How do I get money for repair from someone who crashed into my car?

Question

I was driving one foggy morning and drove by where cars are parked front end towards the sidewalk. This lady suddenly backs up and hits my car. she couldn't see me because her rear window was fogged. we traded information. i have her ID , lisence plate number and insurance. i told her about the estimate for the damages and she won't pay. I want to know how am I suppose to contact the insurance so they would pay me. This is my first accident and i don't know how to deal with it. What if she says it was my fault? please help

Answer 1

OK.. this is an easy answer.. but with varying possible results.

First: Do you have insurance? (Hope so).

If so you simply contact your insurance company - give them the information and let them do the work. At a bare minimum they will be able to give you her insurance company contact info.

Assuming that your coverage won't cover you and the lady stonewalls everyone, then you move on to step #2

Contact her company directly (info. from your company which has access to statewide records). Submit a claim and they will investigate and decide what THEY are going to do.

Assuming you are again stonewalled..here comes the hard work.

1) SHE, not the insurance companies, is responsible to make you whole assuming that you can PROVE that she did it.

2) To that extent, assemble this information and take her to court (if the amount is under $5k, then do a small claims court). For more you will need to get a lawyer.

Small claims is easy.. and there is generally impartial help available to assist you in filing the paperwork.

The cost is usually under $20 or so and the process service will run you about $60 or so..

Assemble your proof and your story and present it to the judge. There is a style an manner in doing this that you should investigate and practice.

If you win you are almost home. She has a few days to appeal the judgement and after that you move on to collection

Collection requires that you identify her assets and process a seizure of some of them as required . This is not as hard as it sounds as, unless she lives on public assistance she has a job where you can attach wages or a bank account.

To help you, you are allowed to subponea her and under oath she must disclose these assets.

(but all this takes time... figure a minimum of 6 months from start to finish)

good luck

Answer 2

Call your local police and ask them to how to file a police accident report. File it and then go after the lady's insurance once you get a copy of it. It may be considered a hit and run since she gave you her information on the pretense she would pay for it "off the record" and is now refusing.

Answer 3

Contact your insurance company with the information and let them handle it.
And file an accident report with the local police.

Answer 4

It is her fault, you ALWAYS call the cops though...... Anyways, If you exchanged info, you can call her insurance company to file a claim. You can still file a type of after the fact police report, and if all else fails you can turn it in to yours who will then go after her, however, that could raise your rates. If you dont want to do that, you could file in small claims court. Depending on the state, if she and her insurance dont pay after being found at fault, the state can revoke all registration and lic in her name.....

Answer 5

You aren't. That's why you have insurance. You gather all the information and give it to your insurance agent and have them do it for you, they will negotiate with her insurance company. Hopefully you got a police report, but if not, all isn't lost, it's just a useful tool.