got into a car accident and i dont know what to do...=\

[Larkin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK Basically..YOU HIT HIS CAR..and you need to repair it. 500 bucks! thats an amazing deal on a bumper +color matching paint and labor. If he wants to take that 500 dollars and spend it on hamburgers,he can(he shouldn't but he can) . Otherwise he can just go to your insurance company, the shop will charge your insurance company $1,000 dollars because thats how body shops make money(off insurance), If he was a scammer he would certainly be asking for more than 500 dollars for repairs to his car... I've been on his side of a situation like this before. always file a police report . Always always always. If you don't, you get fucked.

I agree! You admit yourself it was your fault. Don't let people persuade you into not paying the man at all.(that would be sooo jacked up!) You owe him. He's not obligated to fix his car if he doesn't want to. Not calling the police benefited you both, otherwise you wouldn't have agree with it. Choose the lowest estimate,and keep proof of the payment you give to him.

 

[wolfsong]

I dont agree that the man should be given money to spend on what he wants. You damaged his car - if you give him money it should be for that, you dont have any obligation to fund other aspects of his life. What stops him saying you didnt pay him for it? Your cheque to him could have been for something else. Also his car will still be damaged - will he hound you for more money?
I wouldnt risk giving in to this as he knows where you live - if you make it clear he wont see a penny of it himself, then he would probably be more inclined to leave you be.

 

[ilovexnerdsx]

you may feel bad and guilty because you hit his car, but do NOT give him your money. he is a scam!!

it was NOT your fault, you did NOTHING wrong. if he really wanted it fixed, he would have exchanged insurance... and if he really thought it was bad enough to warrant this argument, he would have called the police.

do NOT give him your money. he has no proof, no evidence and no reason to try and get your money.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

Unfortunately , she did do something wrong, she hit someones car, and yes it was her fault.

Life sucks. you hit someones car, you have to pay for it. Get the estimates , and pay for it. Be honest . don't screw someone.

$500 dollars for a bumper doesnt seem like a scam. its legit.People involved in scams ask for much more than $500 bucks... and I highly doubt it was a "planned" accident. Swoop and squats are different. someone cuts you off and someone else blocks you in so you pretty much have to hit the car in front of you. In the state of Ca. It happens often because in CA when you rear end someone No matter WHAT the situation is, its automatically your fault.


I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but Ive been in this situation and screwed before. Its not cool

 

[goink]

Let's say that he is a scammer.
However, you did hit him. It's not your fault that you hit him, but at the end, you hit him. (repeating myself here)
$500, like above posters have said, does not sound like a scam. You left an imprint on his bumper. It's not a simple paint over job.
When my brother accidentally scratched a car while parking, he went to his insurance. However, his insurance said that if the two parties can handle it on their own, the insurance company does not need to get involved. Note that this applies to Canada. My father wrote the lady a cheque and a contract was signed. My father got a witness to sign also. It costs around $400 and it was a simple scratch.

Accidents between two parties cost more than one party (i.e. you hitting a light pole).

 

[MiCHiE]

I don't think it was a "Swoop & Squat" if she swerved 2 lanes over.

 

[Shimmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MxAxC-_ATTACK Unfortunately , she did do something wrong, she hit someones car, and yes it was her fault. Life sucks. you hit someones car, you have to pay for it. Get the estimates , and pay for it. Be honest . don't screw someone. $500 dollars for a bumper doesnt seem like a scam. its legit.People involved in scams ask for much more than $500 bucks... and I highly doubt it was a "planned" accident. Swoop and squats are different. someone cuts you off and someone else blocks you in so you pretty much have to hit the car in front of you. In the state of Ca. It happens often because in CA when you rear end someone No matter WHAT the situation is, its automatically your fault. I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but Ive been in this situation and screwed before. Its not cool

If he's that concerned about being screwed he should have called the police.


I wouldn't give anyone any money without a valid estimate while physically at the body shop.

 

[jillianjiggs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shimmer If he's that concerned about being screwed he should have called the police. I wouldn't give anyone any money without a valid estimate while physically at the body shop.

that is exactly what i have been trying to say.

YES, some of you are right that YES she did hit his car.
if he was so worried about his car and wanting it to be fixed, he wouldnt have put up such a huge fuss about not wanting to call the police or get insurance involved (again, THAT IS WHAT INSURANCE IS FOR!)

morally, she should pay and if she does, pay the body shop, not him. but technically, legally, no report was filed so there is no evidence that it ever happened.

mac attack, i am sorry you were in this position and its clear youre very strong in your opinion about this. but take all of the OPs details into consideration. it may not have been a swoop and squat, but who is to say this guy didnt see an easy opportunity for some spare cash? to the guy, the OP probably seemed terrified, worried, naive, unsure of what to do and how to handle it (only sort of, because she did ask for all of his information!) and he could just be trying to take advantage of her.

proper procedure should have been taken, he was really hesitant to do so, so its now his fault as well. she may have hit him but he isnt doing anything about it other than trying to get money out of her and not providing any information (hmm, just like before??) like a copy of the estimate.

like shimmer said, if he was so worried about getting his car fixed, he would have called the police.

OP, i would love an update on your situation. has he called yet? has he given you a copy of the estimate? anything?

 

[little teaser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovexnerdsx you may feel bad and guilty because you hit his car, but do NOT give him your money. he is a scam!! it was NOT your fault, you did NOTHING wrong. if he really wanted it fixed, he would have exchanged insurance... and if he really thought it was bad enough to warrant this argument, he would have called the police. do NOT give him your money. he has no proof, no evidence and no reason to try and get your money.

ITA^^
always call the police no matter how minor the accident because the other party might not even be insured,and if there driveing with no insurance you shouldnt be responsible to pay nothing.
also even when calling the police they will come out check for license/insurance but in most state they wont write a report for damages less than $500. so for all you know the cop might of sent you both on your way for the minor damages hes claming is $500

 

[ilovexnerdsx]

another reason i find this fishy ...

why did he decide, all of the sudden and after the fact, that he wanted to get the car fixed? to me, it really really seems like he thought about after the fact "oh, i could get some money by this!" so now he is trying to take advantage of you.

and also, i dont want to make you feel even more weary, but have you seen the car since? there's a possibility he purposely did more damage in order to collect more money.

he didn't call the police. boohoo. his fault.

 

[goink]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovexnerdsx and also, i dont want to make you feel even more weary, but have you seen the car since? there's a possibility he purposely did more damage in order to collect more money. he didn't call the police. boohoo. his fault.

It is his fault. I don't understand why he did not want to call. It's in his advantage to call the police as the hit was done by the OP (sorry!).

And...there is that possibility, which is why my mother keep a disposable camera in her car. She doesn't have a camera in her cellphone.

 

[Shimmer]

Just because he picks it doesn't mean you have to pay that one. Your insurance company wouldn't pay the most expensive one, in fact, usually they either take the average cost or they take the lowest cost one.

 

[labellavita7]

If the police weren't contacted, there's no record of the accident. But even if you do the right thing and try to fix his car, you should never ever ever give money without seeing the estimate first. I wouldn't go any further until he provides you with the necessary information, he is being uncooperative. If there's one thing my dad always taught me is just to be sure to document everything, your account of what happened, every phone call, every sketchy estimate he comes up with, so that if he does contact the insurance company, you can at least explain that he wasn't providing you with enough documented information for you to send money.

 

[ilovexnerdsx]

oof. just be careful dear. don't let the money leave your hand without having thought about all the possible options first.

 

[YvetteJeannine]

Wow....Now the estimates have gone UP, but he hasn't picked a body shop yet(???)

Boy, you're really getting steamrolled. I know you're trying to do the 'right' thing...and that's great you're an honest person (and, you *can* be an honest person without letting yourself get ripped-off), but....well, I just wish you could see this guy for what he really is.

 

[vicuna1]

I didn't take the time to see where you live, but in Ohio most of my claims for this kind of damage (I'm a casualty insurance adjuster, I handle this stuff day after day) is approx $350-450 to repair. He's got scammer written all over the place. At this point, best to handle out of pocket and sign a check over to the body shop, in person. And have someone with you who knows auto junk or looks like they do.

 

[socalmacfan]

FYI: Insurance defense attorneys search blogs, sites, chats to use as evidence in defending lawsuits for the insurance companies. So be careful what you say. You don't want to explain yourself later on in a deposition or worse yet, in front of a jury.

 

[*KT*]

When I first read this, I thought of the time I got rear-ended so hard that the back fender of my car was pushed against the back wheels of my car and the guy who hit me didn't want to call the cops. Needless to say, I couldn't even move my car 3 feet to get off the road, the damage was so bad. Thirty minutes later when the cops showed up, I found out the guy had a suspended driver's license and no car insurance. He was fined, his car was impounded, etc. My car was totaled but I had full coverage, so it worked out OK.

Since you got to see his license, he obviously had a valid one of those... but the whole thing makes me think he's not got any insurance and that's why he didn't want to get the police and insurance companies involved. Especially if you live in a state like me (Michigan) where some sort of insurance is required on every single vehicle out on the road.

I completely disagree with writing him a check whether he gets it fixed or not. If he doesn't care enough to fix it, then you shouldn't be writing a check for him to go out and buy whatever he pleases. Your insurance company wouldn't write you a check for $500 for a repair, they write them to the auto shop (unless you provide proof of payment).

Good luck!

 

[purrtykitty]

yeah, you should have called the police, and know your know that for the future. it's good of you to offer to pay for the repairs (since you rear-ended him, the chances of fault are incredibly high - even with that jackass truck driver) but, don't give the money to him so he can pocket it and possibly try to get more from you. if you pay the auto repair shop directly, then the repair shop can give you a reciept of the repair.

basically, tell him that you'll honor your word by paying for the damage, but only if you can pay the repair shop directly. you gotta protect yourself.

 

[chocodcocoa]

I'm in Canada so things might be different but a similar thing happened to my friend...
He rear ended someone and there was no visible damage, not even a single scratch. They exchanged insurance information, did NOT call the police, and the woman he hit didn't call him immediately after the accident so he thought he was off the hook... until two years later she called and said that she was experiencing terrible back pain, and that she believed it was caused by the bumping incident. She then informed his insurance company and his insurance sky rocketed cus of this... because there was no police record and she had his information.
I would advise you to always call the police because you can never trust people. Or at least take pictures or something and have him give you a written statement that he will never bother you again once you do pay for the damage.