Just got into a car accident. However, I was worry about increase insurance premium a
06-17-18, 05:47 AM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Just got into a car accident. However, I was worry about increase insurance premium a
This morning I was involved in a car accident. I was traveling in the left lane and suddenly I felt a bump on my passenger side from the center lane. I met the driver of the other vehicle to assess our damage, the initial damage to my 2013 Lexus RX 350 was the passenger door and rear passenger side door were scratch, slightly bump in on the passenger door. We agreed not to call the police, since I didn't want my insurance premium to go up. I got the accident recorded on my dashcam, but dashcam wasn't able to read the license plate of the other vehicle. I do believed the other driver was at fault since the dashcam shows I was within my lane without swerving and the impact came to the side.
Now I am regretting not reporting the accident, since I heard the painting job on the door are costly from a friend. My concerns are:
1. Leaving the accident scene and report this accident will the police charge me with leaving the scene of an accident?
2. Will my insurance drop my policy due to not reporting damages to the vehicle?
3. I don't have any contact information on the other driver or license plate for that matter.
4. Do I have a case for claim damage with the insurance? Or just absorbs my loss and learn a valuable lesson?
Thanks for any inputs guys.
Now I am regretting not reporting the accident, since I heard the painting job on the door are costly from a friend. My concerns are:
1. Leaving the accident scene and report this accident will the police charge me with leaving the scene of an accident?
2. Will my insurance drop my policy due to not reporting damages to the vehicle?
3. I don't have any contact information on the other driver or license plate for that matter.
4. Do I have a case for claim damage with the insurance? Or just absorbs my loss and learn a valuable lesson?
Thanks for any inputs guys.
Last edited by prtuc2; 06-17-18 at 05:58 AM.
06-17-18, 06:06 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
imho your only valid concern is your insurance going up for 3 yrs. It happened to me, perfect record for a long time, then accident with BMW loaner. It does **** since the good driver discount is lost, and a surcharge is applied. Double whammy. I remember this mistake was gonna cost me in the ballpark of 30% if I recall.
Long story short report it to your insurance co., tell the truth which is what you did here.
Oddly, at the time, we had 3 cars with full coverage. I got a spam email from the people with "hands," that was a quote for what I used to pay to the lizard co. that was only like $150 more per 6 mos. I said oh that's because they don't know about the accident, but it is on the email. I switched and the agent even recommended taking collision off the 1998 Maxima,and now the 6 mos. price was the same as the lizard was pre-accident. When 3 yrs. passed, the premium dropped with lack of surcharge and good driver discount. Really showed how bad the lizard co. is.
Ever since then, I have had a real agent, not an internet quote. There are ways to make you "whole" again after an accident. You didn't suddenly become a second class citizen. Good luck.
Long story short report it to your insurance co., tell the truth which is what you did here.
Oddly, at the time, we had 3 cars with full coverage. I got a spam email from the people with "hands," that was a quote for what I used to pay to the lizard co. that was only like $150 more per 6 mos. I said oh that's because they don't know about the accident, but it is on the email. I switched and the agent even recommended taking collision off the 1998 Maxima,and now the 6 mos. price was the same as the lizard was pre-accident. When 3 yrs. passed, the premium dropped with lack of surcharge and good driver discount. Really showed how bad the lizard co. is.
Ever since then, I have had a real agent, not an internet quote. There are ways to make you "whole" again after an accident. You didn't suddenly become a second class citizen. Good luck.
06-17-18, 06:44 AM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
I am pretty sure you need to report the accident to your insurance company, more than likely it would be a condition of your policy. How are you sure that the other driver does not have your license plate and may have a change of mind? Issue I now see is that if you report, how are you going to explain that you did not get the other persons information or at least plate and model of the vehicle. I say come clean, but I have no idea what the consequences are if they say anything. Personally speaking, I do believe wholeheartedly of the saying “The Truth Will Set You Free”
06-17-18, 07:40 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
This morning I was involved in a car accident. I was traveling in the left lane and suddenly I felt a bump on my passenger side from the center lane. I met the driver of the other vehicle to assess our damage, the initial damage to my 2013 Lexus RX 350 was the passenger door and rear passenger side door were scratch, slightly bump in on the passenger door. We agreed not to call the police, since I didn't want my insurance premium to go up. I got the accident recorded on my dashcam, but dashcam wasn't able to read the license plate of the other vehicle. I do believed the other driver was at fault since the dashcam shows I was within my lane without swerving and the impact came to the side.
Now I am regretting not reporting the accident, since I heard the painting job on the door are costly from a friend. My concerns are:
1. Leaving the accident scene and report this accident will the police charge me with leaving the scene of an accident?
2. Will my insurance drop my policy due to not reporting damages to the vehicle?
3. I don't have any contact information on the other driver or license plate for that matter.
4. Do I have a case for claim damage with the insurance? Or just absorbs my loss and learn a valuable lesson?
Thanks for any inputs guys.
Now I am regretting not reporting the accident, since I heard the painting job on the door are costly from a friend. My concerns are:
1. Leaving the accident scene and report this accident will the police charge me with leaving the scene of an accident?
2. Will my insurance drop my policy due to not reporting damages to the vehicle?
3. I don't have any contact information on the other driver or license plate for that matter.
4. Do I have a case for claim damage with the insurance? Or just absorbs my loss and learn a valuable lesson?
Thanks for any inputs guys.
To go through your questions one at a time:
1. Leaving the accident scene and report this accident will the police charge me with leaving the scene of an accident?
2. Will my insurance drop my policy due to not reporting damages to the vehicle?
3. I don't have any contact information on the other driver or license plate for that matter.
With no contact info or plate number for the other driver, you're out of luck and now this is all on you. Before it sounded like he was at fault so you could have filed the repair against his insurance which wouldn't have impacted your insurance. Now that you left the scene and essentially let him off the hook, if you file a claim with your insurance it will be an at fault collision claim and it will impact your rates.
4. Do I have a case for claim damage with the insurance? Or just absorbs my loss and learn a valuable lesson?
I agree, at least $3,000 in damage. Should you file a claim? I assume your record is good and you've had no prior claims, how old are you? How long have you had the policy? Whats your collision deductible?
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06-17-18, 07:54 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
So here is what I would do. Take it to a few good shops and get estimates, so that way you know exactly how much you're looking at, then you can see how much filing a claim will save you, and then you can decide if its worth it. If the cost is $3,000-$4,000 and your deductible is $1,000 then it saves you $2-3k I would file the claim probably. If you were 23 I might think otherwise lol
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
06-17-18, 08:02 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
Always, ALWAYS call the police and have a police report filed, even if you and the other party agree it was the other party's fault. Calling the police will mean nothing to your insurance rates, what the insurance company cares about is claims and your driving record, and moreso they worry about claims. The only way to make sure that after you leave the scene and you go to try and make the at fault party's insurance pay is to have a third party document assigning fault to them. Thats what a police report for an accident is. 9 times out of 10 the police officer who comes won't write any tickets to anybody, and if you were just driving along and he ran into you, how is that your fault?
To go through your questions one at a time:
No, but there isn't any point now. The police won't file a report after the fact, they have to be there at the scene of the accident. Thats what they will tell you if you call so don't bother.
No. You only report what you want them to cover.
This is the other big With no contact info or plate number for the other driver, you're out of luck and now this is all on you. Before it sounded like he was at fault so you could have filed the repair against his insurance which wouldn't have impacted your insurance. Now that you left the scene and essentially let him off the hook, if you file a claim with your insurance it will be an at fault collision claim and it will impact your rates.
You certainly can file a claim with your insurance company to cover damage to your vehicle (you don't need to have a "case" to do that), but like I said above since you didn't get any info for the at fault party, in the eyes of your insurance company it would now be an at-fault claim which may impact your rates.
I agree, at least $3,000 in damage. Should you file a claim? I assume your record is good and you've had no prior claims, how old are you? How long have you had the policy? Whats your collision deductible?
To go through your questions one at a time:
No, but there isn't any point now. The police won't file a report after the fact, they have to be there at the scene of the accident. Thats what they will tell you if you call so don't bother.
No. You only report what you want them to cover.
This is the other big
With no contact info or plate number for the other driver, you're out of luck and now this is all on you. Before it sounded like he was at fault so you could have filed the repair against his insurance which wouldn't have impacted your insurance. Now that you left the scene and essentially let him off the hook, if you file a claim with your insurance it will be an at fault collision claim and it will impact your rates.You certainly can file a claim with your insurance company to cover damage to your vehicle (you don't need to have a "case" to do that), but like I said above since you didn't get any info for the at fault party, in the eyes of your insurance company it would now be an at-fault claim which may impact your rates.
I agree, at least $3,000 in damage. Should you file a claim? I assume your record is good and you've had no prior claims, how old are you? How long have you had the policy? Whats your collision deductible?
So here is what I would do. Take it to a few good shops and get estimates, so that way you know exactly how much you're looking at, then you can see how much filing a claim will save you, and then you can decide if its worth it. If the cost is $3,000-$4,000 and your deductible is $1,000 then it saves you $2-3k I would file the claim probably. If you were 23 I might think otherwise lol
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
06-17-18, 08:10 AM
#11
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
So here is what I would do. Take it to a few good shops and get estimates, so that way you know exactly how much you're looking at, then you can see how much filing a claim will save you, and then you can decide if its worth it. If the cost is $3,000-$4,000 and your deductible is $1,000 then it saves you $2-3k I would file the claim probably. If you were 23 I might think otherwise lol
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
If the cost is like $1,500, and all its going to save you is $500, I would just pay out of pocket.
Don't call your insurance until you are sure that you want to file the claim. Just inquiring about a claim is enough for them to potentially raise your rates. You may find that they will pay this claim and not raise your rates...all depends.
The important thing though is for you and everybody else to learn though:
1. ALWAYS call the police. They might be grumpy about it "We don't do this for just property damage" blah blah, make them do it anyway...its their job. The other insurance company WILL ask you for a police report so you need to have one.
2. Take pictures at the scene, take pictures of your plate and the other cars plate. ALWAYS get everybody's contact info and insurance info. The other party may ask you for yours even if they are admitting fault. Give it to them.
3. I also would not do anything to try and improve how the car looks until the other party's insurance company sees it. You want it to look awful. I know thats hard, its hard for me to resist too.
Remember that in these situations you have liability to others and they to you, so you have to protect yourself by doing things properly. The way you handled this based on what you said about the accident is why you are dealing with this cost and not the other party and their insurance.
06-17-18, 08:24 AM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
I don't really care about the appearance at this moment, what I really concern is legal issues. I will just live with the damage as long as it doesn't really affects the driving conditions of the vehicle. Since, we both left the scene without any contact information but I am not sure if he on the other hand file an accident on me. Personally I didn't give him any info except a first name, but he clearly had a view on my license plate not sure if he gotten a picture or photo of mine.
Will the other driver all of a sudden come up and try and say you caused the accident to get you to fix their vehicle? Seeing that he likely feels pretty relieved he was let off the hook for causing an accident that was his fault I think the chances of that are pretty slim. If he were to do that, you have the dash cam footage (save that BTW).
If anything, if I were you I would hope he would come after me...it gives you another crack at him.
06-17-18, 08:35 AM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
You completely let the other guy off the hook. You had a dash cam that proved it too. Also, that repair will probably cost waaaaaaaay more over 5 years vs the premium increase even if you had reported it to your insurance and it was your fault. Many people have an irrational fear of premium increases without actually knowing what it could be. My insurance went up $200 a year when I was 25 due to an accident. It's all area dependent though.
06-17-18, 08:54 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
You completely let the other guy off the hook. You had a dash cam that proved it too. Also, that repair will probably cost waaaaaaaay more over 5 years vs the premium increase even if you had reported it to your insurance and it was your fault. Many people have an irrational fear of premium increases without actually knowing what it could be. My insurance went up $200 a year when I was 25 due to an accident. It's all area dependent though.
My business partner's wife had a big at fault claim about a year ago, their rates didn't go up at all on renewal, and they had only had the policy like 30 days.
06-17-18, 09:34 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
I don't know how your exact policy is written, or how your insurance company handles it, but you may (?) be a little too overly-concerned about a rate-increase. Some insurance companies (mine included) will waive the rate-increase for a first-time accident or other chargeable claim. It's called the Driver Forgiveness Program. Ask your company if they have one.