move from Colo to Iowa, Subie vs Semi Tractor wreck

[Bheinen74]

Well, I just moved from Denver CO back to my homestate of Iowa. I was driving the Uhaul with my 93 SS on the trailer. MY brother was following me in my Touring Wagon. And behind him was my mom and dad driving their car with my Dog.

The pictures tell the damage.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bheinen/album?.dir=/c5b3


A Semi Truck did not see my brother and pulled right into him in the slow lane, side swiping my Touring Wagon 94. I guess the trucker did not see him at all, as he probably was in a blind spot. The Semi bumper dented in the Quarter panel above the wheel, and the Semi front wheel/lugnuts put a huge donut into the bumper, tailight and back quarter. My brother is NOT HURT.
When the trucker pulled into the car, it turner my Subie Sideways on Interstate 80. After the car fishtailed sideways, and the trucker slowed down, my Brother then fishtailed the other ways, almost rolling the car on the insterstate. But, luckily, he did not get hurt. The car was driveable, after prying out the dented fender arch with a 2 x 4

We exhchanged insurance, and since it was on the weekend, and during my move, will have to worry about the adjusters this coming week.

The damage is extensive to the bumper, quarter panel, and taillight. I just hope that the insurance from the truckin company fixes it all, and maybe i I am lucky, they will have to paint the whole car to get the paint to match. It could have been MUCH WORSE, and am glad the car did not roll.

[91White-T]

Wow. Important thing is no one was hurt... metal can be fixed.

[legacy92ej22t]

Wow, that's crazy. Your brother must have crapped his pants! The only damage I'd be real worried about is that crease right behind the door. That will need cut out and new metal worked in.

[skid542]

Wow, glad to hear everyone was okay. Usually stories involving semi's don't have a 'happy' ending. Doesn't look like the TW took too much damage. Gluck with the insurance too.

[wiscon_mark]

If you've driven on 81 or 83 through Harrisburg, you know exactly what I mean.

I have! I know what you mean

I think that applies for Pennsylvania in general too.

[dscoobydoo]

Looking at the pictures, your car will be totalled out. If you really like it, buy it back and try to fix it. But I would consider getting another touring wagon.

[wiscon_mark]

buy it back and sell the engine to someone who wants to do an EJ22t swap and part out all the rest of the stuff

[555BCTurbo]

Man...I am really sorry to hear about your TW...seems like it has bad luck eh?!?

I hope you get it fixed, as the accident isn't your fault, so his insurance company has no right to total your car! Demand that they fix it to Pre-loss condition, and teach that sonofabitch a lesson when he gets to pay his ins. premiums!!!

[scuzzy]

Man...I am really sorry to hear about your TW...seems like it has bad luck eh?!?

I hope you get it fixed, as the accident isn't your fault, so his insurance company has no right to total your car! Demand that they fix it to Pre-loss condition, and teach that sonofabitch a lesson when he gets to pay his ins. premiums!!!

I'm sorry, the insurance company has every right to total his vehicle if the cost of repairs exceed 75% of the fair market value of the car. I bet it's written black and white in the policy.

It's hard for me to determine who's fault it was, as it would be for a police officer. If he was passing on the right, it's instantly his fault. where he was hit puts him on the right front tire of the semi, a massive blindspot for a truck that doesn't have mirrors on the nose (some don't)

By the way, chances are he's either Owner-Operator (not very likely) in that he owns his own vehicle and has general liability insurance (the premiums won't go up after something like this - they're already high)

or he's driver-for-hire, in that the company pays the premium and they have commercial general liability, and their premiums won't go up either.

[AWD_addict]

Yikes, that is awful. Good luck with the insurance.

[dzx]

I'd have to say I admire a lot of truck drivers and bus drivers. I know i would hate to drive something that big in traffic, it takes skill.

But yeh, that definately sucks that your TW was hit. I had a friend from Nebraska driving to see me last fall, when a semi truck tire smashed his car. It was dark and he was doing about 80mph when he saw something rolling along in front of him right before it hit his bumper and came up over the hood smashing the window and most of the front of the car. Funny thing is, they got the serial number off of the tire and it turned out it belonged to the same company he works for. Werner trucking.

[scottzg]

I wish we had a better rail system in place. It's so much cheaper and safer to ship by rail.

Damn unions.

[scuzzy]

I wish we had a better rail system in place. It's so much cheaper and safer to ship by rail.

Damn unions.

It's also more time intensive, it takes longer to ship by rail than truck, plus rails are limited to where they can go. you'll eventually need a truck for a last-mile solution.

and for some, a last hundred-mile.

[greg donovan]

I wish we had a better rail system in place. It's so much cheaper and safer to ship by rail.

Damn unions.

but it still has to get from the rails to the stores somehow. hence the need for trucks.

however, i live by a truckstop.

those guys always run redlights. it is so damn annoying. the light will be red before they are anywhere near the light yet they will blast right on through.

[Bheinen74]

Got my estimate yesterday by the insurance company who represents the trucking company. They also wanted me to get my own estimate.

Their estimate was ~2350
My independently acquired estimate was 2324.
Car value is 4500

So, they will be sending me a check to get this all fixed (truck drivers fault), and not totalling the car. The estimates include using new Subaru parts, but I plan on saving a little money by going used on stuff like the tailight (thanks blackbart) and maybe the bumper. The quarter panel will go on NEW because here in Iowa a used one would be rusted pretty badly.

The arguments above have gotten pretty crazy. We WOULD be safer without trucks on the hiway, yes.
But that is not really a possibility. So, just be careful of the trucks.

[scuzzy]

Got my estimate yesterday by the insurance company who represents the trucking company. They also wanted me to get my own estimate.

Their estimate was ~2350
My independently acquired estimate was 2324.
Car value is 4500

So, they will be sending me a check to get this all fixed (truck drivers fault), and not totalling the car. The estimates include using new Subaru parts, but I plan on saving a little money by going used on stuff like the tailight (thanks blackbart) and maybe the bumper. The quarter panel will go on NEW because here in Iowa a used one would be rusted pretty badly.

The arguments above have gotten pretty crazy. We WOULD be safer without trucks on the hiway, yes.
But that is not really a possibility. So, just be careful of the trucks.

yes, we would be safer without alot of things, true. or alot of improvements.

But when you remove danger, you remover excitement. I'm not saying the fear of getting mauled by a 40 ton sled hauling ass down the interstate is exciting, I'm just putting it into perspective.

[DLC]

Don't push me people, or I will start banning.