| NelDog |
| Alright, so I park my car away from everyone with lots of stalls around me empty. I go in for about 10 mins to get some groceries and surprise surprise I had 3 guys lines up on my passengers side parked there talking. Well a white car is beside me and as my sis goes to check if they had hit my car when opening their door...you guessed it. a ding. And it wasn't a small one, but a huge ding, deep right on the crease of my car. And to top it off white paint on the area where the car's driver's side back door hit my car. They noticed my sister looking at the car and they took off. Well, I was :mad: So I reported the incident at the local police station, where they took a picture and I filed a report. Luckily I took down their Licence Plate Number. They're treating it as a hit and run but this is what I wonder. What are they gonna do to this guy? Are they gonna get him to pay for the damage or is his insurance gonna pay for it? I'm gonna get an estimate on Fri for the damage but I'm worried about this whole ordeal. Please help. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by NelDog
Alright, so I park my car away from everyone with lots of stalls around me empty. I go in for about 10 mins to get some groceries and surprise surprise I had 3 guys lines up on my passengers side parked there talking. Well a white car is beside me and as my sis goes to check if they had hit my car when opening their door...you guessed it. a ding. And it wasn't a small one, but a huge ding, deep right on the crease of my car. And to top it off white paint on the area where the car's driver's side back door hit my car. They noticed my sister looking at the car and they took off. Well, I was :mad: So I reported the incident at the local police station, where they took a picture and I filed a report. Luckily I took down their Licence Plate Number. They're treating it as a hit and run but this is what I wonder. What are they gonna do to this guy? Are they gonna get him to pay for the damage or is his insurance gonna pay for it? I'm gonna get an estimate on Fri for the damage but I'm worried about this whole ordeal. Please help.
I don't think that the police are going to release his personal information to you, which means that there is no legal way to gain acces to his personal information.
You could talk to your insurance company and let them know what happened. If the police actually charge the other driver with hit and run (And give him the ticket for it) then you should be able to get his insurance to cover it completely, as if he rear-ended you.
However, if the police don't give out a ticket, then you're pretty much hooped. If you can get his info, you can go to court but the insurance will most likely go 50-50 (Unless you get a good adjustor). |
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| crazyrx7 |
I had the same thing happen to me back in 1998 when i bought my brand new Maxima. I was eating lunch and saw the guy ding my car. My car was 2hrs old and already a door ding. So I went outside to see if he really dinged me. Sure as shit he did. So I went back into the restaurant and dragged his sorry ass outside where he was denying the whole thing. I got him to open his door and sure enough the ding lined up perfectly to his door. So I called the cops. They said that it was under $1000 damage so just swap insurance info. We did that and the guy was a total asshole. So as soon as he left I went to his insurance company and they fixed the door ding that same day. In your case you have the plate number and the police have it to. So you have to make a police report and as soon as the cops go to the guy that hit you they will asses the situation and if they find proof that he hit you then you will have his insurance info on his police statment. Then submit it to your insurance company and sit back and enjoy. This might take a couple of weeks. Who knows how long the police will take to track these guys down. Good luck.
R.K. |
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| Flex |
Give the information and ploice report number to your insurance company. In the case of this being a hit and run and you have the other vehicles plate number your insurance company should get the ball rolling on this for you. That is what you pay them for. If you have full coverage on your vehicle your insurance will pay for the damage. They will then go after the other drivers insurance to pay them back for the damage.
As for the ticketing of the other driver for hit and run. You would think that is what would happen if he is caught. But just this winter my gf and I witnessed a hit and run. We gave all the info to the driver of the car that was hit. After all was said and done the offender's insurance paid for the damage to the vehicle but the driver was nver charged for hit and run. I guess the police said if they paid for the damage then they wouldn't get charged.
that kinda crap happens all to often, really makes me mad. I wish they would start charging people to the fullest extent of the law for it and then maybe people would stop taking off. i have had it happen to me many times but only a few times have I found out who did it. Be greatful you have that. |
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| Mavrick |
Yet another fine example of how you can get screwed around the bend by insurance companies.
I parked my old Chevelle at the very far end of the parking lot intentionally to keep it away from other vehicles who would want to be closer to the entrance of the mall, and so that there wouldn't be anyone around it. When I came back out, I found that someone had hit the driver's side door (probably backed into it), and put a huge dent into the door, deep enough that I couldn't even roll down the window any more, and pretty much the length of the entire door.
Unfortunately, having no idea who might have done it, my insurance company told me that there was nothing they could do. I didn't have collision insurance, so I asked about vandalism, which would be the next logical deduction as far as I was concerned. The claim was denied, and even the police said that without witnesses, there was no proof that the dent didn't already exist.
"They FUCK you at the Drive-Thru!" - Joe Pesci
You are luckier than I. Take a copy of your police report to your insurance company, and claim the damage, and make them cover it. Then, it will be their responsibility to recover from the other driver.
Mav. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by Mavrick
Unfortunately, having no idea who might have done it, my insurance company told me that there was nothing they could do. I didn't have collision insurance, so I asked about vandalism, which would be the next logical deduction as far as I was concerned. The claim was denied, and even the police said that without witnesses, there was no proof that the dent didn't already exist.
They can tell (At least any of the experienced appraisers) whether the damage was likely caused by a car or by an object.
Car = Hit and Run
Object = Vandallism
One of the reasons they have to differentiate is because of fraud - and the potential for both parties to claim a "Hit and Run" so that no ones rates go up.
I'd be pissed as hell if I were you, and it is shitty that it happened to you, and I know it's frustrating, but that's the risk you accept when you cheap out on your insurance. |
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| n0c7 |
quote:
Originally posted by NelDog
Alright, so I park my car away from everyone with lots of stalls around me empty. I go in for about 10 mins to get some groceries and surprise surprise I had 3 guys lines up on my passengers side parked there talking. Well a white car is beside me and as my sis goes to check if they had hit my car when opening their door...you guessed it. a ding. And it wasn't a small one, but a huge ding, deep right on the crease of my car. And to top it off white paint on the area where the car's driver's side back door hit my car. They noticed my sister looking at the car and they took off. Well, I was :mad: So I reported the incident at the local police station, where they took a picture and I filed a report. Luckily I took down their Licence Plate Number. They're treating it as a hit and run but this is what I wonder. What are they gonna do to this guy? Are they gonna get him to pay for the damage or is his insurance gonna pay for it? I'm gonna get an estimate on Fri for the damage but I'm worried about this whole ordeal. Please help.
I had a fellow back into my eclipse with a trailer hitch. The alarm paged me, I got outside, his van was there but he wasnt. Stuck around for 2 hours waiting for him, didnt show, left a note on the vehicle, didnt call. Filed a police report. The cops gave him a ticket for failing to back up in safety, gave me his information, and he paid to have my front kit refinished. Thats my story, good luck with yours. |
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| Mavrick |
quote:
Originally posted by TrevorK
They can tell (At least any of the experienced appraisers) whether the damage was likely caused by a car or by an object.
Car = Hit and Run
Object = Vandallism
One of the reasons they have to differentiate is because of fraud - and the potential for both parties to claim a "Hit and Run" so that no ones rates go up.
I'd be pissed as hell if I were you, and it is shitty that it happened to you, and I know it's frustrating, but that's the risk you accept when you cheap out on your insurance.
I couldn't even get an adjuster to look at the car. They flat out told me that there was nothing they could do, or rather nothing that they WOULD do.
I can understand why insurance companies need to be concerned about fraud, but they could at least go look at the vehicle before denying coverage.
Luckily, it was only damaged on the door panel, so I took a trip to the auto wreckers and found another car and replaced the whole door.
I think I misunderstand the 'cheap out on your insurance' comment. I have paid a hell of a lot of money into insurance over the years, and have been very disappointed with how they deal with me after they have my money. I feel that it is the insurance companies that 'cheap out' on their clients.
Mav. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by Mavrick
I couldn't even get an adjuster to look at the car. They flat out told me that there was nothing they could do, or rather nothing that they WOULD do.
I can understand why insurance companies need to be concerned about fraud, but they could at least go look at the vehicle before denying coverage.
Luckily, it was only damaged on the door panel, so I took a trip to the auto wreckers and found another car and replaced the whole door.
Often times with older cars, this is the only way to go as it's cheaper than the deductable...
quote:
I think I misunderstand the 'cheap out on your insurance' comment. I have paid a hell of a lot of money into insurance over the years, and have been very disappointed with how they deal with me after they have my money. I feel that it is the insurance companies that 'cheap out' on their clients.
Mav.
By "cheap out" I meant not get full coverage, that's all. |
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| Mavrick |
I didn't bother to put full coverage on an old car that they would black book value and write off for less than my policy was worth.
Full coverage on a brand-new car, especially if you're still paying for it, is worthwhile. Otherwise it is useless, unless you have an appraisal to prove what your car is worth.
My point was that I paid for an insurance policy that included comprehensive damage, and it was denied because I couldn't provide any information that would allow the insurance company to recover their 'loss'. The damage to the car cost me about $500 including the paint, so it wasn't so bad, but the fact that I dished out $1400 for the policy to cover the car and then still had to dish out to fix something that I didn't do kinda pissed me off.
But it's okay. I'm not bitter. :) Gotta have insurance, right? It's the law.
Mav. |
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| TrevorK |
quote:
Originally posted by Mavrick
But it's okay. I'm not bitter. :) Gotta have insurance, right? It's the law.
Mav.
Tell that to my cousin - he just drives around without insurance, wrecks cars, pays for the ones he's at fault for, then keeps doing it. |
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| Wankel |
| I had 2 hit and runs on my rx-7 when i had it, once outside my house on corner of fender/ bumper on drivers side.. (pain to fix) and once right on the drivers side door... |
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