Please make me feel better: First car accident ever!

[klacey1]

I have been smug for awhile now-- the only one I know who had never been involved in any kind of car accident. Today, on 95N somewhere in CT, I was switching from the right to the left lane and the car in the left lane sped up an scraped the side of my car. Neither of us were hurt-- my car has two black scrapes of paint on the driver's door and back left door. The other woman's had a inch-long silver (my car) scrape near the fender. After we pulled over, she called the cops. He made an accident report and gave me a $103 ticket for "failure to maintain proper lane."
I'm still in shock. Firstly, I was a bit upset (though not surprised) that she called the police-- my brother dented someone's car a couple of months ago, handed the other driver $300 and the matter was dropped. I called my insurance and made the claim, but as I am not super familiar with accidents (having never been in one), I don't know what's going to happen from here. I get that TECHNICALLY (I guess...) the "accident" was my fault, but still...she shouldn't have SPED UP when she saw someone was changing into her lane. I NEVER change lanes unless I'm positive there's a ton of room. I guess she thought she was going to "beat me," but WHY would someone do that? There have been times when people have cut it a little close coming into my lane-- you slow down, you vere to the opposite side a bit. It was almost as if she meant to hit me! (which is clearly ridiculous) I guess she just wasn't thinking...
I'm still in a state of shock. I absolutely cannot afford to pay another dime for insurance. Has anyone ever dealt with anything similar? Will my insurance go up? With that ticket, I'm certain the incident report will be filed in her favor. My insurance company just asked me a bunch of questions about what happened, but I'm not sure if it matters. Not to mention that my deductable is $500-- I don't have that right now to fix my car. (Which is fine, since the "damage" is purely cosmetic) I know things could have been SO much worse-- either of us could have been hurt. However, I'm still just SO upset and praying that my insurance doesn't go up...

 

[usnuzuloose]

I dont know the laws of new york, as I live in ca. I have had my fair share of accidents. Unfortunately the other person has the right of way when you are making a lane change. Some people do not extend courtesy. I would call your ins and ask if your rates will up. I would also see about going to traffic school so the ticket is not on your record. She needs to submit estimates to the ins so they know how much it costs. Maybe if the estimate is low enough you maybe able to pay cash for it and avoid ins altogether. Remember cars are replacable, people are not. I am glad your ok. Keep us updated. Hope this helps. Jo

 

[HeatherH]

First of all, take a deep breath. Stuff happens.

Calling the police is absolutely the correct thing to do, it protects YOU as well as her. It's also the law in many states, depending up on the amount of damage.

As for your insurance, it depends on the company, but I've had an at-fault accident (other guy had turn signal on to turn right but didn't, I was turning left and he t-boned me) and my insurance did not go up one DIME. Nor was I ticketed. I think most companies give you one accident before they automatically jack up your rates.

I know it is upsetting to go through, but life will go on.

 

[Christine]

The other driver did the correct thing in calling the cops. In Virginia that is the law for any accident; however, not sure about other states.

Whenever we have been ticketed in an accident, our rates have gone up. It might take until your next renewal to see that.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

You should never not involve the proper authorities and insurance in an accident, you're really opening yourself up to risk both from additional damage claims and legal ramifications.

Whether your insurance increases depends on the company you're insured with and the amount of damages. Some companies have accident forgiveness, but if you have safe driver discounts or similar, you may lose these, so it would feel like an increase if you lose them, but it's really not an accident surcharge.

As for being cosmetic damage, that can actually be important to fix as it can generate rust issues if left unfixed. The scrapes may have damaged your clearcoat and paint levels, leaving the underlying metal more at risk.

 

[Disneylover79]

I remember my first car accident and thought that was the end of my world as I knew it....but I can't believe you got a ticket...she (the other driver) obviously saw you were wanting to change lanes and come into the lane in which she was in...so a) was she in your blind spot and thought maybe she could speed up and get out of your way, b) was in your blind spot and should have slowed down to let you in, c) was just a jerk and sped up because she didn't want you in front of her...it will be OK in the long run...it is unfourtunate

 

[sparklynails23]

Come on, if you have a scrape all the way down the side of your car, you came over into the lane at the wrong time. Maybe you didn't see the other car. Maybe you waited too long to change lanes. It doesn't matter, accidents happen, that's why they call them accidents. You could always dispute the ticket and try to plea it down (to what I don't know). That could save you points, but I think you'll just have to eat this one.

How long have you been driving?

 

[klacey1]

I dont know the laws of new york, as I live in ca. I have had my fair share of accidents. Unfortunately the other person has the right of way when you are making a lane change. Some people do not extend courtesy. I would call your ins and ask if your rates will up. I would also see about going to traffic school so the ticket is not on your record. She needs to submit estimates to the ins so they know how much it costs. Maybe if the estimate is low enough you maybe able to pay cash for it and avoid ins altogether. Remember cars are replacable, people are not. I am glad your ok. Keep us updated. Hope this helps. Jo

Thanks for the . The cop was nice to me, but said it like you did: the person in the other lane always has the right of way. I will definitely call my insurance and ask about the rates-- when I called them right after the accident, I was too flustered to think logically. I'll definitely keep this updated.

First of all, take a deep breath. Stuff happens.

Calling the police is absolutely the correct thing to do, it protects YOU as well as her. It's also the law in many states, depending up on the amount of damage.

As for your insurance, it depends on the company, but I've had an at-fault accident (other guy had turn signal on to turn right but didn't, I was turning left and he t-boned me) and my insurance did not go up one DIME. Nor was I ticketed. I think most companies give you one accident before they automatically jack up your rates.

I know it is upsetting to go through, but life will go on.

This was a HUGE boost-- I'm hoping nothing will happen since this is my first accident AND first ticket. Everyone has been telling me to calm down, I think it just takes a couple of hours. Thanks for the positive thoughts-- I do know that something so much worse could have happened.

You should never not involve the proper authorities and insurance in an accident, you're really opening yourself up to risk both from additional damage claims and legal ramifications.

Whether your insurance increases depends on the company you're insured with and the amount of damages. Some companies have accident forgiveness, but if you have safe driver discounts or similar, you may lose these, so it would feel like an increase if you lose them, but it's really not an accident surcharge.

As for being cosmetic damage, that can actually be important to fix as it can generate rust issues if left unfixed. The scrapes may have damaged your clearcoat and paint levels, leaving the underlying metal more at risk.

I will be taking my car in for an estimate in the next few weeks-- thanks for the advice on the rust/metal.

I remember my first car accident and thought that was the end of my world as I knew it....but I can't believe you got a ticket...she (the other driver) obviously saw you were wanting to change lanes and come into the lane in which she was in...so a) was she in your blind spot and thought maybe she could speed up and get out of your way, b) was in your blind spot and should have slowed down to let you in, c) was just a jerk and sped up because she didn't want you in front of her...it will be OK in the long run...it is unfourtunate

Thanks for the positive thoughts-- it is so unfortunate because in the eyes of the law, I was "wrong" because she was in the lane. However, on a crowded highway, you'd think she would be do the right thing when someone needs to get over! Speeding up just put her car in harm's way-- I checked my mirrors, turned a bit, and ensured I had enough room. I just had no way of knowing she'd suddenly speed up! Thanks for putting this in perspective...unfortunate, but everything will be fine in the end!

Come on, if you have a scrape all the way down the side of your car, you came over into the lane at the wrong time. Maybe you didn't see the other car. Maybe you waited too long to change lanes. It doesn't matter, accidents happen, that's why they call them accidents. You could always dispute the ticket and try to plea it down (to what I don't know). That could save you points, but I think you'll just have to eat this one.

How long have you been driving?

I did not say I had a scrape all the way down the side of my car and I certainly did not wait too long to change lanes. I have had my license for many years, thank you. I know this was just an accident, I was just a little bummed that this was my FIRST in my years of driving.

Thanks again everyone and I'll remember to keep you posted!

 

[C.Ann]

No real advice - just thought you might need a hug..

Look on the bright side - no one was injured..

With any luck, maybe your ins. co. will "forgive" this one - as long as you have no other prior accidents and/or tickets..

Good luck!

 

[Disneyland1084]

I have been smug for awhile now-- the only one I know who had never been involved in any kind of car accident. Today, on 95N somewhere in CT, I was switching from the right to the left lane and the car in the left lane sped up an scraped the side of my car. Neither of us were hurt-- my car has two black scrapes of paint on the driver's door and back left door. The other woman's had a inch-long silver (my car) scrape near the fender. After we pulled over, she called the cops. He made an accident report and gave me a $103 ticket for "failure to maintain proper lane."
I'm still in shock. Firstly, I was a bit upset (though not surprised) that she called the police-- my brother dented someone's car a couple of months ago, handed the other driver $300 and the matter was dropped. I called my insurance and made the claim, but as I am not super familiar with accidents (having never been in one), I don't know what's going to happen from here. I get that TECHNICALLY (I guess...) the "accident" was my fault, but still...she shouldn't have SPED UP when she saw someone was changing into her lane. I NEVER change lanes unless I'm positive there's a ton of room. I guess she thought she was going to "beat me," but WHY would someone do that? There have been times when people have cut it a little close coming into my lane-- you slow down, you vere to the opposite side a bit. It was almost as if she meant to hit me! (which is clearly ridiculous) I guess she just wasn't thinking...
I'm still in a state of shock. I absolutely cannot afford to pay another dime for insurance. Has anyone ever dealt with anything similar? Will my insurance go up? With that ticket, I'm certain the incident report will be filed in her favor. My insurance company just asked me a bunch of questions about what happened, but I'm not sure if it matters. Not to mention that my deductable is $500-- I don't have that right now to fix my car. (Which is fine, since the "damage" is purely cosmetic) I know things could have been SO much worse-- either of us could have been hurt. However, I'm still just SO upset and praying that my insurance doesn't go up...

I was in a car accident once, so I understand your fear and shock. Just remember-the ONLY thing that matters is that NO one was hurt. Who cares about damages to cars. They can always be replaced, people can't.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I had my first accident in September; it really does suck. But the important thing is that everyone is alright.

Here is the advice that the police officer who attended my accident gave me (I was at fault - was exiting a driveway with NO visibility due to parked cars on both sides and got smacked by an oncoming car): do not pay the ticket! As soon as you pay the ticket, you admit that you were unsafely changing lanes. Instead, take the citation to court and explain the extenuating circumstances (that you had enough space to safely make the lane change before the other driver sped up, etc.). Based on a long driving history with no incidents, the court will very likely lower the fine and/or the points off of your license.

In my case, the fine and points were completely dropped. The judge stated that the reason for this was my 12 year driving history with not so much as a speeding ticket on my record. He didn't even consider the fact that that it was impossible for me to see the oncoming car (and I had pictures to prove it), but just my driving record... at least according to the recorded statement. So, though I have one at-fault accident on my insurance record, I have no points on my license, so my insurance did not go up nearly as high as it could have.

Good luck, and just take some time to calm down and de-stress (it'll probably take a few days!) before you really start dealing with everything!

 

[klacey1]

No real advice - just thought you might need a hug..

Look on the bright side - no one was injured..

With any luck, maybe your ins. co. will "forgive" this one - as long as you have no other prior accidents and/or tickets..

Good luck!

Thanks for the ! I'm hoping my driving record will sway in my favor!

I was in a car accident once, so I understand your fear and shock. Just remember-the ONLY thing that matters is that NO one was hurt. Who cares about damages to cars. They can always be replaced, people can't.

I completely agree-- a good friend had a death in the family yesterday (I found out today) . Much much worse things in life happen...

I had my first accident in September; it really does suck. But the important thing is that everyone is alright.

Here is the advice that the police officer who attended my accident gave me (I was at fault - was exiting a driveway with NO visibility due to parked cars on both sides and got smacked by an oncoming car): do not pay the ticket! As soon as you pay the ticket, you admit that you were unsafely changing lanes. Instead, take the citation to court and explain the extenuating circumstances (that you had enough space to safely make the lane change before the other driver sped up, etc.). Based on a long driving history with no incidents, the court will very likely lower the fine and/or the points off of your license.

In my case, the fine and points were completely dropped. The judge stated that the reason for this was my 12 year driving history with not so much as a speeding ticket on my record. He didn't even consider the fact that that it was impossible for me to see the oncoming car (and I had pictures to prove it), but just my driving record... at least according to the recorded statement. So, though I have one at-fault accident on my insurance record, I have no points on my license, so my insurance did not go up nearly as high as it could have.

Good luck, and just take some time to calm down and de-stress (it'll probably take a few days!) before you really start dealing with everything!

Thanks for your kind words-- like you, I have nary a speeding or parking ticket on my record! I do plan to fight the ticket and hope the situtation works out the way yours did! The main thing NOT in my favor is that the situation happened in CT and I live in NY-- I'm hoping this doesn't become a major factor...

 

[disneymarie]

First of all, take a deep breath. Stuff happens.

Calling the police is absolutely the correct thing to do, it protects YOU as well as her. It's also the law in many states, depending up on the amount of damage.

As for your insurance, it depends on the company, but I've had an at-fault accident (other guy had turn signal on to turn right but didn't, I was turning left and he t-boned me) and my insurance did not go up one DIME. Nor was I ticketed. I think most companies give you one accident before they automatically jack up your rates.

I know it is upsetting to go through, but life will go on.

It is the ticket, accident or not that will make the insurance rates go up.
If you have a clean ticket history and the no accident as the DOT to send a copy of your driver history to you. Request a court hearing. Prior to the hearing perhaps you can show the officer the record and ask if he would amend his citation to a failure to obey traffic devices which carries no points.

Having the points on your record is the issue. Perhaps he and the judge are willing to do this. We frequently see it done as a courtesy for a first offence.
Feel better,

 

[Shreggor]

I work for a car insurance company.

The other driver had the right of way and absolutely should have called the police.

This is not directed at the OP but it astounds me on a daily basis how many people are shocked, and I mean honestly, truly SHOCKED when they are informed that they are, in fact, at fault for failing to yield right of way.

Everyone, everywhere, who drives would do well to brush up on the rules of the road and driving/passing laws in their state.