SCJK08

I think thats the dumbest thing making the middle man have to pay...it should all go on the person that caused the accident...glad she's ok though

TINMAN080

The key to liability determination will be the Explorer driver's recollection of the wreck. If he felt ONE impact, your wife will be off the hook, as she was knocked into him, however if the Explorer driver felt TWO impacts, this was your wife striking first THEN being hit by the BMW. In that case, she's on the hook for the Explorer. Sounds simple, but this is how determination is made for a multi-vehicle pile-up....

paranoid

I feel your pain. I got hit on the way home from the dealership. I had owned the JK for about 30 min. I was rear ended by a Dodge Durango. The rear of the jeeps are really built like tanks. The durango left on a wrecker and i drove of with a scratch and dent on my plastic bumper cover. The bumper cover alone was 200 dollars. I went after market to replace it.

Pwermker

Glad she is alright, JK's are more stout than most people think. I had an issue with a woman running a stop sign and blind sided me on the passenger side. My rear tire actually went over top of her hood she hit me so hard. Let me give you two pieces of advice. 1) Let your insurance company handle it if you get the first sign of crap from the BMW persons insurance company, its worth it to have someone in your corner working for you. I chose to fight with her insurance and they were a$$holes every step of the way. 2) Most repair shops will stand behind their repairs lifetime you own the vehicle, so just get that upfront. Demand a frame check for alignment. The adjuster is sent out by BMW owners insurance if you choose not to use your own insurance. Check the repair estimate carefully to ensure all damaged items are taken care of. You shouldn't have to go into this repair thing with your butt on your shoulders but sometimes you have to just to get them moving on your repair. Also check into the depreciation loss for the accident. In my state it is money recoverable from their insurance company. I was advised to get a trade in estimate from my dealership that I purchased it from and send the paperwork to their insurance company. Hey, they hit you and now there is a record of the JK being in an accident, you are allowed that money in extra depreciation. Good luck getting her back on the trail.

Gravel Gertie

I was in an accident almost exactly like the one you described while driving through Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was in our 2000 Jeep Grand C. Laredo and was the middle vehicle. I was stopped behind a SUV at a red stop light waiting for it to turn green when I was rear ended. The vehicle behind me was totaled. He was held totally responsible and was ticketed as such. His insurance paid all damages to all 3 vehicles. Luckily, no one was hurt in this accident. His vehicle hit my hitch and slid under the back skid plate. Our Jeep was eventually fixed good as new. The SUV had minor back bumper damage.

Beanieson

laws are different in louisiana... i was the middle man twice in the scenerio you are discribing years ago.. once in high school i was hit by a toyota pick up whose brakes had gone out. smashed me into an explorer parked infront of me, but i was not at fault.

2nd time, same scenerio but i was smacked by a loaded up U=haul truck that finally killed my beloved old cherokee. it forced me into a ford truck infront of me, and i was not at fault that time either. RIP XJ, you are missed.


PS glad to hear you're wife is ok, and that our JKs can take a licking.

deconstructionist

Mannnnnnnn... this talk of rear-ending each other has got to STOP...people are gonna talk!!!!!!!!!

Glad your wife's ok.

Just throwing another CA tale in for the fray. Wife's friend was in summin' similar and was in the middle...police report stated as much. When it came time to the insurance pay outs though...Everybody went after the the intiator of the accident...............

In a somewhat different story, my buddy of 20 years had just come home on a Sunday morning at about 8 am having tied one on good....he said he was sober but I chewed his arse anyway. Sooooo, he parrelel parks on the street right behind his Dad's car, gets out...starts walking towards his complex and begins hearing Police cars coming: just as he turns the corner he hears the cops turning down HIS road...said he looked back just in time to see the cops on the tail of a drunk that side swiped a car down and across the street from his truck-- then managed to shoot across the road and hit his truck with enough impact to still send his truck ON TOP of his dad's car about 3/4 of the way!!!!!!!................... though my buddy's truck was the *middle man* in this pile up....NOTHING was attributed to him or being at fault as he was completely outta the vehicle.........

Just thought I'd share........

pearl-drum-man

Glad your wife's OK. Everything I have been seeing from JK accidents it seems they are very well built, and I feel safer driving one.

As for the accident scenario, fortunately I have never been involved in one, but in Ohio I have always been told that you are responsible for vehicle control at all times (assured safe distance, etc). It does seem counter-intuitive that the "middle-man" would be stuck paying for the last in line, but it is what it is.

Sgt P

Thanks to everyone for the kind wishes for my wife. She is fine, although she did hit her knee on the dash...

This is the way SC used to do it (I experienced this in the late 80's), but the cop in my wife's accident, didn't ask the drivers about the impacts.

I think making everyone (initially) responsible for their front end, speeds up the on-scene investigation, and then the insurance reps/courts sort it out from there.


I'm going to ensure we're made whole again. My JK is my baby, and I will do everything I can to make sure she's exactly right (frame first!)

It just sucks, I'll have to spend time and effort to jump through hoops...

cyberbrain

I was in a similar case where a F150 rear-ended my dodge stratus. he pushed me UNDER another car. the F150 owner was at fault for the entire accident. I didn't pay one red cent. Your wife will be ok in this.