Bumper replacement from Road Debris? HELP!!!

It is called hazard insurance and part of your coverage. If your rates go up, check the rates for a higher deductible. We have a $500 deductible. BTW, you can change insurance companies and/or send a complaint letter to the state government office that oversees insurance companies.

Bob Wilson

 

Back bumper experience

Ryan: I was backing out of a parking space on a rainy afternoon and didn't see the minivan behind me. Kaboom.....I hit the corner of the minivan's front bumper. Not a scratch to the minivan, but my bumper suffered a major dent and a number of gashes. The bumper and the foam padding behind it, had to be replaced at a cost of $700.00. Pretty significant considering for a little bump at a very slow speed. Toyota...are you listening? This should not be a compromise to get a car with great gas mileage.

Barry

 

Cost of repairs to cars these days are surprisingly high. Last year, my wife was backing her '99 Honda out of parking space in a parking garage when the woman across the aisle back out without looking and hit the right corner of the bumper on the Honda, denting it, and cracking the lens on the right tail light. The cost to have the damage repaired was estimated at $750. The repair involved removing the bumper's external plastic skin and sending it out to an outside contractor for smoothing out the dent in the bumper skin, refinishing the bumper and replacing the tail light lens. The cost out-the-door was $717. I have $500 deductible on my collision damage so I had to pay the $500 and my insurance company paid the balance. The other woman driver had Allstate insurance ruled that there was 50/50 responsibility for the accident and would pay only 50%. So I got $250 back from my insurance company once they collected from Allstate.

Sounds like the damage on your Prius is much more extensive than the damage to our '99 Honda. I don't see any choice other than to contact your insurance company and get estimates from the body shop(s) they recommend or will accept. Good luck to you on this one.

 

Your story sounds pretty much exactly like what happened to my wife a few years ago. She hit what she thought was a rolled up piece of chain link fence as it was cartwheeling down the freeway, and it ripped the driver mirror off and scraped the left side of the car. Our insurance DID go up, although I didn't find out until our next 6 month policy was issued. This was through Allstate at the time (ironically who I have once again) and I was pretty pissed. They called it an 'At Fault' accident. Crazy. I suppose they would have rather she swerved into another car or the guardrail.

You might want to call your agent and just explain the situation and see what they say. You shouldn't have to worry about your rates going up unless they actually issue a check.

You may also want to take it to a body shop and see what the cost would be.

 

Same thing happened to me 2 weeks from new - only 1,000 miles! Truck tire tread took out front bumper, lower grill, 1 fog light, and damaged the passenger door - $1300+. Like the man said, that's what insurance is for. Just pay the deductable, and drive away as good as new. No big deal. Your comprehensive/road hazard coverage should cover it. I've had 3 such incidents on different cars over the past 5 years, and my rates didn't go up. Thanks, State Farm. Watch out for the road "furniture" !

 

Do you mean the bumper cover or the actual metal bumper under the plastic cover?

 

State Farm called it "Comprehensive". I didn't see any rate increase. I did pay the $500 deductable.

 

an act of god is like a tree falling on your car, or flood damage iirc. (i last read the policy in july so it's been a while.) road debris is an act of some idiot who didn't secure his cargo. i just don't see where it's your fault.

our vandalism was covered with no increase in our premiums, by allstate, because it was not our fault.

 

With your low deductible, I'd definitely have it taken care of by the insurance company.

If Allstate is going to raise your rates for something that wasn't your fault, I'd start shopping around for a better insurance company.

Even if you don't, $20 * 36 + $250 still saves you about $500.

 

God should be a lot more careful about where she leaves her giant steel mesh ball of scrap metal

I would look for a different insurance co. They shouldn't bump your rates because of an "Act of God". They suck.

 

Bumper replacement from Road Debris?

Sorry, I don't think you can make a replacement bumper out of road debris!

 

I would have rather hit road junk than an animal, but that's just me. You sound so happy about it.

 

Ryan, was going to tell you exactly how much it costs, because you described same damage as I have from 3-hunting beagles that shot out in front of me one dark morning on the way to work. But then I read where you found fur under car. My estimate on an 05 without spoiler is about $950. If I get spoiler, like on an 06, it goes to just over $1000. Mine is $100 deductible. No ticket or points. In North Carolina you are better off to call Highway Patrol where accident happened and have them do report, which I did. (Sorry to say the middle dog in this 3-dog chase crossing road did not make it.)

 

So it was an act of Dog, not an act of God.














Sorry, I couldn't help it.

 

Perhaps it was a wire-haired terrier!

 

I'd rather not hit anything. Drive safe.

 

I was driving on I-95 in the wee morning hours last week, coming back from a National League Championship Series game in Philly, when a pickup truck about 20 yards in front of me suddenly changed lanes. I had just moved into the far right lane (the far left one was closed b/c of construction ... and I usually drive in the far right lane anyway).

Just after the truck moved into the next lane over, I noticed a dark patch on the road surface as I quickly approached it. I couldn't tell what it was, and not being versed at all in swerving on a major highway, I drove over it. At the last second, I realized ("oh, crap") it was road debris of some sort. Too late to swerve by then anyway.

A loud scraping sound coming from under the car immediately let me know something was wrong. I pulled over ... and was stunned to see the front bumper hanging off the car, with a giant crack almost right down the middle. The A/C condenser and radiator were banged up. I managed to drive home, but barely.

Anyway, on to my question: It's been bugging me as to what the debris could have been. It was a dark mass of something, about four or five feet wide in all. My best guess is that it was a couple of treads from an 18-wheeler, but I wonder if treads could shred a Prius bumper like mine was shredded. Anybody have an experience like this?