Some mean loser hit me and run 🤬

[Hawker-SKO]

Okay guys...
I guess Some drunk mean weak guy hit me and hit other car front of me then they exchanged informations but failed to leave any informations on my bus. So I filed hit & run .
After some on my own detective work Ive found the driver at fault informations . And his insurance limit is A TYPICAL USAA liability limit . Just $5000 and I have to share with other rich guy who had full coverage on his car . LoL
So, I have to cry over.

The drunk guy's car seems to hit my driver side rear corner then scraped whole side then hit my driver side front wheel snapping shaft of outer & inner tie rod and disengaged tranny , I can see some ripples on roof too where the roof dropinto sude wall . Possibly , bottom chassis are also bent too .
I parked the end of the white parking line and you can see how far to the front and to the side it moved by the impact ..

Well, it's time to rip it all off and put it back all together .. .. I wonder how much and how long is this takes to make like new again ...
The market price on this puppy says but in California it's about $9000. Now its totalled .

 

[nikitis]

It's not that bad honestly.

You can replace the tie rod, and it'll be fine looking at it. it seems to be the only thing bent.

As for the body damage, the worst part is the back yellow corner.

Bumper can be fixed by tying a rope to it and have a truck pull it back carefully to straighten it out. It's reusable.

The bottom bumper rail can be bought. They still sell them. Then out the damaged part of the panel and have a guy weld new sheet metal in it's place, slap some yellow paint on it.

But like I said the back corner is tough because it's a corner so you may have to cut that out as well and bend and weld a new piece in there as well which is harder to do than just welding in a flat surface. But that's the worst of it.

 

[Hawker-SKO]

It's not that bad honestly.

You can replace the tie rod, and it'll be fine looking at it. it seems to be the only thing bent.

As for the body damage, the worst part is the back yellow corner.

Bumper can be fixed by tying a rope to it and have a truck pull it back carefully to straighten it out. It's reusable.

The bottom bumper rail can be bought. They still sell them. Then out the damaged part of the panel and have a guy weld new sheet metal in it's place, slap some yellow paint on it.

But like I said the back corner is tough because it's a corner so you may have to cut that out as well and bend and weld a new piece in there as well which is harder to do than just welding in a flat surface. But that's the worst of it.

Yeah, the issue is the drunk fool swiped all the side wall with Saturn Vue. I guess it a mini SUV ? So the height of the car is little higher than regular sedan car.
It's hard to tell from the picture but resulting it not only swiped side wall but bended slightly internal columns inwards along with by the impact, it pushed back the corner roof towards to the front so the roof is also now waivy. Like looking at caterpillar's back about 4 feet towards to front That means I have to replace whole side wall, internal colums to be straightened or replaced , like you said, the back corners is never gonna be streightened so I have to cut that part and weld streight face part which is already fabricated to make that curb then grind off to make it flush then primer and paint I think. I was a welder so it's not hard for me except fumes .
replace whole back part of roofings with new rivets and sheet metals to be appear streight. Ive already replaced tie rod. Now tranny is in engaged so I can avoid getting parking tickets. This bus was supposed to use in small budget student film on the set so now whole production is at stop due to this accident . Lots of college student actors and actress just lost their jobs for their debut & their portfolio ... well , the show must go on. This accident literally pushed back out schedules into 4 years or more so... That means we have to cast new student actors & it's gonna be a b##$h to fix all that out in a desert where there is no shade and 113 deg heat . LoL

 

[Hawker-SKO]

Yeah, the issue is the drunk fool swiped all the side wall with Saturn Vue. I guess it a mini SUV ? So the height of the car is little higher than regular sedan car.
It's hard to tell from the picture but resulting it not only swiped side wall but bended slightly internal columns inwards along with by the impact, it pushed back the corner roof towards to the front so the roof is also now waivy. Like looking at caterpillar's back about 4 feet towards to front That means I have to replace whole side wall, internal colums to be straightened or replaced , like you said, the back corners is never gonna be streightened so I have to cut that part and weld streight face part which is already fabricated to make that curb then grind off to make it flush then primer and paint I think. I was a welder so it's not hard for me except fumes .
replace whole back part of roofings with new rivets and sheet metals to be appear streight. Ive already replaced tie rod. Now tranny is in engaged so I can avoid getting parking tickets. This bus was supposed to use in small budget student film on the set so now whole production is at stop due to this accident . Lots of college student actors and actress just lost their jobs for their debut & their portfolio ... well , the show must go on. This accident literally pushed back out schedules into 4 years or more so... That means we have to cast new student actors & it's gonna be a b##$h to fix all that out in a desert where there is no shade and 113 deg heat . LoL

Oh my God yeah entire frame and chassis are bent. Ive noticed the front driver door won't open and close right, slightly. That means carriage part pushed into the front .
LMFAO .

 

[Hawker-SKO]

I put an quick estimate with body shop guys. Even If I work on it, the time and labors it would be much expensive than the car it'sself . It's a total loss.

 

[cadillackid]

insurance doesnt mean the guy is off the hook.. you should sue the mean guy... ive done it and would do it again.. (and I won)... judges (even in california) hate hit and run drivers... you go after them with the idea its a one-off converted bus and so cannot easily be replaced with an off the shelf RV or simply making the guy pay the cost of another bus.. you have to play it up to the hilt.. and beat the guy...



insurance just means they have that much of an accident paid.. not that they are out the liability for their accident...

 

[Hawker-SKO]

I just want equivalent replacement bus. As for the hit & run ...I filed police report as hit & run but detective called me the driver had exchanged insurance info with other driver who was inside of the parked car Infront of me at the time of accident and gave me claim numbers of Progressive to ride on that claim numbers with it and from Progressive I've got driver at fault insurance informations and found out that he is on a USAA policy holder with State minimum limited liability property damage policy.
So Police changed my hit & run report into regular accident incident report.
But when person at fault has state minimum insurance with USAA ? That means he is broke broke a$$ ex- military guy . Even If I sue him it might be waste of attorney fees isn't it ?

 

[cadillackid]

I just want equivalent replacement bus. As for the hit & run ...I filed police report as hit & run but detective called me the driver had exchanged insurance info with other driver who was inside of the parked car Infront of me at the time of accident and gave me claim numbers of Progressive to ride on that claim numbers with it and from Progressive I've got driver at fault insurance informations and found out that he is on a USAA policy holder with State minimum limited liability property damage policy.
So Police changed my hit & run report into regular accident incident report.
But when person at fault has state minimum insurance with USAA ? That means he is broke broke a$$ ex- military guy . Even If I sue him it might be waste of attorney fees isn't it ?

what does your insurance company say? my insurance company in my case encouraged the lawsuit.. and in fact stated if I hadnt sued they were going to.. if the guy in fact exchanged with the other driver but not you then the cops prob did the right thing by not keeping it as hit N run.. however he is still liable as the at-fault driver in the crash..



is he broke? maybe? you never know.. he might have a house wit ha lot of equity that can be grabbed.. might have a classic car that could be sold..

 

[Hawker-SKO]

what does your insurance company say? my insurance company in my case encouraged the lawsuit.. and in fact stated if I hadnt sued they were going to.. if the guy in fact exchanged with the other driver but not you then the cops prob did the right thing by not keeping it as hit N run.. however he is still liable as the at-fault driver in the crash..



is he broke? maybe? you never know.. he might have a house wit ha lot of equity that can be grabbed.. might have a classic car that could be sold..

I have no insurance on my bus during it was parked . I have a non owner liability insurance and my insurance covers while I'm in a vehicle or driving. I was about to get Allstate Skoolie ins after I finish converting but this happened before that. Btw, Allstate is so kind & great to Skoolie owners.
Yes, definitely he is liable for the damages . Anyone can hit any cars but if you really hit someone's car then the person who caused its damage is liable.

 

[Albatross]

But when person at fault has state minimum insurance with USAA ? That means he is broke broke a$$ ex- military guy . Even If I sue him it might be waste of attorney fees isn't it ?

So the kinds of people I've met with USAA run the gamut from homeless vets sleeping in their cars to high-ranking officers who transferred directly out of the military into a high-paying C-suite profession.



The fact that he has state-minimums likely means that he's driving a normal-ish beater kind of a car, regardless of what he has.



Essentially, almost everyone I've met who's prior military has USAA, and that has only expanded since USAA relaxed their policies regarding who can get USAA, which is now out to contractors and their families, as well as roommates of people who have USAA... They've been focused on expanding, and it shows.



Guy could be doing quite well, it's not uncommon for vets. Of course, the opposite could also be true--and if he is service-connected disabled, then those monies are not countable as a "source of income" for any purpose as per federal law. The only times I've ever seen that statute broken is in family court. It has been tried, and lost, for people in situations similar to yours to try and place a claim upon that stream of income, and every time it has been lost.

 

[Hawker-SKO]

So the kinds of people I've met with USAA run the gamut from homeless vets sleeping in their cars to high-ranking officers who transferred directly out of the military into a high-paying C-suite profession.



The fact that he has state-minimums likely means that he's driving a normal-ish beater kind of a car, regardless of what he has.



Essentially, almost everyone I've met who's prior military has USAA, and that has only expanded since USAA relaxed their policies regarding who can get USAA, which is now out to contractors and their families, as well as roommates of people who have USAA... They've been focused on expanding, and it shows.



Guy could be doing quite well, it's not uncommon for vets. Of course, the opposite could also be true--and if he is service-connected disabled, then those monies are not countable as a "source of income" for any purpose as per federal law. The only times I've ever seen that statute broken is in family court. It has been tried, and lost, for people in situations similar to yours to try and place a claim upon that stream of income, and every time it has been lost.

That is so true & everyone is different .
I just wishes he is a responsible person to take care what he has caused to others who has nothing to do with him or his driving

 

[cadillackid]

my roomate has USAA.. he is a vet.. and the one thing he will say is that their claims process is a PITA.. and they WILL lowball any claim.. but once you go after them with estmates of damage and such then they back off of their lowball and come up.. they are the cheapest premium for vets, thats why he keeps them...


its all up to the OP to do what he wants.. im sorry i just dont lay down and let stuff like this go... if its a simple fix or something really simple then im like whatever.. (a guy accidentilly got to close and tagged the mirror on my pickup this summer.. it knocked the glass out and put a small scratch in the plastic.. I snapped the glass back in and sent him on his way.. he was honest and stopped)...


but someone who seems not to talk to both parties or seem to care the fact he smacked a parked bus... and im sure hasnt come forward to offer to buy you a new bus.. deserves to get his wages garnished...sorry if thats too harsh but its just how I feel..

 

[Albatross]

That is so true & everyone is different .
I just wishes he is a responsible person to take care what he has caused to others who has nothing to do with him or his driving

Well, that gets increasing more and more difficult to do reasonably as vehicles are produced in more and more disposable/"consumable" ways as the prices keep going up and up and up. One of my roomies was rear-ended by smart-car, and his 2021 hyundai caught an $18K quote to replace the rear-end... A job that on older cars would've cost something like $5K back when they were new.


On top of that, as the wealth-gap increases, you wind up with more people spending exorbitant sums on their vehicles. Years ago, I used to drive delivery in a very, very, VERY upscale tech-center part of a major city. Like, every week I would see some kind of Maserati, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, old Alfa-Romeo, or some other kind of easily six-figure car, or something very unique like an old Lotus, and there was one guy that liked to drive an original DeLorean.


I wound up pulling up to this hipster bar to deliver an order, and skidded to a stop in the gravel parking lot, while some guy got angry at me and started to shout and go down the "my car is worth more than your life" routine. I stopped him and said, "look, I don't know what you do or what you majored in, but as a physics major, I can assure you that my $3,000 '92 Nissan hardbody with state-minimum insurance is just as capable of doing as much damage as any other of these six-figure super-cars other people are driving out here... Considering that there are vastly more state-minimum liability civics on the road driven by wet-backs around here, perhaps you're the one that should consider your choices spending that much on a car and the putting it on the public roadways. Now I've got a delivery to make, so excuse me."


Granted, it's no excuse to be a PoS and not take care of damages that you've caused someone, but that line of thinking is one of the primary reasons why I'll never spend a ton of money on a vehicle; the other being that they are almost always a depreciable liability instead of an asset. Sure, there are some rare vehicles that can appreciate in value, but natural disasters happen, trees fall on vehicles, and also hail. Until I've got a bunker of some sort, I'll likely never consider any vehicle an investment. Skoolies are largely the same kind of thing; the more you use them, the less they are worth, and they have a tendency to rust and fall apart even if you're very, very careful with them.



I think most of us here do what we do because it's possible to build them better, and to build them exactly how we want them.

 

[cadillackid]

I never consider any vehicle an investment . I do however like to drive nice cars.. I like things like working AC and Navi so I don’t have to fumble with my phone and drive, adaptive cruise for crappy highway drivers that change speed.. heated seats and wheel because well I don’t do cold period ..

If someone in a 3K Nissan with minimum insurance hits my brand new car and does 25K damage to it .. his insurance may only pay 5 but the dude owes me 20 and I’ll go after it and not think twice..

For me cars are a bit difference , as a business owner I can lease one and write it off on my taxes which makes it a better deal.. the business pays the lease (as long as I have another car ) and It’s counted as an expense .. a lot of those rich guys likely did the same thing in your delivery area..

 

[Hawker-SKO]

my roomate has USAA.. he is a vet.. and the one thing he will say is that their claims process is a PITA.. and they WILL lowball any claim.. but once you go after them with estmates of damage and such then they back off of their lowball and come up.. they are the cheapest premium for vets, thats why he keeps them...


its all up to the OP to do what he wants.. im sorry i just dont lay down and let stuff like this go... if its a simple fix or something really simple then im like whatever.. (a guy accidentilly got to close and tagged the mirror on my pickup this summer.. it knocked the glass out and put a small scratch in the plastic.. I snapped the glass back in and sent him on his way.. he was honest and stopped)...


but someone who seems not to talk to both parties or seem to care the fact he smacked a parked bus... and im sure hasnt come forward to offer to buy you a new bus.. deserves to get his wages garnished...sorry if thats too harsh but its just how I feel..

Well that's getting sounds better . If I think of when I find out my bus was totaled there were none was around and note of any informations. So, I guess I'm getting better pictures everyday. And as of today finally USAA adjuster agent called me after 18 days of struggling to gather informations. So, in a bright side , I doing great .
As soon as I talk with USAA adjuster again I'll give him the repair estimate or receipt of a school bus death certificate and will see what's gonna happen . The another car which involved in this accident was also totaled but has Full coverage from Progressive. My bus is also totalled .so will see how they divide the liability limit.

Yeah too many cars on a road ... Well, it's not that bad until all the boomers grew up and start driving. Plus here in California that's how This state has developed. If you come to California you have to own the car to get around . They built every city to spread around due to the earthquake concerns and The car manufacturers planned this city to be built as Owning a car necessity State. I do remember back in a day of my 1972 Motorhome owners manual that That motor home is built to live on street. Celebrating it's owner that he or she made a great investment for his life then explaining into how that motorhome can withstand hardest hit on street because of Ridgid steel frame construction and so on . It was legal to live on a street back then and having a regular car was a symbol of freedom , go anywhere anytime where you want to be. Not being monitored and recorded like when you take a Uber or Lyft , Wymo Autonomous vehicles.

 

[cadillackid]

sorry but im still of mind to like owning a car.. doesnt mean I want to use it all the time.. my neighborhood is one dangerous bridge without a sidewalk away from being walkable / bikeable to coffee, food, shopping, etc... but of course when the bridge was re-done they didnt put a walkway on it.. and i refusae to atempt it on bike or foot..



lots of cities were built this way.. a simple connection would make for less traffic if people wanted to...



I will always own a couple cars.. cars to me are personality and not just a thing to drive.. im a car guy an enthusiast..

 

[Mason103]

You got bad guy info so. Small claims court is best alternative if Insurance pay partial or anything at all. just show 2 estimates to judge. but you most likely have to pay it yourself to body shop who writes it. body shop needs to write detail parts damage so it will cost likely min $ 25.00 - $ 50.00 if not more. last for me was $ 25.00 est each body shop & they did take 10 -15 mins of their time. that was 10 + years ago. done these small claims 5 times & win. is not hard look up your city small claim court & get all info. good luck

 

[Mason103]

Hawker, BTW don't trust insurance adjusters. they work for insurance co & will try to low ball or even screw you bad. in case they send you a check that are a low ball or you are not satisfied >>> DO NOT CASH <<< thinking you will sue to get the rest reimbursement. there is a secret bylaw. if you cash let say $ 500.00 check & damage is $1,000. thinking you cash it & sue the rest 50% = $500. in court fine prints or not it automictically means you ACCEPTED the insurance co offer. just take to small claim represent yourself - NO NEED to hire lawyer = it will not be worth it . lawyer $600 - 900 a hour!!! take it from me. done this way & won. the insurance co might even show up to represend the bad guy.

 

[Mason103]

Hawker, BTW add whatever you had to pay for the 2 estimates into whatever you are suing.

 

[Mason103]

Hawker, sorry for long tips but you sound like you have not encountered these kinds of experiences. this is my first post here I can think of that I can share from my own experiences. in 46 + years driving. the bad guy / insurance doesn't give a F k what happened to your bus & won't buy you a replacement as this is what you want. is all about money & bad guy will not admit he's wrong guaranteed! I drove commercial / transit bus retired. again SMALLK CLAIMS COURT is the fastest way to get any money. I just collected $ 3500 from my old employer because they held my sick days for over one year, I have save from 26 years of driving city transit = $24,000 - I sue for interest & dividends because if they had pay me on time, i would have made $ that amount in my investment account long story short - so go for it!