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How much for "wear and tear" when your truck is stolen ?

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  me2 
#1 ·
My truck (in my sig) was stolen. It was hooked to a 35' 5th wheel. I chased him when he took off. He drove the hell out of my truck for 15 minutes with the trailer (and me) behind. He finally gave up and ditched it.

He didn't know how to drive a stick, but stole one anyway. The tires, brakes and clutch on my truck got smoked many times. Literally. 4 days later, my truck still reeks like clutch and brakes. Most of the tires have been flat spotted.

My engine sounds like its developing a knock.

How much should the insurance company pay me for "wear and tear" on my truck and trailer, in addition to the obvious damage ?

I can't help but feel I should have let the thief get away. I saved the insurance company a $65K payout, but now feel I'm about to get shafted big time.

I meet with the estimators tomorrow.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, sorry to hear it. Same thing happened to a friend of mine's dump truck. He watched it drive by his office with smoke pouring out the back. The fool drove it only 5-6 miles and did 11 grand and counting in damage. The ins company is trying to total his truck. It is an old one after all.

Might this be a good time to have a couple or three shops look at it and do a damage estimate? Adjustors can look at body work and get it right easily...but internal components and engine knocks are usually out of their reach.
 
#4 ·
add up cost of clutch tires brakes trailer brakes and tires and have a shop go through the motor and then ask for the total.
 
#5 ·
All I can say is Good Luck. I hate to say it but you better buy your self some ass cream 'cuz you gona need it. Unless you've got a really good Ins. Co. their going to low ball you as much as possible, and say that stuff like the eng. nock was probrbly already there.
 
#6 ·
you can also make them keep the claim "open" for 6 months to a year incase something pops up. just takes some wrangling!!!!! DON'T let them win!!!!!
 
#7 ·
AMEN!
 
#8 ·
The visible physical damage isn't that much. Locks were popped, ignition got popped, tire sidewall got cut (but doesn't leak, yet), steering wheel doesn't center anymore. That is about it.

However, I followed the guy and I saw the potholes he drove through at 40MPH, saw the trailer bounce, saw the clutch get SMOKED like I've never seen before, saw the truck and trailer tires smoke every time he stopped.

The things I'm worried about are brakes, tires, transmission and engine. None of which are new, but all of which, except the front tires, were in really good shape.

There has to be a payment for that sort of abuse. To say nothing that the truck is now going to be tagged as stolen/recovered. As will the trailer.

Not that the truck is worth a lot. I'm really glad it wasn't a $45K 2008.

I'll say this... its costing me a lot more in grief and headache that I recovered my truck and trailer than if I had let him get away.

They headed straight for a warehouse area. They were going to get it inside and part it out.
 
#9 ·
What I'm worried about is they are going to say a clutch job is $800. Your clutch was half wore out and still has some left. Here is $250. 2 new tires, maybe, $200. Front end alignment, $100. Your deductible is $250. Here is $200. Go away.

Meanwhile, I lost my perfect claims free record and my insurance goes up $250 a year for the next 4 years. We already can't make a claim on the trailer, including the $250 towing bill for it alone, for that very reason.

Meanwhile, a year later my ZF6 packs it in because a syncro that got cracked when the idiot was jambing it into gear finally gave up the ghost.

Or worse yet the 5.9 drops a valve seat from being revved to the moon when idiot couldn't shift or from going from stone cold to 100% throttle in 10 seconds when he took off or from being wide open for 15 minutes to being shut down cold turkey when he jumped out.

As you can tell, I'm pretty upset about all this.
 
#10 ·
Good luck getting $$ for possible clutch, brake and tire damage. Unless there is physical damage like a cut sidewall or parts of the tread missing, you are not going to get anything for the tires. I don't see how you could get any $$ for a new clutch, brakes or engine damage. There is no way to prove that they were not worn already.

My vehicle was stolen and I received 3 new tires but that was only because they were maybe 4 months old but had visible cuts on the sidewalls and pcs of the tread missing from driving through a heavy duty steel gate. I received nothing for possible clutch, brakes or engine. I got my truck back 6-7 hours after it was stolen.

My insurance did not go up after the claim but I have had no claims or tickets in at least 8 years.

All I can say is good luck.
 
#11 ·
My work truck was stolen last November. The punks that stole it took all of my work gear and anything of value inside the truck. The amazing thing is that they bought a digital camera to take pictures of themselves inside my work rig. The stoned thugs left the camera behind with pics of themselves in the truck....but the cops couldn't find them. As for my insurance experience. During and shortly after the theft the insurance company was helpful. I was able to get the truck inspected for damage, get the damage repaired, was furnished a rental, and we had the deductable waived. The ugly part came 2 months later when our insurance company dropped us! I hope it all works out for you. It's certainly no fun. I would advise you to take advantage of every opportunity that the insurance company affords you, because they are certainly doing that to you.
 
#12 ·
Just got back from having the trailer evaluation. Minor damage all around except that the pin on the pin box is bent and the door that goes into the back room won't close. I suspect the frame is twisted. The RV dealer is going to check it out.

I won't be receiving anything for tires, brakes or suspension on it because "they are doing what they were designed to do".

I can tell you one thing, I'll be putting a lot more time, money and effort into theft prevention after this. Like a wheel lock on the trailer and disabling the engine in the truck. And security cameras.
 
#13 ·
Not to be dishonest about the situation but any possible damage that could have been caused during the theft, say it was. Get them to cover as much as possible even if it might not have been actually damaged at that time. There are gonna be alot of things they arent going to cover that trully were. If at first they say no, be firm and courteous but demand they cover the things that you know were damaged. Many times it just means being persistant that you will not settle for anything less than them covering it. Be as nice to them as you can, while still being firm.

My girlfriend was rearended and never saw it coming as she had here head turned to the side. VERY little bumper damage occured and the insurance company said she was trying to screw them over with her chiro visits. We never accepted anything less than them covering it until she was pain free and eventually they covered it.

Dont get too stressed about it. Its sad to say but its only money. At least no one was injured or any MAJOR loss occured.
 
#14 ·
Update

This went much better than I thought it would.

I think I'm going to make out OK. I'll update this when everything is finalized.
 
#16 ·
Actually, it isn't settled yet. They have agreed to a number of things, but I haven't seen a cheque yet. Today is 4 weeks since it happened.
 
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