Okay, I know I messed up. I was in a parking lot and backed out diagonally through some parking spots because the area in front of me was blocked by emergency vehicles, and I didn’t want to wait. While doing that, I backed into another car that was also reversing into a spot. We didn’t see each other. My car’s fine, but I did some damage to his driver’s side door and knocked off his side mirror, which was left dangling by the wires.
I don’t have collision coverage, and the guy I hit doesn’t have insurance at all. We decided to trade numbers and settle it in cash. He got a quote for about $1,000, which sounds right. Everything seems straightforward, but my girlfriend thinks there might be a scam or something shady going on and insisted I post here. Any advice or thoughts?
This should be covered by liability insurance, which is the minimum coverage you need. If you prefer paying out of pocket, that’s fine, but you’re likely covered for this. Just make sure to document everything if you go the cash route. Maybe get a text or something where he confirms the damage is paid in full. Things can go wrong with self-pay situations, so be cautious.
Why wouldn’t your insurance cover it? Liability (which you probably have) should cover his damages. Collision only covers your car. The problem with paying in cash is that you don’t have much protection if he asks for more money later or decides to sue.
If you do decide to pay in cash, make sure he signs something that says he won’t come after you for more money later. Otherwise, you should just file this under your liability coverage—it’s not a collision claim.
If you go the cash route, make him sign something saying he’s been paid in full and won’t come after you or your insurance later. But really, you should just file the claim with your insurance. This falls under liability, which covers the other person’s damages. You’re better off letting them handle it.
It sounds like you’re misunderstanding your policy. You said you don’t have collision, but that only covers your own car. Liability, which you probably have, covers damage you cause to others. So you should be covered here.
What state are you in? Some states have no-pay, no-play laws, which means uninsured drivers can’t claim certain damages. It’s worth knowing whether you owe anything at all.