Car accident - other party didnt want to claim insurance (Dallas: crimes, lawyers)

[WorldKlas]

Originally Posted by escanlan

There is so much value in this statement that those who believe otherwise can learn a lesson from it!! Add this to what the_engineer stated and the lesson is complete!!


+1

Police won’t come if no one is hurt

[Capitalprophets]

Originally Posted by nitynity

My spouse had an accident this morning. At the traffic light, it just turned red from orange, but she didn't pay attention. She drove through instead of yielding, another car from the left side came and hit her from behind. Obviously it was her fault and both cars had scratched up bumpers. The other driver was a Spanish old lady with her adult son sitting nearby. He didn't want to claim insurance for whatever reason.(probably no insurance or who knows). He wants $75 and call it good. He said he don't want his premium go up.



Exchanged phone numbers but he hesitated to share insurance info and left the scene. Now, looking at the pics, my car has a small scratch on the driver side rear bumper. The other guys car has a very long scratch (which doesn't make any sense) on the whole front bumper. Probably it was already scratched up, at least a portion of it.



Obviously he didn't want insurance involved and I have $250 deductible. I drive an Audi and it cost lot more to get it fixed for sure. Since both parties left the scene, he can easily deny the accident if he chooses to.


Should I pay him or claim insurance or just ignore it? Though it was fault from my side, the other car hit mine from behind.


If he is uninsured, how will that turn up if I claim insurance?

Honestly, if it was me I'd just let it slide and consider it charity as a good samaritan. Sometimes its ok to let things slide.

[san11]

My car got rear ended last december. I stopped at red light and the guy behind was looking at his phone. I called the Police number. They told me if you guys don't have any injury and both vehicles are driveable then just exchange the insurance info and and leave. No need for report.
It was other person fault. He accepted it.
But, i called my insurance that this happened. They should know this if other guy calls.

In your case i would say just fix your car without insurance . Paint job should fix it or leave it as it is.
I would suggest not to replace bumper as the aftermarket one would not be good fit as this one.
Just try to get it painted if that's possible.

[El Chingaso]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Nope. When the other party changes their story and tries to say you hit them, that police report is the only thing that will keep you from being held at fault. BTDT. Of course, you pull your cars out of the traffic lane if no one is injured and the vehicles are still driveabele.

They will not respond for a non-injury crash. You can also file your own police report (it’s known as a blue form). I’ve been doing this for two decades.

Your advice is incorrect.

Take photos on your phone of the scene, get the information for witnesses and the other driver and move on.

[El Chingaso]

Originally Posted by Wild Flower

I came up to an intersection that had yellow lights flashing for the other driver. I saw the driver stop and I went through the intersection but she changed her mind and came through anyway. She wanted to leave because she had to get to work but I said no, wait for the police.

She was saying it was not her fault but when the police showed up, they convinced her that it was her fault. Her reasoning was the yellow meant that she was to stop and then continue. But the truth is that that yellow light meant she was to yield to me.

The police officer backed me up and she was responsible for the accident. I was glad she waited for the police!

P.S... As I recall, the police officer did not take a report because the value was low but it was worth getting the police officer's support.

There was then no report and you did nothing but waste your time.

[BigDGeek]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned dashcams yet.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by El Chingaso

They will not respond for a non-injury crash. You can also file your own police report (it’s known as a blue form). I’ve been doing this for two decades.

Your advice is incorrect.

No, it's not.
I was involved in a hit and run crash 2 years ago that ended up totalling my car. No one was injured, but the driver who hit me sped away. I needed that police report in order to get the witness statements recorded about what they saw, and to prove that when the hit and run driver hit me, it knocked me into the car in front of me. Had I not had the police report, my own insurance would have been charged for the damage to the car in front of me, and I would have had to pay my full $500 deductible for the damage to my own vehicle, instead of the $250 uninsured motorist deductible. I also had to sign paperwork stating that if the police found the hit and run driver, I wanted to press charges.

[WorldKlas]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

No, it's not.
I was involved in a hit and run crash 2 years ago that ended up totalling my car. No one was injured, but the driver who hit me sped away. I needed that police report in order to get the witness statements recorded about what they saw, and to prove that when the hit and run driver hit me, it knocked me into the car in front of me. Had I not had the police report, my own insurance would have been charged for the damage to the car in front of me, and I would have had to pay my full $500 deductible for the damage to my own vehicle, instead of the $250 uninsured motorist deductible. I also had to sign paperwork stating that if the police found the hit and run driver, I wanted to press charges.

The first thing the police will ask if everyone is OK and if both drivers have exchanged info. If the answer is affirmative, as in OP’s case, the police will likely (at least in the City of Dallas) REFUSE TO COME to the accident.

Now, in a prior accident when I was rear-ended, the driver gave me his proof of insurance which I later learned was no good b/c he hadn’t paid premiums and was cancelled. My car had so much damage that I took it to the dealer and traded it, and they credited me for repair costs. I’m sure I lost in that deal. I was a new widow and had too much on my emotional plate to handle dealing with a repair. My insurance company covered (after $1k deductible) and never went after the guy who hit me although I had his info. I could have sued him for the $1K deductible but really had too much going on in my life at that time to deal with it. I talked to the police about making a police report and going after the guy who hit me. They told me it was a civil matter and either I or my insurance company would have to pursue. I was told the reporting party gets the accident on her record. If both report, both get it noted on their records. In the case of a minor accident, if not using one’s insurance, I don’t see the value of reporting the accident.

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by WorldKlas

The first thing the police will ask if everyone is OK and if both drivers have exchanged info. If the answer is affirmative, as in OP’s case, the police will likely (at least in the City of Dallas) REFUSE TO COME to the accident.

That's because Dallas PD is severely understaffed. We had an incident at my job where a drunk driver hit our fence, disabling his car, and DPD didn't show up for almost 6 HOURS. By then, the drunk guy had sobered up enough to walk away...

I can tell you that Grapevine and Hurst PDs were both happy to give me a police report for a minor accident.

[El Chingaso]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

No, it's not.
I was involved in a hit and run crash 2 years ago that ended up totalling my car. No one was injured, but the driver who hit me sped away. I needed that police report in order to get the witness statements recorded about what they saw, and to prove that when the hit and run driver hit me, it knocked me into the car in front of me. Had I not had the police report, my own insurance would have been charged for the damage to the car in front of me, and I would have had to pay my full $500 deductible for the damage to my own vehicle, instead of the $250 uninsured motorist deductible. I also had to sign paperwork stating that if the police found the hit and run driver, I wanted to press charges.

No, you did not need that. You needed the witness information and to properly report the claim to your insurance company. The claims adjuster would then investigate this.

I have handled THOUSANDS of claims - please stop spreading misinformation.