TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

And it's my first accident EVER. Well, first ever involving another person. I've been hit by a friend while not in the car, and I destroyed a Taurus with a curb. But I was pulling out of a parking space with the space adjacent open, and I was backing out, and watching behind me, and the nose swung right into somone who was pulling in. My damage is HEAVILY to the front driver fender, and their's is on their front bumper.

I dunno who's at fault. I "pulled out fast" but they were also pulling in while I was QUITE obviously pulling out, and in that space. Their impact point was the dead center of their front bumper, and mine was almost the halfway point between the wheel well and the front of the fender. They OBVIOUSLY want me to take responsibility, but they didn't call the cops. Some sleezy lawyer looking guy pulled up and handed them his card though. Their bumper is scratched and has a chip taken out of it, but everything else is fine. It's not even dented. So they'd get that replaced or repaired, then they're good as new. It's a newer car, so they could probably even order it in the right color from a dealership.

My fender is toast. It might be able to be fixed, but it'd be cheaper to get a new fender. My side marker is thrashed. My chin spoiler is thrashed. And because of the caved in fender, parts of the front bumper cover where the two parts connect are torn, so I'd need to get that replaced to. Used parts? That's not that bad. $75 bumper, $20 inner deflector, $10 side marker. Most expensive part is the front bumper cover AND the chance that there might be damage inside there. But new parts? $1000 plus paint.

So... Anyone know a paint shop or something where I could get a good deal on painting these new parts to match? Anyone have any advice for me in this situation? Any and all help is appreciated.

Duck

Betcha the lawyer hits you with a lawsuit for $3K+ damages to his client's car.

Call the injured party, find out what's going on. Did you file an accident report ensuring the fact that the other party hit you while you were backing out is on the record? If not, the lawyer will make it appear that you hit the other car.

Epoxy resin and fiberglass mat does a great job repairing the flexible plastic on ThirdGen panels. So save money, do the repairs yourself and install a used fender.

Parking lots are insanely dangerous. Most cars have poor rear visibility; huge SUVs and trucks block more vision on the sides; and many drivers don't execise enough caution and some are terribly aggressive -- like those idiots driving fast through the parking aisles who see someone backing out, knowing the driver can't see them flying down the aisle, so those idiots speed up and honks their horn to make the reversing driver stop.

Hard to avoid those. I make it a habit to be extremely cautious in parking lots ... drive really slow down the aisles; let other cars backup in front of me even if I'm not waiting for their space; reverse out of stalls really really slow checking everything 360-degrees several times. Yeah, it make other drivers in a hurry pretty crazy, but I don't care. My car is more important than their anxiety attacks...

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

I am not completely sure who hit who, but judging from where the intial impact points are on each vehicle, it looks like they hit me first (or we hit each other), but I'm the one that kept moving. They say they honked the horn, but I didn't hear anything.

No report of any kind was filed. The cops were not involved. Should I call them to file an accident report? Will my insurance contact me when they contact them? Should I contact their insurance first? And I guarantee. I will never feel secure in a parking lot again.

I bet he's gonna try, but I mean, they're bumper came into my fender. All the supports are fine, all that's wrong is their plastic shell. My chin spoiler is actually in good condition, it just needs to be taken off soon so it doesn't hold shape to the bend. My bumper cover has REALLY deep scratches, and several tears where it bonds to the fender. And I was planning on getting a used fender, but if their insurance will pay for a new one....

Z28GEN3

You really should have called the cops when the accident happened, regardless of whether the other party wanted you to or not, its not up to them, at least there would have been a record of it on paper, have gotten their side of the accident and your side, and though it is difficult I would have made every attempt to document the damage such as in pictures of some kind, camera phone or a throw away camera. by letting the other idiot go w/o a report being made, they can out bash the bumper in and then sue you for excessive damage, (which seems to me like it would be insurance fraud on their part) when there wasn't really any in the place per the above post.

Not to mention the other party can claim whiplash after the fact or an injury that was present before the accident and claim it happened during the incident BTDT, that would have been noted in the police report, they can nail u for that as well.

mdurbala

iTrader: (1)

I would have most deff called the cops, people are idiots and will try to get as much money as they can but you dont really have to worry about them claiming any injuries now... unless they went right to the hospital, if they do its difficult to prove it

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Photo of the damage.

azcamaro

iTrader: (1)

I am really sorry to hear this, I feel your pain....
I plan on going to the wrecking yds this weekend here in Phx. let me know if I should keep my eye open for? PM me your # if you do, I have free nation wide long dist on my cell.

TheScaryOne

iTrader: (3)

Developments on the car:
My insurance sucks. I would never recommend Farmer's to another human being. I got a letter in the mail two weeks ago. It was from the DMV, and it told me I'd never had insurance of any kind on my car. Ever. They never faxed the DMV my insurance papers. *facepalm* Got that taken care of. Now, on to the accident issues. When my insurance talked to them, "They were 100% at fault" then they talked to me, and I became "100% at fault" then we complained, and they reopened the case, and called the one witness (which was if anything a slanted witness. He drove up and said, "I saw what this young man did to you, and I'd be willing to go to court to make sure that he doesn't screw you." And he was parked in front of me and isle or so over, so he couldn't even clearly see the accident) which, of course, made me at fault. They've never seen either car. And the other party got to get their car repaired at the dealership. No best of three quotes, no competitive quotes. Nothing. They got to go to the most expensive place possible to have their car repaired. $140 for a new bumper cover, AT MAX $140 for paint. But their total was $800. That means there was $500 in shop labor. Erg. I hate insurance companies.

ricks3genbelen

Please dont take this the wrong way, but I hope you took something from this. Glad to hear that you're not hurt, and the damage is relatively slight. Good luck, man.

wesilva

iTrader: (35)

Insurance companies often act like thier from another planet. A couple of weeks ago, I was stuck in a bumper to bumper gridlock on the freeway. I tried to get to the off ramp of a side street to get out. There was a Silverado on my right and I waited for him to clear. It appeared that a minivan behind him was letting me in. I signaled and moved over, hitting the Silverado's trailer. I couldn't see the trailer even after I hit it. We pulled over and I noticed the trailer had no lights or license plate. I filed an accident report and sent pictures of the trailer with no lights or license plate. It appears my insurance company is going to pay for the trailer damage because the accident was my fault....even though the trailer had no business being on the road! Go figure!

birdtojag

iTrader: (1)

For all those of you out there - Always call the cops to cover your butt. Doesn't matter if the other party doesn't want you to. Alway do so. If the other party gets scared and runs off, then it's a hit and run on them and cops will not tolerate that. Also, don't move your cars either until the cops are on the scene and have instructed you too. With any trailer not licensed and with no lights, that person would have gotten a ticket for that issue and the report would have probably go in your favor. That witness though is probably someone that has no morals and is out to make a quick buck. Be careful of them as well. But remember CALL THE COPS AND DON'T MOVE YOUR CAR UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE OFFICER!!!!!!!

wesilva

iTrader: (35)

In my case, the cops wouldn't come because both my vehicle and the trailer were driveable. I made the report! And the trailer pullers admitted to my insurance company that they were not licensed or had working lights. According to my insurance co., those facts did not factor into the accident!! Admittedly, even if the trailer was licensed and had good lights, I still didn't see it. But.....it should have never been on the road! That's my contention.