FML.

June 4, 2009 3:15 AM

Car Insurance Filter: I bumped a parked car an hour ago. They'll probably contact me tomorrow. Insurance or out-of-pocket? (More than meets the eye.)

So, I'm staying with a relative who lives on a pretty steep hill. I was parked just below a driveway, with another car paralleled in front of me. (Here's where my brain's conditioning kicks in: it was raining, he was parked WAY too close to my front, etc., etc...)

But all that aside, the fact is, I put my car in neutral instead of reverse, and in the split-second when I released my foot and gassed it, expecting to roll up and away from his rear bumper, I instead rolled downwards and gave it a little kiss. Nothing too serious -- just enough so that there's clear marks where the screws met his bumper. Being that it was a one-car affair, I think I may have been at fault. (Get it? Understatement! Ha!)

The "victim" car: a Scion tC, of which I can't make the year. The car doesn't have any after-market body modifications, so I think it's safe to say the damaged bumper was stock. Also, the hit was such that I really don't think I put anything under the bumper out of alignment.

I wrote a little note, telling the owner to call me when he gets it so that we can settle fixing his car. The catch: it's my aunty's car, and she's the one who's got the insurance policy on it. She's not the one I'm living with, but she does a lot for my family and I, and I'm really hesitant to put any of this on her plate.

The question: Given the minor nature of the accident and the tricky nature of the insurance, would it be better to just settle it out-of-pocket? Are there things that I should ensure that would make the out-of-pocket settlement easier or more fair (for me)? I read the first post that comes up when you search AskMeFi for "car insurance," and it talked about a form preventing later claims. Necessary?

posted by the NATURAL to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

It's not your insurance policy, it's not your car. Pay the $200-500 or so (directly to the owner) that it takes to make this go away without involving your aunt's insurance company.
posted by halogen at 3:49 AM on June 4

Someone just did this exact same thing to my car two weeks ago. My passenger door was dented a little and my side mirror was cracked, and the mirror can't be adjusted with the inside control now. Estimate for repairs: $985. It sounds like you did less damage than that. You could also consider paying your aunt's deductible.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:56 AM on June 4

1) More than likely, it's going to cost a lot more than you estimate it will to make the other person's bumper right. Car parts/fixes are pretty astronomical, and it may be as bad as having to replace the entire bumper to get rid of the dent. You don't know, so don't go into it thinking that you're going to slip them a $50 and it'll go away.

2) If you decide to go through your aunt's insurance (because as halogen said, it's going to have to go through hers since insurance follows the car and not the driver), it could possibly cause problems for her with her insurance company, since they might get upset that she's letting people the company doesn't know about drive her car, which to them is an unknown risk. Depending upon the company, they could do nothing, drop her from their insurance, or something in between. You should let her decide that risk, but I'd do it privately if I were you.
posted by scarykarrey at 6:49 AM on June 4

My rule of thumb is never submit a claim for less than about 2/3 of your annual premium. It will just cost you more in the end with increased premiums.
posted by caddis at 7:25 AM on June 4

It's great and awesome that you left a note, but if the damage is as minimal as you say it is, the owner of the other car may not even want to do anything about it other than get you to spring for some touchup paint. This is what bumpers are for. Maybe it's just where I live, but if you parallel park on a public street, there's an expectation that your bumpers are going to get bumped.
posted by zerokey at 7:58 AM on June 4

It was your fault, regardless of how close the car was parked. Ask the owner of the damaged car to get a couple of estimates, and if it's manageable, pay out of pocket. Absolutely pay any costs to your aunt, and buy her flowers.
posted by theora55 at 8:33 AM on June 4

Tell your aunt and try to work it out outside of insurance. If you feel the victim car owner is asking for obscene amounts of money for the amount of damage you feel you did, then go through insurance. This sucks and is all too familiar to me.
posted by WeekendJen at 10:13 AM on June 4