Yes I know there were a couple other threads, but they were old and not exactly pertaining to this.

So I was waiting in line to get gas today. I had driven around and checked probably 15 gas stations and none had any gas except for the last one I checked and I HAD to get it since I was on 1/8 when i started and the light was on by the time I found this place (and Im driving to raleigh tomorrow).

Anywho, the line is long and slow and everyone is just sitting around some with cars off others just parked. I had had my car off for a minute or two since we hadnt moved in awhile. So I was sitting completely parked in the line in the parking lot. the redneck guy in front of me in his truck all of a sudden throws it in reverse and backs up onto my car before I have time to honk or anything. He broke my left front tail light messed up my front bumper a little and crimped back a 7" wide section of my hood about 3" or so. We exchange information and I reported to my insurance company but havent had them file a claim against him yet (trying to decide what to do)

the guy that hit me is the manager of the service and body parts at the chevy + Cadillac dealer here in greenville (my car is a pontiac) so he really wants me to take it to their body shop and pay at cost and eat labor to replace it. Of course if I do this and I am not satisfied im kind of boned in getting my insurance to help even though I reported it to them. But if I do then I gotta go through all the BS to get reimbursed for my deductible and stuff.

My personal estimate is about $1200 worth of damage. I am still open to them doing the repairs if it doesnt seem sketchy. But IF I do that, I am first going to get a free damage estimate at my pontiac dealer so that I can have EXACTLY what this guy needs to have his shop fix spelled out in order for me to be satisfied. I also would demand to get a rental car from them for the time they have my car since I would get that if I went through his+my insurance to settle it.

Any thoughts suggestions? Also I got the phone numbers of 2 witnesses who confirmed that I was parked and this guy hit me if I need.

[Edited on September 29, 2008 at 11:43 PM. Reason : ]

9/29/2008 11:41:41 PM

get everything in writing

9/29/2008 11:48:23 PM

yea I was going to write up a "contract" and attach a copy of the damage assessment i was thinking

9/29/2008 11:49:30 PM

I'm not understanding why you have to pay anything out at all, even a deductible, since he hit you. It should be his insurance paying for everything, not yours. I.e., there's no deductible for you to even pay.

9/29/2008 11:58:42 PM

then as long as youve got that you should be able to take him to small claims should he decide to pull some dick move on you

9/29/2008 11:59:51 PM

wait yeah i read that wrong, you shouldnt be paying anything

i thought you were saying you were taking it to his shop to save him from his insurance paying and making his rates go up, but he should still be forking everything out

9/30/2008 12:01:33 AM

yes he would be paying for everything if I went with him to his chevy/caddy shop.

if i let my insurance handle the claim with his insurance i pay the deductible and then assuming they get his insurance to pony up they reimburse me for my deductible. which in this case, SHOULD be fairly easy with 2 witnesses to back up my word. but its still a pain.

or i could try and settle with his insurance straight up myself and get them to pay for it (obviously i wouldnt accept a check up front so I dont get hosed).

I was just asking if it would be legit to do it straight through him and the GM shop or if that is too risky and I should just handle it through insurance in which case I would just take it to my pontiac dealer.

PS ive been lucky enough to have not gotten in an accident before so I dont know how this all works. Im trying to feel out the 3 options my insurance company gave me. I did get all the information I would need no matter what. Im not that big of a n00b at least

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 12:08 AM. Reason : ]

9/30/2008 12:03:38 AM

yeah i mean you're not fucked but why give the guy a break if it makes more work for you. go with whatever gets your car fixed fastest AND to your satisfaction.

9/30/2008 12:22:12 AM

wait, why are you paying a deductible up front?

9/30/2008 12:42:17 AM

Quote :

"the guy that hit me is the manager of the service and body parts at the chevy + Cadillac dealer here in greenville (my car is a pontiac) so he really wants me to take it to their body shop and pay at cost and eat labor to replace it."

I'm reading this as he wants you to pay costs only (i.e., materials), and that he'll do the work for free.

Which is not cool.

Is that the case, or is he saying you will take your car into the shop, they will do all the repairs, do them well, and then you don't pay a dime. For anything. At all?

Were I you, and had any hesitation, I'd get the insurance company involved, because while I like to treat people well, it's not going to be in exchange for a bunch of hassle for me. If you think he'll do the right thing, right away, without giving you any grief, I say get everything in writing, and deal with it between the two of you.
I do not know what this would do to your leverage with the insurance companies, though. Might wanna ask yours.

9/30/2008 12:50:58 AM

If you didn't involve the cops he can lie later and say you hit him. He can also refuse to give your insurance company a recorded statement.

You need to file with his insurance company and inform your insurance company in the meantime. It's way too easy to get fucked over if you let him fix it. I know you want to be nice, but it rarely pays these days. All being nice will do is give him room to fuck you over. Chances are if he drives like that, he's done this before and already has it down to a science.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 1:57 AM. Reason : ]

9/30/2008 1:56:10 AM

Quote :

"left front tail light"

?????
those Pontiacs come loaded these days

front and rear tail lights

9/30/2008 2:52:52 AM

hahaha. yea wtf was I typing. left head light dur.

Quote :

"Is that the case, or is he saying you will take your car into the shop, they will do all the repairs, do them well, and then you don't pay a dime. For anything. At all?"

this is the way it was dictated to me but yea this is why I was asking tww because I generally try to be nice (too nice sometimes) and I dont want to screw myself.

and the cops wouldnt write an incident report since it was on private property. the lady on the phone wouldnt even send someone out. But I filed it with my insurance company right away, they are just holding on action waiting for me to make a decision. I also got witness phone numbers that I gave to my insurance company.

9/30/2008 7:37:58 AM

take it to a good shop. i wouldn't take it to that guy unless his shop is awesome.

9/30/2008 12:42:05 PM

i would just let the insurance company handle it, especially since you didnt get a police report.

9/30/2008 12:50:45 PM

1. call your insurance agent
2. go get three estimates of the damage
3. have your agent send him/his agent the highest one
4. have your agent schedule the repair with him/his agent

Of course he wants you to take it to his place...but I wouldn't do that.

It's not your fault he hit you...auto insurance is going down 16% at the beginning of 09..he won't feel the pain for long.

[Edited on September 30, 2008 at 1:18 PM. Reason : .]

9/30/2008 1:16:51 PM

^,^^,^^^

yea that probably is the best course of action. I just wanted some input. Much appreciated.

^^^

yea that makes sense. Ironically his is one of the shops that my insurance would probably recommend since its a GM dealer body shop. I could be wrong though.

9/30/2008 1:23:00 PM