The next thing on my FIRE to-do list was to remove the comprehensive/collision coverage before it renews in July. Welp, someone back into my parked car this weekend so it looks like I might get one last use out of it.
The case is a bit tricky though: I got into my car and it wouldn't start. I didn't consider someone else could be at fault until I noticed a note on my windshield admitting that someone had bumped into my car. Sure enough, there are some paint streaks, a slight dent near the front passenger wheel, and the front bumper is loose. I called and emailed the person who bumped my car asking for their insurance info and....no response over 24 hours later.
I'm guessing they thought it was a small bump and wanted to avoid insurance. Which is fair- my collision deductible is $1000 and if the cost is less than that then I don't want to risk my "no-claim discount" either. I'm just not sure what to do next. Since I was on the opposite side of town, I had AAA tow my car to a mechanic (not body shop) near me. They won't officially be open until tomorrow (holiday weekend) but I met the mechanic today while grabbing some things out of my trunk and he thinks they'll just need to fix my starter.
I'm mostly interested in getting my car working again ASAP. I actually already had an appointment scheduled with this same mechanic for Wednesday, to fix some existing issues. I'm worried that if I get the starter fixed before starting a claim with insurance (mine or hers), it's going to be hard to get them to cover it. But the mechanic probably isn't going to let my disabled car just sit in their tiny lot while i wait for an adjuster. I also can't get a body estimate unless I can get the car to a body shop, and I'd rather have the flexibility of being able to drive it anywhere, instead of the pressure and cost of choosing one place to tow it to.
I think my options are:
1) Open a claim now.
Pro:
(1) Will probably save me some on body repair, regardless of outcome
(2) My insurance will chase down the other party, I don't have to worry about it
(3) If the other party has insurance, I won't even have to pay my deductible
Con:
- I lose my no-claim discount.
- Feels kind of mean to chase down the other party, when it's possible that they just would have paid up if I didn't ask for their insurance (seems unlikely - wouldn't they be eager to reply and explain if that was the case?). They could have just hit-and-run and I'd be none the wiser, whereas by leaving partial information she is now at risk of legal and financial ramifications (particularly if driving without insurance).
2) Wait until the starter is fixed, get a body estimate and send info to other party. If they are unwilling to pay, then roll with the damage (assuming it's cosmetic)
Pro:
- Avoid making a claim to my insurance.
- Probably costs less to just fix the starter. I don't care much about cosmetic damage (i have a worse dent on the other side from a parking garage column). Only concern is if it's a safety issue in case of a bigger crash (cars are different from helmets, right?)
Con:
- No justice. Bad driving should have consequences. She could have hit a person instead of my car. Driving without insurance (if that's what she's doing) is illegal and drives up premiums for everyone else.
(I feel hypocritical saying this. I am not a perfect driver. I backed into someone's car once and he didn't open a claim with my insurance because he didn't care - it was an old truck. I think the difference is that I did give him my insurance info, and reported the incident to the state patrol, so it increased my premiums anyway).
- More likely that the cost for repairing the starter is not covered, since more time will have elapsed since the accident.
Has anyone else dealt with something like this before? I'm open to any ideas/suggestions. Biggest questions are:
- If working with someone outside of insurance, how did you trust that they would actually pay you?
- Any problems with getting coverage for urgent repairs (like my starter) which were repaired between the incident and when the claim was opened?
