LFairbanks Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) So on my way home tonight, some dumb... had an unsecured load. And it did what you see in the picture. He at first tried to tell the police nothing come out of his truck until one of the cops went and found the box and brought it back. The box was empty but it still did that. My question is this. We all know what fanatics we are about keeping our cars clean. And know what was there and what wasn't as far as paint damage. My car is dirty right now due to the crappy weather we are having and I didn't wash it yesterday due to rain and snow all this week. I do however see scuffing in a couple of places. Do I let them take my car and clean it up or do I do it? I think I can get what I could see buffed out, but don't want it to come back and bite me. I didn't even want to take any waterless wash and rub the areas in question. I left it alone. Car is sitting in my garage. Literally had glass in my seat from it. Luckily I didn't get it in the eyes. I did have it noted when I filed a claim that I'm fanatical about my cars, and they were perfect. Not scuffed up. And the vast quantities of detailing supplies that I have to maintain my vehicles to prove it. Makes me want to get a dash cam now. My wife had an incident where a woman forced her into a garbage can on garbage day and busted her mirror off. I fixed it all. Just needed a new mirror. The police did nothing for her in that incident. It was he said she said. Between hers and my episode, I'm thinking a dash cam is needed. Edited January 19, 2016 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Wait till your insurance adjuster gets all of his stuff done and filed before you touch anything. Be sure the other guy pays your deductable as well since it was his fault. Once you get the check for the repairs, I'd let them fix the windshield, but if once they wash it (and it's going to need washed to see the damage) they find deep scratches and it needs repainting then let them do that much. But don't accept it back until it's perfect. If it doesn't need painting, then go ahead and try and buff out any scratches or marks yourself. I'm still finding glass in the back of my car where the rear window blew out. You'll probably be finding glass for years too. Good luck friend. DieselDude and LFairbanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkj4243 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Chris, Rich gave you the best advice, patience by waiting for the adjustor. Car can be cleaned up after, and more importantly, you didn't get injured. DieselDude and LFairbanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluedogGMC Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) Agree also with Rich, I would let your insurance look at it also as is and then tell them you are going to wash it and look for more damage and let them know what you see afterwards. I had a little girl (about 4yrs old) throwing rocks and broke my windshield and had it fixed thru insurance and they used Safelite and they did a fantastic job. If you want they will even do it at your house or wherever you want. Luckily it did not hit anything else. Also I had a small root/stump fall off of a landscapers truck doing 70mph and it hit right in front of my windshield wipers and left a rub mark on my hood but Adam's Paint Finishing Polish and a white 4" pad on my cordless drill worked wonders. Edited January 19, 2016 by BluedogGMC DieselDude and LFairbanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csikx Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I would avoid using Safelite. Just my humble opinion. I'd ask for OEM glass. Usually PFG or Carlite. Kingsford and LFairbanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feets31 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I would wait until his insurance company looks at it. You want to go through them unless it is a pain. If you go through your comapny you will owe the deductible at first, but should get it back when your company settles with his company. Once you have the check it is up to you to use it as you see fit. With the glass damage, they may bill that directly to the insurance company. So your check would be for anything other damage. If you live in a no-fault state ignore the above, it is coming out of your policy. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted January 19, 2016 Author Share Posted January 19, 2016 I did call his insurance and got an after-hours help line and was told someone would call me today. At this point I don't even know if the guy has insurance. I would think the police would know. I did call mine and they did say that if I wanted to file a claim they would take all my information. They recommended that I wait and go thru his, which is what I'm doing at this point. I will also let them figure out how to go about uncovering other damage. It was one of those things that if I swerve I could have caused a pile up. It was on a 3 lane (each direction) 60 mph highway. It was like slow motion and I knew I was the target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blcksilv08 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I know exactly how you feel, the exact same thing happened to me last April. Only difference was, I was driving on the bridge in downtown Cincinnati and couldn't see the guy that dropped the 2x4. After contacting my insurance and took several pictures I wiped off the front end to see if there was further damage than the obvious to the hood. Also from having worked at a truck shop I wouldn't allow anything but factory glass back on my truck. Just my experience. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDude Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I would not touch anything until your adjustor looks at the vehicle, then if you wanted to wash and look for addition I would. (Also make picture before and after you wash too). Safelite does install OEM if the car is new enough. I had my windshield replaced in my prior daily driver. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluedogGMC Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I did call his insurance and got an after-hours help line and was told someone would call me today. At this point I don't even know if the guy has insurance. I would think the police would know. I did call mine and they did say that if I wanted to file a claim they would take all my information. They recommended that I wait and go thru his, which is what I'm doing at this point. I will also let them figure out how to go about uncovering other damage. It was one of those things that if I swerve I could have caused a pile up. It was on a 3 lane (each direction) 60 mph highway. It was like slow motion and I knew I was the target. I don't know if your state is any different then mine (Delaware) but you should contact your insurance co. They should take care of it and they will go after his insurance to reclaim their money. If not then I think it's time for a different insurance co. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripesace Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 I don't know if your state is any different then mine (Delaware) but you should contact your insurance co. They should take care of it and they will go after his insurance to reclaim their money. If not then I think it's time for a different insurance co. If you're in a no fault state, you have no recourse but to call your insurance. If you're not in a no fault state, and are in a hurry you can call your insurance, file a claim, pay your deductible, and then let them subrogate the claim and see about getting you your deductible back. However, if you're trying to not muddle up your insurance claims, and you have someone who is at fault, and their insurance, then absolutely you should call their insurance company, on their claim and get it fixed. Thats why states at a minimum require individuals have liability insurance to cover the damages of others. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsford Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 (edited) Let someone else do it of your choosing. If you begin to do it it becomes a conflict of interest if something bigger were to happen. Document document document. If its not documented, it never happened as far as any legal system cares. I did call his insurance and got an after-hours help line and was told someone would call me today. At this point I don't even know if the guy has insurance. I would think the police would know. I did call mine and they did say that if I wanted to file a claim they would take all my information. They recommended that I wait and go thru his, which is what I'm doing at this point. I will also let them figure out how to go about uncovering other damage. It was one of those things that if I swerve I could have caused a pile up. It was on a 3 lane (each direction) 60 mph highway. It was like slow motion and I knew I was the target. You need to go to the Police and ask for a copy of the crash/accident report. All of the information will be on there if he did or didn't have insurance and so on. Again, if you go through the other guys insurance, make sure you pick a place you trust to do the work. They will always pick the cheapest and we all know cheapest isn't best. Edited January 19, 2016 by Kingsford LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Slow Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 Glad you're alright Chris. Dashcam time! Kingsford and LFairbanks 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirahnah3 Posted January 19, 2016 Share Posted January 19, 2016 vehicle, parts, and everything else is replaceable, glad you are ok. I would give the wheels a bit of time to turn, but I would keep up contact with your insurance company. Remember the squeaky wheel gets greased, the squeaky PITA wheel gets hit with WD40 and rolled away. In other words, persistance but patience and kindness pay dividends here. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlainOleS5 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 vehicle, parts, and everything else is replaceable, glad you are ok. I would give the wheels a bit of time to turn, but I would keep up contact with your insurance company. Remember the squeaky wheel gets greased, the squeaky PITA wheel gets hit with WD40 and rolled away. In other words, persistance but patience and kindness pay dividends here. Agree with this 100% In my experience most of the adjusters that come out are pretty down to earth and decent people if you aren't a complete D*ck to them! Make sure to be honest and upfront with them about your concerns for damage/scratches etc. Most of the time they will try to help you out or give you some recommendations of what to do. If you call their insurance company and have their policy # or name/information you can file a claim against their policy if one hasn't been created yet. After that is done...the insurance company will try to contact their insured to see if they can get confirmation. If you have a police report available it makes it a little easier as well. If he didn't have insurance...aside from it being illegal....you could file an uninsured motorist claim on your insurance. Typically those claims don't carry a deductible nor are they held against you. All depends on your policy and limits. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I would avoid using Safelite. Just my humble opinion. I'd ask for OEM glass. Usually PFG or Carlite. I don't agree here. They were the only ones who came to my house, and the only ones who had the large glass to fix my Caddy. Been two years and absolutely no complaints about the work at all. The bill came to a little over $500, and my deductable was the same amount so I just paid it. But mine just popped so there was nobody to go after for the money. LFairbanks and DieselDude 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsford Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Safelite has very mixed reviews because you're not paying for a product but rather a service. Some technicians are not as good as others because of the human factor. DieselDude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I'd say I got lucky then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsford Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) I'd say I got lucky then. Most of them are good but every once and awhile you get that one guy who was just looking for money and didn't care about what the customer thought. Every large place of employment has people like that, it's unavoidable. Edited January 20, 2016 by Kingsford LFairbanks, DieselDude and Rich 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 (edited) Always a good day when you spend your lunch and break time on the phone with insurance companies. So the guy called my wife this morning and told her to drive it to a local glass repair shop and get an estimate and that he may pay it out of his pocket. She then tells him there is possible paint damage and he became arrogant. He was arrogant last night on top of not being honest. In the meantime I call his insurance agent and they tell me the same. My response is "the car isn't going anywhere and isn't safe to drive." And they wanted me to work it out with him. Told them I wasn't going to be dealing with him at all. Got kinda heated between the agent and I and we both calmed down. I think he got fired up when I mentioned I would contact an attorney that I get as part of my benefits thru work and they can deal with him if they or his insured wanted to be difficult. Later in the day I spoke with the claims adjuster and he seemed decent. Said that someone would be coming to my house in the next day or two to look at the car. And that they would pay for a rental being that I'm out a vehicle and suffering the consequences of someone else's stupidity. Now I wait some more. Edited January 20, 2016 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripesace Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Well that's interesting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsford Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 I wouldn't even talk to the guy that did it any more. Leave him completely out of everything. Just deal with his insurance company. LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pirahnah3 Posted January 21, 2016 Share Posted January 21, 2016 Dont speak to him or his insurance anymore at his point. I would get yours involved and let them know they have called you (both him and the ins) and were rather unpleasant to you about the whole thing. If his insurance asked you to do all the leg work there is something really wrong with them. Sorry Im usually a nice guy about things but I cant stand when people lie and are beligerent about things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted January 21, 2016 Author Share Posted January 21, 2016 The claims adjuster called me on the phone today to come and look at the car. He was actually decent. I haven't had a chance to speak to my wife about what transpired. My biggest frustration in the beginning was the guy was lying about the box that was no longer in his truck until the policeman brought it back. He said that he forgot that was in there. Yeah right. He had a bunch of patio furniture he had loaded in his truck to return to Costco and forgot that box was in there??? Actually haven't and won't be dealing with him at all at this point. The claims adjuster made that clear. His insurance company hasn't been bad to deal with. His insurance agent on the other hand wasn't very helpful initially, and was defensive of the other guys actions. Mentioning that I would just have to make a phone call to my attorney, reeled him back in. I don't think he liked my comment. I'm the one being inconvenienced by the whole situation. I leave the house at 0645 and generally get home between 2000 and 2100 and sometimes later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlainOleS5 Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 The claims adjuster called me on the phone today to come and look at the car. He was actually decent. I haven't had a chance to speak to my wife about what transpired. My biggest frustration in the beginning was the guy was lying about the box that was no longer in his truck until the policeman brought it back. He said that he forgot that was in there. Yeah right. He had a bunch of patio furniture he had loaded in his truck to return to Costco and forgot that box was in there??? Actually haven't and won't be dealing with him at all at this point. The claims adjuster made that clear. His insurance company hasn't been bad to deal with. His insurance agent on the other hand wasn't very helpful initially, and was defensive of the other guys actions. Mentioning that I would just have to make a phone call to my attorney, reeled him back in. I don't think he liked my comment. I'm the one being inconvenienced by the whole situation. I leave the house at 0645 and generally get home between 2000 and 2100 and sometimes later. Welcome to dealing with insurance companies! Especially if you talked to his actual agent...they will always defend their insured. Good news is that an adjuster came out...was easy to deal with....etc. I hope everything goes well with the repair! LFairbanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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