Other person at fault in accident - was it right to call my insurance company? (condo, legal)
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Last night, I was traveling down a road and a Ford Explorer driven by a young woman made a left turn in front of me. I slammed on the breaks, but she didn't make the turn in time. There was some light front-end damage to my vehicle (a little crumpled, headlight destroyed) but nothing in the area of totaling the car. No airbag deployment as I had slowed to probably about 10 mph (my poor brakes!). And there were no injuries.
I never spoke to the woman in the other car as she pulled into the entrance to a condo development that isn't exactly a "good" place and she had what appeared to be her seedy looking friends come out to "help" her in the situation. Lovely.
In any event, the police came and the two officers told me the report would find her at fault and she would be issued a careless driving citation. Fortunately, a fireman was driving behind me in a marked department SUV and witnessed the whole thing. When I got home, I called my insurance company to report the accident. But now I'm thinking I should not have done that. Because I called them, does this somehow go "against" me since I'm reporting a claim rather than just calling the other person's insurance company? Years back, I was rear-ended (ironically on the same road) and I don't remember if I got my insurance company involved or not.
Anyone who's been in this situation before care to comment?
I can almost guarantee you will be found at fault here, regardless of what the cops told you. You drove into the back of her car and it doesn't matter if she took three hours to make the turn.
I can almost guarantee you will be found at fault here, regardless of what the cops told you. You drove into the back of her car and it doesn't matter if she took three hours to make the turn.
I didn't drive into the back of her car at all. She was turning from the opposite lane (she wasn't in front of me) and turned into my path as I had the right of way. I'm not debating the construct of the accident. She was found at fault at the scene and issued a ticket.
I can almost guarantee you will be found at fault here, regardless of what the cops told you. You drove into the back of her car and it doesn't matter if she took three hours to make the turn.
It sounds like the Explorer's driver was on the other side of the road, going in the opposite direction until she made a left turn in front of the original poster's vehicle. My guess, from these clues, is that the Explorer was probably hit on the right side.
Anyway... to the OP, I really wouldn't know. If the repairs you need to have done on your vehicle indicate accident-related damage, I think it's better to have reported it. If in the future you get into a minor accident, get it into a shop for a "check up" and see if the mechanics mention anything that had to have come from an accident. If there isn't anything, it'd probably be better for your wallet not to report it.
For now, your insurance company will probably keep checking up with you on the incident for a little while, just to make sure all of the details are consistent and properly documented. So just make sure to mention all of the details (the speed limit, if you had a green light, etc.) that would put you in the best position possible.
It sounds like the Explorer's driver was on the other side of the road, going in the opposite direction until she made a left turn in front of the original poster's vehicle. My guess, from these clues, is that the Explorer was probably hit on the right side.
Correct. It was a two lane road. I was proceeding straight down it and she was stopped in the opposite lane with a left turn signal on. For some reason (on the phone?) she decided to make her turn just as I was coming.
All claims regardless of fault go into a database that insuers check when you apply... you still did the right thing by reporting it to YOUR insurance; this is why we pay them - for accidents/repairs!
Even though NJ is still not fault the other party being given a ticket at the scene changes things, so reporting it to your insurance should not get you any insurance points. My brother got into an accident (he is on my insurance since I am his legal guardian) and he was not at fault, and the other insurance company contacted our insurance company. He did not get any insurance points.
Even though NJ is still not fault the other party being given a ticket at the scene changes things, so reporting it to your insurance should not get you any insurance points. My brother got into an accident (he is on my insurance since I am his legal guardian) and he was not at fault, and the other insurance company contacted our insurance company. He did not get any insurance points.
I remember hearing that "no fault" is really only for bodily injuries, whereas property damage is assigned to the party at fault. Is this still the case?
not entirely sure. I thought there should be no reason to call your insurance in this instance. her insurance should issue you a check for the damages . Your insurance company would find out either way.
Location: Splitting time between Dayton, NJ and Needmore, PA
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Should you have called your insurance company to alert them to the accident? Yes. Why? Because it is in the terms of your policy that you are to report all accidents to them.
How your insurance company reacts depends a lot upon how your coverage is written and what the TC Report says. Generally, however, if you have a clean driving record (no tickets, accident-free, marginal number of repairs) your rates generally stay the same.
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