Kevster

I'm on my way home from work and it was raining lightly so the road was nice and slick. I was in bumper-to-bumper traffic and this high-school kid in his Toyota Tacoma truck tries to merge into my lane behind me and didn't happen to notice I and everyone else in front of me was stopped.

Needless to say, I got rear-ended. While the damage doesn't look bad with only some paint chipping off my bumper, I know from seeing his front bumper damage that there was plenty of energy in the collision. I'm getting it looked at today. Good thing I have all of his (and his parents' ) information and a witness.

You guys think I should be a nice guy and not report it to his insurance if the damage is only a couple hundred bucks (and let his parents pay it instead)?

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I think over again
My small adventures, my fears.
The small ones that seemed so big,
For all the vital things I had to get and to reach.

And yet there is only one great thing, the only thing:

To live to see the great day that dawns,
And the light that fills the world.

-old Inuit song

cheapie

If and only if it's legal.

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sizemic1

I would just go through the insurance and have a body shop pull the bumper off to take a look at it.
The superficial damage may seem minor to you, but there's a pretty good chance that the foam and other stuff beneath your bumper will need to be replaced. You *could* just get the paint fixed, but if you get rearended again, that previously damaged protection isn't going to help you much.

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Airencracken

Nope, f**k him.

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navyones

Glad to hear that you are okay, Kevstar.

Markel

My thoughts would be to go easy as long as your vehicle will get properly repaired legally without you being hassled. (I know that Florida had (maybe still does) a law that prohibits accident repairs on a vehicle unless it has an official investigation "seal" showing that the accident has been reported.) Let them know that you're willing to play nice, as long as they don't give you any hassles.

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Kevster

That is exactly what I was thinking (being an engineer and all). I know what to look for though and there are no cracks in the bumper and there are no tell-tale deformations in the mounts (and the bumper is still aligned correctly with the body).

The body shop where I have taken my wife's car in the past does excellent work for a good rate. I am getting a full quote and if it is less than $350, I'll try and be nice and work with the kid and his parents. If it is more, I'm going to hold off and go through insurance. If it is $500 or more, I am required to file an accident report with the Kah-LEE-fornia DMV.

Thanks to my wife and her military family I have USAA insurance and they are excellent.

guiseppewv

USAA is excellent. I wish I could get insurance from them. I think you are doing the right thing by at least giving the kid a chance to take care of it without having his insurance jacked up. Remember, if you go through his insurance company, your insurance rating will be negatively affected.

MrGreg

I was stopped at a red light a couple years ago and the idiot behind me wasn't paying attention. He rear ended me and pushed my truck into the car in front of me. It was obviously his fault. blah blah blah... his insurance company was jerking me around so I called my company (USAA) and explained the situation (did NOT file a claim with USAA). USAA called the other guy's insurance company and the next day they had a check for me.


?? I didn't experience this?? Why would your insurance rating change from someone else's insurance company paying you a claim?

guiseppewv

Your insurance will be negatively affected b/c now you are a higher risk b/c you have a propensity to get in car accidents. Blah, blah, insurance b$, blah, blah.... Trust me I don't agree with this b$ but it is the truth. I have a friend who is an insurance adjuster and a friend who is an attorney who does insurance defense and they both concur that the insurance companies will eff you every chance they get.

Gothic Girl

They are a really good insurance co. My ex husband has it, and I wish I did too. But I also agree that it's pretty cool of you to try to give him a chance. When I was 16, I accidentally hit this guy's bumper trying to park and sure enough he reported it, even though it was very minor damage. My mom was NOT happy with me after that!

But just make sure you don't have any pain today.

dsuds

Kevster,

Not turning the report in on insurance is a very nice thing to do. I had an accident when I was young (and dinosuars roamed the earth) and the increase in insurance was STAGGERING. I can only imagine how bad it would be now. If the damage is not bad, give them a chance to pay out-of-pocket. If they jerk you around... f' em.

mcs328

Wow that's nice of you. Check for whiplash though. At the first sign of hardball though make their lives miserable.

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nickel

that is nice of you. so many people are sue-happy, and also lie about their condition to get money that it's refreshing to hear of someone who is sincere and honest.

glad you weren't hurt Kevster.

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Kevster

When I was a young driver, I had a fender bender as well. The other driver was cool about it and worked things out with my Dad. I have already talked to this kids' father and we had a good conversation about it. I told him I am very willing to work with him because 15 years ago my Dad was in his situation. The damage estimate came in at $410, so I'm not going to report it. That estimate includes a part replacement (the re-inforcing metal that absorbs the impact inside the bumper) and removing/repainting the bumper. I have Release of Liability forms for both of us to sign once everything is settled and we both hope his son has learned an important lesson about driving in the rain, at night and in traffic.

dsuds

Glad everything looks like it's gonna work out. This definitely qualifies as your good deed of the day (if not the week).

guiseppewv

Glad to hear you could work it out. It is nice to see that some people aren't "sue happy". You did the right thing.