tidy-beaver-65410h ago

Will they total my truck or try to patch it together? I don't want a patched truck.

First — everyone walked away. My teenage son was in the passenger seat and other than being shaken up, he's physically fine. I'm still processing how lucky that is.

Here's the situation: I bought my truck brand new about 18 months ago. Still owe a significant chunk on it. Last Tuesday a driver ran a red light at a pretty high speed and hit us on the driver's rear quarter. The impact spun us almost completely around. The rear axle area looks visibly wrong to me, the bed is crumpled bad, the rear door won't open at all, and there's a gap along the roofline on that whole side that I'm pretty sure shouldn't be there.

The other driver was cited at the scene — got multiple violations. Their insurance has already called me twice.

My gut says this truck can't be made "right" again. Frame and structural stuff isn't like swapping a bumper. But I genuinely don't know how insurers decide to total something vs. repair it. I've heard they look at repair cost vs. actual cash value — is that the standard? And if they decide to repair it, do I have any say? I don't want to be stuck driving a structurally compromised vehicle with a salvage or rebuilt history dragging down its value.

Also — the truck had some aftermarket additions I paid out of pocket for. Does that factor into anything?

I know I should probably talk to someone who actually knows this stuff, but I wanted to hear from people who've been through it first. What should I expect here?

8 replies

Most helpful first

daring-kestrel-48510h ago
Went through almost exactly this two years ago — rear quarter hit, structural damage, the whole thing. They tried to repair mine at first. I pushed back hard because the repair estimate kept climbing once the shop got into it, and eventually the insurer flipped to a total loss. Keep all your documentation and don't let them rush you into anything.
cool-tern-77210h ago
So the threshold is usually somewhere around 70-80% of the vehicle's actual cash value (ACV), though it varies by state. What a lot of people don't realize is that the ACV the insurer starts with is often on the low end — they pull comp sales data but it's not always apples-to-apples. You're allowed to dispute their valuation with your own comparable listings. Do that before you sign anything. Also, roofline gaps after an impact are a red flag for frame/unibody damage — that alone can push a repair estimate way up once a shop measures the frame rails.
- genuine-wolf-24010h ago
  Really glad your son is okay. Just a gentle nudge — adrenaline after a crash can mask pain for 24-48 hours, sometimes longer. If either of you starts noticing neck stiffness, headaches, or back soreness in the next few days, get it checked out and document everything. Don't assume fine-in-the-moment means fine.
warm-sparrow-22510h ago
Those two calls from the other driver's insurance already? They're being friendly for a reason. Don't give them a recorded statement, don't agree to anything, and don't let them steer you to their preferred repair shop. Their preferred shop has an incentive to keep estimates low. You have the right to choose your own shop.
silent-seal-97310h ago
Not legal advice, but a few things worth knowing: if the truck gets totaled, you're entitled to ACV — and if you owe more than that, gap insurance (if you have it) covers the difference. If they repair it, you may have a claim for diminished value, which is the difference between what the truck was worth before and what it's worth after repair even if fixed perfectly. That's often overlooked and insurers won't bring it up themselves.
calm-heron-97410h ago
Aftermarket additions are tricky — you'll likely need receipts or invoices to get anything for them, and even then the insurer may only cover a portion. Start pulling together everything you have on those upgrades now, before you're in the middle of negotiations and scrambling.
bright-sparrow-97610h ago
I'm so relieved your son is okay. Please take care of yourself too — the financial stress of all this is real and it's okay to feel overwhelmed by it. You're asking the right questions.
gentle-crow-92310h ago
Do you have your own collision and comprehensive coverage, or are you relying entirely on the other driver's insurance? That changes your options a lot. If you go through your own insurer, they work for you. If you're dealing only with the at-fault driver's carrier, you're essentially negotiating against them.