Car accident question... need help!

[viper1452]

Hey guys...

I'm more of a computer guy then a car guy, so I don't know if this is the place to ask or if I'm in the right spot. So I guess I'll just go ahead and post anyway...

I got into an accident in front of my local Wal-Mart this evening and backed into someone. I was driving a 1992 Ford Mustang LX and the other guy was driving a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage. We exchanged insurance and we both came to the conclusion it was my fault (long story short, I didn't look in my rearview window). We also decided that since it was pretty minor we would let him take the car to his friend who does detailing work and if it was less than then it would cost through insurance we wouldn't have to report it.

Damage was done to the fender on the driver's side, with maybe 1 or 2 little cracks and some gashes/scratches the size of a couple of toothpicks, along with some of my crappy red Maaco paint smeared in a golfball-size area.

Now.. I was just wondering if anyone knew how much it would cost at a body shop (even though he is having a friend do it for him) to replace a fender and repaint it, along with labor, etc. I looked up the cost of a fender and it's about $50-100... so... yeah... that's all I know.

Oh, and I was also wondering if it would be reasonable if he could just fix it with putty and paint.. or something like that. (*shakes head* I know nothing about car damage.)

Any help would be appreciated.... thanks a lot if anyone posts.

[CraigFL]

I can tell you what I know from my 38 years of driving experience...

1. You should never admit guilt at the scene of an accident. Even though you may feel you're at fault, people who have accidents usually each share responsibility. (A person I know admitted guilt at the scene and the insurance company settled for $10,000 with the other person because they didn't think they could win in court even though later analysis showed she was really not at fault).

2. I recommend that people ALWAYS call the police for any accident. In this case, the accident may have happened on "private property" and no citation can be issued but it does document the accident with the police- the officer will remember you both were uninjured(walking around) and both cars were driveable.

3. People that are agreeable at the scene of an accident can become unreasonable after they've had a chance to think about it.

4. There are almost no $50 - $100 damages anymore. Even minor involvement can be $500 - $1000 easy... This person with their 2001 Mitsu may expect to have his car returned to pristine condition...

5. Talk to your insurance company, always. They will stick up for their interests (and in some way yours). You don't want them to receive a $5000 mediacal bill unannounced because this guy decided to go to the emergency room the nect day because he had neck pain.

I don't mean to get you worried but these are based on experiences that me or my friends had so I always play it safe.

[Highlyaspir8ed]

I dissagree with craig on one point. The insurance company point. I used to work for a fortune 100 insurance company. If you make a report to your insurance company regardless of if they payout or not and the accident comes down to being your fault you'll have a nice blemish on your insurance policy. nice blemishes lead to a higher rate when it comes to renewing your policy. remember insurance companies are not non profit organizations. they're looking to make a buck off of anything they can.
here's what you'll need to have done. you've already admitted guilt(which you never do) on private prop make sure you call the police. so they can make docementation of the incident. have him get the damages to his veh estimated. if they are unreasonable, ask him to have it taken in for a second opinion at a shop of your choice. if the amount is too much to pay out of pocket or the guy starts bellyaching about a neck injury then call your insurance company.

In my opinion services that we are required by law to have should not be profitable organization.

hope this and the previous post helps you out!