My truck got rearended last Saturday....LONG.

[MAD6Gun]

 Last Saturday I was taking my Classic Pontiac to storage with my brother fallowing me in my 05 GMC truck. I was driving south on Minich Rd (south of New Haven) with my brother behind me, I had just turned east onto Tillman Rd and looked in my mirror to see if Chris was behind me. No. He was still at the intersection. So I turned around to I find my truck in the middle of the intersection with a gray Ford Taurus behind it bleeding coolant on the road. I thought WTF.

 I get out and walk over to see if anyone was hurt. Everyone was ok. Thank god. The Ford was driven by a 22 year old Girl. She is crying and telling Chris he is rude. That might have been because he asked her if she was on her Cel Phone. She was not. Said she didn't have one. Chris did say to me later that she told him it was not her fault. "not her fault" well than who's was it. Her boyfriend got out of the car and told me "we need to move the cars". I said "nope they are staying right where they are until the cops get there". I called 911 and immediately told them it was a non emergency, No injury accident. They said they would send someone out. 25 minutes later a county sheriff shows up. She apologized later between crying spells. I told her it was an accident and that no one was hurt. Its OK.  To make a long story short my truck drove away with a bent bumper and trailer hitch. Hers went home on a flatbed tow truck.



Note the Square hole in her bumper from my hitch.....



Now the fun begins. I went to the County Sheriff yesterday and got a copy of the accident report. Went and got an estimate. $1,377.95 to repair my truck with all GM parts. When I got home I called her Insurance Company. American Family. I explained the accident to the rep on the phone. During the conversation I told her that I bought this truck new in 05 and had it equipped with a factory towing package. With that said I told her that I want a factory trailer hitch and harness put back on it. She said NO. If there is a aftermarket hitch available that is what will be put on it. I said. NO you don't understand. My truck WILL be repaired with a factory GM hitch. She said that wont work because that would be putting your truck back to better that it was before that accident. I told her that I don't care. Your Client HIT my truck and damaged it, I want it repaired correctly. They are sending a claims rep out tomorrow to look at my truck. This sucks..Oh well wish me luck........

[JerryB]

Last I knew a factory hitch does not depreciate and if damage is severe,you should be made whole.......JB.

[ChromeDome]

I would start by calling your insurance company, get the thing fixed and let them get the money. That's what I have always done. My fault, your fault doesn't matter ... that's why I have insurance.

[Tx Bohemian]

... She said NO. If there is a aftermarket hitch available that is what will be put on it. I said. NO you don't understand. My truck WILL be repaired with a factory GM hitch. She said that wont work because that would be putting your truck back to better that it was before that accident...

If they keep up this attitude maybe your brother needs to start claiming that his back is now hurting since the accident...just saying!

[fudgie]

Wow that sucks! She rear ended you and last I knew that was automaticly her fault. How is a new non oem hitch different then a new oem hitch? They are both new. Nothing better then factory, esp with the built in trailer hook up. They will make it right I bet. Love the bumper hitch mark   . To bad you didnt have a 4x4, it would hit her radiator!   I keep my hitch on for the same purpose. Except in winter I put on another hitch and add a clevis.  

Looking again I see it did hit the radiator. 

[MAD6Gun]

I would start by calling your insurance company, get the thing fixed and let them get the money. That's what I have always done. My fault, your fault doesn't matter ... that's why I have insurance.

 Thom, if they give me any crap that is what I am going to do. I will let State Farm fix my truck and then they can go after her insurance company.

 

Wow that sucks! She rear ended you and last I knew that was automaticly her fault. How is a new non oem hitch different then a new oem hitch? They are both new. Nothing better then factory, esp with the built in trailer hook up.

 Brian, The factory hitch has the wiring harness as part of the trucks harness. Some aftermarket hitches use splices. That is not going to work for me.......

[Skinhead]

I used to order a lot of GM trucks as part of my job, and if memory serves me right, all but the V6 full size pickups come from the factory with the platform hitch regardless of whether it has the towing option (trans and engine oil cooler) there fore I doubt there is much difference in price aftermarket vs. factory, but I fail to see where it should be an issue with the insurance companies.  Just my $0.02.  

BTW, I've never been wrong, but I have been mistaken.

[fudgie]

Yea I know, factory is alot better. My comment was to the insurance as to why the differance. Mighta came across meaning towards you. Cant write today, tired lol

[GreenLantern57]

Ha, ha, ha!  I love it when an insurance agent starts up with the non-oem crap. When they start that I just remind them that I have the right to use MY choice of shops. The right to OEM replacement parts, AND I do not have to get competitive bids. I also will be renting MY choice of replacement vehicle.  If they want to play hard ball, I contact my insurance agent, get it fixed and let thier lawyers work out the exchange. Most will fall in line, only had one that my insurance fixed and they didn't even blink about the cost.  One wanted to go the distance, but my insurance agent called the regional office and he backed down real quick. Stick to your guns. 

[MAD6Gun]

 Well a adjuster came over this morning and looked at my truck. She was nice about the whole thing. After working in her car on the estimate she handed me a check for $1,405.95 for damage to my truck. That is 30 bucks more than the one I got. She figured for a used bumper and new OEM hitch. I was pleasantly surprised. The used bumper she found was 10 dollars cheaper that the NEW GM one. So I will take that money. Get the Parts at my cost with my GM discount and fix my truck myself. Should be quite a bit of money ahead. Turned out better than I thought. I was worried for nothing. Thanks for the input everyone............

[Stude]

  Is a G.M. salvage yard, they have G.M. cars and trucks. Parts look like new nothing older than 10 years, useable good parts for half the price of new.  And you get a G.M. discount on top of that.

[FLAVALK]

I would start by calling your insurance company, get the thing fixed and let them get the money. That's what I have always done. My fault, your fault doesn't matter ... that's why I have insurance.

Yup, thats what we did when a lady ran through a stop sign and T-boned my wife in our new Accord. Our insurance (allstate) got it fixed and we had to pay the $500 deductible. We had to do this if we wanted the thing fixed in a timely manner. Finally got it sorted out 6-months later and just got our $500 back last week.

[czuch]

Glad it worked out for ya.
My story, de la insurance;
Dude was looking up a phone number in his Nissan Sentra. Whacked the wife at the intersection going about 20mph. She thought the "carb chugged" and went on her way. Got pulled over about 1/2 a mile away and was told she left the scene of an accident.
She was freaking out. Baby in the car and everything.
My 49 Buick Special just rocked a little. The cops were all laughing. The sentra went to the graveyard and I got a check later that month for two thou.

[Titan]

Yup, thats what we did when a lady ran through a stop sign and T-boned my wife in our new Accord. Our insurance (allstate) got it fixed and we had to pay the $500 deductible. We had to do this if we wanted the thing fixed in a timely manner. Finally got it sorted out 6-months later and just got our $500 back last week.

After reading some of the posts in this thread I'm wondering a couple of things about having your own insurance fix your car and let them deal with the other. I may wind up having to get my company to take care of the wife's car which got hit by a drunk driver this past Sunday. The other guy's company is "Access" and I don't know anything about them other than they specialize in covering people with "foreign" drivers' licenses.

We filed with them on Monday and haven't heard from them yet. I called yesterday and left a message and my call wasn't returned.

Question... what steps did you take to get your own company to pay the tab and won't they cancel your insurance because of such action?

I may just talk to them on Monday and do what you did.

[JOCK3]

i used to own and run my own bodyshop,my wife banged up her saab and as i was low on work i quoted for the repair,much to my surprise,i was told that i would have to repair it at cost,it was illegal for me to proffit out of repairing my own car so i had to take it to their approved repair shop,so check before you do your own repairs.

[98 T]

Mark,

I'm glad it worked out in the end for ya... sorry to hear of the accident,but it could have been worse.

I'm glad you got enough money to be made whole with the correct factory hitch you need.

Good luck replacing the bumper.

Loth