Car Accident and money issues

[keithy_19]

<p>I got into a car accident two days ago. It was my fault. I couldn't see the car with the glare of the sun and I hit her bumper. It was fine. There's 1 or 2 dents. Not big by any stretch of the imagination,</p><p>She called with the estimate since we decided to not go through insurance. 481 dollars. I don't really see why it's that expensive. I also don't have the money to pay for that. I'm so fucked. </p>

[Landblast]

<p><font size="2">i had the same situation as you, except it was 5 days later, and the guy called</font></p><p><font size="2"> back with the estimate it was $600. Thinking it was one hell of a long shot (cause your</font></p><p><font size="2"> supposed to report it within 24 hrs) , I called my Ins Co (Geico), they got all my info and</font></p><p><font size="2"> his, and she called him and they took care of everything! You think you should try that?</font></p><p>i wanted to add that Geico said they will <strong>not</strong> be increasing my rates because of my driving record.</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by Landblast on 12-14-06 @ 6:55 PM</span>

[Fezticle98]

<p>It seems like it costs at least 400 to fix even minor body/bumper damage to a car. What is your insurance deductable? It's probably more than $481 I would guess. You can see if the lady will let you pay what you can afford now and the rest later.</p><p>If you wanted to be a dick, you could probably skip out on her. She could go through insurance, but that would be her only recourse and would run out after a few days. It would be a dick move though.</p>

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

<p>&nbsp;</p><span class="postbody">If you wanted to be a dick, you could probably skip out on her. She could go through insurance, but that would be her only recourse and would run out after a few days. It would be a dick move though.</span><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And risky considering she has Keith's info.</p><p>Going through insurance could cause your rates to go up. Maybe you can see if you can pay her in installments?&nbsp;</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by Alice S. Fuzzybutt on 12-14-06 @ 6:41 PM</span>

[lleeder]

Dude 481 is a steal I backed into a guy and just bent his bumper it cost me a grand. Everything is expensive when it comes to cars. It sucks but its a harsh fact.

[FUNKMAN]

<p>luckily she didn't roll on the&nbsp;ground grabbing her neck</p><p>i feel bad you don't have the money. couldn't you ask your parents or another relative?</p>

[keithy_19]

<p>It just really looked minor. Like, it's not even bent. There's a chip. That's it, that I could see. I got my motor all redone for 750. 400 for a minor bumper chip seems like a lot.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>But she seems like a nice lady. Wasn't mad about me hitting her. She said that accidents happen and she understands. </p>

[keithy_19]

<strong>FUNKMAN</strong> wrote:<br /><p>luckily she didn't roll on the&nbsp;ground grabbing her neck</p><p>i feel bad you don't have the money. couldn't you ask your parents or another relative?</p><p>I could, and I'm going to have to. But, it's just, I feel bad about it. </p>

[torker]

<img src="http://www.sunposition.com/news/desmoinesregister/dmr_article_1/sun_glare_graphic.jpg" border="0" width="619" height="481" />

[FUNKMAN]

<p>auto shops charge anywhere from 60 to maybe a&nbsp;100 an hour.&nbsp; sanding, priming, repair, ordering paint 'if needed', painting, and coffee break and you can see how it adds up...</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[FUNKMAN]

<strong>torker</strong> wrote:<br /><img src="http://www.sunposition.com/news/desmoinesregister/dmr_article_1/sun_glare_graphic.jpg" border="0" width="250" height="149" /> <p>sounds like he</p><p>Wrapped up like a deuce<br />Another runner in the night</p>

[angelinad128]

That price sounds about right. Going back about 10 years ago, I was in the same type of accident.&nbsp; I broke a light, he just had some paint scratched off the bumber.&nbsp; The price was $450 to repair.

[UnknownPD]

<font size="2">Claims of less than 1000 are not chargeable. Call your insurance!</font>

[angrymissy]

<strong>lleeder</strong> wrote:<br />Dude 481 is a steal I backed into a guy and just bent his bumper it cost me a grand. Everything is expensive when it comes to cars. It sucks but its a harsh fact. <p>I put a tiny ding in someones BMW and had to shell out $800.</p><p>If you go through insurance your deductible is probably $500 anyway so you'll have to pay AND report to insurance.</p>

[UnknownPD]

<strong>angrymissy</strong> wrote:<br /><strong>lleeder</strong> wrote:<br />Dude 481 is a steal I backed into a guy and just bent his bumper it cost me a grand. Everything is expensive when it comes to cars. It sucks but its a harsh fact. <p>I put a tiny ding in someones BMW and had to shell out $800.</p><p>If you go through insurance your deductible is probably $500 anyway so you'll have to pay AND report to insurance.</p><p><font size="2">There is only a deductible for &quot;your&quot; car. When you hit someone else there is no deductible the company pays for the property damage to the other vehicle. </font></p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by UnknownPD on 12-14-06 @ 7:50 PM</span>

[Tenbatsuzen]

<p>Can your parents float you the money until you can pay them back?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>500 bucks may seem like a huge payment, but it's five easy installments of 100 dollars!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I actually accidentally tapped someone yesterday... the other driver was completely cool about it - it was just a tiny scratch, and he realized the bump happened because another driver was being a douche.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We were at a &quot;T&quot; stop - both of us making right turns.&nbsp; I thought he went, and rolled forward when he stopped suddenly because some ass passed a car making a right turn at a high rate of speed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[UnknownPD]

<font size="2">Seriously...this is not a big deal. Just let your insurance handle it. Or at the very least call and ask them...I'll bet you'll find its much simpler than you are thinking</font>

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

<p>I'm wary about him going to his insurance co since he lives in New Jersey.</p><p>That is really a cheap quote, Keith. She's a nice lady. Explain to her you're a student and ask if you can pay it in installments.&nbsp;</p>

[Gvac]

<p>481 bucks sounds incredibly cheap for bumper damage.&nbsp; They're obviously not going to replace it for that price, but it still has to be taken off, fixed, repainted, and remounted.&nbsp; Lots of prep work and labor, not to mention the skyrocketing cost of auto paint.&nbsp; </p><p>A light tap into someone's rear bumper usually winds up resulting in close to a thousand dollars in damage, if not more.&nbsp; Take the deal with a smile.&nbsp;</p>

[Lumber]

<strong>lleeder</strong> wrote:<br />Dude 481 is a steal I backed into a guy and just bent his bumper it cost me a grand. Everything is expensive when it comes to cars. It sucks but its a harsh fact. <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I could'nt agree more. $481 is a steal! It's not so much the damage Bud it's the hourly rate the body shop rapes you for. </p>

[UnknownPD]

<font size="2">It's a steal alright...a steal by her...if he has insurance this os a minor claim that should be handled by his insurance company. If not and he decides to pay it. He&nbsp;needs to make sure he gets a release for all property and bodily injury claims related to the accident. Jersey gives one year to file. So, this woman could take the 481 and still sue for Bodily Injury.</font>

[Gaia]

<strong>UnknownPD</strong> wrote:<br /><font size="2">It's a steal alright...a steal by her...if he has insurance this os a minor claim that should be handled by his insurance company. If not and he decides to pay it. He&nbsp;needs to make sure he gets a release for all property and bodily injury claims related to the accident. Jersey gives one year to file. So, this woman could take the 481 and still sue for Bodily Injury.</font> <p>I'm assuming, just assuming that you work in insurance, which company? Up until april I worked for the GAYCO,,,,I mean GEICO.</p>

[empulse]

<p>call your insurance company, and don't freak about the amount, typically insurers won't raise rates or penalize you for an incident under 750$.&nbsp; <strong>Do not</strong> admit fault to anyone but your agent.&nbsp; And yeah bumpers are expensive, sometimes there are sensors for airbag deployment, or they are made outta some wacky composite, plus they most likely went to the dealer and not some local shop, so the dealer doesn't even wanna get outta bed for less than 500$..</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[keithy_19]

I'm under my parents insurance, if that means anything. Everything is in their name. I don't want to raise their price. But, I talked to my mom and she said I should go through insurance.

[FUNKMAN]

<strong>keithy_19</strong> wrote:<br />I'm under my parents insurance, if that means anything. Everything is in their name. I don't want to raise their price. But, I talked to my mom and she said I should go through insurance. <p>did she cut the ends off your bread too?&nbsp;&nbsp; <img src="/messageboard/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/tongue.gif" border="0" width="20" height="20" /></p><p>just bustin my friend. that's cool. it's a lesson learned about driving in not too desirable conditions and you got off lightly.</p>

[reillyluck]

<p>my bumper got&nbsp;hit by someone when i had my car parked and i didnt see who did it. it cost me about 220 and it was only a small ding.&nbsp; maybe you should tell her to see the place i went to.&nbsp; Two brothers in Jersey City on Tonnelle avenue.&nbsp; </p>

[FUNKMAN]

<strong>reillyluck</strong> wrote:<br /><p>my bumper got&nbsp;hit by someone when i had my car parked and i didnt see who did it. it cost me about 220 and it was only a small ding.&nbsp; maybe you should tell her to see the place i went to.&nbsp;<strong> Two brothers in Jersey City on Tonnelle avenue.</strong>&nbsp; </p><p>i used to eat at and knew the owner of Three Boys From Italy on&nbsp;Brunswick between 4th and 3rd(?) or 3rd and 2nd</p><p>i wonder if they're related</p><p><img src="/messageboard/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/images/smoke.gif" border="0" width="46" height="20" />edit: i keep getting Monmouth and Brunswick mixed up, it's been too long.&nbsp; That should be Monmouth St...</p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by FUNKMAN on 12-15-06 @ 1:28 AM</span>

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

<p><em><span class="postbody">Three Boys From Italy on&nbsp;Brunswick between 4th and 3rd(?) or 3rd and 2nd</span></em></p><p>Yes, I know the place. And I think they are on Brunswick b/w 3rd and 2nd.&nbsp;</p>

[keithy_19]

I believe there's a resturaunt in my town called Two Guys.

[Alice S. Fuzzybutt]

<p><em><span class="postbody"> I'm under my parents insurance, if that means anything. Everything is in their name. I don't want to raise their price. But, I talked to my mom and she said I should go through insurance.</span></em></p><p>So what's the problem? This is a non issue.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[keithy_19]

<p>The lady won't go through insurance. She went to the dealer to get the estimation. I know a guy who could fix her car just as good or better than the dealer and she won't do it. My parents spent a lot of money fixing my car cause the head gasket broke. So I have to pay 481 bucks. And yeah, it could be worse, but it still sucks. I can't afford Christmas presents now. Every dollar I earn is going to go to fixing this ladies car. Bah humbug. </p>

[LordJezo]

<strong>keithy_19</strong> wrote:<br /><p>The lady won't go through insurance. </p><p>Um, what?</p><p>You can't not go through insurance. All you need to do is call your company, tell them what happened, and then they'll take care of it from there. </p><p>Also, I have to agree with the others that $481 is really really cheap for fixing anything on a car. Hell, I had to pay over $200 just to get my spark plugs replaced because of the way my engine is set up.&nbsp; How much is your deductiable?&nbsp; I would think it would be more than that so what's the problem with paying her instead of the insurance company?&nbsp; If you don't have the money to pay her how will you have it for your insurance company?&nbsp; Or do you live in one of those nice cheap states and pay almost nothing for insurance?&nbsp; Damn NJ, costs my almost $2000 a year to insure my car. </p>

<span class=post_edited>This message was edited by LordJezo on 12-22-06 @ 8:31 AM</span>

[crb1]

<p>A couple of years ago, I was hit by an old Asian woman (way to shatter that stereotype!) when I was stopped at a red light.&nbsp; The damage was basically scratched paint on the plastic bumper cover, which sounds similar to what you did to this woman.</p><p>We didn't go through insurance either.&nbsp; My mechanic gave me the name of a good auto body repair shop, and the estimate was $221.&nbsp; And that was to completely strip and repaint the bumper.&nbsp;</p><p>Was there any actual body damage (dents, etc.)?&nbsp; Because while&nbsp;$481 to just repaint a bumper isn't obscene, it's by no means a bargain based on my experience.&nbsp; I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but I would have found it odd that the amount was JUST below my deductible.</p><p>One thing I would recommend is getting a copy of the written estimate from the auto body shop.&nbsp; I sent one to the woman that hit me, just so she knew it was legit.</p>

[keithy_19]

<p>She went to the dealer to get it fixed. My mom talked to her about taking it to a guy we know who does great body work. My brothers car was hit by a truck and he fixed it up and made it look fantastic. Like nothing happened. The lady doesn't want to go to anyone other than the dealer.</p><p>Can't I get a second opinion?</p>