Author Topic: Fender Bender CYA  (Read 3427 times)

WranglerBowman

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Fender Bender CYA
« on: May 23, 2016, 10:35:25 AM »
So Saturday my beloved 95 Honda Accord Wagon was rear ended.  Surprisingly no glass broke but my bumper, hatch, and right rear of my car is pressed in.  Wreck happened at 5 mph, but it was a big SUV.  After exchanging information I picked the bumper up and threw it in the back and drove it home.  All I care about is getting my car fixed and not getting screwed in this situation, even though I'm sure I'm going to get screwed.  The KBB value of my car is $1500.  I'm guessing they will probably total it.  I love this car and had no plans of ever getting rid of it.  What are some recommendations for protecting myself in this situation?

plog

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2016, 10:43:37 AM »
File a police report, then call the insurance company.

rockstache

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2016, 10:55:20 AM »
I had a similar situation last year. They totaled my car and offered me the cash value. I took it, fixed the bumper for less than the $$ they paid me, and walked away with a little more money in my pocket. And unfortunately, a worse back injury than I had previously. But I am still driving the car.

Axecleaver

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2016, 11:04:48 AM »
In addition to the good advice above, go to your primary care doctor to get checked out. You will need a doctor's report if you develop any complications later, and to support insurance settlements to cover any medical treatments. You probably feel fine today, but it typically takes a day or two for whiplash problems to manifest. If you miss any work because of this, or take any prescriptions, save all of your documentation to prove it. The other side's insurance company will demand this before they pay you anything.

My wife was rear ended twice, and both times she developed whiplash problems after a couple of days had passed. It took almost a year for the symptoms to resolve from the last crash. Both were at <5 mph, one with her stopped at a traffic light and the other driving through town when a pedestrian stepped out in front of her car and the other driver was too close.

Settlements from the other insurance company are completely negotiable. If you don't like the deal they give you, tell them you're considering small claims court or some other remedy. The adjuster's job is to get to a settlement without going to court, which is expensive for the company to manage (and for you, too). There may be some other posters with better advice on how to negotiate that settlement, but my advice is to have a number you want for the other company to make the problem go away. $1500 for a fender bender sounds pretty typical, maybe on the low side.

WranglerBowman

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2016, 11:26:30 AM »
File a police report, then call the insurance company.
I didn't do this at the time because the woman said she had a nearly perfect driving record and didn't want a moving violation on her record, on top of a wreck.  I can understand not wanting to get a ticket especially when you're already the driver at fault.

I had a similar situation last year. They totaled my car and offered me the cash value. I took it, fixed the bumper for less than the $$ they paid me, and walked away with a little more money in my pocket. And unfortunately, a worse back injury than I had previously. But I am still driving the car.
If they total it at $1500 it will probably cost me $500 to buy it back from insurance and then probably another $1000 to fix the bumper, hatch, and have some way to remount the tail light.

@ Axecleaver - $1500 is my car's rough value, no idea what the repair may cost or what they would even offer me.  My neck def hurt the last couple days, almost back to normal now though. 

One not so great aspect is the person who hit me has the same insurance company that I do.  I'm worried if I try to negotiate $ it could have an adverse impact on my insurance premium.

WranglerBowman

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2016, 06:37:19 AM »
UPDATE: Car is totaled.  Insurance is paying me $1,606 and I have the option to buy the car back for $131 and the title can remain clean.  I'm def planning to buy the car back and have it repaired just enough to be legal again.  All in all I feel like things are fair and it doesn't seem like I got completely screwed...yet.

lthenderson

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2016, 07:36:58 AM »
My wife was rear ended twice, and both times she developed whiplash problems after a couple of days had passed. It took almost a year for the symptoms to resolve from the last crash. Both were at <5 mph, one with her stopped at a traffic light and the other driving through town when a pedestrian stepped out in front of her car and the other driver was too close.

I certainly hope this isn't the case! I had my second vehicle hit in a month (neither time my fault) and this time around I had a concussion from the whiplash. I'm on day six of recovery and am still a bit sore in the neck but hope I'm finally on the road to recovery. I can't imagine dealing with this for an entire year!

JoRocka

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Re: Fender Bender CYA
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2016, 09:30:38 AM »
File a police report, then call the insurance company.
I didn't do this at the time because the woman said she had a nearly perfect driving record and didn't want a moving violation on her record, on top of a wreck.  I can understand not wanting to get a ticket especially when you're already the driver at fault.

I had a similar situation last year. They totaled my car and offered me the cash value. I took it, fixed the bumper for less than the $$ they paid me, and walked away with a little more money in my pocket. And unfortunately, a worse back injury than I had previously. But I am still driving the car.
If they total it at $1500 it will probably cost me $500 to buy it back from insurance and then probably another $1000 to fix the bumper, hatch, and have some way to remount the tail light.

@ Axecleaver - $1500 is my car's rough value, no idea what the repair may cost or what they would even offer me.  My neck def hurt the last couple days, almost back to normal now though. 

One not so great aspect is the person who hit me has the same insurance company that I do.  I'm worried if I try to negotiate $ it could have an adverse impact on my insurance premium.

Don't do favors for assholes who aren't paying attention.

If there is an accident. File a report. period.
Go to the hospital- get checked out.

Two things that MUST be done to CYA in an accident.