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Make a report with your insurance company so that they know to expect it.
So far as raising your rates.. They either will or won't. Based on the type of accident that it was and the likelyhood of this being a small repair.. I doubt you'll really see much of a blip.
You are at fault. Not sure what you meant by "No idea how it happened"? I mean, you backed into him, right? It happens. File your side of it with your insurance company, when he calls.. They'll have the information, and if he tries to submit a $3000 repair bill to them, they'll call BS on it.
That's what your insurance is there for. Now, they're not going to cover any damage to YOUR vehicle (not that you're asking them to) since you only carry liability.
You can't totally go off 'what you found online' either.. The fact you didn't dent the bumper doesn't mean a whole lot.. there's alot of 'crush zones' in a bumper that could have hidden damage(Supports and the like).. but.. It's very unlikely based on your description.
I would call my insurance company and give them my version of the story like the poster above suggests. If he never calls, it won't affect your rates.
You didn't get any photos of his bumper? Can you use his email address to track him down and take photos of it in his driveway?
I had someone reverse into me. The damage was minor, a scratch. They called the cops and claimed I rear ended them and was a hit and run. I will never leave the scene without calling the cops again. In telling this story to friends, I've learned that this sort of thing has happened to quite a few people.
Parking lots are the most dangerous places to drive.
When reversing out of a parking space, look left, look right, check rearview, and then SLOWLY back up, all the while checking left, right, and rearview.
Many people prefer to pull all the way through so they can drive forward out of a parking space. Others back in (remember the 90 degree back in from the driver's test? This is where you can use that.)
[quote=MckinneyOwnr;37134797]
Most likely, the guy will file a claim, and your insurance will be contacted. If he's a decent guy, he's not going to lie about what happened. If he isn't though... he could say you smashed into his "other" car which is full of dents and damage, and get you on the hook for more costly repair.
quote]
If he does lie to get more than he's owed to make it whole/right, it's fraud on his part.
Ok. First things first.
If he's a decent guy, he's not going to lie about what happened. If he isn't though... he could say you smashed into his "other" car which is full of dents and damage, and get you on the hook for more costly repair.
Nah.. you wont have to worry about that. I've been on the "car who got hit" end enough times (3 in the last 3 years) to know that the guy who hits you has to admit to the damage inorder for the claim to go through and get paid. So don't worry about that. You'd have to agree to hitting any other car you didn't hit inorder to get blamed for it.
A garbage truck hit my parked van and a new bumper would cost $2000! It knocked the light out and the bumper hanging off. OP, your situation was a scratch but I doubt $200-300 will fix it. Thats just for the bumper, MAYBE. Not including labor and anything else they find wrong.
Your insurance is not going to skyrocket. You are a new driver and it was a simple accident. Maybe, install one of those back-up cameras if you don't have one. Another poster said to take pictures and that is a very good idea. The other guy maybe a cool and honest guy and he sounds like he is, but not everyone is that way and you have to protect yourself. Make sure you get a phone number, at least, not just an email address - also his license information. Use this accident as a learning experience and try not to worry too much. A sign that you are a responsible driver is that you are so concerned and worried - a lot of people would just shrug it off, but your level of concern shows that you are a careful person by nature and with more experience behind the wheel you will be a great driver.
Filing a police report with an estimated damage report of over 1,000 and above will land the items on your CLUE report which insurance companies use to rate your premium.
Actually my bad, there is NO DENT, it was a scratch. Eitherway, I saw suburban rear bumpers go for $200-$300 online, and let's say $200-$300 for installation, that's about $500.
You can't back into somebody and cause a "scratch". This is a $1000 repair bill minimum.
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