<p>Thankfully, no one was hurt. I have been trying to handle this by working solely with the other driver’s insurance company, but have hit a brick wall. Has anyone had any experience with handling a claim this way…without involving your own insurance company?</p>
<p>Here are the facts, as I undertand them. Son was exiting strip mall parking lot along the main entrance/exit lane. An elderly (86-year-old) gentleman pulled out of a cross intersection right into the side of my son’s car. The other driver’s insurance company is claiming that my s didn’t stop quickly enough. The other driver’s front bumper was pull off his car.</p>
<p>They have offered to pay 75% of the approximately $4,500 damage to our car. Just wondering if this is a lost cause and I should just go ahead and file a claim with my insurance company. It’s not so much the $500 deductible that I’m worried about…just the increase in my son’s premiums. My agent has been less than helpful in the whole matter. I can understand that. Hopefully, she’ll step up a little better if I actually file a claim.</p>
<p>I understand that parking lots are wild and crazy places and demand an extra amount of attention. Maybe this is a reasonable offer.</p>
<p>So you’re saying that you can avoid reporting the accident and pay about $1200? This probably would be the cheapest option in the long run. Not knowing anything about your insurance company, this doesn’t sound like a bad deal. I’d also ask son to chip in what you think he can afford (if it were my working son, it would be the lions’s share).
Even if he were totally not at fault, accidents happen, and they are some of the costs related to driving. The other option would be to report it, pay your $500 and, no doubt, face rising premiums. I’d bet on it, with a 17 year old.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago when my 19-year-old son was visiting Montreal (he goes to McGill and was up visiting friends), his car was hit by a drunk driver. It was actually a 4-car collision and the dwi person was arrested, so we do have a record to show blame. </p>
<p>However, it remains unclear if we will get our deductible back. I did of course report it to the insurance company. </p>
<p>Two weeks later (again driving to Montreal), he got a speeding ticket. This ticket, of course, will even more likely affect our insurance rates. </p>
<p>There are a couple of things here that may be factors: Is this your son’s car or is he just an occasion driver? It may or may not be a factor how long you have been with the insurance company. </p>
<p>Personally, I would recommend you notify your insurance company. It would be different if this was a minor claim of a few hundred dollars</p>
<p>Advice that comes too late - if you are not at fault, make sure that the officer on the scene gives out a ticket to the other party. </p>
<p>Make sure that the offer means that you will have NO liability later on. I know someone who just got sued over an accident that happened three years ago.</p>
<p>Will your insurance go up if S is not at fault? How much? For how long? Sometimes, the increased premiums will not be worth the expense - so that could really motivate you to not file the claim with your company. </p>
<p>Sure, it’s a reasonable offer - but why not counter it? They want you to pay $1,125 for this accident - which is probably not your S’s fault. (86 years old and behind the wheel? It’s an unusual 86-year-old who can do that, and, when there is an accident, is not at fault!) How about asking them to pay all but $750 of it? My guess is that they are trying to push around the 17-year-old - this would not be happening to a 40-year-old. </p>
<p>Call up your insurance company and harass the daylights out of them until they give you answers. It’s part of what your insurance premiums are paying for. </p>
<p>If your son had the right-of-way, why does it matter if he didn’t stop quickly enough? Sure, he could have avoided the accident, but, legally, ability to avoid something rarely precludes recovering from the problem. We don’t demand that people turn themselves inside out to avoid other people’s errors. </p>
<p>Do some math. How could your son have avoided this guy? 1 mph = 1.5 feet/second, right? How fast was he going and how fast would he have had to decelerate to avoid hitting the guy or being hit? 5 mph = 7.5 ft/sec, and, let’s say he would have needed to stop 15 ft. earlier (otherwise would have hit the old man) - so that’s about two full seconds sooner of stopping. That’s not gonna happen - once the old guy pulled out, they were on a collision course.</p>
<p>Hug your boy extra hard tonight and tell him how thankful you are that neither he nor the other driver were hurt. As accidents go, this is a fairly easy one to live with.</p>
<p>Of course this was MY car. He is an occasional driver on it. His older brother is home for the summer and there is a fair amount of jockeying around of vehicles at our house.</p>
<p>I have been speaking with my agent and so far, she has recommended not filing a claim. That may change now.</p>
<p>Hmm -ariesathena- no matter how “right” you or the young driver may be, insurance rates for minors are based on actuary statistics that don’t take reason into account.
I’d go with the other companies offer and chock it up to live and learn.
Your 17 year-old son doesn’t want an accident on his record, (in the thousands of dollars) no matter whose fault it is. And it sounds like, at this point, the fault is not determined.</p>
<p>A perfect storm, but not one the young driver can win.</p>
<p>Good luck though. It doesn’t hurt to ask.</p>
<p>One cautionary note. Whatever your agent may tell you about the probability of your premiums being raised, there is no guarantee that the company won’t do so, if not this year, then next. These things stay on record for three years.</p>
<p>Agree that insurance rates for young drivers are based less upon things like fault and whatnot than they are on age, demographics, scholastic performance, gender, etc. </p>
<p>$1,125 to pay for this; $500 deductible. If increased premiums cost more than $625, obviously, pay out of pocket (but negotiate first). Even if they only go up about $500 total (say, $100/year for five years), it might be worth it to have the clean driving record. As I said, harass the agent until she gives you answers - good answers.</p>
<p>I got into an accident (entirely my fault) when I was 17 - all the damage was to my car. The estimates were all less than $1,000, so I paid it myself, never told my insurance company, and had a sterling driving record.</p>
<p>Agree with ASAP re: increased premiums. In some states, they stay on record for five or seven years. Be careful!</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the advice and comments. Sounds like I need to have a Heart-to-Heart with my agent. I’m sure that paying 25% (or the best I can negotiate) of the damages will end up being the least expensive route.</p>
<p>Chances are if they offered 75%, they know the other driver was in the wrong. So I’d muscle them some - remember, they have no idea what really happened, other than they have an 86-year-old driver who sideswiped your kid. Offer to pay no more than $500, which would be the deductible.</p>
<p>We had a similar but different situation with D and a parking lot accident. We were able to “win” and not have to pay a penny because the damages (though MINIMAL) showed that D was in the right…and the other (teenage) driver was in the wrong…and in fact was lying in her version of what happened. Will your damages help to prove your case? Ours did have to go through the insurance companies (because the other driver’s family insisted) but THEIR insurance agent was the one who immediately saw his client was in the wrong from the damages on D’s car. Don’t know if this helps your situation or not…but thought I’d throw it in for consideration! Good luck!</p>
<p>I would think that the old guy’s insurance Co. has already determined that the fault is the o.g.'s, why else would they be making you ANY offers, especially a 75% offer. Can you go over to the police precinct where this accident was recorded and get more information. Were pictures taken? Was your vehicle broadsided? Was it actually recorded that it was no-one’s fault, because I find that hard to believe.</p>
<p>Be very careful in what you agree to. Also do not rush into filing a claim with your own insurance company. These things come back to haunt you, especiallly if, God forbid, there is another accident in a few months.</p>
<p>You need to take quite a strong stance with the other insurance company. </p>
<p>Also remember, if you shop around, you can get vastly differing estimates for repairs. So if you don’t win this round, and the other Co. pays 75% of $4500, you may actually be able to fix the car for under $3375. Or depending on what the car is worth, (and if they are willing to send you a check, which happens sometimes), don’t even bother.</p>
<p>I agree with Chocoholic’s assessment. I think they already believe the old guy is at fault. I’d go with asking them to compensate you all but $500 and avoid any calls to my own insurance company.</p>
<p>nytheatermom, you should get your deductible, but your ins co won’t collect it. You have to get it from the drunk driver’s insurance. And I agree. No ins co offers to pay 75% without liability. They are just trying to get their amount down. Good luck!</p>