Got in a "accident" tonight

[Lorin]

Dont beat yourself up, bro. We all are young once and you have plenty of time to become jaded and cynical like me. Chalk it up as a life experience, you will act differently next time and it could have been much worse. Best of luck getting your car put back together .

[Frenchee]

Thanks Lorin.

So shes willing to give me 500$ cash, I think I will take it.

[cj]

Hate to say it, but as soon as you knew that she was drunk or somewhat impaired, you should've told the police. That would've got their attention.

I hate to say it, but you're in for a huge learning curve. She just took 'ya!

[bracohen]

I wouldn't take the money, seems like way more than 500 to legitimately fix that nose.

[jrhone]

Yeah...I was in the IN N Out Drive through...Lady hit me in my Carrera. She then got out, looked at my car, then got back in and acted like nothing happened! My front bumper was cracked! I had to knock on her window and she says, "I dont see any damage". I show her and she says, "How do I know that wasnt there already?" I then tell her to look at my meticulous car and find even a scratch anywhere. She did and could not. I refused to move until she gave me her insurance info, I was blocking her in. She did, and then she called me 30 minutes later, told me that she was scared because she knows it would cost alot to fix and would send me a check. She did for every cent of my estimate for a replacement factory 996 Turbo bumper and paint and prep. Bottom line is I bet she has NO insurance and is driving on a suspended or revoked license, maybe even previous DUI. $500 wont get you Jack....she got you.

[jerry]

I wouldn't take the money, seems like way more than 500 to legitimately fix that nose.

yes, it is probably gonna cost more than that to fix, but from my vantage point, i'm guessing that that is probably the most you'll see from this mess. at this point it's your word against hers. problem is, is that you were behind her so she can always claim (as she initially did) that you hit her...

it sucks....anyway you slice it. take the money and lick your wounds. you can learn on your own how to repair the damage.

now for the important question: was she cute?

[harry6422]

Sorry to hear about your car, with cell phones, texting, GPS, eating food,kids and other personal behavior I saw during 37 years of local driving in Southern Calif., now retired, people just don't pay attention. I am going to put the ugly big safety bumpers back on my 75 02 after its restoration they work ! and also install a third brake light, I seen too many owners parting out their car after being rear ended, some people don't understand 2 red brake lights they need 3 before they use their brakes . I would go and get a repair estimate from a shop that you know will fix your 02 right, then find a wing man a bit older to back you up and and don't let a 30 something take advantage of you!!! Good Luck!

Harry

[Frenchee]

Thanks guys.

I did call the police but they couldnt come out. If I had told them she was drunk they would.

I think that I will go through the insurance. I might have to take it to court. Some people I work with showed up and also realized she was drunk. They just didn't tell me because they thought it was obvious.

[jrhone]

We should all know what to do in case of an accident...know the laws, and your rights. Its not always obvious...but yes we should get a police report if possible. In LA, they wont come unless an ambulance ride is needed. I even said I was hurt and wasnt sure I could drive, they said if I could and they got there, I'd be cited for a false report. Its a tough situation...now you know if you even think they MIGHT have had a drink, say they are under the influence. Tell them you dont think the car is driveable and its blocking traffic. Dont settle for partial payments. If she was insured, she wouldnt be offering you $500. She does know she is in the wrong, the thing is when she is on the hook for it will she fess up or say you hit her? Call your insurance company and say you were hit and dont think she has insurance. you did get her insurance information right? She did offer that to you? Did you call and verify she even has an active policy? Taking her to court is easy...getting a judgement and COLLECTING is hard. Good luck. When I was 18, I saved for a mini truck (back in the 80s)...saw a Nissan King cab that was priced right...had damage, ut I was willing to fix it up. The guy was a crackhead...said if I gave him a deposit, I could get it checked out...I did, it was a piece of junk, so I took it back...he spent the money but said when he sold it, he'd pay me the deposit...you know where this is going...he vanished. Turns out, the car was his soon to be ex-wifes. I was calling her the entire time because I got her number form the DMV records. She never told me it was her truck. Took her to court and won. She paid me $50 a month for like 3 years. By the time I was paid off it took so much time and money it was crazy...and what was I to do, save the $50 a month for 3 years then buy another car then??? Yeah not the courts problem, as long as she was paying....Oh and I practically had to track her down like Dog the bounty hunter every month for the $50...

[Benz02]

At this point it seems like you have two options. Be a real nice guy and tell her that if she wants to pay to fix your car and not have the insurance involved that's okay. Or if not, then you let the insurance companies work it out and hopefully you'll get what's due. $500 doesn't seem like enough to take the chance. It wasn't your fault so you shouldn't get screwed. Good luck!

[SteveJ]

One of the things the insurance company will look at is 'betterment' (if that is the correct term.)

In example: You had a center grille that was just fine. Yes, it was not new, but it had no defects other than some patina. The grille can't feasably be repaired, so it must be replaced. To the adjuster, that will look like you are trying to 'improve' your old car. The company will not pay to replace many items, as that would be improvements. You may be left with fixing what you can and living with the rest.

Life would be much simpler if we all drove Honda Civics. Boring as hell, but simpler. Every adjuster knows exactly how to write up a Honda. The companies probably have a daily quota.

[Beck180]

I'd save that voicemail.

+1

Her apology in the voicemail is a sign of guilt. Why would you be sorry if you didn't do anything wrong?

Don't be embarrassed to ask your dad to come with you when you meet her. She's less likely to try to cheat you if she's not dealing with a teenager. I know it sounds mean, but it's unfortunately true.

[Frenchee]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback.

So I decided to file an insurance claim. I rather go that way than collect 500 stupid dollars and give in to her crap. It wasn't my fault and I feel like I shouldn't give in. Im gonna see what happens.

Thanks

[JohnS]

Man Frenchee, that sucks. My horn hasn't worked on my daily driver for over a year. Time to buy that new carbon pin and install it pronto. Hope everything works out for the best.

John

[Hammer03]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback.

So I decided to file an insurance claim. I rather go that way than collect 500 stupid dollars and give in to her crap. It wasn't my fault and I feel like I shouldn't give in. Im gonna see what happens.

Thanks

Good decision. Also make sure you give them the voicemail, and they either pay the shop directly to fix it, or you get a darn good estimate if you plan on doing it yourself... Once you cash their check, you have accepted the settlement and they don't need to pay you more. If you have a shop fix it (and they don't just declare it totalled) they will pay the shop to fix it, even if they discover more damage underneath that wasnt originally quoted. Your insurance company should be on your side, but don't assume they are.