Frame Damage While Being Towed - Need Advice and Input

-
Gamedog

Gamedog

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
599
Reaction score
865
Location
Colorado
Well guys, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

In short, driver loaded up the car, attached the tow hooks to the frame, tightened the hell out of it, and this was the way it showed up to the house:

20180720_175330.jpg

20180720_175541.jpg

20180720_175144.jpg

20180720_174908.jpg

20180720_174947.jpg

20180720_175035.jpg


Driver had the nerve to say that's how it was when he hooked it up. Funny, because my wife said the first thing he did was unhook the rear hooks and made a phone call. I showed up right as he was starting to unhook the fronts. Took every bone in my body to keep myself calm, but I did.

I have a AAA investigator coming tomorrow, how would you guys handle the legal side of this? My gut says it'll be totaled... Completely bummed.
 
Besides the driver being an idiot, the car is far from being totaled. You can have those spots trimmed up and new box channel welded it making it even stronger that it was before. Just don’t forget to keep some drain holes.
 
The transport company should be responsible for replacing the frame rails, that's how I would handle it. (and at the shop of my choosing)
If they balk at that threaten them with added damages like stress and down time.

I would contend that at this time in my life when I obviously have limited time to enjoy the fruits of my hard working, tax paying, Patriotic American lifestyle, they screwed me out of having the experience of my American dream.
(with a straight face of course, and 5 mil sounds fair):D
 
All that is repairable but you'll need some good welding/fabrication skills. You can easily see the new "torn" metal in the pics. If it was older damage you wouldn't see that newer "shiny" metal tears...Get good close-ups pics of that before it rusts over. You're just lucky that the car didn't fall off the trailer once the cables came loose!!!

Treblig
 
Man, I'm a tow truck driver by trade...What an idiot. When I haul classic cars or anything that isn't run of the mill everyday cars, I use soft straps either through the wheels if I can, or wheel over the tire straps. There is never metal to metal contact when I strap down these cars.

I would be frickin livid. Take that to a reputable frame or car resto shop, and have it fixed right. Tow companies have the insurance for this kind of stuff.

I see that kind of damage OFTEN. Some of these tow drivers go crazy tight with their winch lines. SMH. I see that tow driver on the phone there, older gentleman, he's probably a veteran tow driver. This is an act of laziness. "hook N book" as we say...
 
Last edited:
Agree with Treblig. That is fresh steel with no rust, proof that he did it. Hopefully it gets repaired correctly and quickly. Notice I put correctly first.
 
I’d be livid too. Not signed anything, call tow yard owner before he even unloads it.
 
I like to think that I have "grown up" by now. Having said that, if that were mine, I think I might have gone off on him like a @×#damn spider monkey!
 
What I don't get is the holes in the REAR rails looked ripped towards the FRONT of the car??????????? I seen idiots do this kind of damage pulling rear body panels on a frame machine with the cars tied down in those frame holes with t-hooks. There's more to this story.
 
GeorgeH said:
What I don't get is the holes in the REAR rails looked ripped towards the FRONT of the car??????????? I seen idiots do this kind of damage pulling rear body panels on a frame machine with the cars tied down in those frame holes with t-hooks. There's more to this story.
Click to expand...
I was wondering the same thing. Like thats what he used to pull it up.
 
Absolute lazy idiot. Anybody with two eyes and an asshole could plainly see that was not a valid attachment point. Company is liable. Perhaps for "stress" as mentioned earlier as well. That car obviously had "survivor" frame rails too. Those can not just be replaced! They are only original once.

Sik em.......
 
holy crap ! I just noticed you actually have a pic of the hook in the drain hole peeling the metal back !!
PRICELESS
judge Judy would ROAST his *** !
 
GeorgeH said:
What I don't get is the holes in the REAR rails looked ripped towards the FRONT of the car??????????? I seen idiots do this kind of damage pulling rear body panels on a frame machine with the cars tied down in those frame holes with t-hooks. There's more to this story.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he tried to use the whole "it looks like the damage was existing because of the frame being torn forward"... Told him metal doesn't rip clean when it's under stress.

Believe me, I took 50+ pictures of each condition and all show how fresh the metal is.

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, the car did have survivor frame rails. Hoping they don't total it and slap a salvage title on it...
 
Gamedog said:
Yeah, he tried to use the whole "it looks like the damage was existing because of the frame being torn forward"... Told him metal doesn't rip clean when it's under stress.

Believe me, I took 50+ pictures of each condition and all show how fresh the metal is.

Thanks everyone for your input. Yes, the car did have survivor frame rails. Hoping they don't total it and slap a salvage title on it...
Click to expand...
“Survivor” frame rails mean nothing to an insurance company. They will pay to have it repaired and that is all ...unless you have some special riders on your insurance policy as to it being a “survivor”.

It isn’t totaled and won’t be. It’s not more than a thousand or so dollars in repair work.

It sucks, but that’s reality.
 
Gee, lets see. You are a tow truck driver and have arrived to make a pick up. You "notice" that the frame rails are "already damaged". Then you proceed to hook up into the same area on the other end of the car.


That is a special kind of stupid........to try using that as an excuse that is.
 
Ddaddy said:
“Survivor” frame rails mean nothing to an insurance company. They will pay to have it repaired and that is all ...unless you have some special riders on your insurance policy as to it being a “survivor”.

It isn’t totaled and won’t be. It’s not more than a thousand or so dollars in repair work.

It sucks, but that’s reality.
Click to expand...

Gotcha.

Well, I'll update y'all tomorrow after I meet with the investigator. Hoping for some kind of positive result out of this.
 
Ddaddy said:
“Survivor” frame rails mean nothing to an insurance company. They will pay to have it repaired and that is all ...unless you have some special riders on your insurance policy as to it being a “survivor”.

It isn’t totaled and won’t be. It’s not more than a thousand or so dollars in repair work.

It sucks, but that’s reality.
Click to expand...
It depends on the situation. Ins Co's have really stepped away from writing one up to section frame rails for liability reasons. Pulling the gas tank, suspension, interior etc out to do 2 rails will add up fast. Whether it's a 5k daily driver or a 15k car is a big factor. Not to say someone couldn't retain the car and the $$ difference and get crafty with a piece of 10g.
 
GeorgeH said:
It depends on the situation. Ins Co's have really stepped away from writing one up to section frame rails for liability reasons. Pulling the gas tank, suspension, interior etc out to do 2 rails will add up fast. Whether it's a 5k daily driver or a 15k car is a big factor. Not to say someone couldn't retain the car and the $$ difference and get crafty with a piece of 10g.
Click to expand...
It’s a different situation with a 40 year old car with vintage car insurance. They have different rules.
 
Treblig said:
All that is repairable but you'll need some good welding/fabrication skills. You can easily see the new "torn" metal in the pics. If it was older damage you wouldn't see that newer "shiny" metal tears...Get good close-ups pics of that before it rusts over. You're just lucky that the car didn't fall off the trailer once the cables came loose!!!

Treblig
Click to expand...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top