Well to get the process started it seems we need to pick a body shop to have the first inspection done (thankfully I don't have much experience in this). What are y'alls thoughts on body shops or collision repair at a dealership? It would seem to me that a dealership will have easy access to Dodge hardware and so would not bother looking for some 3rd party body panels, or doors etc to fix it. I talked with my dealership and they said that none of their work would void any warranties, and all their work is covered by a life time warranty. I hear all these horror stories about dealerships, but I hear just as many about all the other body shops out there... I know each dealership will be different, but do you guys have any experience with dealership work of this kind?

 

I would try to have the dealer do it. Bottom line is the job is as good and their workers. When you go in to get a quote ask to see some of the current cars in the shop (in the beginning so you know how bad they are). Then ask to see them when done.

 

Start asking around for the most expensive body shop in the area. get their price - the goal is to make it so expensive the insurance company will cave in and just replace the truck. Don't forget to demand they rent you a vehicle the whole time yours is out of service. If the floor panel bowed, the it's gonna be expensive and tricky work to get it right. I had a '00 BMW 540 that some teen hit on the drivers side rear wheel area. Knocked rear alignment out, damaged wheel a bit, and messed up the rear quarter, but was drivable. By the time I was done, it was nearly $6000 to her insurance company.

 

Sorry to hear about this man. I work at Northside Lexus's body shop in Houston and we are the number 2 body shop in all of Houston. Bring your truck to us to get fixed (we don't only fix Lexus). We charge a lot per hour for our work and we never use after market body panels or any other after market part because they don't fit right. Our painters and body men really to great work. If you decide to bring it to us ask for your estimator to be Frank Ramos. He is the best estimator we have and is also the assistant manager. Tell him Caleb sent you there.

 

Sorry to hear that happen man, thank god everyone is safe tho. Get a new one

 

Totalled mine in June. Had a Nissan Titan hit my left fender at about a 30 degree angle while he was going 55 mph. My airbag never went off, but the impact was pretty hard. His right front tire flew off and continued on down the road.

The insurance company will send somebody out if it looks like the damage tally is getting pretty high. Mine got to $17K of damge and was still counting so they decided to total it.

You can search my username at DT to see pictures, but while it didn't look like tons of damage, the frame was bent and the cab was tweaked out of any possibility of getting anything to line up again.

If they do fix it, yes, it'll be on carfax and such, but the insurance company will write you a check for the diminution in value. Since the other insurance company is paying, I'd definitely use the dealers shop.

 

Definetly push for diminished value. Even if repaired, you have taken a big hit. as others said, best alternative is a new truck. If not that, push for a sizable settlement on lost value + repairs +

 

Sorry. "Cause I don't understand any of this.

Exactly why is that YOU are asking us anything about YOU finding a body shop? You have an insurance company right? You pay them right?

Exactly why did YOU talk to the other drivers insurance company. That is a Huge NO NO. They have exactly nothing to do with you. They are only trying to F&*k you up the a$$.

You should be talking to your INSURANCE AGENT.
You should have YOUR insurance agent calling THEIR Insurance agent.

You should be complaining like a Whining little girl about your truck being all F'd up and that it was your baby and it only had 3500 miles on it, and that you needed it to carry your sick wife to the Doctors everyday.

Secondly, You probably should have left the scene in an ambulance. I was told never leave the scene of an accident driving a damaged vehicle. What if something broke while driving it home. You'd have been screwed. What if somethig broke and You went out of control and killed someone? What if a ball joint was damaged? You said it clipped the wheel.

I would have had my wife in an ambulance going to the hospital to get checked out. Looking at that passenger door, no one would have blamed you.

You need to to stop looking for a body shop and talking to anyone about this except your insurance agent and your lawyer.

You pay them good money to do this work for you. Or are they paying you?

Wake up. Smell the Roses and get back what you deserve. A new Truck.

 

I agree, this will not be a write off, 2 door a fender and some rocker work...no way will you get a write off out of this, I cannot imagine the frame is bend,have you been under there, I think if you were to stand 2 on end you would have the makings off a tall building.
This is the problem even when not your fault, you get hosed. I put 2000 down on a Sebring Ltd on a lease to get the payment down well we made one payment and my kid totalled it, I didn't get any of the 2 grand back, they just paid for the car. I could see if it was 6 months down the road but one payment later. I changed dealers then they could not figure out why. Accidents costs you even when not your fault. I ofter wonder why we have insurance nobody makes a claim when the accident is under 3000 grand, at least not me. You will pay for that accident over the next 6 years here. Although my son has been in one write off not his fault...in fact nobody's fault no witnesses and no way to tell for sure what happened, that was where my accident forgiveness got used up, I guess if you have to use it that was a good time, by the way it's whatever accident you claim first it gets used on, you have no say in the issue. Then he lost it on freezing rain slicked roads, 2 blocks from home front wheel drive no ESP in the car....I didn't notice when we bought it anyway a curb did grand damage..that was insurance then someone hit him in a parking lot...always no falut 2700 in damage. Paid out of pocket, was gonna sue the guy because he admitting to me that it was his fault but my kid was on the phone, ya talking to me after they hit him. He has Nav with bluetoothand he uses it but not when parked after getting hit. I consulted a lawyer and he said he would do it for us but they are always no fault anyway unless you can get a slew of witnesses. I give up with insurance, dropped deductible to 500 was at 1000 but I have decided that for the price in case we do have a claim I can wind up free just don't take a rental car and they knock 100 off each day you dont use a rental car. Last time we paid 0 deductible they tried so hard to get it out even the dealer told me me insurance was telling them they were taking too long, they said tothe insurance they were trying to save money on parts insurance said they don't care get it done. I heard that and well needless to say for some reason my rates did not go up after those accidents. Idiots, they actually put it on an answering machine. Just to save a grand they wanted me to get nailed for parts that were too much etc. They saved us a grand or more in parts so the claim is not as high, what I cannot undertstand is how if a fender is 49 bucks how can they justify repairing one and putting 3 hours into repair then they paint the whole thing anyway. Oh well it was there 10 business days and I did not rent a car so saved a grand on the deductible. But stilled got hosed.

 

No wonder you guys can't afford to get your cars fixed in the US, what does it matter if something breaks on the way home do you think the cops are qualified to say what damage it there. If they let you drive it and it is not safe.....then the cops are screwed not you. If nobody is hurt why play the somebody IS hurt game and just make it worse on everyone. You are the type of people my insurance companies talks about that make the rates rise for everyone. If someone is hurt yes by all means take them to the hospital, if not not BS, If the vehicle can drive doesn't matter what else breaks on the way home like I said the body shop or when they do the quote for repairs is when they will see the damage, they won't know if something else breaks on the way home unless you get in another accident because of it, but that there looks like something you could drive, the tin on the doors peels easy but I very much doubt it s a write off unless the airbags all went off. Doubt if any did right?
I had idiots that do stupid crap that makes it unavoidable to miss them, just a pain in the butt, my insurance co if you take it to any of the several recommended shops will just accept their estimate...they still send an adjuster but there is rarely a problem. On the Sebring the body shop wanted to fix it, the insurance adjust told me he could write it off since he was over a percentage of the value of the car and had not even got to paint yet so I could choose to fix or write off, I assumed I would get my 2000 down payment back but Ididn't otherwise I would have fixed it since it was a lease.