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What Will an Insurance Company Do if a Driver Claims Damage from a Disputed Accident

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  • 11-20-2013, 09:42 AM
    tangerin
    What Will an Insurance Company Do if a Driver Claims Damage from a Disputed Accident
    My question involves a traffic accident in the State of: NJ

    Recently one afternoon, I backed out of my driveway onto a clear roadway. As I put my car in gear to go forward, a car zoomed out of a nearby sidestreet, swerved around me, passed me. At the traffic light, that driver jumped out of car, waved arms at me angrily, got back in car and drove away.

    Days later, that driver looked up my phone number and called my house, insisting that i had backed into her car, and that her car was damaged, but that she hadn't noticed the damage until the following day. She wants me to pay $600 to replace her rear panel. She left a voicemail today requiring payment to her in the next 2 days, or she will put it through her insurance.

    My question is, what will her insurance do with this claim? And/or what should I do?

    I did not feel or hear any kind of impact or scrape.

    There were no police called, or accident report made.

    There are no witnesses for either driver.

    Thank you for your thoughts on this ...
  • 11-20-2013, 09:47 AM
    jk
    Re: I Don't Believe Accident Occurred - What Will Other Party's Insurance Do
    if they didn't stop, it would appear they are guilty of leaving the scene of an accident themselves.


    Given the fact they didn't stop and especially since no police were called, I would expect their insurance to take a report, contact you and ask for your version. If it is as you described, they should get off the phone with you, call up their customer and go;

    what the Hell are you trying to pull?
  • 11-20-2013, 11:07 AM
    whynotdoit
    Re: I Don't Believe Accident Occurred - What Will Other Party's Insurance Do
    Quote:

    Quoting tangerin
    View Post
    My question involves a traffic accident in the State of: NJ

    Recently one afternoon, I backed out of my driveway onto a clear roadway. As I put my car in gear to go forward, a car zoomed out of a nearby sidestreet, swerved around me, passed me. At the traffic light, that driver jumped out of car, waved arms at me angrily, got back in car and drove away.

    Days later, that driver looked up my phone number and called my house, insisting that i had backed into her car, and that her car was damaged, but that she hadn't noticed the damage until the following day. She wants me to pay $600 to replace her rear panel. She left a voicemail today requiring payment to her in the next 2 days, or she will put it through her insurance.

    My question is, what will her insurance do with this claim? And/or what should I do?

    I did not feel or hear any kind of impact or scrape.

    There were no police called, or accident report made.

    There are no witnesses for either driver.

    Thank you for your thoughts on this ...

    Keep it simple.

    - Tell her you're sorry but you aren't paying her. Tell her she's welcome to bring it to the insurance. Also that since she left the scene of the accident that's illegal. Also by not stopping, there's no evidence that anything was the result of anything to do with you. And finally, that as person behind you on the road, she was obligated not to hit you.

    Don't get into argument or debate with her. Don't give her your description of what happened tempting as it is. Just tell her you didn't feel or hear any impact, so she'll need to go to her insurance.

    - You aren't under obligation to talk to anyone but your own insurance. IF and only if her insurance calls you, then call your own insurance and tell them, there was no impact. Skip most of this story. You were on the road near your house, when a car zoomed around you, then got out and waved/gestured at the light and when on. No impact, and she didn't stop, and you don't want trouble but this wasn't an accident of any kind. Tell them you'll be happy to give an actual report if and when there's some evidence there's an accident here to discuss (that way you cover yourself if you need to add details later.) Meanwhile for yourself, write down the details so you dont' forget them later if you need them.

    If you keep it simple, they'll be nothing for anyone to follow up on and this will go away. Big chance she won't call her insurance once you point out she left the scene. Skip anything drama sounding or argumentative, because those are what can get you dragged into something or flag it for insurance action, where it should have gone away.

    I'd guess, she has damage to her car. What's less clear is when and how. It could be in a parking lot & she didn't notice. There's no evidence it came from you at this point. Check your car for damage - if not a scratch, that's just one more thing to point out to her & your insurance. (If she has paint identically matching your car, and a scrape on your car to match, they'd be the only evidence that'd help her.) Expect her to make up a more elaborate story when she talks with her insurance, if she does follow through.
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