Body damage on the side of my truck / Insurance question

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indept

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As far as body shops go, look in their trash dumpster, if you see lots of empty bondo cans RUN. You want as little of that crap as possible.
 

commander

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I ran shops for years before I retired, There are: Good Shops, Bad Shops, just like Good Insurance Companies, and bad ones. My 2016 was hit but a young girl 2 months to the day that I bought it! The left bedside outer skin was replaced, The shop I was at (ABRA at the time, now Caliber) has a "Pro Spot Welder" I would defy anybody to see a difference in the welds.
IMHO, the cab corner looks repairable, the door, probably, depending on if, there is damage to the intrusion beam, (don't think so) and how much damage is to the door shell itself, (if any)

IF you do not get satisfaction from the other insurance company, go through yours, (THEY have a contract with you) pay your deductible and let them go to arbitration.
Depending on where you are located and the Insurance laws in that state, There "is" a chance that IF the door is replaced, they "may" opt for a used one! There is Nothing wrong with LKQ parts, they need to be of the same year or newer, and mileage needs to be the same or less. LKQ parts are "generally" have a lifetime warranty. Again, depends on location, Ins. Co. which direction they will go.
As far as Diminished Value, based on 100,000 miles as life expectancy of the vehicle, options, and condition, any structure damage etc.

Jim
 

Scott0700

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Make sure they blend it into the driver’s door when they paint it. Otherwise you’ll be able to tell it was repaired.
People think white is easy to match. It’s actually one of the hardest colors.
 

Jeepwalker

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There's nothing wrong with plastic filler (bondo) if it's used sparingly and correctly in a thin coat to smooth out minor dent repair imperfections. Shops have been using it for over 40 years. They're not going to build a whole door out of Bondo!! he he

The ideal is to keep the original panels/doors if possible. Problem with a used door is they're a son of a gun to sand and prep around the outside. So many angles and contours. Its one of the least fun jobs to prep a door for paint, AND one of the often 'quickied' jobs. Sure it'll look good at first, but years down the road the paint stands a good chance to flake or chip in places revealing the color underneath ....red, green or blue paint, that's not too attractive.

But in the end does it really matter to you? You'll probably trade it in in 4 yrs anyway for something else ..like most people do.
 

Coramie

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Curious if anybody can give me some pointers or advice when the insurance adjuster comes by.

A tow truck driver was parked next to me in a parking lot. He pulled out of his spot and the back corner of his truck swung in and ripped up the side of my Ram. Clearly misjudged how much swing remove he had.

It clipped the dear door and pillar and really ****** up the side of the bed.

I have no idea what sort of repair job the body shop will do. Will they / can they replace the bed? Will they simply try to pull it and bondo it? Same goes for the door and pillar.

I’ll be using a very good and reputable body shop locally, but I want my truck repaired properly….mainly the bed being replaced.

Thoughts / advice on how to get this done properly and not get ****** around?

Thanks.
I had similar damage to my bed and a little to the rear door like yours. They replaced the side panel on the bed and repaired the door. It was just over $5k total. Too much to pay out of pocket so I ended up filing a claim and insurance handled.
 

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rule18

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I would bring it to the body shop that you plan on having do the work and let them deal with the insurance company. The adjuster is going to come out and give you the least amount of money THEY think will take to fix it. The adjuster will basically cut the check and leave. Once you cash that check the insurance company considers the case closed and it will be difficult to get anymore money out of them when it takes more than they gave you to fix it. Again, let the body shop deal with the insurance company and DO NOT cash any check the insurance company gives you until you are satisfied with the work
Yep, x2.
 

GTyankee

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I swear, my next door neighbors have the worst luck ever
both of them have had 2 accidents each in the last 2 or 3 years

Every one of the accidents were the fault of the other driver
Neither of them ever talked to a insurance adjuster
They use the same body shop each time.
The Body Shop talks to the adjuster, my neighbor talks to the Body Shop.
When the work is taking place, if the body shop sees hidden damage, they call the insurance company & advise them that a change order is needed.
When my neighbors get their vehicles back, if they notice anything while driving their car, they call the auto body shop.
I recall one time, they could smell gas as they drove, the accident had caused a crack in the fuel tank, the insurance company told the body shop to take care of that too
 

bcbouy

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I swear, my next door neighbors have the worst luck ever
both of them have had 2 accidents each in the last 2 or 3 years

Every one of the accidents were the fault of the other driver
Neither of them ever talked to a insurance adjuster
They use the same body shop each time.
The Body Shop talks to the adjuster, my neighbor talks to the Body Shop.
When the work is taking place, if the body shop sees hidden damage, they call the insurance company & advise them that a change order is needed.
When my neighbors get their vehicles back, if they notice anything while driving their car, they call the auto body shop.
I recall one time, they could smell gas as they drove, the accident had caused a crack in the fuel tank, the insurance company told the body shop to take care of that too
that's how it works in my area.the body shop submits the estimate to the ins. corp and they give the go ahead.no adjusters.if the bodyshop d!cks around the corp. they pull their accredidation and they're out of buisiness from doing ins. claims.if i want a panel replaced instead of repaired i pay the difference.
 

62Blazer

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As mentioned above just run to a couple shops and get estimates. Usually only takes 15-30 minutes for a shop to print out an itemized estimate, and simply ask them how they will fix it (replace or repair). Also can't remember the last time I dealt directly with an insurance adjuster as they usually have multiple "qualified" shops that they will take an estimate from.
In regards to repairing a panel vs. replacing it, just keep in mind it often takes a lot of labor to straighten out a panel and make it look good. For the bedside I would say it may very well be cheaper and easier to replace the whole bedside versus trying to straighten it out.
I've had really good luck dealing with my insurance company....think about it, they are trying to get you to use them and not switch to a different company (deer hit, vehicle that was stolen and stripped...basically where there is not another at-fault person to pay). Have had a reasonable experience with other people's insurance, and again as said above don't be afraid to get your insurance agent involved and have them deal with the other company. That is part of why you pay them and a service they offer. Overall the end consumer (you) have a lot more protection from sketchy insurance repairs than back in the day.
 

RickH

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I was hit from behind about 3 years ago in my 2011 QC, 6.4 bed. Collision was sole fault of driver behind at about 20 mph. He admitted fault to Trooper at the scene. My insurance company referred me to their preferred shop nearby. Shop took care of everything, working with insurance, rental car, everything. I delivered the truck to them for repair, picked up rental car, returned upon completion, signed my name to a few forms, drove out in my properly repaired truck. Right side bed skin, tailgate, rear bumper, and partial exhaust were all new and looked perfect.
 

Hemimania

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Personally I would have the whole bedside panel replaced. Replace the whole rear door. Have the cab dent pulled, filled and painted. His employers insurance company is paying for the repairs. Have them do the repairs the right way and at a body shop that you know and trust. Plus if you need transportation during the time your truck is in the shop, have them pay for a rental car.
This. For sure.

PS, I'm so sorry for this happening. What an idiot.
 

Rope Chucker

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When my duelly got banged up I opted to replace the bed with a CM flat bed. For me pulling goosenecks, hauling big bales, etc. - this was a nice choice. Depending how you use your truck, might be worth a passing thought.

Cost wise - it was about a wash compared to replacing the whole bed.
 

TomB 1269

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I see you are from NY. If you are in the Capital district area I would suggest Caliber (State St Schenectady), and see Andrew. They have done all my repairs for my cars (wife has had a few hits about 1 per year for since 2017). As for how they will repair, the fender is trash and will be peeled and replaced. The door is questionable. If the damage "bent" the door frame then its a new door. Otherwise its at best a skin and maybe just fix and refinish. The "C" pillar is a fix and refinish.

As far as rusting, the work if done correctly should be as good as original. Quality shops warranty their work.
 

Alex Ortiz

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Sorry this happened to you. As an insurance adjuster I would replace the bedside and repair the rear door and the cab corner. If the body shop does the repairs correctly you should have no issues down the road and if you do the shops always provide some type of warranty for the work good luck!
 

Alex Ortiz

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Oh one more thing no need for a repair estimate from a shop take the one you get from the adjuster and take it to the shop to get scheduled in for the repairs. Once the truck is in for the repairs any additional repairs needed will be sent into the insurance carrier as a supplement.
 

Gary Fields

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Caramie- I have worked in the past as an auto adjuster for a couple of companies. (I prefer to work property instead of cars- people are less emotional). Thanks for the photos. They help but nothing takes the place of seeing in person no matter what the TV ads say. If I had to write that truck I'd replace the bedside panel and the doorskin or door frame (LKQ). Blend paint to adjacent panels.
 

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