Car Potentially Totaled Due to Frame Damage - Insurance

[-Logzor]

I was rear-ended on my drive to work this morning. Other person is at fault so insurance will pay for my repair. Car is a 1999 Tacoma (my old beater truck). Now my rear bumper is bent down significantly. The frame is just a rusty mess like you wouldn't believe. So imagine for a moment trying to remove the bumper and bumper brackets and replace it with a new one.

St. Farm told me to take it to a body shop for estimates. I took it to two different ones, one was private and the other was in their Preferred Provider group. Both shops told me they would not or could not repair the damage. They wouldn't even write an estimate. Basically it begins to involve the entire frame of the vehicle. Thus the body shop hesitation to even work on it.

Now St. Farm has me taking it in for an estimate by one of their staff. What can I expect and what should I be fighting for? Full blue-book value? Cost of a new bumper? New frame? A new 2016 Tacoma?

Any help or advice would be greater appreciated.

 

[CoralClark]

Full blue book value to replace the vehicle

 

[-Logzor]

Thanks for your input! The process has been confusing since the shops won't give me an estimate.

I'm afraid St. Farm is going to give me the run around.

 

[CoralClark]

When my wife get home I'll talk to her. She works for a collision shop. Get back to ya.

 

[-Logzor]

Thanks Chet!

 

[CoralClark]

She said they will probably total it and u should get full blue book value of the truck

 

[4FordFamily]

No "probably" total it. A dent in the door will total it. Not trying to be rude but insurance companies total cars that old for scratches, let alone frame damage. Only a slight exaggeration. Three years ago my wife totaled our 1998 Taurus that I inherited when my grandmother passed, it was barely wrecked.

That old turd got her through college with 100% reliability aside from a broken belt from her poor maintenance.

As much as it meant to me, it was worthless to everyone else. We got a check for more than I could have sold it for private party. Private party was about 1200-1800. We got a check for 2600 of if recall. Only had 120k miles unlike other cars it's age.

I am 90% certain we had State Farm at the time

 

[CoralClark]

Well two years ago I had a 97 Chevy Tahoe that someone hit and did minor damage. State Farm had it repaired. So every situation is different.

 

[4FordFamily]

Well two years ago I had a 97 Chevy Tahoe that someone hit and did minor damage. State Farm had it repaired. So every situation is different.

Frame damage is by no means minor damage. Frame damage spells the end of even 30k cars.

That's a rebuilt title car period.

 

[CoralClark]

I was getting my point across sense u said insurance company's total cars that old for scratches. Ur trying to tell this guy his vehicle will be totaled for certain when u don't know that. Every situation is different every state is differmrt with the way they handle insurance claims.

 

[DaveMorris]

All I can say is that I have had State Farm for Car (since I was 16 and I am 49 now), homeowners, and now renters insurance and they have always, in the dozen or so claims I have had, taken great care of me. My guess would be that they total it and pay you full blue book based on prior condition and mileage. That still may not be real good for you depending on if you owe on it or what it will cost to get it replaced. Hope it all works out well for you.

 

[4FordFamily]

I was getting my point across sense u said insurance company's total cars that old for scratches. Ur trying to tell this guy his vehicle will be totaled for certain when u don't know that. Every situation is different every state is differmrt with the way they handle insurance claims.

No. With frame damage it will be totaled. I will crash all three of my late model cars if I am wrong. Lol.

Frame damage is an immense liability and it will be required to have a rebuilt title unless some shady business occurs, and that's if you pay the thousands necessary to repair it.

For the record, I have a lot of experience in cars, insurance, and even did bodywork growing up. I'm not just bloviating.

I hope they take care of you. My show car got keyed (show paint job too) and they payed a fat check to me to get it fixed but then DROPPED me (State Farm). Insurance rates jacked up as a result of the claim but forking out 8-10k for a show quality paint job again out of pocket wasn't an option. I was over that car and was planning on selling it.

I will say my home and auto insurance are a fraction of what they were when I had State Farm though now. Progressive was less expensive and handled a small claim easily and well, now I am using smaller firms. We will see how that goes but when my tank caused thousands in house damage they took care of me.

That is basically every insurance claim of my life in one post! Haha

 

[CoralClark]

Ur still wrong bro sorry. Like I said my wife works at a collision shop. If frame can be repaired to a safe condition they will repair it. All depends on the damage. That's why they have frame straighteners. Although in this situation his vehicle will more than likely be totaled because his frame sounds like it's rotted out which they won't repair.

 

[FL_Reefer]

As an insurance man myself, if the repairs exceed the value of the vehicle, the value of the vehicle will be payed. Same with homeowners insurance. If the repair of your home exceeds what your insured for, the policy limit will be payed.

 

[FL_Reefer]

State Farm is the worst insurance company in my opinion.

 

[-Logzor]

Thanks again everyone for the input. There was actually a program from Toyota to buy back these vehicles due to the frames rusting out. My frame didn't have the holes rusted in the right places so it didn't qualify! That said, the back end of the frame is literally a rusty flaking mess. Trying to replace the bumper would be a slippery slope since the frame it's connected to would probably disintegrate as soon as you start removing bolts. One shop said they would have to replace the entire frame, which would probably cost more than the truck is worth. Mint condition these sell for $5,000 and blue book for around $3,000-$4,000. The truck has around 160k miles.

Based on what I'm hearing from past experiences, they will probably total the truck, it's fully paid for, still drives great, but again, the frame is rusting out so the clock is ticking.

 

[-Logzor]

In this ongoing saga of the insurance claim, I visited an adjuster who quoted me around $1,000 to fix the damage, their opinion was that there wouldn't be any foreseeable issues with replacing the bumper and that the frame looked well enough intact. I took my truck to yet another body shop, the folks there indicated they could do the work, after showing them I had an insurance claim and quote, but noted that it would be risky. I think the only reason they are offering to do the job is that they'll get paid either way by State Farm.

So there is a good chance they'll run into issues with the frame rot relative to removing the old bumper and brackets and then installing the new. Potentially they could total the vehicle if they damage the frame in the process of removal / installation.

I'm trying to get a hold of State Farm to understand what exactly happens if this occurs. Talk about getting the run around by these people!

 

[MrDJeep123]

For what it is worth, each state has their own laws in how things of this nature are dealt. So what one state considers totaled damage won't match another state's definition.

 

[4FordFamily]

^ while true, this circumstance has totaled written all over it. There is not a broad distribution of the circumstances surrounding a vehicle being totaled or not from state to state. Similar policies are in place and individual insurance firms further streamline the process by having their own overlays that they operate within when applicable.

 

[MrDJeep123]

I understand that insurance companies operate with their own policies, but they cannot operate over what state law dictates, and some states define what is the definition of totaled and some do not. I wasn't speaking to this specific instance. I was just throwing that out there for those that wanted to defend their positions on whether it was totaled or not.
In the end, I hope it works out in OP's favor.