Got hit by uninsured - file claim or deal with privately

[Anonymous]

Last year, got hit by a nice new pickup pulling a new camper. Camper scraped the side of my car like a cheese grater.

Spouse of driver came out and offered to give me cash for my deductible. Incredibly fishy, and a ridiculous proposal. Damage was in the thousands. I called the police.

Police come and turns out the driver was completely wasted. Driver gets arrested for DUI. I go home and file a claim with my insurer.

Turns out the guy with the nice truck and camper trailer had been in a number of drunk driving accidents that made the news. His license was suspended, and he had no insurance.

Insurance took care of me. Waived my deductible since I was hit by an uninsured motorist (USAA)

Got a letter from insurance last month saying they were unable to recover any $$ from the individual who hit me.

Go through your insurance. If the guy who hit you can’t come up with the $$, it is the insurance company’s problem, and not yours.

[Anonymous]

read your policy documentation. there should be a section for uninsured motorist coverage. You shouldn't need to go through collision unless you want a world of headaches afterwards.

[Anonymous]

I can almost guarantee you won’t collect. No way no how. Use your insurance.
You think he can’t afford insurance but will pay $4-6k??

[Anonymous]

PP you got hustled and will never see the money. In VA other insurance won't pay if you are even .01% at fault so letting someone leave the scene allows them to concoct a story that prevents their rates from thing up. You now have to file your own collision claim and have your rates increase for 5 years.

[Anonymous]

I had a similar incident last year in DC. Small fender bender but the damage to my car was $2K due to location not the car. I initially filed with my insurance and then the other driver asked to pay me for the damage directly. Due to the circumstances (which I won't get into here, but made me sympathetic to his situation), I gave him a chance and he paid me within a week. My insurance company said that I could pull the claim and then later refile the claim if he didn't pay me (obviously within a period of time). I would not have accepted a payment plan. My husband also got into a fender bender with an Uber driver and the guy paid him directly to avoid having insurance rates go up. That was less, about $600.

[Anonymous]

You feel sorry for them. Who's going to feel sorry for you when you're $4-5k poorer with aggravation along the way?

Use your insurance. Pay $500 deductible and move on with your life.

[Anonymous]

When do you call the police for a car accident? I thought it was only if someone hurt?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When do you call the police for a car accident? I thought it was only if someone hurt?

Or if the other driver has no insurance, like in this case

[Anonymous]

If he didn't pay his tiny insurance policy, why would he pay you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When do you call the police for a car accident? I thought it was only if someone hurt?

It is advisable to call the police for any accident where your car is damaged

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When do you call the police for a car accident? I thought it was only if someone hurt?

It is advisable to call the police for any accident where your car is damaged

My wife called the police after she (stopped) was hit by a work truck. No injuries and the dispatcher talked her out of having the police come. That ended up costing us about $3k and a lot of wasted time.

The police don't want to come, I get it. Nobody wants to waste time and have more paperwork. Unfortunately, that is how the system is set up: the police end up doing civic duties that would be better performed by someone else. Get the police report every time.