View Full Version : Fender bender/blackmailing/extortion
Mentos11
Jan 26, 2013, 06:36 PM
I was in a small fender bender if you can actually call it that. I was tapped by a car behind me and lightly hit a car in front. We all got out, looked at cars and decided there are no issues . When the guy that hit me left lady in front took down my license number and phone number. When I asked why she said just in case I but we both agreed not to press any charges and call insurance since there was no damage.
Day later her daughter called me telling me that her mom's neck hurts. She went ti the doctor and she is injured. She kept calling all day today asking for money for damages and injury or she will file a lawsuit. Then she wanted my personal information but I denied and hung up. She kept calling from private numbers as well but I ignore all calls I don't know now.
Can I do anything about it?? Is it considered extortion or blackmailing? Or invasion of personal space or privacy since she keeps calling my cell... and since we had a verbal contract not to pursue anything is it a breach of verbal contract?
Fr_Chuck
Jan 26, 2013, 06:46 PM
It may be real or it months likely is a scam.
You need to
1. call the police and make a report of the accident, and report the phone calls. If she calls again, give her the police report number.
2. call your insurance company and report this
3. have her contact the insurance company not you.
End of story, let police and insurance handle it.
ScottGem
Jan 27, 2013, 06:53 AM
Did you get info from the other driver?
JudyKayTee
Jan 31, 2013, 10:49 AM
You hit her car. She's entitled - if she so chooses - to try to collect from your insurance company. You are under no obligation to give her anything other than your insurance info.
I'm a liability investigator. I see this all the time. I never understand why people who are in an accident don't report the accident to their insurance agent, not the company, and allow the agent to decide how to proceed.
It's not a "so-called" fender bender if you hit the other person. It's an accident.
I'm not saying she has a claim. That's for the insurance company to decide.
She's not invading your privacy. In theory she's trying to collect for her damages - so give her the insurance info and let her try to collect. Tell her not to call you any more.
So report it and let the company take thing from there. If you do not report it within a certain time frame your company can deny the claim. Obviously if someone hit you and forced you into her she also has a claim against that driver.
joypulv
Jan 31, 2013, 11:19 AM
She's not a hard core scammer, because she didn't start the chain of events. The person behind you did, if what you say is true. And you failed to even get a plate number.
You can take pictures of your front and rear bumpers, much good they will do, but you have nothing really to fall back on, without that 3rd driver.
You could find out where she lives from her phone number if you had to, and hire someone to follow her for a day to see just how much her neck hurts.
dontknownuthin
Jan 31, 2013, 11:25 AM
I agree with other posts but have to spread the love, I guess!
This is actually a common scam. Two drivers can do this in cooperation with each other. They will position their cars one in front of and one behind you and deliberately tap your bumper into the other car. They look for people who pull up too close to the car in front of them. Then they do just what you described - act nice, nothing worth reporting and so on and then come after you for cash. Some people pay the cash to avoid it being reported to their insurance or police. If you get a police report though it will say there is no apparent damage and all parties will be interviewed at the scene which makes it harder to run a scam later.
This can also be a robbery or carjacking scheme - other cars will work together to box you in.
Always leave plenty of room between yourself and the car in front of you when you pull up to a light. It makes it considerably harder for them to box you in if there's a full car length between you and the car ahead because they would need more cars to box you in, so they won't be able to rob or carjack you as easily. And they would not be able to just tap you into another car if there's more distance.
I've lived in cities most of my life - live and learn!
joypulv
Jan 31, 2013, 12:47 PM
Sorry, forgot about the possible collusion of both people.
If you do get a Small Claims notice, hire a PI to find out if she has a lot of injury suits.
AK lawyer
Jan 31, 2013, 06:17 PM
Sorry, forgot about the possible collusion of both people.
If you do get a Small Claims notice, hire a PI to find out if she has a lot of injury suits.
No. OP should turn the matter over to OP's insurance company. Let them do that investigation.
JudyKayTee
Jan 31, 2013, 06:28 PM
AK beat me to it - people carry auto insurance for situations like this.
Let the insurance company handle it, including Small Claims Court.