# car collision advice



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Hi,

Some one smashed into my car today-his fault- on a road.
He gave me his personal information (drivers license, car insurance and phone number).

He asked me to get two quotes and he would pay for the repair.
He would like to avoid his car insurance - should I trust this method?

We have no fault in Ontario, right? I haven't filed a claim since no fault was introduced. 
Am I going to get screwed?
It doesn't look like a huge dent, but the front left quarter panel is dented and scraped.(2001 Malibu)

Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks


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## Griller (Jan 17, 2002)

I was in the same situation a year ago!! 

*Non-insurance route:*
If you want him to pay for it and avoid insurance, give him mid-high to your highest quote and get your car put back to the way it before this [email protected]$$ hit you. If he says "no" or "those are too high, can you get a lower one" *instantly* say forget it pal, I'm going to insurance --- if you are definitely at not at fault, you're in a win-win situation. HE wants to avoid insurance because HE knows he screwed up, he can take it or leave it, you win both ways.

*Through insurance route:* _may vary per situation/insurance company/ etc. _
Going this route forget the whole no-fault bit. Report your collision to a collision reporting centre and call your insurance company. If you both tell the truth, your insurer will see that he hit you with no wrong-doing on your part in the report. If they find you 0% at fault you'll get even your deductible back.

That was my situation, I went through insurance and my premiums were not touched. In fact, about 2 months ago, my premiums went down. Going this route, go with a body shop that is 'recommended' by your insurer, that way you can complain if the job isn't done properly.

Good luck!


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Thanks for the info!
I had a witness/passenger in the car.
I was lucky I saw it coming and missed most of it-too bad I couldn't get all the way out of the way.


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## simon (Nov 2, 2002)

Ottawaman said:


> Hi,
> 
> Some one smashed into my car today-his fault- on a road.
> He gave me his personal information (drivers license, car insurance and phone number).
> ...


He want to pay for the repair because the repair cost will definitely be cheaper than his increased insurance rates over the next 6 years. 

Couple of things, get a quote from a repair ship you trust, you don't have to get two, remember you are doing him a favour. Insist that he pays you on presentation of the quote and do this with 48 hours or you are going to the accident reporting office and filing a claim with your insurance company. 

From personal experience, not reporting this can be used to jerk you around, you didn't report it and now you can't - tuff sh!t - I'm not paying so sue me, etc. etc ... 

But from the other side I can understand where the other driver is coming from. I had a very minor fender bender in a private parking lot .. I scraped my bumper on my car (not worth fixing) and caused $100-150 damage to the other car because I damaged the bumper strip on his door (it did what it was supposed to do - no bent sheet metal or chipped paint). I didn't drive away and found the other driver exchanged information and left. I told him if he wanted to have it fixed I would pay for it but instead he went to the accident reporting office and filled out a claim. I didn't report it because I had a minor scrape on the bumper and it happen on private property. Because he reported the accident, I ended up paying an extra $500 in annual premiums for 6 years because he reported the accident - there was no claim and I found out that he never had the car fixed. This was my first "accident" under the no-fault insurance scheme. I have always wondered what my premiums would have been if he actually got the car fixed - because I ended up paying $3000 just because a claim was made and no money exchanged hands.

If I ever have another one like that, I will either drive away (like the asshole who backed into my van last year) or I will pay personally to have it fixed.

Good luck ... remember insurance companies can go both ways - this minor incident can be used on your record at any time to deny you insurance, raise your rates, limit your policy - because you now have used up your "free" accident. Even asking your insurance broker for advise will be on your record, so be careful ...


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## nxnw (Dec 22, 2002)

simon said:


> I had a very minor fender bender in a private parking lot .. I scraped my bumper on my car (not worth fixing) and caused $100-150 damage to the other car because I damaged the bumper strip on his door (it did what it was supposed to do - no bent sheet metal or chipped paint). I didn't drive away and found the other driver exchanged information and left. I told him if he wanted to have it fixed I would pay for it but instead he went to the accident reporting office and filled out a claim. I didn't report it because I had a minor scrape on the bumper and it happen on private property. Because he reported the accident, I ended up paying an extra $500 in annual premiums for 6 years because he reported the accident - there was no claim and I found out that he never had the car fixed. This was my first "accident" under the no-fault insurance scheme. I have always wondered what my premiums would have been if he actually got the car fixed - because I ended up paying $3000 just because a claim was made and no money exchanged hands.
> 
> If I ever have another one like that, I will either drive away (like the asshole who backed into my van last year) or I will pay personally to have it fixed.


I don't see why your insurance would go up at all if there was no claim. Several insurers would not raie you rates even if there was a claim and you were at fault, if it was your first and only accident. Perhaps you should be clarifying this incident with your insurer.

Here's my story. I once bumped a car backing out of a driveway. I found the owner. There was a small dent. The guy said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it."


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## Jacklar (Jul 23, 2005)

I hit a deer last September on my way home from my Rugby Championship game, took the highway because it was the first night it snowed and wanted to be safe..driving safe along the long flat highway ended up writing off my car on me. 

Anyways the insurance company wouldn't have covered me if the deer hadn't of basically died in the ditch right by the car. If he had crawled off and died where we could find him then they wouldn't have covered it and said that anything could have happened I could have hit something and wouldn't cover me because I didn't have collision which it later turned out I did.

Anyways since the deer was dead in the ditch they considered it that the deer hit me and I was at 0% fault. However if I would have swerved to miss the deer I would have been at 100% if anything happened. I didn't swerve because it was either hit a deer or a oncoming truck at about 80kph. So anyways long story short they wrote off my car and I ended up using the money to pay off most of my insurance bill they wouldn't refund and then used the rest for insurance on my parents truck so I could use it if I needed it.

Insurance companys are rediculus in Ontario.. simply retarded.


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## IronMac (Sep 22, 2003)

I believe that if you go to your collision reporting station/branch the insurance companies will still know that there has been an accident. The collision reporting station will send a report to your insurance company.

I also don't think that there is any time limit to you reporting a collision.

You may also want to check out CBC's "Marketplace" program because they had an episode on this very topic this past season.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Well, I just returned from two collision centers.

Around $1200 at the first place and around $1400 at the second.
This includes about $120 for a 3 day compact rental car.

I think I have to report it if it is more than $1000.


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## simon (Nov 2, 2002)

nxnw said:


> I don't see why your insurance would go up at all if there was no claim. Several insurers would not raie you rates even if there was a claim and you were at fault, if it was your first and only accident. Perhaps you should be clarifying this incident with your insurer.


There was no claim but there now was an "accident" on my record, I lost my accident free status and it stayed with me for 6 years - my rates didn't go up but I lost points which raised my premium - same thing as a rate increase. Insurance companies will do anything, use anything to raise your rates. I have been driving for 25 years and I am now more scared of insurance renewals than I am of anything else. 

Two years ago I opened my insurance renewal and it had increased from $740 a year for full coverage for my van to $4,800 because I had the unfortunate experience of having 3 tickets - 2 I had the previous year and one I just got. 1 minor speeding, one major speeding and one stop sign infraction.


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

I keep getting mixed opinions on what no fault means in Ontario- it's very confusing.
Some are telling me that I won't have to pay the deductible if I was at zero fault.

I need a link to explain what no fault insurance means in Ontario in layman's terms.
Google here I come...

Thanks for all the replies!


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## draz (Jun 13, 2005)

*Insurance leeches*

I was driving down the highway (401) in my Denali once, adn this guy cut in front of me at speed and hit the car in front of him, at which point there was 6 feet between us and i could not stop in time. So i rocked his world with my bumper writing off his van and the van in front.  SO i called my insurance company knowing that i was going to get a new on ripped for me, and they said that because i had a perfect driving sheet, and that he cut in front way too close to me, and losing control, that i was not at fault. And my rates stayed the same. And the only repair my truck needed was a new bumper and hood. But the other 2 cars were wrecked.  

In that case i was lucky but generally speaking the insurance comanies here in Ontario are f++king pirates, and they aggressively sodomize any person that wants to drive. (its like being in prision!! We have the highest insurance rates in North America right here in Toronto. Bastards.   

My advices is if you hit another car while driving, when the driver gets out, if there is no one else around, just run him over to and get your car washed. It is really much easier and you save all that time and head ache, not to mention all that paper work.


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## JumboJones (Feb 21, 2001)

Ottawaman said:


> Well, I just returned from two collision centers.
> 
> Around $1200 at the first place and around $1400 at the second.
> This includes about $120 for a 3 day compact rental car.
> ...


You haven't reported it yet?!!! Him getting a traffic infraction is the only way your insurance company can proove to his insurance company that it was his fault. As well, if you don't go the insurance route and he decides not to pay you, his ticket will be his downfall. I've been on both ends and that is how it has worked, insurance companies just get the money from the other when some is ticketed.

When I claimed it, I had to pay the deductable but it was repayed to me after my insurance company prooved it was the other guys fault. The problem with not claiming it, if you have any after effects or need rehab therapy you're screwed, unless you plan on getting refunded by the guy for this too.


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## IronMac (Sep 22, 2003)

Ottawaman said:


> I think I have to report it if it is more than $1000.


Yep, I think so too!


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## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

I went to the police today- they need both drivers and vehicles there at the same time.
The guy who crashed into me called me back tonight and we are going to see the police tomorrow.
He has admitted many times that it was completely his fault. I just hope he admits it one more time in front of the police tomorrow.


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