lisasf

Hello All -

I got rear ended on the freeway today - traffic stopped in front of me, I managed to stop in time but the car behind me (a subcompact) didn't. The RX did its job. The tow kit, which sticks out underneath the bumper, took the impact. The subcompact that hit me was in bad shape and had to be towed off.

My tow kit is damaged and the exhaust pipe was bent as well. I also have damage to the rear bumper as well as the front bumper, when I was pushed into the car in front of me. I haven't looked underneath the car yet.

The car is going to the dealer tomorrow for a safety check and then to a body shop for repairs.

Anyone with experience on this? Anything in particular I should be on the look out for?

Thanks in advance.

Rainbird

Last week my son's 2008 Lexus IS was totaled when he made a left turn on the green arrow and was hit by some guy running the red light (Honda Odyssey). It could have been worse, you could have been hit by a Cadillac Escalade. I don't have any info on the body shop repairs. The good thing is your ok, and that is what really matters.

aztr0

I've had experience in my old car with being sandwiched.

The thing to do is get the police report and stuff, get the insurance info for the person that caused the accident and get that sorted out with their insurance. Have the dealer look at it and estimate repair costs and then you'll have a ballpark of how much the insurance should reimburse you for the damages, when it is time for you to go over to their insurance and have their claim specialist have a look at the damages.

Adamjeeps

Make sure they use oem body parts. They can be found for the same price as aftermarket parts if you shop online.

Jumper73

2 things to look out for:

1. Make sure your car comes back OK structurally. You might just see bumper damage, but there could be frame damage especially if tow hitch took the blunt of force since it's directly bolted to frame. Be sure that the shop is checking for any frame damage.

2. Insurance can get tricky. Since you got hit in the rear, person driving in rear (R) is responsible for your damage. However, since you were pushed to other vehicle (F) it most likely also took damage. That responsibility will most likely fall on you (or your insurance). Although it's not entirely "your fault" since you stopped in time and you got rear ended, it still comes out as you and your insurance being responsible for (F) car since your vehicle is the one that came in contact.

At least this is how it played out for me when I got sandwiched at white stone bridge many years ago. 4 car collision, I was the 3rd one who stopped in time, 4th car pushed us all and all 4 cars damaged. My car got repaired by 4th car insurance but came out as responsible for 2nd car and my insurance who paid for it got me back with increased premium.

You can guess how far I give distance to front car when driving and stopping at light now.

takeshi74

All depends on circumstances and situation. If you were pushed the pushing vehicle should be totally at fault. Whether that's the determination in the end is an entirely separate matter. I was the first car in a 3 car accident and they determined that the 3rd car pushed the 2nd into me which wasn't the case at all. It was convenient for the 2nd car's insurance because the 3rd car was uninsured and they could shift all blame on them.

Good luck with it. Hope you have a good insurance company that will fight for you. Find a reputable and highly recommended body shop. Don't just assume that the dealer is best.

RockfordRX

Jumper73,
FYI, RX is a unibody, no frame. GX and LX ride on a frame.

lisasf

All such good feedback, many thanks!

I called 911 on scene and the police took an accident report. I have USAA, so am in good hands on the insurance front.

I will likely have the dealer do the mechanical repairs (the muffler assembly, exhaust pipe and tow kit all have to be replaced, and I'm close to needing a 35,000 mile service anyway). I'll go to a body shop I've used before for the repairs to the bumpers and anything structural that needs replacing.

In the meantime, the dealer has said the car is safe to drive, they inspected the car today. The tow kit definitely took the impact, and I was lucky the car that hit me was a tiny Kia.

Yes, will be interesting to see how this plays out regarding the car in front that I got pushed in to. There is barely a scrape on my front bumper, which should support that I was stopped and got pushed into the car in front.

I'll keep you posted, many thanks again for all the great feedback.

mandyfig

Take it to the best car repair shop. It will be sorted out and it will not be your headache.

Been there done that.

Best decision I have made. My SC got hit. Took it to a shop well known to do Maserati's. Insurance is insurance. They did an excellent job.

The shop was an authorized shop by the other party's insurance anyway.

Lessened the bad taste in the mouth. All original until they find a clause not to. But I insisted and they complied.

Good luck and happy everything's fine.

Jumper73

Thanks, learn something new everyday.

*edit* Sorry to take it little OT, but being that it's unibody, would this make it easier or harder to determine if there was any structural damage? I would imagine it'll be harder??

From my experience being sandwiched is the worse type of accident to get into, and this would definitely weigh on my mind. I'm also considering getting hitch tow with superbumper attached, but hesitant of this very fact. Knowledgeable insight would be appreciated.




Sorry for OT, GL OP hope everything works in your favor.

aztr0

Yeah, you will have to pay attention to the driver that was in the front... or their insurance. When my accident happened, the car in the front tried to pin it against me to pay for her repairs. My insurance sorted it out though.