Vehicle hit in an accident

[mgFray]

I loaned my M998 to the housemate to use as a pickup truck to get something. 1 block from where she was going, making a right hand turn.. car behind her decides to pass her on the right! (Edit: she was making a LEFT turn, and the person decided to pass her on the LEFT on a 2-lane road, marked no-passing)

So suddenly two vehicles tried to possess the same location at the same time. (Nobody injured.)

The other vehicle hit the HMMWV in the passenger side front tire/wheel. The other car's front bumper was damaged and driver front headlight was smashed.

On visual inspection the housemate didn't see anything visually wrong, but hasn't driving the HMMWV yet. (She has about 45+ minutes of driving back home still.)

What should I be concerned with (damage wise)? Alignment I assume.. possibly bent steering components? Anything else?

 

[Maxjeep1]

Was the other vehicle a truck or a Prius? How fast were they going? I would think Hmmwv could take a big hit and be ok. I would do a visual from a distance and see if front tire is true and straight and if ok I would drive it. Towing is the other option. Maybe you go drive it back. Sorry for the crash. I hate to loan stuff and I hate borrowing stuff even more.

 

[mgFray]

Was the other vehicle a truck or a Prius? How fast were they going? I would think Hmmwv could take a big hit and be ok. I would do a visual from a distance and see if front tire is true and straight and if ok I would drive it. Towing is the other option. Maybe you go drive it back. Sorry for the crash. I hate to loan stuff and I hate borrowing stuff even more.

It was a car, I'll get pictures when she gets home.

She said it all looked straight and true. She drove HMMWVs (ambulances) for 10 years, so I trust her ability to look at the vehicle and decide if it's a death trap. . (She is the reason I found and bough this M998. She'd been driving it on and off all summer from a car dealer she borrowed it from for American Legion events and town parades.)

When it gets home, I'll crawl under and verify what I can. I'm hoping between "car" and heavy duty HMMWV that there is no actual damage to the HMMWV or wheel.

Edit:

Got more info, it was a 2010 Ford Explorer that hit the HMMWV. So not as "small" as I was expecting from the description. And apparently the housemate doesn't know 'right from left'. She was turning LEFT, signaling LEFT, and the person swung around her to pass in the on-coming lane.

 

[Maxjeep1]

You can’t be traveling very fast while trying to make a right hand turn. Cars are not made like Humvee’s and if it was able to drive away Humvee is fine. Just my 2 cents.

 

[simp5782]

Have a tire shop put it on an alignment rack. It will tell you flat out if there is something bent. $50 or so vs something breaking going down the road.

 

[glcaines]

I would make sure you have the other driver's insurance information in case you find hidden damage. Was the other driver ticketed? I would also request a copy of the accident report. Years ago, my wife had an accident where a driver ran her off the road and up a guy wire on a utility pole. Absolutely no obvious damage. Fortunately, the other driver stopped and was ticketed, because we noticed the next day that it was hard to get in and out of park. It turned out that a portion of the transmission had to be replaced to fix it.

 

[Maxjeep1]

Was the rear of the wheel well already bent?

 

[mgFray]

Have a tire shop put it on an alignment rack. It will tell you flat out if there is something bent. $50 or so vs something breaking going down the road.

Yup, already had an alignment schedule for Monday..

I would make sure you have the other driver's insurance information in case you find hidden damage. Was the other driver ticketed? I would also request a copy of the accident report. Years ago, my wife had an accident where a driver ran her off the road and up a guy wire on a utility pole. Absolutely no obvious damage. Fortunately, the other driver stopped and was ticketed, because we noticed the next day that it was hard to get in and out of park. It turned out that a portion of the transmission had to be replaced to fix it.

Yup, traded insurance info. As soon as she gets home with the HMMWV, we're calling out insurance company to get this on record. I only have liability.. so I'm on my own for damage. But I need an accurate record of the damage, IF we find any. (No police report, both vehicles worked no injuries.)

Was the rear of the wheel well already bent?

I can say for certain it was. I had JUST added some paint to it, as I'd been slowly rubbing off the little bit of paint that was there working on the engine over the weekend.


From the best I can tell we're limited to the wheel/tire, a scratch in the paint on the quarter panel and a couple scratches on the hood. The quarter panel and hood, whatever. The wheel/tire (and what they're connected to) is what worries me more.

 

[Action]

Yup, already had an alignment schedule for Monday..



Yup, traded insurance info. As soon as she gets home with the HMMWV, we're calling out insurance company to get this on record. I only have liability.. so I'm on my own for damage. But I need an accurate record of the damage, IF we find any. (No police report, both vehicles worked no injuries.)



I can say for certain it was. I had JUST added some paint to it, as I'd been slowly rubbing off the little bit of paint that was there working on the engine over the weekend.


From the best I can tell we're limited to the wheel/tire, a scratch in the paint on the quarter panel and a couple scratches on the hood. The quarter panel and hood, whatever. The wheel/tire (and what they're connected to) is what worries me more.

Why would you be on your own for damages? It doesn’t matter what you have. The other person’s insurance should cover it.
Some states have a “no fault” clause. Don’t let them pull that on you. It is fir medical expenses, not vehicle damage.
Without a police report, it can turn into a”he said/ she said” situation.

 

[mgFray]

Why would you be on your own for damages? It doesn’t matter what you have. The other person’s insurance should cover it.
Some states have a “no fault” clause. Don’t let them pull that on you. It is fir medical expenses, not vehicle damage.
Without a police report, it can turn into a”he said/ she said” situation.

Only way to get covered would be to hire a lawyer and sue, unless the other persons insurance takes fault. (I've been through this before). For cosmetic damage, not worth the effort. Actual damage? Then ya, I'd try.

But since the police didn't feel it necessary to go and create a report, it is he said/she said in the end.

 

[mgFray]

Was the rear of the wheel well already bent?

Ok, your eyes are officially better then mine. There was SOME bend there before (on the lip itself), but right where you said, the wheel arch has been pulled out a bit, and the fender is in about 1/4 to 1/2" over about a 1"x3" area.

I looked and where the rivets are, and all around it is flat, so I suspect in the accident the Explorer side molding (or bumper edge) locked onto the fender and pulled it out JUST slightly, cause this damage.

 

[glcaines]

Why would you be on your own for damages? It doesn’t matter what you have. The other person’s insurance should cover it.
Some states have a “no fault” clause. Don’t let them pull that on you. It is fir medical expenses, not vehicle damage.
Without a police report, it can turn into a”he said/ she said” situation.

It depends on the State. I had my car totaled in Michigan when a Michigan car rear-ended me. I was stopped and he said he was only going 60 when he hit me. Almost killed me. I only had liability insurance from Georgia. Michigan was a "total no fault" state regarding both liability, collision and medical which meant that the guy that hit me had no liability for repair or replacement of my car. It was up to my insurance to pay for the damage to my car and I only had liability insurance. No fault insurance is a very bad deal for the consumer.

 

[mgFray]

A couple more pictures of the damage. It really is minor (luckily, could have been far worse.)



The 'ripple' on the lip was pre-existing.. but the fender WAS flat before. The accident seems to have pulled lip OUT slightly, as you can see in the second picture leaving a valley between the main part of the fender and the part where the rivets begin.

The very bottom rivet (third) might be SLIGHTLY bent, but it's solid.. So really I just need to find someone who knows aluminum and can hammer the lip back "in", and the valley "out" (if necessary).

So far insurance seems to indicate it was 100% the other drivers fault. And my (liability only) insurance (progressive) has said that unless something changes, they'll go to bat for me and get any damage repaired under the other person's insurance. (I give them a TON of credit for that!)

 

[Maxjeep1]

A couple more pictures of the damage. It really is minor (luckily, could have been far worse.)

View attachment 849135View attachment 849136View attachment 849137

The 'ripple' on the lip was pre-existing.. but the fender WAS flat before. The accident seems to have pulled lip OUT slightly, as you can see in the second picture leaving a valley between the main part of the fender and the part where the rivets begin.

The very bottom rivet (third) might be SLIGHTLY bent, but it's solid.. So really I just need to find someone who knows aluminum and can hammer the lip back "in", and the valley "out" (if necessary).

So far insurance seems to indicate it was 100% the other drivers fault. And my (liability only) insurance (progressive) has said that unless something changes, they'll go to bat for me and get any damage repaired under the other person's insurance. (I give them a TON of credit for that!)

Might be worth asking how much more full coverage is. Maybe a few hundred. I pay 991 a year and I have towing. Looks like you need the 3 rubber pieces that hold the hood up when closed.

 

[mgFray]

Might be worth asking how much more full coverage is. Maybe a few hundred. I pay 991 a year and I have towing. Looks like you need the 3 rubber pieces that hold the hood up when closed.

You mean the hood bumpers? The two (left and right) are very warn, but still there. The one in the center has been replaced. (I'd have replaced the right/left ones, but my arms aren't long enough to hold the nut and turn the bolt. And I've had a lack of help recently.)

As for insurance, I'd been waiting for me to get all of the gremlins out of the vehicle to move it. It was difficult to get the liability because of the short "vin". But now that I'm starting to drive it, I will likely figure out a way to upgrade it. Hagerty and a bunch of the 'specialty' insurers wouldn't touch me because I don't garage the M998. (Physically wouldn't fit through the garage doors into my garage, even if there was room!)

 

[Maxjeep1]

You mean the hood bumpers? The two (left and right) are very warn, but still there. The one in the center has been replaced. (I'd have replaced the right/left ones, but my arms aren't long enough to hold the nut and turn the bolt. And I've had a lack of help recently.)

As for insurance, I'd been waiting for me to get all of the gremlins out of the vehicle to move it. It was difficult to get the liability because of the short "vin". But now that I'm starting to drive it, I will likely figure out a way to upgrade it. Hagerty and a bunch of the 'specialty' insurers wouldn't touch me because I don't garage the M998. (Physically wouldn't fit through the garage doors into my garage, even if there was room!)

Weird, I’m with Hagerty and they charge me like 250.00 more a year for it being parked outside. When I sell some Harleys I will start parking in the garage. I’m glad it’s working out as good as it is for you.

 

[Action]

It depends on the State. I had my car totaled in Michigan when a Michigan car rear-ended me. I was stopped and he said he was only going 60 when he hit me. Almost killed me. I only had liability insurance from Georgia. Michigan was a "total no fault" state regarding both liability, collision and medical which meant that the guy that hit me had no liability for repair or replacement of my car. It was up to my insurance to pay for the damage to my car and I only had liability insurance. No fault insurance is a very bad deal for the consumer.

so with a rear bumper and hitch, you can just keep backing into cars in the mall parking lot and not have to worry about an insurance claim?

 

[M1165A1]

The lessons here are:

1. collision insurance is a good investment on more expensive models, given that parts for a HMMWV cost an arm an a leg
2. a dashcam, or even better a 4-channel DVR recording system (front, rear, sides) pays for itself with one incident like this. The red explorer could just as easily have claimed your HMMWV pulled off the shoulder unexpectedly and then it would be everyone's fault since the truth was unascertainble.