Got Diddy'd - Smashed My Rear-End, Total Loss.

[Sportin' Wood]

In August I got rear ended by a Yukon going about 45 MPH.

My truck is pretty unique. It's a Factory limited edition 2019 Chevy Colorado ZR2 American Expedition Vehicles Bison with a 4 cyl Duramax Diesel.

They made about 1500 units in 2019 and only offered this vehicle for three years with this powertrain.

Truck drove away from the accident, did not deploy an airbag, but the repairs estimate came back at just under $28K because the frame is bent.

I'm being told that insurance is going to total the vehicle, I've not yet received a settlement offer.

So great and powerful RDP what advise can you offer in an effort to protect myself from a second round of ass-pounding. Lawyer Up?

Woman who hit me was cited for distracted driving. HOWEVER she is a tribal member.


I really loved that truck, it performed well, and regularly achieved 25-28mpg. Size was perfect. I had just bought new tires for it. Damn it.

 

[Dan Lorenze]

Sorry to hear about you getting hit, glad you're ok. I'm not really sure which direction you should head. Maybe wait to see what they offer you first. Years ago I got side swiped on my way to the river, boat got hit and damaged while the trailer was totaled. The offer from the insurance company to replace the trailer was insulting, they sent me a check in hopes I would cash it, I didn't. The second check was a little better so I took it, and built a new trailer. Still a loss.. Maybe they will offer you something fair and you can get yourself a new truck.

 

[Mandelon]

Are you able to get comparable sales on such a unique vehicle? Or at least a good rundown of options to factor into the value?

 

[Long Way Home]

In your opinion, what would the truck sell for before the accident?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

In your opinion, what would the truck sell for before the accident?

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About same mileage as this one, mine is white.
Mine also has a winch, leveling kit and shell.

 

[BigAl96]

Theres a few other factors at play here.

1. Were you injured at all and are you going after an injury/pain and suffering claim at all?

2. Did you originally file the claim with your insurance or hers? If you filed with your insurance its important to remember that even if they are able to recoup the payments made from her insurance company, they may still choose to drop your coverage if youre "too difficult to deal with".

You need to thoroughly log any and everything that is done to the truck and the associated values, along with gather any photos you may have that can show the vehicles original condition. As an aev bison (technically a non-oem upgrade package like a super snake pkg on a gt500) I almost guarantee that they are going to offer you regular ZR2 money for it when they make the initial offer. You'll need evidence in your corner that the vehicle is not a run of the mill zr2. I'd try to get a copy of the oem window sticker and your original purchase docs if you don't already have them.

You'll also want to find all of them sold or listed in the last 18-24 months to give comparable values that you can base your counter offer on. If you have a friend that works for a dealership, they should be able to fairly easily pull the auction reports on the vehicle although I doubt there's many on it.

I personally wouldn't recommend an attorney for the property damage portion of the claim and ive talked to several attorneys that won't accept the property damage portions of claims since the cost of their service is not usually recouped in the end. (Barring extreme ciscumstances)

Make sure that any and all communication is done via email with a paper trail to back you up so their story can't change. Also, as an aside, I have started copy and pasting emails before I send them into chat gpt to correct grammar, punctuation and spelling issues. It may not do much but it makes things appear slightly more "official". I even used it to help write a demand letter to my community's old management company, that resulted in a hefty settlement *to us* for their breach of contract without having to contact or pay for an attorney at all.

I've helped several family members get thousands more for totaled vehicles by doing this. It just takes patience, don't get frustrated and throw in the towel, that's what these companies want, so they make the process overly difficult.

 

[EmpirE231]

Are you injured? Shouldn’t be any reason to lawyer up unless you are. If it’s getting a little more $ for the truck, you can easily negotiate that without needing to involve a lawyer.

 

[Long Way Home]

It’s been awhile but I searched the internet car/truck auction web site for sold vehicles and took that info with me to the insurance adjuster. Real world numbers will help you.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Theres a few other factors at play here.

1. Were you injured at all and are you going after an injury/pain and suffering claim at all?

2. Did you originally file the claim with your insurance or hers? If you filed with your insurance its important to remember that even if they are able to recoup the payments made from her insurance company, they may still choose to drop your coverage if youre "too difficult to deal with".

You need to thoroughly log any and everything that is done to the truck and the associated values, along with gather any photos you may have that can show the vehicles original condition. As an aev bison (technically a non-oem upgrade package like a super snake pkg on a gt500) I almost guarantee that they are going to offer you regular ZR2 money for it when they make the initial offer. You'll need evidence in your corner that the vehicle is not a run of the mill zr2. I'd try to get a copy of the oem window sticker and your original purchase docs if you don't already have them.

You'll also want to find all of them sold or listed in the last 18-24 months to give comparable values that you can base your counter offer on. If you have a friend that works for a dealership, they should be able to fairly easily pull the auction reports on the vehicle although I doubt there's many on it.

I personally wouldn't recommend an attorney for the property damage portion of the claim and ive talked to several attorneys that won't accept the property damage portions of claims since the cost of their service is not usually recouped in the end. (Barring extreme ciscumstances)

Make sure that any and all communication is done via email with a paper trail to back you up so their story can't change. Also, as an aside, I have started copy and pasting emails before I send them into chat gpt to correct grammar, punctuation and spelling issues. It may not do much but it makes things appear slightly more "official". I even used it to help write a demand letter to my community's old management company, that resulted in a hefty settlement *to us* for their breach of contract without having to contact or pay for an attorney at all.

I've helped several family members get thousands more for totaled vehicles by doing this. It just takes patience, don't get frustrated and throw in the towel, that's what these companies want, so they make the process overly difficult.

Thanks for the advice, it was not an upfitter vehicle, it was factory built as a limited model. AEV does also do upfitter versions, this is not one of those.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

Would it be worth the effort to buy it from insurance and repair it yourself? Get a new frame and Box Assembly from GM (or salvage yard)? Looked like a nice truck!

 

[angiebaby]

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About same mileage as this one, mine is white.
Mine also has a winch, leveling kit and shell.

That one is gas also, not diesel.

 

[JL95]

I want to see more of the 2nd gen

 

[was thatguy]

Can’t help with the truck, but my adviCe is to fix your spelling error before the teacher sees it.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Can’t help with the truck, but my adviCe is to fix your spelling error before the teacher sees it.

She has been translating my gibberish a long time.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

That one is gas also, not diesel.

It says 2.8 Duramax in the description, but no photo of the engine. I found others that said 2.8 but the images showed V6

 

[rivermobster]

Total it. Buy it back. Fix it.

You know how to turn wrenches, yes?

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Total it. Buy it back. Fix it.

You know how to turn wrenches, yes?

Never known anyone that did a buy back, no idea what that costs, but I would consider it. The frame is like a beer can, but my kid is a welding artist.

 

[Rayson1971]

This day and age, get a lawyer. You know she has one.

 

[traquer]

There's what's called "collision safety consultants" out there, I've heard of them but haven't used one. Basically the math is you pay them say $500 and they'll do the legwork and get you 10x, or $5,000 extra from the insurance, whether it's diminished value or replacement value etc.

Anyone ever use one, any downsides to it? I heard it's best for cases like this where it's not a common vehicle.

 

[rivermobster]

Never known anyone that did a buy back, no idea what that costs, but I would consider it. The frame is like a beer can, but my kid is a welding artist.

Start by seeing if a new frame is available from the dealership.

If it is, just swap everything over to the new frame! No welding required.

If it's not, some frame repair skilz will be required. It's all doable though.

@Travmon

 

[BigAl96]

Thanks for the advice, it was not an upfitter vehicle, it was factory built as a limited model. AEV does also do upfitter versions, this is not one of those.

Ok well then a copy of your original window sticker will help to show the difference. Auction reports, and current listings can help you set a baseline too. Like I said, they are more than likely going to base the original offer off a standard zr2, the people youll be talking to probably wont be "car people" and wont know the difference.

If there are no modifications then it makes logging those a non-issue.

Which insurance company does she have? Some are much easier to deal with than others.

Typically, my process is to wait for a settlement offer, gather all the pertinent info on the vehicle, pricing, replacement, rarity, condition, etc. And approach them with a counter offer 10-20% over your personally figured value. (Swing for the fences, all they can do is say no. This isn't the time to be easy to deal with) and from there let them give another counter.

Like I said, unless your injured I would avoid the attorney route, since insurance companies don't settle once it gets to that point. They don't want to set a precedence so you'll have to go the distance against them and their attorneys. As for the $500 consultants, they are almost always ineffective. You can get the same money by yourself, you just have to be willing to stand your ground and going back and forth with the ins co.

 

[lbhsbz]

Take the truck to a body shop, have them fix it, pay them, then send the bill to the person that hit you and their insurance company with 15 days to pay.

I'm done dealing insurance companies. This is the way I did it last time and they paid within 2 days.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I would lawyer up no matter what. If you don't have pain now, you will at some point.

I'm sure you can use Auto Trader and find similar vehicles for sale and determine a value. After that, you are supposed to get the first option to buy the truck back. If you can get it for $3500, you should and just have a welder create a kitchen flat bed for it and run it.

A buddy of mine got hit from a DoorDash person. I think he just settled for $850,000.

 

[OCMerrill]

Rebuilding it is one thing. Getting rid of a salvage title is a whole other animal. In CA it cant be reversed but dont know about Montana.
With insurance involved it will most defiantly be reported. More difficult to insure?

Then there is the whole Sovereign Nation thing. Hire a Lawyer? How does that help in this situation? Be good to know in case I get hit in Parker by a tribal member.

I had my eye on an 2006 Z06 Vette and thought the price was fair. He never disclosed it was salvaged until I was standing in front of him.
Seriously 80% of used Corvette's are salvaged it seems.

 

[YoPengo]

My unprofessional option as I have gone through this a couple of times. This is for the value of the truck only. First thing is you do not have to accept the insurance offer. second... Get the rental... What ever is included. You can haggle this also. Remember, someone is sitting behind a desk whose job is to minimize liability to the insurance company. Third... Do some leg work and find three or four vehicles that are for sale that have the same specs and print out the ads. Contact AEV and get a letter stating that this was a "Special OEM package". You need to show that this was a special ordered vehicle that is worth more than a stock truck. If for some reason they offer to fix it, see if your state has a "diminished value" law. A rebuilt/salvage title is always worth less. The insurance company would have to make up the difference from a clean title and a rebuilt/ salvage title.

 

[Dog]

I had my eye on an 2006 Z06 Vette and thought the price was fair. He never disclosed it was salvaged until I was standing in front of him.
Seriously 80% of used Corvette's are salvaged it seems.

Seems to be the same with Cadillac CTS-Vs.

 

[rivermobster]

Take the truck to a body shop, have them fix it, pay them, then send the bill to the person that hit you and their insurance company with 15 days to pay.

I'm done dealing insurance companies. This is the way I did it last time and they paid within 2 days.

Yeah but, he doesn't have an 1985 4Runner!

 

[outboard_256]

Never known anyone that did a buy back, no idea what that costs, but I would consider it. The frame is like a beer can, but my kid is a welding artist.

I had this happen to me on a civic I used to commute to work with. Air bag went off, bent frame. Other person's insurance totalled the car, the offer was $4000 (blue book and comps weree selling at $3000). I showed them I had just put in a new starter, radiator, and tires in the last 6 months and they gave me $500 extra for it. So car was worth $3000 before accident, they gave me $4500 cash. I bought back the car as a salvaged vehicle for $500. Drove it smashed up for about 6 months until I found a replacement car. Then sold the car all smashed up (but driveable) for $1500.

So money wise worked out great for me, Got paid $5500 for a $3000 car but process was not smooth. Took about 6 months of fighting with the insurance company to establish fault and get them to total the car. But once that happened it was pretty quick. I didn't have a rare car or medical injuries and this was over 20 years ago so your case may differ. They came up with the numbers, I didn't hagle or suggest anything. I just asked for the extra money for the new parts, they just asked for receipts. Since I installed the parts they only paid for the part and not labor.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Yeah but, he doesn't have an 1985 4Runner!

I had an 85 SR5 in 1989. It was stolen and I had a popular So California Insurance company that went insolvent two weeks before my tuck was stolen. Truck was just a cab when they found it. I had to continue making payments for over two years on that truck as a 20 year old. The lien holder threw me a small celebration when I walked in the last payment. They never thought I would pay a single payment after it was gone.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

If I can buy it back at a reasonable price, I will. I would just repair the frame and run it. We own it and I had no intention of selling it. I would turn it into a rock crawler or a tractor. LOL The only thing that makes it unsafe to drive is that the seat belts are locked.

 

[Dunerking]

I’d first try negotiating(with 3 different quotes for repairs)with the adjuster and try to avoid the “total out” payout so it won’t have a salvage/rebuilt title. And then take it to Kibbetech and have them hook it up.
If that’s not an option then get the max amount for the payout,buy it back and drop it off at Kibbetech and use the payout money have them hook it up!

 

[2Driver]

So is your whole concern being prepared for a low ball offer on the total loss reimbursement?

 

[lbhsbz]

Yeah but, he doesn't have an 1985 4Runner!

Neither do I.

 

[Big B Hova]

Rear ended? Sounds like Sweet James would know what to do.

I was rear ended in May, and I'm still trying to settle my claim with out a lawyer

 

[Sportin' Wood]

So is your whole concern being prepared for a low ball offer on the total loss reimbursement?

Pretty much.

 

[2Driver]

Pretty much.

So Montana is a comparable vehicle state meaning they cant settle off of book, which can be good in your case with the Bison. They will use CCC or Audatex software to find comp vehicles. Sometimes it falls in your favor. The challenge with the Bison is they are going to use the software to find comps and probably find mostly ZR2 Colorados. When this happens they do cost adjustments to the ACV for the difference between the comp truck and yours, sometime this works but usually doesn't. In other words, they find a ZR2 and add a number to that because your is a Bison or add/subtract a number because the miles were different on the comp truck. The biggest factor in moving the ACV would be condition. They need to put your vehicle down as high a condition rating as you can get them.

You need to be looking at and gathering information of used Bisons for sale like yours on the market today, so you can have your ammo if they come in low. They owe you what it takes to replace your Bison diesel with one in the same condition. The little stuff like a shell and lift doesn't move the needle much. This is all negotiable especiallly if you have your hard back-up data supporting your number. They also owe you tax and reg costs.

 

[Riverbottom]

I sold my collision repair business six years ago, so I am not real current on prices. Did four or five frame swaps per year. I would purchase a new frame from G.M. , probably $ 3500. If you have access to a two post lift it is pretty quick and straight forward. The cab and front clip can lift off as an assembly. Roll out the chassis and start swapping parts. Everything is plug and play these days, so much easier than thirty years ago. I always lifted the motor, trans and transfer case as one assembly, and set it in the new frame.
I had a customer do one himself. He used four camper jacks with some bracing to lift the cab and front off.
Your truck is pretty special and worth repairing in my opinion. Most shops don't want to do frame swaps because it really doesn't pay well. I think in only pays around fifty hours of labor. If you do it yourself, DM me and I will send you my phone #.

 

[spectra3279]

Paid 1500 for a 97 mercedes s500. Guy side swiped me and only messed up the rear quarter. Insurance offered me 5000. Found 3 adds for the same year vehicle. They eneded up giving me 12500 and I kept the car.

 

[rivermobster]

Rear ended? Sounds like Sweet James would know what to do.

I was rear ended in May, and I'm still trying to settle my claim with out a lawyer

Larry H Parker would know what to do. He used to post on here too!

 

[OC Mike]

Total it. Buy it back. Fix it.

You know how to turn wrenches, yes?

Close friend did that many years ago, then drove the truck another 150k mile.

 

[Paradox]

There's what's called "collision safety consultants" out there, I've heard of them but haven't used one. Basically the math is you pay them say $500 and they'll do the legwork and get you 10x, or $5,000 extra from the insurance, whether it's diminished value or replacement value etc.

Anyone ever use one, any downsides to it? I heard it's best for cases like this where it's not a common vehicle.

This for sure. Guy got me an extra $5k on a liked value vehicle. Another inmate recommended him to me.


Billy Walkowiak, Founder-CEO
Collision Safety Consultants
6116 W. Wilkinson Blvd.
Belmont, NC 28012
704.747.9337 (tel:704.747.9337) iPhone
[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

North Carolina and South Carolina Superior Court Certified Diminished Value Expert Witness
North Carolina and South Carolina Department of Insurance Licensed Motor Vehicle Damage Appraiser
Connecticut Department of Insurance Licensed Motor Vehicle Property Damage appraiser
Vermont Licensed Auto Damage Appraiser
Past Member NC Department of Insurance External Appraiser and Repair Task Force
Past Member NC Department of Insurance Consumer Advisory Group


www.collisionsafetyconsultants.com

(http://www.collisionsafetyconsultants.com/)

 

[lakemadness]

There's what's called "collision safety consultants" out there, I've heard of them but haven't used one. Basically the math is you pay them say $500 and they'll do the legwork and get you 10x, or $5,000 extra from the insurance, whether it's diminished value or replacement value etc.

Anyone ever use one, any downsides to it? I heard it's best for cases like this where it's not a common vehicle.

Yes, I have and it was a very good return on my $500 fee. My case was for diminished value.

I would assume they can assist with providing data and comps for similar trucks so you have facts to show the insurance company what the truck was actually worth.

 

[Big B Hova]

If I can buy it back at a reasonable price, I will. I would just repair the frame and run it. We own it and I had no intention of selling it. I would turn it into a rock crawler or a tractor. LOL The only thing that makes it unsafe to drive is that the seat belts are locked.



View attachment 1439919

This thing is begging for a pre runner fiberglass bed sides, some fox rezzies , and a super charged LS3

 

[ahavasu]

If I can buy it back at a reasonable price, I will. I would just repair the frame and run it. We own it and I had no intention of selling it. I would turn it into a rock crawler or a tractor. LOL The only thing that makes it unsafe to drive is that the seat belts are locked.



View attachment 1439919

If you decide to keep the truck, the seatbelt tensioners are an easy fix. I had an issue with a previous salvage truck I owned. I noticed the seatbelt was always a little loose. I sent both seatbelt assemblies to Myairbags.com. They essentially rebuilt the seatbelt tensioners, which is simply resetting to factory specs, and replaced the gas charge that tensions the seatbelts during a crash. The seatbelt is easy to detach/attach, and it is reasonable at about 2-300 bucks per belt.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

I'm balls deep in the Fabtech show this week, so I've not made much time for the truck, I hope tomorrow. It looks like comps on the 2.8 Duramax are pretty favorable regardless of the Bison Package. Thanks for the responses, I'll process these later. I've got EuroBlech in Germany next week, so next week is not much better.

 

[Sportin' Wood]

Thanks everyone for the advice and experiences, it helped a lot.

I just finished up with the insurance company, they made me a fair offer based on the research I did after getting advice from the mighty RDP. The buy back is more than I want to mess with, but I'm sure it is worth doing if I was not busy with other projects.

I'll miss that truck, but not enough that I would replace it with the same truck, which the payout would allow. For that reason, we are not doing the buy back.

We did not agree to anything yet, I'm waiting to see the paperwork.

 

[rivermobster]

If I had to buy something new, for whatever reason, I'd be getting me one of these things.

My daughters Volt made me a believer of the plug in Hybrid deals.

2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime | Toyota.com

Meet the new 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime. Check out the trim levels plus the interior, performance, and safety features you get when you choose the Toyota RAV4 Prime.

www.toyota.com

 

[Sportin' Wood]

If I had to buy something new, for whatever reason, I'd be getting me one of these things.

My daughters Volt made me a believer of the plug in Hybrid deals.

2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime | Toyota.com

Meet the new 2024 Toyota RAV4 Prime. Check out the trim levels plus the interior, performance, and safety features you get when you choose the Toyota RAV4 Prime.

www.toyota.com

We don't need to buy anything right now. The week after the crash, we bought a 12 valve gen 2 RAM as the Chevy Colorado was our primary vehicle and 72 k10 and 86 CJ7 where not up to the task of assuming primary vehicle status. Next summer I'll make Angie's 72 more long distance ready so she can drive it to her parents in Idaho. I've been thinking about swapping a NV4500 in place of the 4 speed.

Thankfully we are satisfied driving old junk cars and we don't commute for work.