Btmnk21

iTrader: (1)

Tonight I was driving to pickup a friend when the truck in front of me suddenly and without warning slammed on the brakes to come to a complete stop. As I found myself also hitting the brakes with full force I realized they were breaking to let a cop turn left through our lane into a Dunkin Donuts (cliche I know). I was able to stop just in time and avoid slamming into the truck in front of me. The car behind could not.

I do not know what speed the car was travelling at but it sounded like a cannon going off inside the car. After I pulled over and took a look, there actually was no visible damage aside from maybe a scratch which I will look at tomorrow in better light.

This car is advertised for the headrests to slide up and forward and prevent whiplash. Now I've never had whiplash before, but I'm pretty sure my sore neck is letting me know I do now. I can't tell if the headrest did its job or not.

First accident of my life. Any tips? Should I file a claim for scratches/marring?

LeoDLion

I was in a similar accident two years ago. Except I was the one who hit the car in front of me. The 1d1ot stopped suddenly when the light was changing from green to red.

I would call my insurance. Then get an estimate. If its less than your deductible, tell your insurance agent to forget it. This does not include your possible whiplash. If your neck bothers you, consult a doctor. Ask for any long term treatment. If there is any, then you need to talk to your insurance agent again.

RXSF

Was it a severe enough impact for the active headrestraints to even pop up? I dont think they did if you only have a scratch on the bumper. Did the headrests pop up towards the front of the car? IOW, did you have to reset them back to the original position?

hope your neck feels better. Just bring the car to a good body shop (preferably one at a lexus dealership). You can get an estimate, and then call the person to see if the other party wants to go ahead with an insurance (if the amount is steep enough) or if they want to pay out of pocket. Usually this process takes a long time.

If you want to get the car fixe quickly (which i doubt because it is completely drivable), your insurance can pay for it first. You would have to pay the deductible first. Later, your insurance company will go after the other party's insurance company and you will be reimbursed for your deductible.

the third option is to get an estimate and just pocket the money if you feel that its not necessary to get the bumper replaced just yet.

MEP7557

I would definitely take the car in and have it looked at. There could be underlying damage that you are not seeing. Those bumpers pop back out after an impact, no telling what happened under there. These cars are designed with a lot of crumple zones to absorb impact.
I do wonder about the head rests as my head is at least 4-6 inches away from it while driving. A good Chiro can help with that. Good luck and keep us posted on details.

Thanx.

pulp

i had a similar accident a couple of years back, and like you i only had scratches on the rear bumper from the impact, but when taking it to the shop they found a large plastic part that forms the bottom of the trunk has cracked and needed replacement, so definitely have it checked by the dealer for any hidden damage.

ajs

I totally agree that you need to have the car checked out for structural damage. It sounds like the energy-absorbing material in the bumper did its job and prevented serious injury to you. That bumper is now compromised even if you don't see any obvious external damage. If you get rear-ended again, that bumper will not perform the same way, and could cause way more serious harm to you and your vehicle.

And for goodness sake, if you have neck pain don't go to a chiropractor. Go to a licensed medical doctor who knows what he/she is doing. Good luck!

jclem

I agree with the first part and totally disagree with the 2nd part. Chiropractors are miracle workers. Find a good one and you are golden. Just one example: Many years ago my wife had a severe back problem. The doctor at the hospital said "Humans will always have back issues as long as they continue to walk upright rather than on all fours" (No, I am not kidding)and then prescribed drugs--percoset, etc. The next day I carried her to the car, because she could barely move, took her to a chiro and a 1/2 hr later she was walking out to the car.
So, the moral of the story is: Take your car to a chiropractor
And remember, the guy who caused the accident was "licensed"

Btmnk21

iTrader: (1)

Filed a claim. Having it appraised. After a wash cause of the warm weather I can definitely see a long horizontal impact mark.

Thanks for all the tips. Thankfully my neck is feeling okay. I hadthe headrest swapped out in July because the leather came undone. Not sure if the replacement works the same since it does not match the passenger side, which I just noticed (lame). I keep it pretty high anyways so I'm also not sure how much more it can move.

RXSF

Its not really supposed to move up, its supposed to put out (forward) towards your head.

Mdkellys

You definitely have to have your RX looked. The impact you describe makes it sound like the rear end of the car did its job to absorb the collision but you probably have parts that now need to be replaced. I have severe arthritis in my neck and the only person that gave me relieve was a good chiro. I suggest you find one that is a leader in the industry and constantly keeping up with new training.

I am sorry about your accident. That definitely is not a good way to spend your day. More often than not people rear ended will actually get more sore a day or two later. Make sure you make an appointment with your doctor so any treatment will be covered by the other insurance company.