Got rear ended today

[ShawnDeath]

Some of y'all need to do some reading on CLUE reports. It's a super secret website for evil villains (ins agents) to keep track of everything you are ever involved with when it comes to claims. Supposedly it's only there for three years. But I have my doubts.

Speaking from the evil villain side, CLUE report will count your not at fault and minor violations against you for 3 years. At fault and major violations count 5 years.

If you keep having not at fault accidents, your insurance premiums will rise as the insurance companies will just assume you have bad luck.

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[Vato]

Speaking from the evil villain side, CLUE report will count your not at fault and minor violations against you for 3 years. At fault and major violations count 5 years.

If you keep having not at fault accidents, your insurance premiums will rise as the insurance companies will just assume you have bad luck.

Could the real reason for your insurance increasing is if you have various instances of not at faults be due to the immediate coverage received by your insurance company and then the insurance company having to fight to recover that cost with another company?

Better yet, my last situation was a high school kid who rearended me. He had no insurance and I can only assume my insurance company would have to file a civil suit to recover damages.

 

[Rickycardo]

Fair enough, but to be honest, if you didn't have the image that compares the before vs the after it wouldn't look like your brake lights were on at all. That is pretty dim - and in overcast lighting.

Also, did you buy that measuring wheel specifically for defending your tail light tint? ;)

Actually I'm a Manufacturing Engineer. I spend a lot of my time laying out factories, assembly lines and work cells. I've had the little wheel for quite a few years.
If you think about it being rear ended because your brake lights are not on and it being your fault makes no sense. How many times have you sat at a light with the clutch in and your foot off the brake? On level pavement I've done that often at a long light. Shift into neutral, feet off the pedal if the car doesn't roll. My stang is now an auto but in those day it happened a lot. There is no legal requirement to illuminate your brake lights when stopped. Only when braking.

 

[ctandc72]

ALWAYS get a police report is great advice - BUT - (isn't there always a but?) some cities / jurisdictions have "internal" policies about what they will write reports for. Case in point, I was on my motorcycle several years ago. On the main road, saw the kid leaving Advance Auto. He looked to his right but never looked back to his left - the direction I was coming from. Lanes full, I got ready to avoid / stop. He pulled out FAST. I swerved / braked and would have missed him if he hadn't of panic braked when he finally noticed me. I ended up in the breakdown lane. Bike went down, low side, but somehow I never hit the ground. Guy behind me in traffic (turns out he was a rider too) said I 'hopped' off the bike at impact and landed on my feet. I honestly don't remember doing it.

Regardless, the kid got a ticket for failure to yield. City cop said "We don't write reports for accidents with no injuries and damage less than $1500." I was looking at the bike (brand new condition - ZERO damage before the wreck) and I knew damn well if I used factory fairings (pre painted) it was well over $1500. I politely argued with him, no joy.

So I called my insurance and they recorded my statement. Kid later recanted on recorded statement (Dad's insurance). I had to call the Captain on shift at the police department and he made the responding officer write a report. Apparently, if requested, they are supposed to write it.

Heck, the only reason I'm here posting now is because a girl turned left in front of my V6 / 6 speed Accord coupe. 45mph speed limit, no light, just a break in the median - she tried to jump across to get on interstate. I downshifted and braked and would have missed her. She panic braked dead in front of me.

My car was totaled. She was ticketed and charged. Still dealing with her insurance (State Farm) and my insurance (USAA) has already paid out the totaled value to my lender and is going after State Farm for my deductible + rental car expenses.

 

[Wriggly]

I feel for all you poor folks that have to go to work and deal with the schmucks on the road. I retired four years ago and moved to the country where I drive around on nice smooth country roads with no traffic while the knuckleheads are at work. When rush hour comes around I park the car in the garage and kick back with my pipe and a beer.

 

[pdac]

Better call Saul

But IMO not getting a police report was a really really really bad idea.

Happened to my college room mate, same thing. No police report. After the cosmetic repair, he found other things not working and his exhaust bent because there was contact. Other party wouldnt pay so he tried to file a police report later on. **HE** got the ticket for leaving the scene of an accident.

Alot of places you CAN'T get a police report on a fender bender. Unless there is an injury, the police will tell you to exchange info and call it a day. New York City and CT (If I'm not mistaken) come to mind.

 

[Bladex10]

I got lightly rear ended in my 2001 GT a few years ago at a grocery store parking lot, Guy asked how much i want, I said $500 just to start off high. He said follow me over to his bank down the street and he pulled it out and apologized. We didnt even sign anything or anything.

Love it when its that easy.

 

[Rickycardo]

Update: The plot thickens for this novella. After not hearing from his insurance company for 2 days I called them and they tell me they HAD a policy for the driver but don't have a current policy. They say perhaps its because he hasn't made a payment but I suspect he gave the police false information.
I immediately called my insurance and started a claim (I'm sure, bad decision, rate increase, yada) and explained to them what occurred. She explained to me that they were more than happy to go after his insurance and him if necessary to recover money for damage. He put down all his personal info on the police report, name, address, phone, DL number, the works. My agent explained that if needed they would invite the police to his address to ask him why he falsified info on the police report. When the police were filling out the accident report I took pictures of both cars and the damage. I also included a picture of him (since he was standing next to his car) and the street where it happened. He never bothered to do anything but stand there the whole time.
Moral of the story so far: don't worry about feeling like a dick for calling the cops for a minor accident. The world is full of bad people.
Waiting for the next chapter...stay tuned.

 

[furiousfuria]

Update: The plot thickens for this novella. After not hearing from his insurance company for 2 days I called them and they tell me they HAD a policy for the driver but don't have a current policy. They say perhaps its because he hasn't made a payment but I suspect he gave the police false information.
I immediately called my insurance and started a claim (I'm sure, bad decision, rate increase, yada) and explained to them what occurred. She explained to me that they were more than happy to go after his insurance and him if necessary to recover money for damage. He put down all his personal info on the police report, name, address, phone, DL number, the works. My agent explained that if needed they would invite the police to his address to ask him why he falsified info on the police report. When the police were filling out the accident report I took pictures of both cars and the damage. I also included a picture of him (since he was standing next to his car) and the street where it happened. He never bothered to do anything but stand there the whole time.
Moral of the story so far: don't worry about feeling like a dick for calling the cops for a minor accident. The world is full of bad people.
Waiting for the next chapter...stay tuned.

I'm still waiting on the check from the owner of the company of the semi truck that rear ended me, he said he was going to mail it yesterday so if I don't see anything soon I'm going to follow your lead and make a claim since I have so much of his info. I hope you get yours resolved soon!!

 

[Rickycardo]

Good luck. I hope it works out for you.

 

[Wriggly]

Update: The plot thickens for this novella. After not hearing from his insurance company for 2 days I called them and they tell me they HAD a policy for the driver but don't have a current policy. They say perhaps its because he hasn't made a payment but I suspect he gave the police false information.
I immediately called my insurance and started a claim (I'm sure, bad decision, rate increase, yada) and explained to them what occurred. She explained to me that they were more than happy to go after his insurance and him if necessary to recover money for damage. He put down all his personal info on the police report, name, address, phone, DL number, the works. My agent explained that if needed they would invite the police to his address to ask him why he falsified info on the police report. When the police were filling out the accident report I took pictures of both cars and the damage. I also included a picture of him (since he was standing next to his car) and the street where it happened. He never bothered to do anything but stand there the whole time.
Moral of the story so far: don't worry about feeling like a dick for calling the cops for a minor accident. The world is full of bad people.
Waiting for the next chapter...stay tuned.

Seems we have more than our fair share of bad people in our area too.

 

[Brandon1017]

Are you really being honest when you say that? Look at the other cars near his. I think it's obvious that his lights are on in the photo with the lights on. They are super easy to see.

He might actually be high! You can obviously tell the lights are on in the second picture even without looking at the first one! Lets all take a moment to stop making excuses for stupidity and just call it like it is! It's not his fault that he was rear ended period! The majority of cars I see on the road have dimmer stock taillights than S550s do even with tail light tint! :shrug:

 

[reek]

there should be a swift and harsh punishment for uninsured dirt bags. I doubt the rear ender will cough up any money but anyway, I hope it all works out in the end.

I feel for all you poor folks that have to go to work and deal with the schmucks on the road. I retired four years ago and moved to the country where I drive around on nice smooth country roads with no traffic while the knuckleheads are at work. When rush hour comes around I park the car in the garage and kick back with my pipe and a beer.

I did just that, moved out of the city. unfortunately, not far enough. over the last 5 years, the city has moved out to find me again. Also, I thought I was the only old fart smoking a pipe drinking beer in my garage.

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