Apparently I'm too nice
 

I got gently rear-ended yesterday. It was bumper-to-bumper traffic and the guy couldn't have been going more than 5 miles per hour. Anyway, we got out to check the damage--his car had absolutely none, and my bumper had two (pretty deep) scratches in the paint from his license plate, and that was it.

The bumper already has several similar scratches, so I told the guy not to worry about it. I don't really care about a couple more scratches; no harm, no foul.

When I got home my husband inspected the car and showed me how in actuality there was about a half inch of separation of the bumper from the car, probably a couple hundred dollars worth of damage. He didn't get too mad at me, since he himself had rear-ended someone a few months ago causing more like $3600 worth of damage (and that was just to our car,)--but he assured me that the guy was probably dancing around his house right now because I'd let him off the hook. I thought I was just being courteous, but he says being courteous would just have been politely asking for his insurance information.

So am I really the only person out there who would let a little scratch or door ding go unnoticed? Had I noticed the separation, I probably would have gotten the guy's information--but to be honest, even then I only would have done it because I would have known my husband would be pissed if I didn't. Am I just a huge pushover?

Umm...I dont drive but I am inclined to think I would share your attitude

you should always call the cops and exchange info, whether or not you intend to do anything. although unlikely, if that guy had been a real schmutz he could have done further damage to his vehicle later and then claimed that it was somehow your fault but you left without waiting for police and exchanging insurance info.

I suppose, but in theory couldn't the guy have just picked my car off the street and claimed that, even if we hadn't been in an accident? Ultimately I suppose he could try to nail me on leaving the scene, but the accident would still be his fault (by definition, in Texas anyway, the rear-ender is always at fault. You're supposed to drive far enough back that you can stop for any reason.)

My mom was in a fender bender a few months back.

She's stopped at a light, there's a civic behind her also stopped. A truck rear-ends the civic, and the civic gets pushed into my mom's car causing significant bumper damage.

All said and done, it was an accident, everything got sorted out.

Just a week ago, we hear that the civic in the middle is suing both the pickup that hit him from behind, and my mom who was in front.

Explain that shit to me.

Because he's not really suing either driver, he's suing the insurance companies, because they are easy faceless targets who might be willing to settle with him. People go nuts at the thought they might get money for something. My very first fender-bender ever, there was literally no damage to either car... and all three people in the other car sued for whiplash. People suck. I guess that's why I try so hard not to be one of the people who suck.

You done good. :)

i was in an accident about two weeks ago. totally my fault, actually. i was coming home from an arts festival in state college (about two and a half hour drive from my apt.) when the traffic stopped suddenly....and i didn't. my car was mangled, about five grand worth of damage. the other two people, the one i hit and the one he was pushed into, suffered minor damage. the thing i'd like to share is - they were great. kind, understanding, no cries of whiplash or emotional trauma (at least not yet). i was surprised, because i do generally subscribe to the people suck philosophy. it made a rough, embarassing, and time consuming experience much easier on me. thought everyone would like to hear a positive, i know it helped me.

I rear ended someone within months of getting my license. No damage to her car, my bumper slid under hers, so my hood got bent a bit. No airbags went off.

She wouldn't exchange info with me, and insisted that she be taken to the hospital in a neckbrace. I drove to work. Of course, a year later or so, the lawsuit begins. The lawyer put the amount they were asking for as a debt on my credit record. He filed in two wrong jurisdictions. It took about two more years to actually get in court, where it turned out she had already been seeing a doctor for the same symptoms she was blaming me for, and had taken months off of work and taking therapy.

I hope that was really true, because the jury gave her about half of the actual cash damages she claimed, and no pain and suffering. And I expect the lawyer took a bit of that.

Alway get the insurance info (or at least the license plate number), even if the other guy "seems really nice."

More importantly, though, glad you're okay.

haha, a good friend of mine just started driving. She was backing out of a parking spot, and slid along the side of a brand new Saab, scratching the shit out of it.

She wrote her info on a piece of paper and stuck it on the car...and never got a call.

Our best theory is that whoever owned the Saab, his kid was taking the car out whilst he wasn't supposed to, and was desperate to fix the damage without Daddy knowing...

Or some arse stole the insurance info off the car.

About a month ago I was in a 5 (yes, five) mph head on (on a single track road, in the rain, we both tried to stop, I managed to but he didn't). The other party (who locally (it's a small community here on the edge of civilisation) has a reputation for being surly and unco-operative) simply said "I skidded, I didn't stop in time" and has made no bones about being at fault.
Meanwhile my car has been written off ...

"I rear ended someone within months of getting my license. No damage to her car, my bumper slid under hers, so my hood got bent a bit. No airbags went off.

She wouldn't exchange info with me, and insisted that she be taken to the hospital in a neckbrace. I drove to work. Of course, a year later or so, the lawsuit begins. The lawyer put the amount they were asking for as a debt on my credit record. He filed in two wrong jurisdictions. It took about two more years to actually get in court, where it turned out she had already been seeing a doctor for the same symptoms she was blaming me for, and had taken months off of work and taking therapy."


I've had to deal with people like that. Once a woman stopped at a yield sign, no one was coming, and she began to go forward. Likewise, I began to go forward--we're talking idling speed, not even putting my foot on the gas--and this heifer just slams on her brakes right in front of me, for no reason. No one was coming. Why she stopped, I have no idea, unless she planned the accident.

There was absolutely no damage to my vehicle or hers, and even the cop made mention of that fact, and the fact that she wasn't claiming any injury, on his report. A month later, this woman has contacted my insurance agency claiming whiplash and massive damage to her car. I got a call from the insurance company, and I referred them to the police report, which had been sent to them.

I don't know what happened, but I haven't heard anything since.

People who do things like that really piss me off, because there's not much you can do to prove that they DON'T have injury, especially weeks after the "accident," when they could have been hurt some other way, or because they had previous injury and are now claiming that the accident caused it.

A person hit me as I was on my way to work the other day. The traffic was bumper to bumper, and they just didn't stop. I saw them coming at me in my rearview mirror, and thought, "damn, they're gonna hit me." I pulled over, and checked my van. No damage. I just waved them off. Like was said, no harm, no foul. It's stupid to fuck with someone just because you can. Yeah, people like that suck.


Sidhe

What kind of car? I need to avoid it!

Aint that the truth. I accidently backed into my neighbor's Explorer. There was a scratch, but it wasn't much so I told her I'd just pay her for the damage instead of reporting it and seeing my insurance rates go up (plus I have a $500 deductible). She agreed. So a couple weeks later she comes up with an estimate for $700+ for the scratch. She went to most expensive, up-scale body shop in town, claiming that because she leased her vehicle Ford told her she could only go there. I paid up because I had no choice. You guessed it, two years later she STILL hasn't fixed the scratch. Somebody made a nice $700 profit.

I'm a firm believer in KARMA, and in my opinion she's got some bad shit coming her way. Clodfobble, you, on the other hand, have got some GOOD shit coming your way. :3eye: