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Old 02-25-2021, 09:23 AM   #1
bizaro86
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Default Report a not-at-fault car accident to insurance?

Thread title pretty much says it all. My wife got backed into in a parking lot. Have the other driver's insurance. There was a language barrier, so didn't discuss with the other driver too much at the time, but have a contact number for their adult child to discuss.

I haven't seen the damage yet, but it sounds like a new bumper panel will be required. Do I just call my insurance and have them deal with it or offer to let the other party pay for it privately?

I'd like to be a reasonable person, but also want to keep the amount of hassle here to a minimum. I'd also like to avoid any impact to our insurance rates - can I expect a not-at-fault claim to impact our insurance rates?

Any suggestions appreciated.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:26 AM   #2
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I'd call my insurance because this is the situation that I pay for.

Theoretically not at fault should not raise your rates. Who determined fault in this case?
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:28 AM   #3
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Been backed into twice now and never had an insurance increase because of it. Might depend on your coverage level, but I would think you're good.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:31 AM   #4
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Call the insurance company let them deal with it. Negotiating a private settlement and actually getting the money is a pain in the A and will take up a ton of time.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:32 AM   #5
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Thinking of going through the insurance of somebody who hit your car, instead of taking cash, doesn’t make you an unreasonable person.

I will never accept cash from someone who hits my car. I’m calling their insurance every single time.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:37 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Weitz View Post
I'd call my insurance because this is the situation that I pay for.

Theoretically not at fault should not raise your rates. Who determined fault in this case?
So far just me based on my wife's description of the situation, which I recognize is not exactly a final determination. She'll go and file a police report after work, but given her vehicle was parked and the other person backed into her I think it seems reasonably open and shut.

Does a not-at-fault finding under those circumstances seem like a risk to anyone?
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:39 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers View Post
Thinking of going through the insurance of somebody who hit your car, instead of taking cash, doesn’t make you an unreasonable person.

I will never accept cash from someone who hits my car. I’m calling their insurance every single time.
Do I call their insurance or my insurance? I thought I had to call my insurance and have them deal with the other company. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I really have no idea how the auto insurance claims process works. I've been paying it for 20 years but have never actually claimed anything before.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:42 AM   #8
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You call your insurance, they'll get the insurance information that you gathered from them. The police report is helpfull. The insurance company inspection is also essential on whether its worth fixing your car or not.


But hand it off to your insurance company, its not worth the hassle and the run around of a private deal (Getting multiple estimates, arguing with the dude that hit you over the amount, collecting the money, coordinating the repairs etc). If you pay someone to do that stuff for you, and your rate doesn't increase, why wouldn't you?
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:48 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bizaro86 View Post
Do I call their insurance or my insurance? I thought I had to call my insurance and have them deal with the other company. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say I really have no idea how the auto insurance claims process works. I've been paying it for 20 years but have never actually claimed anything before.
Sorry for the poor wording, but as Cap said you call your insurance to give them the poor drivers insurance information, and they’ll handle it.
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Old 02-25-2021, 09:53 AM   #10
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In this scenario (as it is nearly exactly the same one I dealt with a number of years ago), you definitely are not at fault, your insurer will handle the claim that will be 100% paid out by the other insurer.

Your rates will not rise.

Make the claim. Do not take any offer that doesn't make you whole.

It's infuriating the insurance industry constantly slants their messaging so that people like you will think twice on making a perfectly reasonable claim on a service that you paid for.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:20 AM   #11
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It's infuriating the insurance industry constantly slants their messaging so that people like you will think twice on making a perfectly reasonable claim on a service that you paid for.
I don't think it's the insurers that are slanting any message. There are a ton of misconceptions regarding insurance out there. It's always "i heard" or "my friend said". It amazes me how often people circulate info like that around without checking with their insurer.

In a nutshell...not at fault claims don't affect your driving record, that's what at fault claims do. Everyone with an auto policy will have policy documents that show what their driving record with their respective insurer is. Intact goes to 8*, Aviva and Wawanesa go as high as 9*. Whatever, it just a number that shows how long you've had a policy in force with no claims. So if you are at driving record 8 with Intact and have an at fault accident, technically you should go back down to 0 (they don't usually do that for reasons, it's just an example). So you are now paying the same right as someone who just started their first policy. That is why your rates increase with at fault claims.

So no, under no circumstances could a claim you had no fault in affect your rates. The only exception to this I can think of is some carriers had claims free discounts that they may remove if they process a not at fault claim but I don't think that happens anymore as it was ridiculous to do in the first place.

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Old 02-25-2021, 10:23 AM   #12
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Giving the person who hit your car a chance to pay for it privately is generally a mistake you only make once.

You have the other person's insurance, your car was parked, you're fine. I was in a similar situation a while back and wasted a lot of time trying to deal with it outside insurance. Once I actually gave up and went through insurance, it was handled quickly and conveniently at zero cost to myself.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:30 AM   #13
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bizaro, was your wife in her car when the other driver backed into her?
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:33 AM   #14
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I don't think it's the insurers that are slanting any message. There are a ton of misconceptions regarding insurance out there. It's always "i heard" or "my friend said". It amazes me how often people circulate info like that around without checking with their insurer.
For decades, insurers have been doing their best to increase rates, decrease service (and accessibility), decrease amount of payouts, and reduce industry oversight. They have succeeded.

Having dealt with multiple adjusters (and in some cases helping family and friends do so), these misconceptions are absolutely used to take advantage of consumers.

IMO, the insurance industry is a bottom-feeding top 5 scummiest industry. Every one of these companies will pray to Satan and wrap themselves into a demon spider to avoid paying out a claim if they can.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:37 AM   #15
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"Deal with it privately" translates directly to deal with it cheaply. You don't want some stranger trying to do some hack job to fix the damage they did to your vehicle. Call your insurance company. If the other party truly intends to deal with it privately, their own insurance company will provide them with the option of paying for your repair directly as opposed to claiming of their insurance.

The only risk in calling the insurance company is that the other driver now lies and tries to claim you were at fault. You should be somewhat warry of this, as if they state your wife was also backing up, they'll call it 50/50. If you have evidence or statements from them to the contrary, that should end that risk.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:38 AM   #16
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I have spoken to my insurance agent regarding this type of situation previously. Essentially her answer to me was that if I was to call in and report an accident that clearly was not my fault (like OP example), it would still be filed as a me making a claim to my insurance company so if I can avoid that it would probably be best for my future insurance coverage pricing.

I find this quite frustrating and tend to avoid insurance claims if at all possible as a result.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:39 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by greyshep View Post
I have spoken to my insurance agent regarding this type of situation previously. Essentially her answer to me was that if I was to call in and report an accident that clearly was not my fault (like OP example), it would still be filed as a me making a claim to my insurance company so if I can avoid that it would probably be best for my future insurance coverage pricing.

I find this quite frustrating and tend to avoid insurance claims if at all possible as a result.
This should not be true. If it's not your fault, then your insurance policy does not pay at all. And no claim against your policy.
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:45 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by PepsiFree View Post
Giving the person who hit your car a chance to pay for it privately is generally a mistake you only make once.

You have the other person's insurance, your car was parked, you're fine. I was in a similar situation a while back and wasted a lot of time trying to deal with it outside insurance. Once I actually gave up and went through insurance, it was handled quickly and conveniently at zero cost to myself.
Lots of people on here saying this, but in my experience I have not had any issues doing this. I will still give people the opportunity to avoid using their insurance in the case of minor incidents.

If you have their insurance info and they start waffling on paying its not hard to pivot back to using insurance. Why not at least try to be accommodating?
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Old 02-25-2021, 10:47 AM   #19
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This should not be true. If it's not your fault, then your insurance policy does not pay at all. And no claim against your policy.
Yes it "should" not be, but it is unfortunately.

I think the insurance company looks at it like a transaction. They engaged us for our services, so we will keep this on our records as it consumed personnel time and systems to track even though no payout was required.

Also I would bet they look at it as a risk indicator for future policy pricing. ex) This guy calls in a lot (even if no fault), so he is either putting himself in risky positions a lot or he is going to make lots of claims for small stuff that costs us time/money.

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Old 02-25-2021, 10:52 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by greyshep View Post
Lots of people on here saying this, but in my experience I have not had any issues doing this. I will still give people the opportunity to avoid using their insurance in the case of minor incidents.

If you have their insurance info and they start waffling on paying its not hard to pivot back to using insurance. Why not at least try to be accommodating?
Because it's a waste of your time and effort that doesn't really benefit anyone?

Put it through insurance, they book you a repair appointment, go get your vehicle repaired, move on with your life.

No going back and forth with the person in question, no finding a place to get a quote, no getting a quote and letting them know the cost, no waiting for them to pay you before you do the repair. And that's just if they're completely cooperative.

It boggles the mind why people pay for insurance and then do not use their insurance for the only purpose that does not cost them even more money to use.

My time and effort is worth something, too. I'm not going to waste that when I pay the insurance company to do it for me, all for a completely minor favour to someone I don't know who hit my car.
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