Minor car accident. Opinions

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AdamP88

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So I was in the queue for McDonalds Drive thru last night and felt a very light bump to the rear of my car. Got out and sure enough the man behind had tipped the rear bumper. My car was stationery and he must have momentarily lost concentration.

I obviously went to the rear of my car to check the damage. There didn’t seem to be any on first inspection but I later discovered two small cracks where the screws came under pressure.

The other driver got out and before I said a word started to tell me I had a “rotten attitude” and “it’s just a small tip” etc. I said to him that it looks ok but I will take his details in case there is damage. He continued to act aggressively, as if I was the one who was at fault. I took pictures of his car and his insurance details etc. He was still complaining so I said that my car was not moving and you are the one who is at fault so stop acting like I’m being unreasonable.

I got in my car and continued on through the drive thru. I did see him in my rear view mirror taking a picture of my registration plate.

I have to call the insurance company in the morning but I’m kind of conflicted. I know I’m in the right but if I report it his insurance will go up, possibly by a large amount. The damage to my car is minimal but at the same time the cracks in the bumper could potentially get larger with time.

I will be reporting it to my insurance company anyway, but I’m wondering if I should make a claim or just leave it. I’m leaning towards making a claim because of his attitude toward me and rude behaviour but at the same time I wonder is it more charitable to let it go.
 
My neighbor backed his truck into my sedan in March. We were both parked in the street. He immediately offered to fix the damage because he had “friends that did body work”. I said that I still needed his insurance information. He was mad but provided it. In the end, the insurance company totaled my vehicle and I purchased a new one. Everything worked out.

Ultimately, we’ve got insurance for a reason. Make a claim with the company and take care of your vehicle.
 
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I suggest that you report it to your insurance company and ask them to inspect it to see how serious the damage is and advise you of your repair options.

There is no reason to obey or take advice from the other driver. He is acting entirely in his own interests and against yours. I wouldn’t reward his selfish and abusive behavior.
 
I would make the claim. You need to have your car checked out, because sometimes what looks like superficial damage is worse than it looks.
 
puer.dei said:
I would make the claim. You need to have your car checked out, because sometimes what looks like superficial damage is worse than it looks.
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Exactly. This is your rear bumper. You don’t want it compromised if, God forbid, a really bad rear-end accident happens.
 
At least in the states, some insurance companies will not assess a premium if the accident is clearly not your fault. And again, at least here, if someone rear ends you while you’re stationary, that’s basically conclusive proof that the other driver was at fault.
 
AdamP88 said:
I have to call the insurance company in the morning but I’m kind of conflicted. I know I’m in the right but if I report it his insurance will go up, possibly by a large amount.
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His insurance SHOULD go up if he is a careless driver who rear-ends a car in a McDonald’s line!

I am willing to bet a package of marshmallow Peeps that this rude driver already has at least one auto accident, and probably more than one, on his record, and he’s mad at you because “your” accident will push him into some higher risk category that will cost him a ton of cash for insurance, or possibly even cause him to lose his license if he is in trouble with the law.

Report everything. To be fair to the rude driver, perhaps there is some flaw in his car, due to a bad design, that is causing that model to lurch forward and hit people, and as more people report fender benders and accidents, the car manufacturer might be forced to recall the car and send the designers back to the table for a do-over, and also replace all the bad models. So you might be doing this driver a favor.
 
RolandThompsonGunner said:
At least in the states, some insurance companies will not assess a premium if the accident is clearly not your fault. And again, at least here, if someone rear ends you while you’re stationary, that’s basically conclusive proof that the other driver was at fault.
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Yeah that’s the same here. My insurance company would claim from the other driver’s insurance and just fix my car.
 
Peeps said:
His insurance SHOULD go up if he is a careless driver who rear-ends a car in a McDonald’s line!
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True I guess. I did think “who the heck rear ends someone in a McDonald’s drive through.”
Peeps said:
I am willing to bet a package of marshmallow Peeps that this rude driver already has at least one auto accident, and probably more than one, on his record, and he’s mad at you because “your” accident will push him into some higher risk category that will cost him a ton of cash for insurance, or possibly even cause him to lose his license if he is in trouble with the law.
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It wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Peeps said:
Report everything .
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I definitely will.
Peeps said:
To be fair to the rude driver, perhaps there is some flaw in his car, due to a bad design, that is causing that model to lurch forward and hit people, and as more people report fender benders and accidents, the car manufacturer might be forced to recall the car and send the designers back to the table for a do-over, and also replace all the bad models. So you might be doing this driver a favor.
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I don’t think this is the case. He was driving an old Audi A3 2008.
 
Ask your insurance company to assess damage. What may seem like little cracks may be far costlier to repair than you realize. And the other driver’s insurance should be responsible since he’s the one who hit you.
 
Sunbreak said:
Ask your insurance company to assess damage. What may seem like little cracks may be far costlier to repair than you realize. And the other driver’s insurance should be responsible since he’s the one who hit you.
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Yeah. At the moment they are just small cracks where pressure was put on the screws, but I imagine my insurance company will just replace the whole bumper as it’s probably cheaper than a repair.
 
Sometimes it can work out…not reporting the accident, and letting the person at fault pay what he owes. But, the driver’s initial attitude is a big red flag, in this case. He’s obviously trying to make things difficult for you. So, go with your original response to the driver’s attitude. It can feel good to give someone a break, but I’ve been taken in, too. Report everything to your insurance company, and do it, soon. Probably best not to discuss things with him before things are settled: You’d be surprised how many deals can be changed, and promises broken, between the time of an accident, and the time for both parties to settle. Protect yourself.

Glad that no one was seriously Injured! lots of us have been spending time in McDonald’s and other fast food drive-thru lines!
 
Get your vehicle checked out. My mother got rear-ended and it turned out the car had to be totaled. The frame was bent and the car was unsafe to drive. The other party’s insurance replaced the car with a brand new updated model.
 
Legend said:
Report everything to your insurance company, and do it, soon. Probably best not to discuss things with him before things are settled: You’d be surprised how many deals can be changed, and promises broken, between the time of an accident, and the time for both parties to settle. Protect yourself.
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Yeah, I’m on the phone to my insurance now. I’m going to report and get them to assess the damage.
Legend said:
lots of us have been spending time in McDonald’s and other fast food drive-thru lines!
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That’s for sure! I’m getting fat.
 
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Marie7 said:
Get your vehicle checked out. My mother got rear-ended and it turned out the car had to be totaled. The frame was bent and the car was unsafe to drive. The other party’s insurance replaced the car with a brand new updated model.
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Will do. It definitely won’t be written off as the damage is literally just the bumper. I’m just worried that the crack will spread etc.
 
I reported it to my insurance company. They said I could either claim on my own policy, in which case my premium would go up next year. Or claim directly from the other driver’s insurance. I’ll call his insurance company tomorrow.
 
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