Whose insurance to call

[Anonymous]

I was involved in a hit and run last night, where the other drive ran into me at a stop light and fled. I didn't catch their plate, but luckily there was a witness who called the police and with their help the police were able to get in touch with the driver and get their insurance. I filed a police report right after it happened and the officer said that because of where it happened and that another person had called it in, fault of the other driver was pretty cut and dry. I am a bit confused on next steps with insurance. The damage is minor and honestly if it had been my fault at all I would probably not deal with it, but because I was not at fault I would like to get it fixed. I called my insurance to submit a claim and they said that if I want to avoid paying anything I should go directly to the other person's insurance, because if I go with them I will likely at least pay my deductible.

Does that sound right? I would imagine that if I pay my deductible it should get refunded assuming the other person is found to be of fault, but my insurance did not make it sound like that. Everything I am reading online seems to imply that you should never contact the other person's insurance or voluntarily talk to them. Is that true? What would you do in this situation.

[Anonymous]

You need to deal with your own insurance. They will go after the other person's insurance for you if they were at fault. You should not have to pay your deductible if you are not at fault, unless the other person's insurance limits do not cover the damage to your property. Then you would have to invoke your collision coverage, which has a deductible. So there is no benefit to you for trying to go around your own insurance company.

[Anonymous]

How much will the repair cost ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much will the repair cost ?

I don't know yet, I haven't brought it to a repair shop yet. I would guess somewhere between $500 and $1000.

[Anonymous]

A lot also depends on your insurance company and state.

My daughter on my policy in Maryland had a not at fault accident and we have Progressive.

They raised my rates as Maryland allows insurance companies to raise rates in not at fault accidents.

And my wife had a not at fault accident when we went through our insurance. She paid $500 deductible. A few months later when other company finally paid full about to my insurance company we got the $500 back.

[Anonymous]

It’s your insurance companies job to handle this for you that’s what you pay them for. Tell them this if you get the runaround again. If the police report says other driver is at fault then it should be a non issue. If report is not clear or one is not done then the insurances companies figure it our based on location, cars positions , right of way etc … that’s literally their job.

[Anonymous]

Your insurance is right. Yes, you could ask your insurance to handle it but you will pay your deductible and potentially be dinged for a claim. You call the other person’s insurance and file the claim. Just be persistent in following up.

[Anonymous]

If you pursue the claim through your insurance carrier you will be responsible for any deductible, which could exceed the amount of the damage. Your insurer will then recover the deductible from the other driver’s carrier through a process called “subrogation” whereby they determine who is at fault.

In some cases, when you make the claim directly against the other driver’s carrier for a relatively small amount they will simply send a check upon receipt of an estimate. It’s then up to you to do the repair. You still might want a good mechanic to confirm the likelihood of more serious damage that isn’t readily apparent.

Another potential issue is “diminished value.” Your car is now worth less in terms of resale/trade-in once sn accident has been reported. Some states allow you to recover that amount as part of a settlement.