PumpkinEscobar Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Sup guys, Looking for a bit of advice...or maybe comfort that I did the right thing. Yesterday after work a got in a very small "fender bender". Me and the other party involved pulled in to a nearby parking lot to assess the damage. I was at fault so I promptly apologized for my mistake. After assessing the damage my car took 99% of it (a large dent on the passenger side of my front bumper - but no real critical damage). The other party's car had a minor white scuff on the point of impact (front bumper, driver side). The guy was nice and said it wasn't much and did not seem like he wanted to pursue any kind of monetary settlement through me or via insurance. I gave him my tag #, insurance carrier w/ policy #, my name and phone #. Told him to let me know if he did want to have it fixed without going through insurance to give me a call. All I got from him was a name and phone number. Did I not get enough information from him or does that not matter since I was the one at fault? Maybe he was not licensed or did not have insurance - can he make a claim against my insurance if that is the case? After the fact I alerted my insurance agent and he said we will just wait and see if he makes a claim...but looking back I am running through my thought process and wondering if I should have taken pictures, called the police etc... Anyone have any insight or shared a similar experience? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTViper Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Me and the other party involved pulled in to a nearby parking lot to assess the damage. This doesn't answer your question, but THANK YOU for not being an idiot and getting out of the road appropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Destino Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 If the damage is minor, no one is hurt, and both cars are running I just exchange info and leave. Normally I like to write down the insurance number, license number, and plate myself so that I know it's correct. Smart phones with cameras come in handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbear Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 If you have a camera, it's a good idea to take a picture so your insurance isn't contacted by somebody claiming you totaled their car. Other than that, I think you did everything you should have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I always recommend calling and waiting for the police to come and write a report. The other guy may show up tomorrow in a neck brace and a totalled car. Or worse, if it's NOT your fault, they can make it hard to get their own ins to pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 if fault is not the issue ya did fine whether he is licensed or insured(and if it effects a claim) is not your responsibility call the cops when it is your fault Kilmer? negligent collision tickets must be cheaper there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pick6 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Especially with most phones having cameras, I would always recommend taking pictures. Besides that sounds like you did the right thing. I bet you probably won't hear from the guy. Sometimes people find something minor like that not worth the energy to get it fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 A small price to pay for avoiding a potential landmine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 A small price to pay for avoiding a potential landmine I've never found a police report good for minesweeping....pictures/witnesses yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
War Paint Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 It sounds to me that you are very fortunate to have hit the car of a nice person. If possible, I would try to fix the damage to your car out of pocket, unless you know your insurance rate won't increase with a claim. The white scuff on his bumper can probably be easily removed with turtle wax and buffing. After it's all said and done, you'll probably be glad you didn't call the police, because if you did, your insurance premium would most likely increase, in addition to the ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hockeysc23 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Definitely use your camera phone to record his license plate, your damage, his damage etc. It can be nerve wracking and an adrenaline pumping situation so having photo evidence can help ensure what actually happened and that you didn't incorrectly jot down the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTViper Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 In fairfax County Police will not write an accident report for a minor fender bender, so waiting 45 minutes for a cop to show up is not worth your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sticksboi05 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Everything I was gonna say was said. If only they wee treated like in European Vacation (the movie). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
War Paint Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 The one thing I'm curious about, why did you give him all of your information after he said he wasn't concerned with the damage and didn't seem interested in a monetary settlement? I would've just shook his hand, apologized for the situation, and went on my way. I highly doubt that you will hear from this guy again, but giving him all of your info does open the door to the possibility of him changing his mind and making a claim. I don't think he will. If you haven't heard anything from him in a week, I wouldn't worry about him anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 In fairfax County Police will not write an accident report for a minor fender bender, so waiting 45 minutes for a cop to show up is not worth your time. Is this a regulation? Or just your anecdotal observation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam@section118 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Is this a regulation? Or just your anecdotal observation? I have heard this before. I have also heard Fairfax County 911 operators have told people in the past the police are overrun, and the accident will not be responded to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I have heard this before. I have also heard Fairfax County 911 operators have told people in the past the police are overrun, and the accident will not be responded to. I used to hear that police in Atlanta wouldnt pull people over on the Perimeter (285) because it was too dangerous. I found out that was a lie the hard way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjah Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 If I give someone else all of my information, then I definitely want all of their information in return. And even for something minor I would make a point of documenting every angle. You just never know. Having said that, the odds of any individual fender bender leading to some fraudulent attempt to screw you are really low. Personally I'd take this as a cheap opportunity to have a "practice run" and resolve to take pictures/get full info next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I've been involved in a couple of these. 1. I was at fault, coasted into a young man at a red light. He was driving his parents' car, so I gave him all of my info and told him to have his parents call me if they wanted anything fixed (minor scrape on the bumper) and I never heard from them. 2. A couple of years later, a woman coasted into me at a red light. We got out looked everything over, I took a picture and then told her to forget it, it was a minor scrape to the bumper. I didn't take her info. I called both paying it forward. Both scrapes were minor and something one would get if one backed into a barrier or wall or something. I figured we kept insurance rates down by just forgetting it and moving on. I was grateful and the lady who hit me was grateful. I think taking pictures will cut down on any fraudulent claims and that should be standard practice if one has a camera handy (cell or otherwise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckus Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Reason # 584,987 of why smart phones are awesome. If you have one, in the future, take a couple of photos. Hell, take a video of you walking around the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I've been involved in a couple of these.1. I was at fault, coasted into a young man at a red light. He was driving his parents' car, so I gave him all of my info and told him to have his parents call me if they wanted anything fixed (minor scrape on the bumper) and I never heard from them. 2. A couple of years later, a woman coasted into me at a red light. We got out looked everything over, I took a picture and then told her to forget it, it was a minor scrape to the bumper. I didn't take her info. I called both paying it forward. Both scrapes were minor and something one would get if one backed into a barrier or wall or something. I figured we kept insurance rates down by just forgetting it and moving on. I was grateful and the lady who hit me was grateful. Here is the problem. Im not an expert on collision damage and car safety. There is a point where the safety of the bumper (fender, grill, car et al) can be compromised and not LOOK all that bad. But the next time an accident happens, it could cause massive problems and injuries. And since Im not an expert, I dont know what to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTViper Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Is this a regulation? Or just your anecdotal observation? It is exactly what happened to me a while back. Someone T-boned me lightly at an intersection. The cop showed up and said it was policy to not write a report and sent us on our way. I was also involved in an accident, where the 911 operator told me the police would not be coming because of too many calls on that particular morning (like a previous poster said). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjfootballer Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 You don't need a "smart" phone to take pictures. I have 3G regular phone that takes pictures. I can go home and download it to the computer if need be, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 It is exactly what happened to me a while back. Someone T-boned me lightly at an intersection. The cop showed up and said it was policy to not write a report and sent us on our way. I was also involved in an accident, where the 911 operator told me the police would not be coming because of too many calls on that particular morning (like a previous poster said). It sounds to me like you had a ****ty cop and a ****ty 911 op. Next time politely tell the cop it's his/her job to write the report and if he refuses, call it in again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dockeryfan Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'm sure it sounds that way to you Kilmer, but you are wrong. Happens that way in Baltimore City, and Montgomery co I know that for fact. They will at most write an incident report, and sometimes nothing at all. They will not file a police report unless they are giving someone a ticket. If he can't prove what happened, then it's no fault. Up to the insurance companies to go after each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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