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Auto Insurance Claims/how to handle minor bump up

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Expert: webfoot - 6/20/2006


Question
My teenage daughter backed into a 1995 ford Explorer with here Nissan X-terra. The police were not called and no accident report has been filed. The damage to her X-terra was very minor, only a slight dent in the plastic piece on the right rear corner. I was able to easily pop this back out. The other car was hit on the right rear corner. She hit the bumper and taillight. The tail light will need replacing, the bumper will need adjusting and there is a nicle size dent just below the taillight, but no paint damage. The owner of the other car got an estimate of around $700 to repair this. Based on my 35 years of restoring and repairing cars, I think this estimate is high, but I'm not in a position to argue this estimate.  

Here is my question. Should I pay for his damage without going through my insurance or should I let the owner of the other car file an claim with my insurance?  

Answer
$700 to repair what you've described sounds like a deal to jump all over.  I'm lucky to get a body shop to touch anything other than a scratched plastic bumper cover for less than $1,000.

Metal bumpers are rarely adjustable. They bend.  If they are chrome then they cannot be bent back.  If they are painted, they will likely need refinishing after repair due to the tool marks.
The lower section of a 1/4 panel is usually too thick to repair using "Paintless Dent Repair" methods (such as with door dings) so most repairs will be traditional methods which, as a car restorer, you already know involves the destruction of the finish.  The application of the two stage finish will involve clear coating the entire panel, which cannot be done without removing the 1/4 glass due to problems with clear coat adhesion on the edges.  

I get a couple of these a month where the at fault person presents starts out as a nice guy and presents a reasonable repair estimate.  My insured then refuses to pay it and ends up with a claim against their insurance and a subsequent rate increase.  All you have to do is write a check and this goes away.  Or, you can complain about the amount and they will file a claim against your policy.

Now where'd you put that check book? :)
Good luck!

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webfoot

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Auto damage, liability, insurance fraud. I am a full time auto insurance adjuster with experience in collision, theft, liability and fraud investigation. I am also an ASE Master Auto Tech and I-Car Collision Platinum certified. My experience includes 15 years in the auto repair industry, a B.S. in Criminal Justice, Law enforcement and auto insurance. ****** NO "PRIVATE" QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED. I HAVE FOUND THAT NEARLY ALL PRIVATE QUESTIONS COME FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING OR ATTEMPTING TO COMMIT FELONY INSURANCE FRAUD AND I'M NOT HERE TO HELP YOU! ****** I AM HERE TO ANSWER AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR, CLAIMS PROCESS AND SOME SIMPLE LIABILITY QUESTIONS. I CANNOT ADDRESS COMPLEX LIABILITY SCENARIOS WITHOUT HAVING ALL OF THE INFO FROM BOTH SIDES IN FRONT OF ME. QUESTIONS ABOUT PREMIUMS OR HOW INSURANCE IS RATED SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO YOUR PERSONAL INSURANCE AGENT WHO KNOWS A WHOLE LOT MORE ABOUT YOUR HISTORY THAN I DO. I'VE NEVER SOLD INSURANCE AND DO NOT KNOW IF YOUR INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE RATES WILL GO UP IF YOU MAKE A CLAIM. THOUGH I'VE HANDLED SOME VERY MINOR SOFT TISSUE INJURY SETTLEMENTS, I PREFER NOT TO ANSWER INJURY RELATED QUESTIONS. I'M NO INJURY EXPERT AND I'LL LIKELY SAY SOMETHING TO HURT SOMEONE'S FEELINGS AS I BELIEVE THAT MANY SOFT TISSUE PAIN AND SUFFERING CLAIMS ARE OVER DRAMATIZED. UNLIKE MANY OTHERS, I AM ON THIS FORUM AS A VOLUNTEER WITH NO PRODUCTS OR SERVICES TO SELL AND PROMISE AN UPFRONT ANSWER BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE IN BOTH SIDES OF THE INDUSTRY. IF YOU PROVIDE ME WITH A HONEST VERSION OF EVENTS, I PROMISE A CANDID AND HONEST ANSWER IN RETURN. I CANNOT ADDRESS ALL CLAIM SCENERIOS DUE TO DIFFERING STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS, BUT WILL DO MY BEST. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT AN HONEST ANSWER MAY BE ONE THAT YOU DON'T LIKE SO IF THAT IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM, PLEASE DON'T ASK THE QUESTION. LASTLY, I DO NOT ACCEPT RATINGS AS I DON'T DO THIS FOR RATINGS AND WISH TO SPEAK FREELY.

Experience

20 years in automotive industry, Currently in insurance claims, worked actively as technician and shop owner until about 10 years ago. Current ASE Master Auto Tech and I-Car Platinum Collision Certifications, B.S. Criminal Justice and 10 year auto insurance/extended warranty background

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