The lady wants a whole new bumper. She said she had already gotten money for the bumper in the past but didnt use it on that. Should I be responsible for her new bumper even though i didnt cause anything more than a scratch about 1mm thick
i was at fault in the accident
2006-12-12 10:09:05 · 13 answers · asked by gamer86 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Insurance & Registration
Your insurance company can tell which damage is old and which is not. If you are not turning it in to insurance, tell her you want an inspection for "prior damage" from an independent body shop.
2006-12-12 10:17:08 · answer #1 · answered by Sir J 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could possible run into problems if you did not take pictures, and get a police report.
However if you cause damage to the area previously damaged then you should not have to pay for that. Your insurance company can contact hers and get a report. If she has collected money on it which it sounds like she did then you will need to ask her to get a copy of the repair status from the company where she got her car fixed. (Which she is not going to be able to provide because as you said she never got it fixed) Without that you can take her to court which the court will see she is basically trying to screw the insurance company and you will not be held liable for previous damages.
Also if you have not done so already write down everything that happened to the best of your knowledge, words exchanged and how the accident happened. These things can come into play later into the court process.
Always always keep a disposable in your car for these type of things and no matter how minor the accident is always call the police for a report because people are pricks and we live in a sue happy world.
2006-12-12 18:26:09 · answer #2 · answered by Eric D 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fact that she was alread paid for the bumper is good news - this means there is documentation that she was paid for the previous damage and there should be pictures on file with her carrier (or whoever paid for the repairs) showing what was wrong with it.
You are legally responsible for the scratch on her bumper, but you are neither responsible for the previous damage nor are you responsible for a whole new bumper unless the damage you did cannot be repaired.
Go to your insurance company, report the claim and let them handle it.
2006-12-13 23:17:29 · answer #3 · answered by cassee_ame 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tip #1- If you have insurance- let them handle it. They do not want to and will not pay more then they owe (meaning the scratch)
Tip #2- If you dont have insurance- you only owe for the scratch. Now- if that scratche requires bumper replacement (it shouldnt unless you are making it sound less than it is) you only owe for what it would cost to repair that scratch if there was no other damage- she will need to pay the difference. If she is willing to cooperate have her get an estimate on just the scratch at the body shop.
2006-12-12 21:37:54 · answer #4 · answered by la428282 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If her bumper was already messed up, and you only scratched it a little bit, then NO, you don't have to pay for that. You probably have to pay for the repair to the scratch though. Get some help, either from your insurance or somebody. This lady is trying to extort money from you!
2006-12-12 18:18:35 · answer #5 · answered by Paul 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That depends on what company you currently have and when you started your current insurance policy.Companies go back 3 to 5 years. I should know i am a insurance agent in colorado. Either way a 100 $ fault or a 25000 at fault in still going to affect you.Hoped that help if you have any more just get at me
2006-12-12 18:22:25 · answer #6 · answered by javi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I work for an insurance company, and coming from me, the best decision always to protect your rights is to file it against your own insurance. I mean, there would be a big chance of increasing your rates, but would you like the risk of that lady claiming additional damages after a month. Worst, she can come back to her insurance after you paid her and claim hit and run - that would be a bigger problem especially if its your word vs his word.
2006-12-12 18:52:10 · answer #7 · answered by David 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tell your insurance company about the previous damage, and her admission she had already been paid to replace it, and let them handle it. They don't take kindly to insurance fraud. Ignore the ones telling you that you must pay. You only owe for the damage you did, and it wouldn't take much to buff out a "teeny weeny scratch" after all.
2006-12-12 18:17:15 · answer #8 · answered by oklatom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh no, does she no it was only that scratch ( she does ) so its not ur problem...... don't pay her for that bummper cause she will most likely buy something else and try to con somebody else to pay for it to..if takes u to court explain that it was only 1 mm and thats no reason to buy a whole new bummper for her.
2006-12-12 18:16:20 · answer #9 · answered by URworstNITEmare 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why ask a bunch of know-nothings here?
Call your insurance.
2006-12-12 22:55:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋