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MrCodeDude

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
13,674
1
76
$500 is cheap, compared to the insurance rates you'd suffer, not to mention the ding against your drivers record.
 

silverpig

Lifer
Jul 29, 2001
27,703
12
81
Originally posted by: pulse8
You're asking for lawyer to give an answer for a question of morals? :confused:

Damn you. This was the first thing that popped into my head upon reading the thread title. And I mean the exact same words.

You stole my post.

:p
 

sixone

Lifer
May 3, 2004
25,030
5
61
Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Ethically and morally: if there is real damage that just wasn't obvious from a quick look, you are obligated to pay actual repair costs since it was your fault.

If you're looking for a legal reason to weasel out of your obligation, then yes you want a lawyer, it's their job to help you shirk your obligations and live by the letter of the law.

True. So either fork it over, or send her to your insurance company, let them screw her on your behalf.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
theres nothing she has from the accident except for my name and phone number and now my address since she is sending me the estimate. i don't want to ream her b/c im not that type of guy to just back out on something i caused and i morally should take responsibility for but i was just wondering the best way to handle the situation if like.. she tries to ask for more or when i review the estimate if it asks for things like rear brake lights and all this other stuff since i know that all i hit was her bumper and i doubt much of anything else could be wrong if it was such a serious problem after the accident she should of got the estimate and been willing to get it fixed sooner then wait so long like she did which is why i feel shes just trying to milk me for some money for the holidays...
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
oh she did get the vehicle make and model and license plate etc, but it isn't my vechicle its my sisters. but she does have my name and phone and address now since shes sending me the estimate.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
lol i dunno why i posted asking for a lawyers advice now that i think of it that is kinda funny, they're paid to lie so why should i believe them... as for those of you mocking my writing style, i don't write for the instance of proper "form" i just do it to get my point across :) i don't care what it looks like.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
plus she stated on the phone (she seems like real nice lady) that she would be in no hurry to obtain the money im not sure how long she would be willing to wait i could make it in payments or so but id have to mail her out checks etc, is there anyway that i can make sure whatever i send is recorded and that once she gets all the money the estimate asks for some way to lay it out as some of you've suggested to make her sign a paper or something stating that its done and over with? what would be the best way of doing this.... so she can't try to get anymore from me (although i doubt she would, but you never know) is there some way you can suggest for me to cover my behind....
 

MrX82

Member
Sep 24, 2004
61
0
0
My car was hit a few years back with little damage, about $500. The lady that hit didn't want to go through insurance since 500 was her deductible, so she told her insurance company what happened and that she would like to settle this w/o the insurance company and they gave her a form which states that she reimbursed me for the damages and that i cannot sue her for more money. the form requires a witness.

i dont remember whats the name of the form, hopefully this description will help
 

Yossarian

Lifer
Dec 26, 2000
18,010
1
81
PARAGRAPHS!!!!

I don't know why someone would go to the trouble of writing all that and not bother making it at all readable.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
Originally posted by: MrX82
My car was hit a few years back with little damage, about $500. The lady that hit didn't want to go through insurance since 500 was her deductible, so she told her insurance company what happened and that she would like to settle this w/o the insurance company and they gave her a form which states that she reimbursed me for the damages and that i cannot sue her for more money. the form requires a witness.

i dont remember whats the name of the form, hopefully this description will help


that sounds great but i sense a flaw, theres the insurance company that is out to make money by providing insurance for drivers, if a driver gets in an accident their insurance goes up, thus them having to owe the insurance company more money, padding the insurance companies pockets, sooo... why would the insurance company if you call them be perfectly okay with the fact that you want to settle without insurance and if you did this would you insurance still not go up? since the insurnace company clearly knows now about the accident.
 

Double Trouble

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
9,270
103
106
Basically, once the accident took place, you became responsible for any repairs that have to be performed as a result of the accident. That's it. Normally, it gets done through insurance, but there's no law that says it has to be. If she agreed to let you pay her directly without getting the insurance involved, then that's what you have to do. Should you fail to pay her, the only thing she can really do is take you to small claims court and sue you for the damages. Thats' it.

Be honest and fair: ask her for the estimate, if it seems at all reasonable, pay it and move on. If it seems out of whack, you can always ask her for further clarification. She was nice enough to give you the opportunity to not have your rates go through the roof, so your moral obligation is to pay for the damage.

Keep a copy of estimate, and make your payments by check. On each check, write out what the payment is for, and which number it is. For example, if you pay $100 each month for five months, write on the check "$100 payment towards repairs required after accident dated xx/xx/xx. Payment #1 of 5". That will hold up in court should a dispute arise later, because if she cashes the check, it shows that she acknowledges the amount, and how much you were going to pay.
 

Meractik

Golden Member
Jul 8, 2003
1,752
0
0
there we go, that sounds perfect. :) i would say if i did that and had her sign and mail a letter stating she is satisfied with the amount ive given that it should all be 100% covered, thanks everybody :-D
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Personally, I'd check if there is a certain amount of time after which her complaints don't matter

If there is, just give her $500 and hope she doesn't ask for more till then, assuming that amount of time is less than a month or two

If it's longer or doesn't exist, I'd file with insurance because she could keep coming back and asking for money
 

rufruf44

Platinum Member
May 8, 2001
2,002
0
0
Body repair can be very expensive even for a minor dent (usually for labor cost). $500 is a reasonable enough quote. You might want to check if the quote is for claim or personal, since sometimes they charge a lot higher for insurance claims.
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Originally posted by: DevilsAdvocate
Originally posted by: amdskip
$500 is cheap, pay it and move on.

<-- an attorney.

Be happy she did not try to make a bodily injury claim.

That's what I was thinking after reading the original post..
$500 is dirt cheap. If she settled through the insurance company, your insurance would probably go up by at least $500.
 

DougK62

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2001
8,035
6
81
An old Cavalier with no visible damage? Yep - she's taking you on a $500 ride.

It'd be best to just pay her off.

 
Nov 7, 2000
16,403
3
81
avoiding paragraphs might allow you write 5ms faster, but it makes all of us take 2x as long. contrary to what you might think, it does not help get your point across. plus, its common courtesy. i could understand if this was a rant, but you are asking for our advice, the least you could do is make your posts more readable.

i would pay the 500 and move on. if she came back and asked for more money, i would probably pay that too and kick my own ass for cutting corners to save a few bucks. my friend was in this same situation, and he got screwed just like you are.