I had just recently gotten my car and had not put insurance on it. I was driving it in the rain one night and came over a hill where a car was parked facing me in my lane on the road. I tried to stop but I slid into the car and damaged the door and fender on it. The police were called and I got a ticket for not having insurance.(of course) to my knowledge no other tickets were isued and I was not informed that I was at fault because of the weather conditions. The other party's insurance called once and got more info. But never have again. The person has called a couple of times claiming he doesn't want to go to court or file with his insurance. He wants me to just pay for his car. I have a funny feeling because the estimates he has seem very high and he DOES NOT seem to want to take this to court. I am only 19 I think he may be trying to play me out of money. Am I even responsible for his car if it was a no fault accident? What should I do?

Well, driving without insurance is a damn stupid thing to do - don't do it again!
I'm afraid you are liable because it is not a "no fault" accident.

Unless the car you hit was parked somewhere it absolutely should not have been, then you are responsible for the damages. I strongly recommend that you pay the driver as soon as possible because if he is insured (perhaps he isn't, but he could still take you to a Small Claims Court) then the insurance company will bill you not only for the repairs to the car, but also for court costs and legal expenses.

I suggest that you make an offer to get the fender and door fixed at a garage of your choice - you can get a quote from any garage, although they may want to see the car.

He is probably asking for more money than the actual cost of the repair - so get your to a garage and ask them how much it will really cost!

I don't know how old his car is or what value it is, but a fender is often cheaper to replace with a used part than to repair.

Make sure that you get a copy of the receipt for the work done - this will be your legal proof that you did indeed pay for the repairs to his car in the event of him pursuing the claim twice.

Hello Corey:

I too, think you're at fault and you're going to have to pay.

The guy can take his car to any shop he wishes for the repairs. He has NO obligation to make it easy on you.

But, he can't screw you either. Ask him to get THREE estimates and send you copies. Call one of the shops if you doubt him. You're legally obligated to pay the LEAST expensive estimate.

excon

Jan 26... :D

Maybe this one is a bit out of date!