You're insurance company may have SERIOUS issues with you not reporting an accident. If the trunk is as messed up as you say, I would call them IMMEDIATELY

I would lean toward the insurance company. It sounds like major repairs--not just patching up a couple dents or something like that--and you have no idea how much they will cost, or how much trouble you'll have shaking the guy down for the money.

That depends a lot on whether it's a newer or older car, and whether it has comprehensive coverage or liability-only. At least in Oregon, it does. I imagine other states may vary a lot.

I'd report it to the police immediately, get an estimate and tell the guy how much it is. If he balks, then tell your insurance company, but don't wait more than a few days to tell them.

My best friend had a similar experience. Although the guy involved couldnt afford the whole repair bill. He ended up with the guy paying about two thirds the cost of repair. Though it cost my friend a little, it was no where near as much of a loss when compared to losing his no claims bonus.

Yeah, I called the cops immediately. The College of Education is adamant about reporting anything remotely law related to them, and I wasn't about to chance it three weeks before graduation. Turns out our local police doesn't invesitage crashes anymore unless there was a serious injury. They don't even file a report, and neither of us got ticketed. The officer took my insurance info and the other guy's info and wrote it on a form so that we'd have an official swap, and then reminded us that we better not tell the insurance co. we filed a report because there was none. My husband also called the insurance company right away, and they essentially said "Okay, call us back later."

I have my left brake light out, and the trunk lid buckled in so that it won't open. Trunk lid looks pretty messed up and we're thinking it'll end up being replaced. Looks like there was minor damage to the back part of the main frame (I think that's what my husband called it... I'm not too good with cars) and so that will have to be pulled out. Oh, and the bumper is kinda half-off, half-on, and we don't know what the deal with that will be.

The guy is very insistent that he's willing to pay cash, so for now our plan is that my husband will take the car in to get an estimate today, call the guy up, and if he the guy balks we'll call the insurance company.

Sigh.

Don't forget about any medical reprecussion Choc. You might not start feeling any pain for a few days, or even longer, but you should get checked out yourself. I would go the insurance route, especially if the other guy has insurance. Even if he doesn't and you're willing to let him pay cash, I wouldn't settle on an amount until you're sure you didn't get injured.

my guesstimate is $4200.

The last time I was rear-ended, I did call my insurance and they laughed at me--"Wait, he rear-ended you, right? Call his insurance." Choco's insurance shouldn't be involved at all unless it turns out the guy is uninsured.

Well I'm done at Cornerstone now.
I had a good cry after getting my Care Assessment Plan.
It is indeed one visit every fortnight.

I'm lucky - I have two in a row, but that's because my CPN goes on holiday the week after that. She says we'll discuss whether I see a colleague of hers or whether I can manage for two weeks without an appointment, given that I am having two in two weeks.

There were some good things.
They can work with me on some things like getting accommodation, making sure I get the right benefits, getting funding from a local fund in order to take some classes (creative writing for example).

Am done with the crying. Trying to set out a timetable so I have plenty to do.
I do expect to feel a little lost at 10.00 on Monday though...

Bingo, classicman -- the estimate today was $3,600 + whatever damage is on the inside once they finally pop my trunk open. Husband called the guy who hit me, and the guy had a response to the effect of "please go get another estimate, I have a buddy that can do the body work, I found this trunk lid on eBay..." so hubby hung up with him and immediately opened a claim with our insurance company.

Our company will be the one we deal with, and they will be the ones to hound the other guy's insurance company. Looks like I'm stranded for the next week or so until we get it fixed. :(

Excellent - Thats what you pay them for. Let them earn it.


No rental coverage???? That should be covered by his insurance.
Call them directly, immediately!

Classicman is dead on, I think: Busted trunk lid, two busted real quarter panels, both tail lights, bumper and bumper cover, lower trunk and probably the trunk floor. I'm guessing this hits $4500-$4900 total after they get to see inside. There is no way the guy will be able to pay for this or handle it correctly.

It gets kind of strange. He had been texting me and has been calling rather frantically to try to figure out some way to pay out of pocket. This morning the guy emailed me with a trunk lid and bumper he found on eBay for cheap and says he knows "a buddy" that can do the repair work. When I told him the estimate I got, he pleaded with me to get a second one because he was sure there was no way it could possible cost so much. "Don't do anything until you call me. I will find the money, somehow."

Uh...no. I feel really awful for the guy and hate to be the one that makes the decision, but there's no way he can make this work. We don't even know the full extent of the damage until they actually start working on the car, and if they discover the gas tank has been knocked off a bracket and dented or that the frame is torqued, we're screwed if he doesn't have the cash. Really, we can't have one of his old high school buddies try to tack on a new bumper he scrounged online and beat on the frame with a claw hammer so that he can not get in trouble with his job.

I guess we have to keep an eye on this headache Choco has developed today as well, which we're fairly certain is just stress related. If not, that's absolutely nothing for an out of pocket expense.

Oh, yeah, we do have rental coverage as well. Adjuster is dropping by to take a look on Monday.

Doesn't seem to work that way in Florida. Hooray for no fault. :rolleyes:

Hahaha NOOOO FREAKING WAY

If he wants to pay out of pocket, he can pay for what you need done by a professional, not a bunch of weird parts slapped on by his "buddy". That's ridiculous!