My advice Sam, however much you want to fix it, don't spend any money on the car until the insurance have paid out. It's unlikely that anything you do to it will change the insurance companies mind. They won't fix it to the standard that you might be happy to put up with, it has to be fixed to the same standard it was built. Any repairs and straightening out of panels that you do and pay for won't make any difference to the insurance company. If you can get the insurance money and then buy back the car from them, then you can fix it. Sorry to be negative, thats just the way insurance companies work.
The car can be made very useful again with some basic home repair by using a body jack kit you can get from Harbor Freight and some chains and a come-along maybe while using a tree to pull from while doing some hammering as you heat the metal up slightly with a propane torch (use propane because it's only sheetmetal and propane is a cooler flame). If she takes her time and works on it a few days it will be a useful car to her again and you wouldn't be able to tell the car was hit from the exterior. The rear tailgate dent is of course very fixable. The trailer hitch might be bent though and need to be replaced, but she may be able to straighten that back out too with a hotter oxy/acetyline torch and some hammering.
You really hit the nail on the head that even if you work hard, the systems that are supposed to support you in the event of an accident-health, vehicle, workplace, or otherwise-are basically next to useless when you need them.
@@TireSlayer55 I'm saying society only works if everyone has the same values, if you are forced to live with a group that doesn't share any of yours, then all your expectations for cooperative behaviour are pointless. The society for whom the Constitution was written doesn't exist now. Go figure out why that is and who took it from you...
Dealing with insurance companies, police etc is such a nightmare sometimes. It leaves the victim feeling like they did something wrong lol. Hopefully it gets resolves for you soon, the stress and anxiety of dealing with it can be quite hard.
You are such a good person. Good luck finding this guy. If he hadn't took off then I could see it was just an accident. But because he chose to run is telling. It's always the honest people who get screwed. I'm sorry you had to go through this. ❤
Oh man that sucks Sam, I hope they find him quickly. And I hope you did not get hurt, wishing you all the best. Nice of Andrew to come by and support you.
That sucks Sam! Sorry that you have to go through this. As a retired LEO, I can tell you that the BOLO will likely remain in effect for a certain time, but not forever. It depends on how it was handled, (local broadcast or MDT info only, or a File 24 Information Only entry on NCIC, which if I remember right, purges in 10 days). Its got nothing to do with your law enforcement agency, it is the way NCIC works with File 24 entries. In your situation, if the investigator has probable cause to make an arrest, he will likely go for an arrest warrant for the suspect. If so, it might be some time before he gets picked up. LPR's are awesome, but most agencies only have a few cruisers with them installed. Still, when you look at how mobile people are, there would be a good chance that his plate, (if on the vehicle still), will register somewhere eventually. He sounds like a jerk, so that doesn't mean he will give himself up without running. Also... I wonder if he does have insurance on his vehicle. You might be able to search that out, or have your insurance agency try to check. And if you are sure that it was a vehicle registered to him, you can go after him civil court. I would look into that, as you can likely recover some of your $$$ losses. I wish the best for you. Stay Safe!
If you're not wanting to get rid of the car, let the insurance pay you as much as they will for the total and then buy it back for the salvage value. Then you can get more use out of it.
I hope you manage to resolve this hit and run. Looks like the guy is already in trouble with other things. You can probably bet your bottom Dollar he is uninsured. Litigation must be expensive, but officially your car is totalled by a criminal, because that what he is, he has commited a criminal act. I love the way you have outed him on air. Lets hope they find this guy and find a solutuion for you. Great to hear Andrew in the background.
First glad your ok.. Second glad you have family support and if I am not wrong support from a familiar voice (behind the camera) help with the process. It 🦨 when people are like that.
Unfortunately this guy that hit you probably does not have insurance and the only way to recover is small claims or other lawsuit. People that drive like this usually have nothing of value. It happened to me many years ago. The only thing you can hope for is a prosecutor who will actually charge this individual, which is doubtful in NY court system these days. Good Luck!
When you wake up in the morning that’s when you are going to feel it . Had a similar accident 30 years ago and now I’m suffering with pain in my shoulders but my doctor told me this 30 years ago.
If the insurance company wants to total it, it will be totaled. They will give a settlement price. If there is lien holder, they will have be paid. But you can buy it back, usually at scrap price, and fix what you can--or need to--fix. And you would still have the car. It will never be the same but it still has a lot of life left. Good Luck!
Great work on finding the driver who hit you. I just hope now that the police will catch them, they have no excuse now you did the leg work of finding him. You can replace a car but you are a one-off, there isn't another Samantha to replace you. We can all be thankful that you weren't hurt or worse. Take care Sam, and good to see Andrew came to give you some support too. Norm in the UK.
Cześć Samanta nigdy nic nie komentowałem lecz dziś chce ci powiedzieć ze bardzo ci współczuje tego wypadki a jednocześnie szczęśliwy jestem ze jesteś cała i zdrowa . Śledzę twój kanał aż z Polski nie znam angielskiego ale zawsze ta bariera znika gdy oglądam twoje filmy! Trzymaj się głowa do góry . Bądż jaka jesteś! Pozdrawiam Roman z Polski🇵🇱
My father owned a body whop and I worked there since I was 9 and worked on cars with the guys. I even ran it for him for four years. I went to frame machine training and paint training as well.
Hi Sam; Sorry for what you are going through! I am happy to see you are not in that cast and that awfull knee crutch. It looked awfull and how you were able to get around. Sam, I wish you the "very best" and good luck in bring this to a cloe. Keep up the video's coming, as my wife and I sure do enjoy them. Be safe and God Bless.
Andrew will also employ a chainsaw, at least two bulldozers/tracked loaders, perhaps a welder too. Then? Rattle-can spray paint when it's better than factory. :)
Hey Sam.. you're handling this like a champ. My advice would be to take the money and get a new car, and get this whole ordeal behind you sooner. I know you have attachment to this car, but at the end of the day, its a tool to get you and your things from point A to point B. You can find another car that will do that
There should be an option where the insurance pays you and you get to keep the vehicle by paying the scrap price. You would only be able to get liability insurance on it. Since New York is a no fault state you can't sue the other driver for the remaining costs. What you can do is research the value of your vehicle. You don't have to take the insurance appraisers valuation. Tell them to find you another vehicle in similar condition.
Sam, I am sorry you got stuck with the damage. If your insurance has uninsured motorist coverage you may be able to buy a new or used replacement. My Grandfather was a body and fender man for many years and was known to straighten the worst of frames. That said, cars these days are designed with crunch zones that absorb the hit once. It is true that the frame would need to be cut out and replaced in kind to meet the same safety standards. It is likely that the crash absorption kept you from getting hurt. Subarus are good for that. I have no doubt that you could fix it eventually but other than being a new project for you to work on, is it worth the effort?
Thanks for the update! Glad you are OK!! The trailer hitch probably saved more damage to the vehicle. Family member was rear ended on the GW parkway in Arlington, VA by someone fleeing the police....nowhere to go....they ended up totaling a paid off RAV4:( I hope things work out for you!!!!!!! Hang in there!!!
A few years back, I went through a very similar issue with my old '92 GMC. A guy T-boned my truck, just in front of the left front wheel. The impact spun him around, and he slammed into the bed of my truck, completely missing the cab, otherwise I would not be enjoying your videos now. His insurance co told me that my truck was totaled and that I would have to surrender the title before that would give me any $. I told them that I would not do that because my son and I were going to put my truck back together, but they said NO. So I told them to "take a hike off of a cliff". We completely dismantled the truck all the way down to the grass and put a salvaged frame under it and added parts from about a dozen different trucks. Slightly over 2G's. It's not pretty, but it is legal and back on the road. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do! Get a good lawyer and sue for bodily injury. The lawyer will get half, but at least you will get something.
Hey sam! Im really sorry to hear this about your car. Something to look into is even if they total your car out you can buy it back. Ive done this about 4 times. They take auction prices and apply it, in some cases it wont even get a salvage title. Look into this as you can still hold him accountable and keep your car. Best wishes
I was rear ended once and the insurance said total loss. I wanted to keep my truck so they said they could cut me a check for $1 under total. Worked for me. I’m in Ohio though but it couldn’t hurt to ask.
Hey Sanantha sorry to see you having to sort out this problem,, Here in the UK the insurance have an option to buy back your car from the procceds of your claim then you can carry on using it and take your time having it restored back to roadworthy condition dont know if you have a simular scheme in America but that would be the way to go as you said that is too good a car to write off good luck keep pushing hope they catch the guy great to watch your videos keep em coming.
Not sure what algorithm connection got me to your page, but glad it did. Subscribed and binged several videos…..wholesome and down to earth. Glad you were not hurt and hope they catch this guy…will be watching!
That was a Hell of a Hit Sam Hope you got checked out! Things can Show up weeks or Months later after a Hit like that! Especially when it comes to your Neck and Back. When it comes to Frame Damage they usually Total it Out!
Hey Sam one thing to be aware of is that when the insurance company says they cover $30/day for a rental car, they do get special rates compared to the average person walking in off the street. So you may actually be able to get a rental without paying anything out-of-pocket. Just something I learned working at body shop. When I had some drunk idiot run into my Jeep taking it off the road when I needed it to get to work, her insurance paid for a rental. I was adamant that they give me an equivalent car so I got a brand new Grand Cherokee for two weeks until they decided what to do, which was to just cut me a check for the value of it (which was way too low I should mention, do not take the insurance co's first offer, they will always lowball you... this all happened before I worked in the industry and knew any better). Anyway, sucks this happened to you but you seem to be taking it well. Hope you can get your Subie professionally fixed or at least replaced with an equivalent one. If you're not already you should start looking around at similar cars for sale so you can get value comps and have some potential candidates lined up should they offer to cut you a check for the cost of replacing it.
Hello Samantha I am very sorry that someone hit your car and ran . More and more theses days people are doing stupid stuff and running . Your doing all the right stuff on your side and trying to get the junk in jail . You are 💯% right he could hit someone else and put them in the hospital . I drive a SUV that's a little high . I would lose it if someone hit it . . Your doing the right thing . Very very happy your not hurt . From uncle Bubba
Bravo for standing up and fighting, accountability is important. Civilized societies can't function when no one is held accountable for their actions. Always stand up for what's right and good!
Thanks for sharing. You are totally right in your thinking and this person should not simply get away with this by not stopping. Any person who does not stop in an accident (to check if any one or children needed help or assistance) needs to be held accountable. It is not fair that your car was damaged to a point that you may not be able to drive it anymore. It is also not fair that your insurance company will not replace your car if it is not repairable. I hope it works out ok and you get justice because you did nothing wrong.
"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life." ~ John Lennon Hope it all works out for you on your car. Karma will catch up with the perp that did the hit and run. Or the police might get lucky and catch him. Let us know if the police get him please. ✌🏻
Fight the insurance company. They're trying to avoid payout. Don't give them a "Get out of jail" card, too. And don't settle for salvage value (the value of the car AFTER the collision).
That sucks! I have the same exact vehicle color and all. 2013 forester with close to 110k miles and I know it can go for another 110k easy! I hope they catch the guy and you get everything resolved. Good luck!
Wish i was there, id show you how to fix it without placing the rear pan. Its standard for insurance to replace bent metal but if you have liability insurance only, then use a come along to pull tension so you can hammer the wrinkles out. May want to weld a pull tab to finish. Leave the bumper on to keep the allignment while you pull and straighten whats bent. Thats a srraight forward repair. Just pull out. No side or up or down pulls needed here. Good luck. You got this
I'm so glad you weren't hurt .. that's the most important thing. It's great that you were on your toes and have good identity information to track him down too. It's also good that you have other familiar voices around you .. always look for the bright side .. it helps balance the scale! 🙃
Samantha I’m an autobody man of 31yrs. and a previous body shop owner who dealt with automotive insurance companies daily. Your doing a great job of handling all aspects of trying to get your damages sorted. Keep on doing what your doing 👍 By the way, I hope you realize your teaching others how to handle there insurance claims which is very noble of you. I prayed and asked Father to please help you. If you ask him also, he may lend you a helping hand to get your vehicle repaired and this gentleman arrested for his wrong doing. You and Andrew are in my thoughts and prayers ❤️🙏😞
Hi Sam, glad you are OK. A hit like that, I would check the entire drive train including the eng for damage if you are deciding to keep it. If it was m, I would cut the loss, take the money and get a new one. I am glad you are ok.
sucks..i just had 2 of our vehicles hit on my driveway and the d-head left, we have a problem with drunk farm labor, -2 accidents 2 deductibles 2 weeks with no cars and it took 6 weeks just to get in the body shop, glad your ok
I would worry if you start trying to fix it that the insurance company will then refuse to cover anything on the claim. It’s sad to see the car go, if you want to fix it that bad let the insurance company total it out and then go buy it back from the salvage yard.
Thanks for the update. Glad you're OK. I think it's time to find this guy and borrow one of Andrew's Excavators.............................................to pull the frame out.
Sam, with that much damage, the whole frame could be twisted, in your pics under the car there was rust , in the top of the wheel wells, and other spots. Get Andrew or your dad to look around for another Subaru same year , with front end damage, and use it as a donor car, for panels and parts. It may work out cheaper to do the repairs with your dad and Andrew
Good for you about finding this low life. Make him pay for leaving you like that. Same thing happened to my daughter in Atlanta. Totaled her car, drove off and left her on the side of the interstate not knowing if she was hurt or not. She was so shocked that she didn't get his tag number so he got away with it. Go get him!
I come through that intersection twice a day, 5 days a week….it is a horrible spot, then add the crazy traffic. I have seen so many fender benders there.
I think previous comment said it but an option the insurance companies sometimes give is they total the car but let you buy it back which gives you the insurance money and I think they let you buy it back on the cheap then the insurance money can be spent on the buy back and repairs
So happy you're okay... That's the important thing. Glad to hear that guy is being searched for. All he has to do is pass a police car & the laptop in the car will show he's wanted & the officer will pull him over immediately. When I was hit years ago & the guy tried to flee the scene, he had no insurance & his license had been revoked. Fortunately, he had no seat belt on & broke his jaw. The pain was too bad for him to drive & he pulled over about 200 feet ahead of me. My car was totaled, too. They'll catch him. Judy was in an accident, too. Just after you, on 23, right after the 365/23 light. A guy pulled out of the gas station in front of her, without looking. She's okay, too.
I bet your dad would have good ideas how to fix it up. Many years ago my sister managed to bend her frame, when cars had true frames, a cross member was bent. My dad wrapped chain and a bar around it and used a jack to bend it back, he got it almost perfect. Folded formed sheet metal would be a lot harder though. Maybe there are Subies in junk yards that had front end damage with perfect rear parts. Would be a lot of work.
I have to agree with other comments that the frame damage is not worth fixing. But I do like the idea some had of buying a similar vehicle and using that one as future parts. I used to know a garbage guy who every time he bought a used truck would buy two. One good one and one broken one as spare parts. At the end of the day it's just stuff. We love stuff but it's not irreplaceable. (And yes insurance is a scam. It's for profit not for people.)
Sorry this happened to you Sam. Here is my advice…… you may not take it but believe me from experience it is likely your best option. 1. You said the insurance claim was more than the value of the car ….. did they pay you that amount or is the payment the book value of the car? Also, if they are “totaling” the car are they keeping it or letting you keep it? Often the insurance company will let you keep the car because they don’t want to deal with a car that age with a salvage title. 2. I don’t recommend you doing anything with the car without first seeing what you can sell it for “as is”. I understand you may not get much for it but see what you can get ……. Then take that amount plus the insurance payout and see if you can replace it with a similar car. 3. If you keep the car don’t forget it will always have the record of this accident and I assume a salvage title. The value of the car will be much less than it was prior to the accident. 3. Unless you feel you can repair the car for much less than the insurance payment (which you most likely can) then I wouldn’t bother with the hassle. 4. Re: the rental car. Check around on rates. Enterprise rental used to be very competitive for rentals of this sort. I know things may be a bit different at the moment because car rental has gone stupid since the pandemic. Finally, even if you end up taking the insurance money plus the sale of the old car and add a little to it now you might be able to get yourself into a newer car and not have to deal with all the BS fixing the old one and not having the use of the car for a few weeks. As for the clown who hit you. Your insurance company will also go after him. They are going to try reclaim some of their loss if they can or bring charges against him. Unfortunately, he most like did a runner because he had no insurance. Let’s just be glad you were not injured and let the cops and the insurance company deal with him. Do your homework before you blow your time and money fixing the car.
Something caused Cory to dash like that...perhaps he doesn't have insurance on his van or he was inebriated and didn't want to get caught...whatever the situation I hope that they are able to apprehend him before he does anymore harm!
I hope they find him, not that will do anything to him. You are so much more comfortable in front of the camera then you used to be Samantha! I'm proud of you, I can see a criminal investigation channel in your future!
If that spare tire wasn't in there the trunk would've been caved in much worse. The strength of a wheel and tire is pretty amazing. Sounds like you have Geico I would switch insurance companies if you can they are the cheapest and worst insurance company I deal with.
Also the minivan has a square hole in it's bumper cover lol. I agree about finding the person and holding them accountable. People shouldn't be rewarded for running from an accident or everyone would start doing it. Not us but everyone else.
I read the comments about buying it back from the insurance company. I did this and it worked out great. Let's think about this...she has a car that is bent and needs straightening. I wonder if she knows anyone that is good at fixing things and bending things back in shape? YES, SHE KNOWS ANDREW CAMARATA!!! He is the guy to call! This has excellent video content potential!
Don`t let them get off - they OWE you a replacement vehicle. Do not waste time or $$$$ to fix this one. Glad you were able to track down the name and new location. With luck law enforcement will get them.
I agree. I think the frame damage makes it a total loss. I hope you got good insurance coverage. Edit: I commented before I saw the whole video. Confirmed total loss.
We do wish you the best of luck and really hope they catch the guy because a hit and run is a felony in most states! Glad you got it all on camera for the police, courts and insurance.
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The system you were talking about is called an ALPR also known as an Automatic License Plate Reader. It's great technology but it depends on the officers having it turned on in the Cruisers. As far as alpr systems on toll booths and bridges I'm not familiar with your state so far is how they do that there but if they do have that system on the bridges and toll booths it's going to be a heck of a lot harder for this guy to get away. The important thing is that you're not hurt thankfully. Definitely sucks about them totalling the car though. But that just seems to be par for the course these days when it comes to these insurance companies.
Bless you Sam! Justice will come for you sooner or later and I’m sure some kind of transportation will come your way. Good old Andrew knows a few things to help you out, And he will help you find a good car.
How does it work in the states regarding accidents and insurance policies? Here in Sweden you will get a "fine" if you do not have an insurance (a generic insurance is issued by default and it's much more expensive) bc you're not allowed to use the car without an insurance. In case of an accident you will get the car repaired or redeemed and you do not have get in touch with the other driver for that to happen (if its a hit and run) and if the other driver is a hit and run and you have as much info as you do that guy will loose his license and ending up paying a fine to you and the state (the traffic authority).
Good luck with your quest finding the skum bag and to his visit to the crowbar hotel extended visit also getting your girl repaired properly//don t give up the fight keep makin good videos !!!!
The biggest concern I have is whether your state inspections might be harder to get for a car that's repaired "outside the system". I know it differs state-to-state, and your state doesn't impress me as one of the driver-friendly ones. I'm finding it harder every year to maintain an affordable vehicle.
My thought is to take your lumps, junk it and move on to your next vehicle pronto. Life is too short to DIY everything. But I'd be interested in your Dad's opinion - it's bound to be about as good as you can get...
One thing... if it becomes a salvage title they can be a pita.... I have a very nice 2002 f350 4x4 utility I bought from cali. Had a minor accident and salvage title and I switched it to NJ. BUT ... the state fo commie NJ requires a inspection. So far commercial insurance isn't a problem and the truck is insured. Resale with a salvage title puts the new owner in a fix as well. If you repair your Subbie get your title to clear if you can...
Not sure how it works there but you should not do any work to the car . Let insurance write it off and tell them you want to buy it after they write it off then fix it . Don't give up on getting him if they charge him maybe they will make him pay for the damage . Best of luck
Unfortunately with a bent frame they will total it. At least you weren't hurt. Good luck. I don't know if you own the car but if you do,and they total it,that could be your down payment on a truck.
