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ahmed - 27 May 2007 23:19 GMT

Hi,

I was just in a minor accident in California. I was in a little two
way straight (one lane each way) at a stop sign for a pretty busy
street. I was contemplating making a left, but decided to make a
right instead.

As I proceeded to edge out a little to the right, another car had
edged itself between me and the sidewalk and the side of my vehicle
was scraped and the rear passenger side door was dented. His vehicle
sustained minimal bumper scratches/scrapes.

My car is leased, so I have full coverage but a $1k deductible. Would
it be better to completely forego informing the insurance company of
the incident to avoid an insurance hike? Could I contact the other
person's insurance without my rates being affected? Is this accident
mutual-fault? My fault? His fault? Will it make a difference for
the insurance companies in terms of paying and/or changing my
insurance rates?

Any advice as to the best course of action to take would be greatly
appreciated. If it matters, I have Progressive and he has USAA
Casualty.

Thanks so much.

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bob zee - 27 May 2007 23:31 GMT

> Casualty.

casualties would have been way cooler. why wasn't the police
contacted? a police report would facilitate the origin of guilt and
make this question a non-issue. if the police had found you at fault,
you would pay the 1,000 deductible. if the other party was at fault,
well then, they would pay.

it seems to be me by your questioning that you did not determine the
party-at-fault before leaving the scene, unless, of course, there was
a wi-fi hotspot at the scene of the incident and if there was STOP
READING here.

if not, you are an idiot and you will now know why i said earlier that
casualties would've been cooler. someone needed to die at this
accident because if you leave the scene and DON'T KNOW WHO WAS AT
FAULT, you should die because you are too stupid to live.

bob z.
p.s. my sister got lucky, married a yuppy

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Scott en Aztlán - 28 May 2007 00:03 GMT

ahmed <adarwish@gmail.com> said in rec.autos.driving:

>I was just in a minor accident in California. I was in a little two
>way straight (one lane each way) at a stop sign for a pretty busy
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>As I proceeded to edge out a little to the right, another car had
>edged itself between me and the sidewalk

So you're not only indecisive, you're inattentive, as well.

>and the side of my vehicle
>was scraped and the rear passenger side door was dented. His vehicle
>sustained minimal bumper scratches/scrapes.

Sounds like more than $750 damage to me.

>My car is leased, so I have full coverage but a $1k deductible. Would
>it be better to completely forego informing the insurance company of
>the incident to avoid an insurance hike? Could I contact the other
>person's insurance without my rates being affected? Is this accident
>mutual-fault? My fault? His fault?

100% your fault.

>Any advice as to the best course of action to take would be greatly
>appreciated.

You need to file a report with the DMV *immediately.* And, since the
guy you hit already has your insurance info, it's a virtual certainty
that your insurance company has already been informed of the collision
and is being asked to pay.

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Eeyore - 28 May 2007 05:58 GMT

> ahmed <adarwish@gmail.com> said in rec.autos.driving:
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> So you're not only indecisive, you're inattentive, as well.

I'm afraid you're right !

I wonder if he was indicating ?

Graham

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necromancer - 28 May 2007 06:03 GMT

Eeyore:

> > ahmed <adarwish@gmail.com> said in rec.autos.driving:
> >
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> I wonder if he was indicating ?

I wouldn't bet on it.....

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Murderous Speeding Drunken Driver - 28 May 2007 17:49 GMT

>ahmed <adarwish@gmail.com> said in rec.autos.driving:
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
>So you're not only indecisive, you're inattentive, as well.

The inattentiveness got him.

I can't say much for the indecision. There's been intersections I've
approached with the desire to turn left, that, after a while, I've
decided it would be more prudent to turn right, then find a safer
location as to reverse my course. Of course, when that decision was
made, the signal indicators were properly adjusted and proper
clearance was determined.

[snip]

>>My car is leased, so I have full coverage but a $1k deductible. Would
>>it be better to completely forego informing the insurance company of
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>100% your fault.

But how so? He wasn't speeding! :-)

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Scott en Aztlán - 29 May 2007 14:41 GMT

Murderous Speeding Drunken Driver <drunk@the_wheel.com> said in
ca.driving:

>>>My car is leased, so I have full coverage but a $1k deductible. Would
>>>it be better to completely forego informing the insurance company of
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
>But how so? He wasn't speeding! :-)

Why do you think he didn't get a ticket?

Reply to this Message

Harry K - 28 May 2007 03:54 GMT

> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Thanks so much.

Only addressing the insurance, others have commented correctly on your
driving.

You say $1000 deductible. I had a small scrape on my bumber that the
wife wanted taken car of. Estimate was wayi over $1,000. The scrape
is still there. That won't even cover one car let alone two. You
better hope the adjusters are kind or you are going to eat a biiiggg
bill.

Harry K

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John David Galt - 30 May 2007 17:48 GMT

> My car is leased, so I have full coverage but a $1k deductible. Would
> it be better to completely forego informing the insurance company of
> the incident to avoid an insurance hike?

Even if the damage is low enough to make this legal, it will only work
if you persuade the other driver also not to report it.

> Could I contact the other
> person's insurance without my rates being affected? Is this accident
> mutual-fault? My fault? His fault?

My guess is it's your fault. You're supposed to have decided which way
(and whether) you're going to turn before you pull up to an intersection;
the other driver was perfectly right to assume that you'd done so.

> Will it make a difference for
> the insurance companies in terms of paying and/or changing my
> insurance rates?

Yes, and for that purpose the companies will decide fault unless a court
is asked to determine it -- which is unlikely except in major cases.

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