Got into an accident - need advice!

[Abel007]

It was your fault and it was your fault and again, your fault. If ya didn't want to pay $2000 then you should've filed a police report. Without that report you have nothing to back up his statements to you or what even happend. He could've been in another 10 accidents and you're gonna have to eat it or just let him take you to court and try to weasel your way out of it all together.

 

[Number1]

Originally posted by: thescreensavers
aa ask for the recite of the fix to validate it is $2000 if he says I dont have it say I am not paying till I see a recite of how much it is

recite?

 

[slackerinabox]

OK guys,
I'm going to call him and refer him to my insurance company (he has all my info). I'll call my insurance company tonight as well.

Any more thoughts before I make the calls?

 

[Tom]

How did you deduce the value of the damage you feel responsible for is a few hundred dollars ? Car repair is vastly more expensive than most people think it is, is why I ask.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: Tom
How did you deduce the value of the damage you feel responsible for is a few hundred dollars ? Car repair is vastly more expensive than most people think it is, is why I ask.

Well, I've had fender benders before. His damage was just a dent about 6 inches long - I know, from experience getting work done before, that pulling a dent and repainting a door/panel varied from $500 to $1,000. $2,000 is absurd. His car is a VW passat from 1999 or so, not a rare vehicle to say the least.

 

[Mermaidman]

Um, hello?

What accident? 😉

 

[EngenZerO]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Um, hello?

What accident? 😉

seriously, ftw

 

[alrocky]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
This accident happened around 3 to 4 weeks ago.

I *know* that I should have filed a report. But he insisted and I agreed because he was in a rush and I didn't want to ruin his day more than I already had. A BIG mistake, I know. But how do I deal with it now?

My feeling is that, if I do go to court, some balance would be obtained because I feel like we were both in the wrong. but, if i do lose, would I pay more than the initial estimate (court fees, etc) or is $2,000 going to be the max?

3 or 4 weeks ago!? Auto insurance companies frown about folks who wait a month to notify them of an accident. Your policy likely states that you must inform them promtly after an accident. How much time passed before he sent you that bill for $2000? You should've call your insurance company right then. Does the estimate paperwork look legit and did the guy send you paperwork showing it was actually fixed? Have you seen this VW Passat since?

From the description you gave it doesn't seem like you and he "were both in the wrong." A $2000 case would end up in small claims court. Call the court and ask if a loser in small claims pays any fees. You have an advantage that your passenger could testify as to the visual damage done to the VW that day. You'd need to verify the veracity of the estimate and if in fact the car was actually repaired.

If you call your insurance you should make no further contact with him nor accept any telephone calls from him either.

 

[Kelemvor]

Just give him the phone number of your car insurance place and forget about it. It's his problem if he didn't file the police report, not yours. He can't prove anything and your insurance company will tell him to jump off a cliff if he tries to mess with them..

 

[JEDIYoda]

That same thing happenned to me a few years back!!
I was delivering Pizza one saturday morning around 10:00 am and was speeding up this side street when some moron in a new Black mercedes pulled out in front of me.

The dood insisited on no police report !! I come to find out he had no license.....

Needless to say I made out like a bandit!!

Possibly the guy insisited on no police report becuase his license had been revoked...