following closely ticket (insurance, how much, cost of)

[rain88]

I'm driving at the 85 south then i went to the exit and there's a car sitting in the stop light then i hit my breaks but i think its kind of too late then i hit his pickuptruck at the rear bumper but there is no damage in his car because i hit the thing were you put the trailer. my car only got a liitle bit of dent and the paint got pill off in the front bumper. the guy went out in his truck then look at his rear bumper but there is no damage and i'm so unlucky he still call a police to ducument it then he acts like hes hurt even though its not.. what is the best action to do now i got this ticket? how much do guys think the estimate cost of a ticket?, and did it will affect my insurance even though the car that i hit is no damage?

thank you guys for answering this letter..

[mmenomen]

You will be fined, you hit him. He will probably make a claim against you anyway. That was my experience which sounds similar to what you described here.

It happened to me several years ago. In Dekalb county (GA), my car was lightly but clearly damaged after I hit someone in front of me who slammed on his breaks as he was making a left-handed turn at a traffic light in a turning lane. From what I recall, he mistimed the oncoming traffic from the other direction, he slammed on the breaks very quickly and I didn't catch it in time and I hit him (not going more than 10-15 mph at most). This older guy had a newer model Cadillac and I had very old Toyota Tercel. After it happened, we both pulled over to the side of the road best we could. I waited in my car until the police came. I cannot remember the conversation well, but the cop issued me a ticket right there. I could still drive my car, but it had noticeable damage on the front right hand light and I did not bother to fix it because the car was quite old by that time.

I had to pay the fine ( my ticket cost me well over $100, but this amount can vary tremendously and I am talking about something from several years back). The older guy got my insurance number and made a claim, however, he was not hurt and his car had no visible damage on the bumper, not even a scratch (from what I recall). Later on, all my insurance company could say about it was there was a claim on my insurance. The older man knew the game, I didn't due to being youthful and inexperienced with what to do in a minor fender bender. Because of privacy concerns, my insurance company would not tell me what the claim was. Very annoying as I had wondered if the older guy claimed pain and suffering but I don't clearly recall; he was not hurt by the accident. I think my insurance rate did go up. Just some details now escape me due to the passage of time.

I need to brush up on what to do anyways, if I get in another accident. That was the last traffic ticket I received.

A few things to remember is not to admit guilt and just talk to the police about the accident.

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Links on what to do after having car accidents (some suggestions I didn't realize even after all this time)

http://personalinsure.about.com/cs/v.../aa120902a.htm

http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/dr...ost_crash.html

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/saf...5/article.html

[neil0311]

In GA, if you hit another car from the rear door ---> back, you are assumed to be at fault and following too closely or not able to control your vehicle. You will get a ticket in that circumstance. It will also hit your insurance as an at fault accident if the person you hit either files a claim directly with your insurance or his insurance which will subrogate.

No offense, but a scatch these days can cost hundreds of dollars to fix, and sometimes damage isn't obvious. With the high cost of repairs and insurance, I would call the cops too, in order to get it all documented and on record. There are too many uninsured people out there or people who will say they'll pay who later won't. You can't blame him...just use it as a learning experience and drive more carefully.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by neil0311

In GA, if you hit another car from the rear door ---> back, you are assumed to be at fault and following too closely or not able to control your vehicle.

Exactly.

The ONLY exception (in some cases) is if you can prove that the person on front of you slammed on their brakes hard and suddenly, in order to CAUSE you to hit them. That's very hard to prove, with police having to see evidence of tire skid marks on the pavement that angle a certain way from the front driver, etc. The front driver can then claim they were avoiding hitting an animal, and then it's up in the air as to who will be believed, etc. 98% of the time though, whoever is behind is considered at fault for the above reasons neil mention in the quote.

While it's certainly not a commonly practiced thing here on the roads, if you follow the "three second rule" you won't have to worry about rear-ending someone.

[rain88]

my insurance company could say about it was there was a claim on my insurance.
[/quote]

As you recall how many days before the guy claim in your insurance after the accident happen?

[rain88]

Originally Posted by mmenomen

my insurance company could say about it was there was a claim on my insurance.

As you recall how many days the guy claim in your insurance after the incident happen?

[mmenomen]

As you recall how many days the guy claim in your insurance after the incident happen?

Sorry, I don't remember that time frame any more.

[rain88]

Originally Posted by mmenomen

Sorry, I don't remember that time frame any more.

your good.. thanks for the answer that you guys made..