I got rear ended.. what to do?

[302w 83]

In before "lol rear ended"

 

I was driving one night stopped on a busy road with my blinker on trying to make a legal left turn. A vehicle I didn't see plowed into my passenger rear corner, threw my vehicle through the intersection and fled. I never saw it.

 

Frame bent, leafspring bent, body crinkled, exhaust wrecked, hatch wrecked, etc. I drive an older POS but reliable SUV. I bought a new leafspring and had a shop install it and I continued to drive. Most financially viable option for me. Responding LEO did not issue me a ticket nor did he accuse me of anything in the slightest.

 

The responding LEO called back after a week and told me the kid turned himself in.

 

I didn't seek medical attention but I missed a days work. I used a sick day.

 

What do I do? I imagine my vehicle is probably totaled. Contact his insurance? Contact mine? I get the report soon.

[Schrödinger's cat 87]

Why wouldn't you contact his insurance ? Or ask your insurance to contact his. When something like this happened to my dad the kid wanted to pay for it by himself.

[MartyZ 692]

Contact your insurance, send them the police report which should have the other guys information. Your insurance will pay for your repairs then get their money back from his insurance. Once they get their money back from his insurance they will send you a check for the deductible. When his insurance pays, you don't pay a deductible. this of course assumes the police report is accurate and it states that he rear ended you.

[Malsua 1,422]

Start running a dashcam.  You may have caught some identifying information from the perp.   Maybe not if he spun you around, but at least you could show it occurred while you were stopped.

 

As suggested above i'd contact my insurance and describe the situation.

[1LtCAP 4,262]

go to his insurance.

[Lambo2936 297]

Not sure what your car is worth, but you may be better off seeing if he has the $$ to just pay you off.. better for both of you if its not on your records, though the fact that he fled is messed up. At least he came back and admitted to it.

[njplinker 8]

Contact your insurance, send them the police report which should have the other guys information. Your insurance will pay for your repairs then get their money back from his insurance. Once they get their money back from his insurance they will send you a check for the deductible. When his insurance pays, you don't pay a deductible. this of course assumes the police report is accurate and it states that he rear ended you.

This. NJ is a no fault insurance state. Deal with your insurance and they will recoup the money from the other guys insurance. No need to mess around with someone else's company.

[302w 83]

What is better, going to my insurance or his? Can I seek anything for having to use a sick day? I assume no. Not looking to sue for pain and suffering or anything crazy likethat.

 

Also, my vehicle is going to be totaled. KBB has a market value of $2500 and the repairs will exceed that. Assuming I can buy it back for $1000 or less, is using a salvage title a bad thing?

[ChrisJM981 924]

This. NJ is a no fault insurance state. Deal with your insurance and they will recoup the money from the other guys insurance. No need to mess around with someone else's company.

Since it was a rear ending situation it's probably more straightforward. You're probably going to have to lay out the money for the deductible, and if the insurance company gets their money you get anything over that up to your deductible. At least that's how Geico operates. 

[Sota 1,191]

I can only describe my experiences...

 

when I was rear ended in the 2007 jeep, I let my insurance take care of it, as i carry full coverage on this vehicle. (vehicle was not considered totaled.)

when I nailed the hell out of a chick who failed to yield while in the 1992 shadow, I dealt with her insurance, since I only carry minimal insurance on this vehicle. this vehicle has long been considered totaled. they wound up paying me off directly (quite a nice chunk of change as well.) I pocketed the cash, and repaired the car myself and drive it to this day.

[AverageJoe 95]

What is better, going to my insurance or his? Can I seek anything for having to use a sick day? I assume no. Not looking to sue for pain and suffering or anything crazy likethat.

 

Also, my vehicle is going to be totaled. KBB has a market value of $2500 and the repairs will exceed that. Assuming I can buy it back for $1000 or less, is using a salvage title a bad thing?

Like already stated...NJ is a no fault state...you go through your insurance then your insurance will go after their insurance to recoup the funds. 

[dino71 7]

What MartyZ said. It's nice to have an adjuster that's fighting for you.

[orangesolo 26]

Start running a dashcam.  You may have caught some identifying information from the perp.   Maybe not if he spun you around, but at least you could show it occurred while you were stopped.

 

As suggested above i'd contact my insurance and describe the situation.

 

Dashcam Dashcam Dashcam Dashcam Dashcammmmm!!! I got rear ended last year by an f150. Completely obliterated my rear end. Threw my vehicle that was at 0mph withhhhh my brakes fully pressed into the vehicle in front of me. In NJ (idk about other states) if A rear ends B and causes B to rear ends C, A will pay for B & B will still have to pay for C, even though B was not at fault.

 

However since I had my dashcam, I sent insurance the video proof that I was stopped completely behind vehicle C, and A struck me (B) which in turn caused me to strike C. 

 

Had no penalty's/fines. No rates jacked up etc whatsoever because my insurance company went after A's insurance since I had footage of the accident.

 

Dashcams are a life saver.

[maintenanceguy 510]

Go to your insurance.  If you go to his, they're going to get your insurance company involved anyway.

 

Your insurance company will handle everything.  They'll send out an adjuster to estimate the damage.  They'll negotiate with the other insurance company.  They'll pay the body shop for repairs.  When repairs are more than expected, they'll negotiate and inspect the car again in needed.

 

You don't have to do a thing except file a claim and send them a copy of the police report and then just follow their instructions.

[deerpark 83]

Claim a back injury and retire. 

 

[John712 6]

I got rear ended in my armada about 7 years or so ago, insurance covered it 100%. Although it was clearly visible I wasn't at fault, it wasn't up till about 3 or 4 years after that I found out it was on my record as at fault. Just keep your eyes on that.

[MartyZ 692]

go to his insurance.

I have have been rear ended many times in my life and always have been told to go to my insurance, and I did. His insurances job is to defend him not you. They will do everything possible to screw you over because they know all the loopholes and tricks. I have been told many times by my insurance and my lawyer to only go to your own insurance and have them contact his insurance, or have your lawyer contact his insurance, that puts them on even ground. 

[Screwball 483]

I had a Lakewood resident make a U turn at the entrance to my college, hitting the rear driver side of my car. Comes out and says it is just a little paint, so we don't need to get the police involved. [emoji849] Told him you hit the rear wheel, as well... so my suspension is more than just paint. Get your butt back in your car, and get your paperwork together for the officer to take. I will always keep that police report, because even though the driver stated he was "day dreaming," no tickets were written.

 

Get a call from a Geico agent (his insurance, mine is NJM), saying that they aren't paying because he wasn't at fault. Have you looked at the police report, because the side numbers do tell you who is at fault? No, but no tickets were written. Stated his driver said he was day dreaming... "that isn't important." I asked the guy if he wanted a copy of the report... said no. Asked if he wanted the copy of the pictures of the damage on both vehicles... yep (front of his car, rear side of mine... unless I spun the rear around on a front wheel drive car, it had to be him; his U turn was either a stop or yield). So, I put the pictures at the back, report in front of them, then made a cover sheet that pointed out that his driver stated he was day dreaming, and the officer felt it was important enough to put it in the report. I was leaving class, not pulling into a college with a gated entrance, then blowing through a U turn.

 

The next week, I received a letter from Geico, stating they are covering it in full. I forget how they contacted me originally, but I only file claims through NJM, and if a driver is at fault, I let them know. I hate other insurance companies... NJM has been good to me, whether a deer ran out in front, or another driver decided they had the right of way when they didn't (had one that was another NJM driver, and it was even simpler).

[Purple Patrick 638]

Well done, if your not hurt then why do it ? Be a gentlemen -

 

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANnnnnnnnnnnnnDDDDDDDDDDDD - we wonder why NJ is in the shitter - and the NE is a place people are fleeing from.

 

Not saying it doesn't happen elsewhere, but this is the problem with people in general.

 

Just my .02

We got f'ed real hard when one of our driver gots into an extremely low speed accident when the guy started claiming anything he could pull out of his ass to get cash. Fuck people like that. If you actually are injured and can't work that's one thing. To screw over a mom and pop store is just bad behavior

 

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[Slab Sides 20]

The only time someone is 100% at fault is a rear ender.

 

You can get an estimate of the repairs and see if the kid/parents want to pay out of pocket.  If you go through insurance just send the police report to them, they will send out an adjuster to appraise the damage.  If it's more than 50% of what the car is worth they will total it and send you a check for "market value".  DO NOT accept their version of market value, it's the other insurance company trying to give you as least amount of money as possible.  Look around on CL and Ebay for listings similar to your vehicle, print them out and send them to the other insurance company.  I had one car in my fleet get totaled beyond repair, the ins comapany wanted to pay out like $700, you can't even buy a running car for that.  IIRC, I wound up getting like $1400 because of the REAL market value.  These are all high mileage cars.

 

It's only "totaled" as far as the insurance company is concerned.  I've had cars get totaled by insurance, fixed them myself then a few years later get into another accident and totaled again.  lol  (gotta love Jersey) No need to do anything with your title.

[MartyZ 692]

The only time someone is 100% at fault is a rear ender.

Not true. In 2002 I t-boned some idiot who ran a red light, he got a ticket, he took 100% of the fault.

[MartyZ 692]

And for those thinking of faking medical issues. NJ is a no-fault state, that means that for medical expenses your insurance pays not the other guys insurance. And when your insurance pays, they can increase your premiums.

[DaveR 42]

Always go through your insurance, report it as soon as it happens, your insurance should be able to get the police report themselves.  Once there is a police report they will be notified anyway,  On a hit and run you will be out the deductible, most like like $500 based on it going through the uninsured motorist fund.  If the other person has insurance then your insurance will try to recoup the deductible from them.  The cost of any repairs are never as cheap as you think it may be and the other party is not going to pay out of their pocket.  Who is paying for the rental as your vehicle is in for repairs?  There will always be costs you did not think of.  Never try to work it out yourselves.  If you do not get the police report, what is to stop the other party from filling a lawsuit against you just under the 2 year limit for personal injuries claiming it was your fault.

 

Dash cams are great, but a rear facing one in this case would be even better.  I've been using one for years based on all the insurance scams that are pulled, like people throwing themselves on your hood claiming you hit them.

[302w 83]

Well done, if your not hurt then why do it ? Be a gentlemen -

 

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANnnnnnnnnnnnnDDDDDDDDDDDD - we wonder why NJ is in the shitter - and the NE is a place people are fleeing from.

 

Not saying it doesn't happen elsewhere, but this is the problem with people in general.

 

Just my .02

I'd sue for aggravation if I could!

[Slab Sides 20]

Not true. In 2002 I t-boned some idiot who ran a red light, he got a ticket, he took 100% of the fault.

 

The ticket was probable the difference, but I heard that bit of info straight from my insurance agent.

 

Someone cut in front of one of my employees, had zero time to react and ironically said employee was being followed by a cop who even stated in the report there was zero time to react.  Ins only paid out 75%.

[raz-0 1,259]

The only time someone is 100% at fault is a rear ender.

 

 

 

Wrong. It is also 100% at fault if the hit a legally parked car. Just got my deductible back form subrogation on that one. 

 

Like others said, call your insurance company and they'll take care of it. 

[CageFighter 236]

quick ?.....for all u guys with these "dash cams", I assume ur driving the speed limit & obeying all traffic laws?  

 

(if so, that sucks!  my commute is tooo long)  

[Malsua 1,422]

quick ?.....for all u guys with these "dash cams", I assume ur driving the speed limit & obeying all traffic laws?  

 

(if so, that sucks!  my commute is tooo long)  

 

No, that's why I don't have the GPS activated.   If they want to calculate my speed, they'll need to go out to the road, measure the distance  and compare time to calculate it.  I'm not going to make it easy

[ChrisJM981 924]

No, that's why I don't have the GPS activated. If they want to calculate my speed, they'll need to go out to the road, measure the distance and compare time to calculate it. I'm not going to make it easy

That's what was preventing me from putting one in. What model do you use?

[Malsua 1,422]

That's what was preventing me from putting one in. What model do you use?

 

I run a DOD Tech LS330W.  Have had it going on about 2 years now.  I ran a G1W before that for about 2 years.

 

DOD has updated their models a bit but are still in the top 5 for best nighttime video and wide dynamic range(WDR - good for driving into the sun).

 

Either get one without GPS(LS370?) or get the model that uses an External GPS antennae...then don't buy the Antennae.