Question for you lawyers/insurance types

Eleazar · 11-09-2004, 11:25 AM

Allright, have a question about a fender-bender that I was involved in this weekend. It was not me driving, but I was riding with a buddy when the incident happened

We were in a left turn lane, about to get onto I-70, but waiting at a stoplight. There's a big, new F-150 in front of my friend's truck. The light turned green and traffic proceeded forward. For some reason, a police car turns left from the next lane over, in front of the truck in front of us, which slams on his brakes. My friend does too, but still ends up tapping them. It was just a tap, there is no damage visible on my friend's front bumper, and there was no damage visible to us at the scene on the truck's rear bumper.

The couple in the truck are from Maryville and seem like they just want to get on the road and get home, so they tell a police officer who had stopped by that they don't want to file a report and just take off to go home, so they exchanged phone numbers and that was it.

You know where this is headed, last night the lady calls and wants $500 out of him for a new bumper. Now, once again, at the scene there was no damage visible to any of us, and they elected not to file a report. All they did was exchange contact information.

Obviously, I was there and believe that they are trying to get him over a barrel based on what I saw. So, lawyer and insurance types that may be on the planet, what should his course of action be right after alerting his agent, which he's already done. Tell them to take their bumper and shove it? What should he do?

Boise_Chief · 11-09-2004, 11:28 AM

Tell his ins. agent and let them handle it. That's what they're paid to do . Make sure he tells them he feels it's a fraudulent claim.

11-09-2004, 11:36 AM

Hell no. Don't tell anybody. Tell them to have the bumper replaced at a local Ford dealership and have the bill sent to your friend. For $500, he doesn't want his insurance rates to go up. Hell, his deductable is probably at least that much. Bumpers, especially on domestic products are easily damaged. The damange may not have been visible at the scene, but it is possible that it was discovered later.

11-09-2004, 11:25 AM
Eleazar Beyond the Rapids Join Date: May 2003 Location: Langley, VA Casino cash: $-370000	Question for you lawyers/insurance types Allright, have a question about a fender-bender that I was involved in this weekend. It was not me driving, but I was riding with a buddy when the incident happened We were in a left turn lane, about to get onto I-70, but waiting at a stoplight. There's a big, new F-150 in front of my friend's truck. The light turned green and traffic proceeded forward. For some reason, a police car turns left from the next lane over, in front of the truck in front of us, which slams on his brakes. My friend does too, but still ends up tapping them. It was just a tap, there is no damage visible on my friend's front bumper, and there was no damage visible to us at the scene on the truck's rear bumper. The couple in the truck are from Maryville and seem like they just want to get on the road and get home, so they tell a police officer who had stopped by that they don't want to file a report and just take off to go home, so they exchanged phone numbers and that was it. You know where this is headed, last night the lady calls and wants $500 out of him for a new bumper. Now, once again, at the scene there was no damage visible to any of us, and they elected not to file a report. All they did was exchange contact information. Obviously, I was there and believe that they are trying to get him over a barrel based on what I saw. So, lawyer and insurance types that may be on the planet, what should his course of action be right after alerting his agent, which he's already done. Tell them to take their bumper and shove it? What should he do?
Posts: 80,659

11-09-2004, 11:28 AM	#2
Boise_Chief The Lurkiest Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Boise,ID Casino cash: $2514188	Tell his ins. agent and let them handle it. That's what they're paid to do . Make sure he tells them he feels it's a fraudulent claim.
Posts: 1,925

11-09-2004, 11:36 AM	#3
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	Hell no. Don't tell anybody. Tell them to have the bumper replaced at a local Ford dealership and have the bill sent to your friend. For $500, he doesn't want his insurance rates to go up. Hell, his deductable is probably at least that much. Bumpers, especially on domestic products are easily damaged. The damange may not have been visible at the scene, but it is possible that it was discovered later.
Posts: n/a