Hi everyone,

I need your help. I got into an accident last night when I rear-ended the driver in front of me. My car didn't sustain any damage but the other driver's rear bumper got a dent (nothing too too big, but not too small either). As we were both in a rush, we exchanged Names, phone numbers and took photos of each other's car's license plates and damages (no photos of the cars next to each other was taken). NO Driver's License or Insurance information was exchanged.

The other guy called me today and told me that he went to a collission reporting centre and got a police report filled out. I haven't done that yet. I offered to get his car repaired outside insurance through a bodyshop I know but he is being very difficult, wants to go through insurance and said that even if he were to settle without going to insurance, he wants to get it repaired from his dealership only (the cost of which is twice the amount I would have paid my bodyshop guy). I am a 20 year student and don't have 2500 dollars (his Mercedes dealership quoted for the bumper replacement) but he just won't budge. The reason I don't want to go throuh insurance is because my father already has had a lot of accidents on his policy (which I am under) and the insurance company will drop us altogether if there is one more accident on the policy.

The guy is being very threatening and is not willing ot budge on anything. I was wondering, outside of my name and my car's license plate, what other proof he has against me? Does he have a case to stand on if I were to just simply ignore him and not get a police report filled out, inform my insurance and just ignore him. How will he prove that I was actually involved in an accident etc?

Please respond asap. I would greatly appreciate your help with this.

Cowsgo wrote:Hi everyone,

I need your help. I got into an accident last night when I rear-ended the driver in front of me. My car didn't sustain any damage but the other driver's rear bumper got a dent (nothing too too big, but not too small either). As we were both in a rush, we exchanged Names, phone numbers and took photos of each other's car's license plates and damages (no photos of the cars next to each other was taken). NO Driver's License or Insurance information was exchanged.

The other guy called me today and told me that he went to a collission reporting centre and got a police report filled out. I haven't done that yet. I offered to get his car repaired outside insurance through a bodyshop I know but he is being very difficult, wants to go through insurance and said that even if he were to settle without going to insurance, he wants to get it repaired from his dealership only (the cost of which is twice the amount I would have paid my bodyshop guy). I am a 20 year student and don't have 2500 dollars (his Mercedes dealership quoted for the bumper replacement) but he just won't budge. The reason I don't want to go throuh insurance is because my father already has had a lot of accidents on his policy (which I am under) and the insurance company will drop us altogether if there is one more accident on the policy.

The guy is being very threatening and is not willing ot budge on anything. I was wondering, outside of my name and my car's license plate, what other proof he has against me? Does he have a case to stand on if I were to just simply ignore him and not get a police report filled out, inform my insurance and just ignore him. How will he prove that I was actually involved in an accident etc?

Please respond asap. I would greatly appreciate your help with this.

Anyone who is on the receiving end of an accident has the legal right to have their car repaired wherever they choose. They are not entitled to make your life easier by going to some Joe Shmoe based on your recommendation. Having a car repaired through a dealer, while expensive, is not unreasonable. The dealer doesn't do these repairs anyways. They are outsourced to body shops in which they have a relationship with. These same body shops usually have a relationship with the major insurance companies also based on their quality.

A full bumper replacement is perfectly reasonable. As someone on the receiving end of an accident, i'm entitled to be made whole. Having a bumper repaired with body filler because you were driving too close is not being made whole. If you ruin your own bumper and feel bondo is an acceptable fix, that's your prerogative.

Cars are also equipped with bumper beams to help absorb the impact of an accident (mandatory in Canada). This may also need to be replaced. It is also not uncommon for bumpers to require additional trim pieces. Not all bumpers, especially Mercedes, are built in one easy piece. A quality shop will also take the time to blend the panels together so one is not darker or lighter than the other. Cheap body shops don't bother and you're left with uneven shades among the different panels.

$2500 for the replacement of a panel plus repaint is not uncommon.

As for not having the money, either:

(a) find it

(b) go through insurance

(c) stop hitting people.

As for running away from your problems, grow up.

bend wrote:

Cowsgo wrote:

The guy is being very threatening and is not willing ot budge on anything. I was wondering, outside of my name and my car's license plate, what other proof he has against me? Does he have a case to stand on if I were to just simply ignore him and not get a police report filled out, inform my insurance and just ignore him. How will he prove that I was actually involved in an accident etc?

Oh, I don't know. How about the pictures he took of your car? And what do you mean, 'outside of my name and licence plate'... he already has this information and you somehow don't think it's enough?

You're setting yourself up to be charged by the police for failing to report an accident by putting your head in the sand. Or if your father is the registered owner, they'll charge him instead.

As far as proving you were involved, he has photos of the damage, and your car, and your name, and your licence plate, and providing even the briefest of descriptions of you is all that is needed to prove that you were involved.

Good luck.

Cowsgo wrote:The guy is being very threatening and is not willing ot budge on anything. I was wondering, outside of my name and my car's license plate, what other proof he has against me? Does he have a case to stand on if I were to just simply ignore him and not get a police report filled out, inform my insurance and just ignore him. How will he prove that I was actually involved in an accident etc?

He'll just inform his insurance company and they'll notify your insurance company. That's how the system works. If your insurance company comes calling (which, they will), if you try to deny that you were involved, you could be charged with fraud, in addition to possibly being charged with Failing to Report by the police. They only need proof beyond a reasonable doubt that you were involved... and they've got that. To over-simplify, he only has to point to you and say "he did it," and you are toast.

Report the collision, and then figure out how you're either going to find the $2500, or start shopping for a new insurance company in anticipation of having your current coverage terminated.