payout is not enough to get you the same vehicle. This also all depends on the other insurance company and coverage.
Whoever is at fault may not have enough insurance to even pay for yours to be totaled and end up going through your own insurance and needing to file a suit against the driver themselfs.
This also varies state to state. If you are not happy with the payout and you have problems best to check with your insurance company and if needed an attorney.

 

[Wirerat]

One question I have is, before the shop makes a decision, what my options might be if they want to repair it, can I fight it? If they total it can I fight for something like diminished value to cover cost difference of a new truck vs. what insurance offers me for settlement?

Truck looks totaled to me.

Unfortunately, the payout will be based on market value of the truck with current mileage. So make sure the adjuster has accurate information on all the options this limited has. They will look up local sales of comparable trucks to get the number. The difference to get a "new" truck is not considered at all.

Was it a commercial vehicle that caused the accident? I would speak to a ambulance chasing lawyer if so.

Edit: Do not deal with at fault party's insurance directly. It gets messy. Deal with your own insurance and they will sort out the payment and collect from them.

 

[Reverse]

That truck looks totaled.

However, if you want to help the decision by the insurer: if you don't have a rental car already, get one trough the insurance. The cost of the rental while they repair the truck figures in their decision to total or not.

 

[Redz72]

That truck looks totaled.

However, if you want to help the decision by the insurer: if you don't have a rental car already, get one trough the insurance. The cost of the rental while they repair the truck figures in their decision to total or not.

That’s a good point you make. I just changed insurance company and upgraded my accident coverage to include rental if my rig is being repaired or totaled. For an extra $2 a month, it was a no brainer. And that’s for a better rental coverage to cover a comparable vehicle to my truck. Not just the standard ~$30 a day rental coverage.

 

[DEG]

I would be really surprised if that was not totaled. It often takes a bent frame for the bed to cave in the back of the cab as shown in the photos so the damage very likely extends far beyond what his shown in the photos.

Normally, an insurance company will give you actual cash value which is the value of the truck when it was new minus depreciation. Some companies offer policies that provide replacement value which is the value of the truck when it was new without subtracting depreciation. Replacement value policies have a higher premium.

What you get will depend on your policy and there is not really much you can do to change your mind unless you can demonstrate to them that the actual cash value they gave you is flawed. I once got Allstate to kick in a few thousand more than what they offered by showing them sales adds for same model, year and similar condition and miles that were considerably more expensive than what they had given me. I ask them to increase their actual cash value or find me a car I could buy for the cash they were offering. They increased my payment and I left Allstate for USAA.

 

[SkittleRam]

Glad you all are ok and safe, these trucks are tough!

I would almost guarantee the truck is totaled.

 

[Dewey]

I’ve seen vehicles with much less damage get totaled. To be honest I wouldn’t want that truck back again no matter how well it was fixed. There’s always a whole lot more damage that isn’t even visible as they start tearing it down.

 

[scottmoyer]

Since it will be totaled, keep the better wheels and tires in the garage. You could always sell them to get additional $$ that the insurance isn't paying. Also know that most insurance companies do not cover aftermarket accessories, unless you notified them that you needed extra coverage. Most people don't pay that extra premium and find out that option costs could be lost. Being another party is at fault, you could argue that they need to cover those costs, even though they weren't listed on your policy. Your premium is based on your insurance covering your loss. This will be another company, so....

 

[DEG]

Since it will be totaled, keep the better wheels and tires in the garage.

Those look like factory wheels that likely came on the truck. If so, it's criminal theft to just take or replace them with a cheap alternative unless you inform the insurance company and they will reduce the value accordingly. Likewise, if you replace a factory part with an aftermarket part you can take the aftermarket part IF you put the original factory part back on.

 

[Wirerat]

Those look like factory wheels that likely came on the truck. If so, it's criminal theft to just take or replace them with a cheap alternative unless you inform the insurance company and they will reduce the value accordingly. Likewise, if you replace a factory part with an aftermarket part you can take the aftermarket part IF you put the original factory part back on.

Those are ops winter wheels. He has the 22"s at home in garage. They are oem 20s he's using. I'd leave them on too.

 

[Darksteel165]

Those look like factory wheels that likely came on the truck. If so, it's criminal theft to just take or replace them with a cheap alternative unless you inform the insurance company and they will reduce the value accordingly. Likewise, if you replace a factory part with an aftermarket part you can take the aftermarket part IF you put the original factory part back on.

Wrong.
OP said the wheels on his truck were not the ones it came with.
Insurance is totaling the vehicle that got damaged, OP can keep his other wheels.
Insurance will not ding him for those OEM wheels that were not OEM to that truck

 

[DEG]

Wrong.
OP said the wheels on his truck were not the ones it came with.
Insurance is totaling the vehicle that got damaged, OP can keep his other wheels.
Insurance will not ding him for those OEM wheels that were not OEM to that truck

Again, reading is a weakness for you. My comment was a statement of fact. I never said they were the wheels that came on the truck. I said they "look like factory wheels that came on the truck" and "If so,".

 

[scottmoyer]

I am in no way saying to commit any crimes. Reading is fundamental. As was mentioned by others, the OP stated that the original wheels were in the garage, so the ones on the vehicle at the time of the accident are the wheels being totaled with the truck. Regardless if they are winter steelies, a second set of factory wheels that he bought cheap, or even aftermarket wheels. The vehicle being totaled currently has these wheels on it, so there's no sense in giving the insurance company the better wheels.

You may even be able to get extra for the tires on the truck if they are new and you have receipts.

 

[Darksteel165]

I am in no way saying to commit any crimes. Reading is fundamental. As was mentioned by others, the OP stated that the original wheels were in the garage, so the ones on the vehicle at the time of the accident are the wheels being totaled with the truck. Regardless if they are winter steelies, a second set of factory wheels that he bought cheap, or even aftermarket wheels. The vehicle being totaled currently has these wheels on it, so there's no sense in giving the insurance company the better wheels.

You may even be able to get extra for the tires on the truck if they are new and you have receipts.

And if OP gets a good offer then turns around and says oh I have the OEM wheels, please adjust for that is a possibility too.
When I totaled my Mustang I was offered $9500. I bought it 2 years before for $9500 but I put stuff into it. When I was done providing receipts and such I ended up getting $15,100 for it through my insurance company and I didn't inform them of any mods beforehand such as chrome rims which were $1700 alone nor the engine tune or exhaust despite them giving me a value of $9500 with everything on the car.

Insurance is a game, make sure to play it to win.

 

[Wirerat]

Insurance is a game, make sure to play it to win.

My "neighbor" made the same statement about income taxes.

 

[Mountain Whiskey]

I am in no way saying to commit any crimes.

You mean like the crime the insurance companies commit when they rob your bank account for premiums? Or the crime they commit by not paying diminished value knowing that the average Joe does not have the time, patients or financing to keep meeting thier on staff lawyers in court to get continuances and drag it out for years while you have to keep making loan payments? Those kinds of crimes?

 

[Darksteel165]

My "neighbor" made the same statement about income taxes.

And every millionaire that plays the tax game too.

 

[Philwuese]

I'm really sorry to hear about your accident—it sounds like a nightmare. If the shop wants to repair it and you feel like it won’t be the same, you definitely have the option to challenge their decision. In some cases, you can push for a total loss if the damage is significant enough, especially if you don’t think it’ll be safe or hold its value. As for diminished value, you can absolutely bring that up with your insurance company. They might not offer it upfront, but it’s something you can negotiate. I had a similar situation a few years ago, and a Tulsa Truck Accident Lawyer helped me navigate it. They were able to get me a fair settlement and helped me understand my options.