Expert: Anne - 5/23/2008

Question
i had a small accident where i rearended a lady. we were at a stop light, and i was going less then 5mph and pushing on the breaks when i tapped her rear end. at the time, we saw no damage, the only thing that it needed was just to get some paint from my front bumper off. the lady told me she would let me know what that cost was. i contacted her twice and she still hadn't gotten lokkinginto it. not almost 2 months later she is coming to me saaying thati put a crease in the bumper and it will cost $600 to fix. is there a time limit for her coming back to say this???/ can she do this?? is it worth filing insurance? can i still file it?

Answer
Hi Amanda,

In most states you have up to 2 years to file something like this. 2 months is not much of an issue. She can come back later on and claim more damages (or injuries). If you think this person is trying to take advantage of the situation, you may want to file a claim and make sure you are completely protected.

If you do not think this is a big deal, then you can probably pay out of pocket. If you decide to do this, then you must get a release of all claim against you (a document where in exchange of the money, where agrees that she will not come back for more later on).

Good Luck,
Anne
http://www.spokanelegalhelp.com