OY: rear ended the other day, pick-em-up trucks are the greatest! Options

[Sammy]

I got tagged in the rear a couple days ago on the 5 fwy (as if I didn't have enough things to worry about).
Traffic was very heavy, I was going around 10 mph when WAM!
We pulled over to the side and I first say the toyota small car that hit me, darn near totalled. Big hole in the bumper where my hitch went through, bumper smashed in, hood and fenders buckled, windshield cracked etc.

I took a long look at the back of my Toyota tundra pick-em-up, nope, nothing. Not a scratch, dent, ding anywhere. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
Evidently the trailer hitch and reciever took the whole hit and transfered all the energy to my frame.
I'm gonna get it on a rack to check for frame straightness and alignment, but that's it. I doubt they'll find anything wrong.

Iffn I was in a modern small car It'd be smashed.
Crumple zones my butt, give me a daily driver with a big strong frame behind me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[skline]

Well, just to throw my opinion in the fire, If I could have a hitch that would save the back of my truck and total the car that hits me. I would for sure. I am going through a big hassle right now with lawyers about June 03 when my wife was rear ended in the 540I. The impact was so hard it knocked the radiator off its mounts and broke them. The car went under and pushed the exhaust system forward which broke all the mounts off and it was about 3k worth of damage. On the outside, it really didnt look that bad. She drove it for another few months before we got it in to get it fixed. The insurance company totalled the other car (Honda) and then said that the damage on the 540 was pre-existing. I swear I almost hit the adjuster when he said that. I told him he was full of shit and that I would just go to a lawyer and let him deal with it. He was wasting my time. I took it to a body shop that my agent suggested and the car was fixed. Now they are giving her a hard time about paying for her medical bills she incurred because of the accident. They start asking her personal questions that are not related to the accident what so ever. Insurance is legalized extorsion, you have to have it or you cannot drive and if you pay late, they cancel you. Then you ae telling me that the rates go up when someone else has an accident. It just makes me think that insurance is more of a scam than I thought. It's called business, there are always risks in business. But to me, it doesnt sound like there are any risks in the insurance business. They make their money off everyone and if one collects, they just bill everyone else the difference. That just doesnt seem right. What is really pissing me off, is they want me to prove the damages and take time out of my day to do it. Like it was my fault and this is what I have to do. Well, I got news for them, the burden of proof is on them, not me, it was their insured that hit me, if he didnt, I wouldnt have to go through all this and take time to go to court and do the depositions and crap. If I have to go to court, I am going to make them pay for my time as well. See, you got me started and now I am all tense again. Time to go work on my car and relax.

F**k insurance companies.