2012 Tacoma Doublecab work truck

[hornytoad]

light at the end of the tunnel???

So 25days of wrangling with insurance companies later....

I "think" we are in some 11th hour negotiations and will come to a package that cover's 90% of my gear.

A change of adjusters has landed me back with the original adjuster. We have been looking at Bud Built's website together and he has been talking to Shane at CES about replacing the tank. So there is some hope.

Unless you have a VERY specific clause/coverage about your accessories you will never get more than 50% for them (more like 10-20%).
100% (new replacement gear) is unheard of in the insurance industry.

A couple of quick notes: Tires and wheels go with the KBB/NADA value. You can have the awesome BF goodwrench competition 35" tires on your truck with custom bead lockers ($3-5k worth of tires and wheels) and it might devalue your truck not add to the value.

Fiberglass toppers - I ordered one 8 months ago and it's worth about 1/2 what I paid for it, these are very common items that are made by the thousands. And they are available used so the insurance co will lean on you about them. Make sure it is really, really worth it before you buy that $2,700 custom snugtop or leer.

Accessories: cold air intakes, exhaust, gas tanks, water tanks, CO2 systems, on-board air systems, dual batteries, solar panels, roof top tents, re geared diffs, new transfer cases, custom drive shafts, skid plates, bumpers, rock-rails, roof racks oil/transmission coolers, scan gauge computers, GPS systems, mounts and brackets, fridges/freezers, tools, jacks, laptops ect...Will NOT be covered under a normal policy. Adjusters will look at comparable vehicles on auto trader or KBB and will give you that value. NOT replacement value.

Talk to your insurance agents!!!!


I'll let ya'll know what happens once I have something in writing, and signed, and notarized....

 

[deadbeat son]

Thank you for the update. I'll keep my fingers crossed for an equitable resolution!

 

[banukab]

Sorry to hear you are going through this. We had a similar experience when a driver (arrested for DUI) came left of center and hit my wife's car head on. This happened in January 2013 and we bought her 2012 Camry Hybrid in June 2012. It was immensely frustrating the way they apply value to what is still basically a new car. We ended up with less than the cost to buy a new one, but enough to pay off the loan and put a chunk down on a new one. On the plus side in January they were selling the 2012 models cheaper than when we bought and at a better rate (2.9% vs 0.9%), so we ended up with a better payment.

 

[hornytoad]

Resolution!!!!

baunkab - That's what I was fighting. Adjusters were trying to give me garage sale prices for new or almost new equipment.

The property damage is settled now. I got more than KBB for the truck and through a couple of different avenues the bank is getting paid off, I'm getting the difference and I got most of my money back on the accessories.

A large part of the problem was that my insurance CO wanted me to go through the wreck as a collision, not the under-insured motorist that it turned out to be. This action put the claim in the hads of someone who did not under stand negotiating or customer service. She and I butted heads and I acted very unprofessionally. (loosing your cool and getting frustrated with adjusters does not help your situation, EVER) I finally got my case routed to an adjuster who understood equipment (he and I went to some of the websites and talked to vendors about price/shipping ect...) Once I calmed down and the adjuster started looking a the equipment things moved very quickly and we settled the month old claim in a few hours.

Things that helped:
I got my agent involved, my regular sales person and the franchise owner, they understand your business and how long you have been a client they get mad kudos for stepping up and helping me. These ladies acted as mediators between me and my adjuster on several occasions when I was too frustrated to behave rationally. Their actions meant the difference between me getting paid for my gear and te truck or just getting paid for the truck.

Get your own appraisal done ASAP! Professional opinion helps, their appraisal is aimed at getting the rig valued as low as possible yours will be local and valued as high as possible. Give the appraiser your invoices and explain why you did what you did to the truck. you will have to pay for this but the insurance companies respect your claim more and sometimes they will reimburse you for the $200-300 appraisal cost.

Consultant a lawyer, in this day and age it helps to know one or two. If you own a business a one time paid consultation ( a couple of grand) to review your business liabilities is a tax write off. Calm professional knowledge about how the insurance companies work helps with your claim.

Things that hurt you:

loosing your temper, I did it. It does nothing. Agents and adjusters have thick skin because they deal with PIA people all the time. All you do is alienate yourself.

loosing receipts - A lost invoice or buying a bumper from a friend for cash and some beer will ruin your chances at getting it evaluated properly. GET paperwork for every transaction or expect to eat the cost of the item.

Built it yourself? Get a quote for the time and materials from a local fab shop, otherwise it's a loss.

Hope this documentation helps some of you ExPo guys and girls with your rigs!

- Hornytoad

 

[huntsonora]

Excellent advice and I'm so glad this ordeal is over for you!

So when is the next build

 

[java]

Glad it all worked out in the end, Started reading as a cool build and ended sadly! But im glad you walked away from that crash and got most of what you deserved for the truck. I went thru it too when my fully built 85 was stolen. They offered me $800 for it.

 

[hornytoad]

Look for the 2013 Double cab worktruck build coming soon to a forum near you!

Hopefully I pick up a new rig this coming week.

Thanks for everybody's support. I hope nobody has to go though this!

 

[montypower]

Yes and no... My previous truck go rear ended and their insurance company wanted to total it. They valued the $19k in modification as a few hundred bucks. They always do that. I told them this file will NEVER be closed until they re-appraise it. Faxed over 45 pages of receipts and magically the truck value increased about $9k. And a check showed up in the mail. Just don't take what they want to give you... Modified or not.

 

[uscg2008]

Look for the 2013 Double cab worktruck build coming soon to a forum near you!

Hopefully I pick up a new rig this coming week.

Thanks for everybody's support. I hope nobody has to go though this!

Sub'd for this !

 

[hornytoad]

Crash Follow up

So what happens to wrecked Toyotas??

https://www.iaai.com/

These guys seem to handle most of the action here in Albuquerque and across the country. You have to be a member to bid (like 220 bucks a year) but they have been very friendly to deal with.

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?auctionID=0&itemID=14359171&RowNumber=4&loadRecent=True#

Here is the resting place for Carmen, I hope someone can pick her up and use her for a project. She has a good interior, a good drive train/engine, Bud built skid plates a CES 42 gallon gas tank.

Maybe give your FJ60 or FJ55 a new lease on life???

 

[hornytoad]

Soft tissue dammage....

The title says it all. Two months of horrible laying awake at night (why doesn't the painkiller work anymore???) thoughts running through my head and a few month of work and BAM, all the headache's and spine/shoulder crunching pain you can deal with comes back 6 months later.

Fortunately I got crossways with the other parties insurance company and didn't settle yet.

Never underestimate your pain and always get the DR notes for your own records. Got pain that last longer than 6 weeks? Start talking to your Dr about a MRI, and PT, and therapy and whatever else you need to be 100%.

 

[Joshyddog]

Sorry about the truck.

Thanks for the info on the insurance!

I will be looking and talking with my agent about my accessories!

I am buying a snug top pro with side tool box too.

 

[hornytoad]

This nightmare is official over

11 + months after my accident and I finally get my medical bills paid and get a small check for the "6 weeks of lost time".

Document everything on your rig, get an outside agent to appraise it, get it insured for replacement value. Get uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage.

The guy who hist me had the minimum insurance 25k medical/10k property. My company covered the majority of the property damage and his company was a ********** to deal with about the medical portion.

Lawering up was seriously discussed however, I did not have 5-10k to throw at the problem and the guy who hit me was broke. Plus getting a lawyer for medical claim will cost you more time and about 1/2 of what the claim is worth. And if you loose you will get a bill.

Make sure your insurance can take care of what ever comes at you because you are on your own out on the road.

 

[ober27]

Glad it's finally over for you. It's a shame it took a year of stress and worry to make it end. I hope you're doing fine and can get on with your life again.