Any one got into a car accident recently?

[Al Swearengen®]

After safely driving for 20+ years, I reversed into a parked car. No one was in it, thankfully.

Exchanged info, contacted my insurance and now I have a claim number, while waiting 48 hours to hear from my claim adjuster...

My passenger tail light is busted and the edge of my bumper is smashed in, so my questions are:

• Should I rely on my insurance for repairs or get an estimate from a body shop?
• Will TX cops give me a hard time on a broken tail light?

Thanks!

 

[San Antone RR]

Tail light broken is an open invitation to have "conversations" with LEOs. If you haven't had insurance claims, then pay the deductible and let them do what you have paid them for the last 20 years. Your rates shouldn't be affected.

 

[TexasRedneck]

Fix the tail light, even if it's nothing more than taping some red plastic over the lens until the repair is done properly. As noted, you shouldn't have any issues with a single claim - if you do, you need a new insurance company. Just pay the deductible and rock on....carefully!

 

[Al Swearengen®]

Thanks guys. I feel like a rookie on this. My claims adjuster will be calling me within the next two days, so I'll just wait until she tells me what to do...on what to pay.

Good thing my job is only 3 minutes away, but there's a main street on the way where the local motor cop usually passes through. Hopefully my claims adjuster calls me soon.

 

[ROGER4314]

A word to the wise here. My lady wanted to have a rock chip fixed on her windshield and it is true that the insurance will cover that. Nice, huh? It got interesting when she found out the tiny claim she had on that windshield repair is charged against her as if she had a major wreck! Be careful how you use that insurance and find out the rules, first.

Similarly, a friend inquired into how her insurance worked and was told that regardless if she paid the small repair out of her pocket, her insurance would still charge her with a wreck/claim BECAUSE THEY NOW HAD KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE INCIDENT!

Don't get me started about insurance. I'll rag about the way Hurricane IKE claims were handled. Next time I lawyer up! GRRRRRRRRR!

Flash

 

[swsmailman]

The broken tail light is a easy fix, should be able to find a replacement pretty cheap at the junkyard over on airport road/Hwy 64.

I would not even worry about the bumper. With the insurance I really don't know what to say since I have never dealt with them, just tell them that you are going to fix it and go from there.

 

[fuelfather]

Either way it is going to hit your insurance with the damage to the other vehicle, pay your deductible to have it fixed, and take your lumps.

 

[Dawico]

I bumped a guy's car once, and since he couldn't speak any English (none at all), I just let the law and insurance deal with it. I had no damage (thanks Ranchhand) and he never filed, but my rates still went up. Once they know about it, you get shafted, even if they pay nothing.

 

[ponytron]

whos your provider? just have an adjuster look at it and he will reccommend a body shop or you can choose your own. dont drive around with a busted tail light, its unsightly.

 

[TrailDust]

I almost ran over two teenage girls yesterday. They were riding the wrong way down the bike lane and since I was making a right turn onto a major thoroughfare I was watching oncoming traffic to my left. Kids blow through stop signs and ride the wrong way all the time in this area, so as I took my foot off the brake I turned quickly to look to my right and there they were, staring right at me, and crossing right in front of me. STUPID!!! I hit the brakes and rolled down my window, then yelled at them to ride on the correct side of the street. "Like, guy, what's your problem you a**hole!" one girl shouted back. I can't write down what I said after that. Later I called the cops to complain about this crap in our area and they said they already had other complaints and were preparing a crackdown.

Frickin' kids out here have no road sense at all, but then again why should they?: They've grown up in nice little safety bubbles with everything handed to them, and they think they can do anything they damn well please. Sorry for the rant, just venting I suppose.

 

[texas skeeter]

They've grown up in nice little safety bubbles with everything handed to them, and they think they can do anything they damn well please.

You are correct Sir!! and im afraid to see how it blows up down the road. just think about it, they dont teach Humility, Failure and at all sporting events EVERYONE wins and gets a trophy these days!! wait till they hit the real world, "ITS ROUGH OUT THERE"!! R.D.