technick

Over the weekend in Colorado my new 13 Rubicon was rear ended while it was parked (The transmission was left in 4wd high when I parked it). The impact happened on the back right side causing the bumper to bend in, breaking the back right fender and putting some deep scratches into the rear passenger side rim. My jeep was pushed roughly about 4 - 6 inches forward from the impact. Visually, I cannot find any damage on the body, the bumper absorbed most of the impact. While driving over bumpy terrain now, I can hear something rattling coming from the impact area inside the cab, though I can't figure out what it is. I'm in the process of scheduling my jeep for a inspection at the local dealership before taking it into the repair place the insurance company is partnered with. What are the areas that I need to make sure are checked out for possible damage? I assume there's a good potential that my transmission could be damaged since the jeep was in 4wd when the impact occurred. Do I need to be worried about the rear tire?

On a sad note, my jeep is so new that I had just gotten tags for my jeep the day of the accident.

I've been told by some other people that I need to get a check for the depreciated value as well, does anyone know how to figure out the depreciated value?

Thanks in advance.

-Nick

HardRooster

From behind the iron curtain (I'm a collision repair painter) Here is the best advice I can give anyone in this situation;

Research which body shop in your area that's going to be best equipped to handle measuring your vehicle. You want a shop with a modern, or at least a good frame machine and a tech that knows how to use it. Do NOT let your insurance company tell you where to go. They drive you to whoever is cheapest and they have a contract with.

There are also a lot of shady shops as well. You can try researching them on the internet, write down what frame machine they claim to have, then call and ask them. Or go see for yourself. Try to find referrals, people you know who had good experiences. Even Yelp! can be useful in guiding you.

If you really want to make sure it's done right, it's going to take some researching legwork on your part. If you just want the warm fuzzy feeling, like what you don't know won't hurt you, then let your insurance company tell you what to do.

Please feel free to ask me any further questions. Collision help is about the only thing I can contribute to this forum

HardRooster

Oh, and depreciated value can be pretty speculative. It may vary state to state as well. In CA, a collision isn't legally considered to decrease value, so the insurers here are under no obligation to honor any depreciation claims. A lot of the time, they do the opposite, especially if your car is several years old. They'll call it "betterment" and they can charge you for making your car "better" than it was. Like if your paint had clear coat failure, or you needed a tire replaced and the old tire only had 20% tread left! etc.

Just ask your body shop if that applies in CO. Any one of them should know. If they don't, I'd reconsider doing business there

Mark Doiron

Expanding on what HardRooster said, you don't have a contract with the other guy's insurance company (even if it is the same it is his contract, not yours, that is being used). I can't imagine the state would require you to use their recommended repair shop. Find a shop you trust and let the insurance company know how much it will cost. If they don't play ball, ask your own insurance company for help. If that doesn't work, talk to a lawyer. You are the grieved party (unless your vehicle was illegally parked). You deserve full restitution. That should include only OEM body panels (they fit better) unless the state says otherwise (some do).

jk_sea

Make the adjuster come to you, at your home or office and have them look at the car there. I hate insurance companies (which is all of them) that try to funnel insureds and claimants into their contracted shops or "drive-in" appraisal services. You pay them, they should come to you. Sometimes the shops are great; and most of them generally suck and pander to the general public who treat their vehicles as appliances and don't know what to look for in good repair work. If you expect perfection, do your own research and find a reputable shop. Need help? Call up your local Audi, Porsche, or Mercedes dealer and ask them who they use, if they don't do work in-house.

The downside of using your own insurance is you may (or may not) have language in your policy that states the usage of OE parts, or "bans" them completely if there are other options available (aftermarket or salvage/"LKQ"). You don't have a contract/policy with the claimant's insurance as Mark pointed out, but you also don't have a business relationship with them. They can tell you they're paying for aftermarket parts only, and if you don't like it, too bad! (or use your own insurance).

Your transmission and drivetrain will probably get a visual-only check. If it looks and performs okay, they likely aren't going to do any further teardown on it. Just make note and raise the issue if there are any performance issues or abnormalities. Raise the issue and get everything documented immediately.

The estimate at your shop should be comprehensive of all damage sustained in the accident including mechanical issues. If they don't do the mechanical work in-house, find out where the car will be going for any needed mechanical work.

Good luck!

Kmcq13

Very sorry to hear your JK got smashed. It frosts my flakes when someone else causes damage to my stuff. I try so hard to keep my stuff in great shape, then along comes someone who might not care so much...

All good info provided by the other members here so far. So ditto on their advice. As for depreciated value, that accident, once an insurance claim is filed, will likely appear on sites like CarFax. Once your vehicle has a "Dirty CarFax" as it is often times referred to, good luck trying to get top dollar on trade or even in a private sale later. Even if the work is done impeccably, the vehicle's value is definitely affected.

Best advice on the depreciated value in your area, I'd speak to the Used Car or Trade Appraiser at a local Jeep dealership. Tell them the situation and ask him/her what that depreciated number is. Present that number to the insurance company for reimbursement. Leave it up to them to disprove that number.

Regarding the insurance company and your Jeep's damage, I'm hoping the other driver/vehicle was insured. You should be filing the claim with their company, not yours. If you have collision coverage and you file with yours, and you certainly can, they will typically make you pay the deductible and then they subrogate your claim to the other person's insurance.

I've been in that same situation and have done both. I prefer to deal directly with their insurance company and MY body shop. They cannot tell you where to get the repairs done. What they can do however, if you go somewhere other than their recommended body shop, they will likely nickel and dime your shop to death and scrutinize the crap out of the claim.

Go where you feel good going, after all, they don't care about you, so you have to!

Good luck!

O!!!!!!!O