What do you do when you're in a fender bender?

[Luv2Scrap]

So what exactly are you supposed to do when you are in a fender bender? I have only been in one and it was several years ago (knocking on wood…), and even then I wasn’t sure what to do, but we did decide to call the police because my lower back was hurting within minutes of it happening.

So when are you supposed to involve the police and when aren’t you?

Smaller cities vs. bigger cities – do you do it differently?

I have seen in bigger cities on the highways they have crash investigation areas that you’re supposed to go to? I know the logic behind it, but this just seems so weird to me to leave the scene of the accident.

And if you accidentally damage an unattended vehicle, is it really okay to just leave your name and phone number on the windshield?

Sheesh, you'd think I was a brand new driver. I have so much to learn...!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I haven't had many accidents (thankfully) but I learned a lesson from one I had a few years back. That lesson was to always get a police report - and pictures if possible.

I was driving along the highway when the car in the lane beside me and slightly ahead cut into my lane without signaling or looking and hit the front side of my car near the driver's side wheel. We pulled off at the next exit and exchanged information. The young woman who hit me was 16 and driving her mom's car. She admitted fault to me at the scene and apologized (she was quite sweet, actually). She also had a school chum with her, the same age (illegal, I later realized; she could have had her license suspended), during school hours (probably skipping school). There was some damage to my car (and hers) but to me, it didn't look too bad.

Naively, my main concern was that everyone was ok. I never thought to call the police (or take pictures). I had to be somewhere so we left the scene.

Needless to say, my repairs were somewhere in the $3000 range and took three weeks. Although I always kept car rental on my insurance, somehow when I went to use it, it wasn't there.

Meanwhile, when my insurance company contacted the other party, the girl's mom began denying all kinds of things. I could barely believe my ears. She denied that the girl was driving or that she had a friend in the car. She also denied fault in any way. And I had no proof of anything because I didn't have a police report or pictures. It became my word against hers. Her insurance company should have paid for my rental if she was at fault, but they wouldn't because they denied fault. (So ~ $40/day times 21 days = roughly $900 out of my own pocket.)

Fortunately, my insurance company was really good about it. They believed me based on the damage to my car (they have people that can reconstruct what actually happened even when people are lying). They said this type of thing happens all the time. They had someone go to the other party's house to take pictures of her car, which the other party claimed had no damage (and I knew they did - in white, from my car, in the exact location that substantiated my story). Last I heard from my guy was that they were threatening taking it to arbitration. I wound up fighting her insurance company who finally agreed to pay for my rental completely, but it was a PIA getting there (at one point they'd offered me a consolation prize of paying half, since I was "50% at fault". Ya, right).

If I had it to do over again I would have called the police to the scene. I'd also take pictures (I keep a camera in my purse for hobby's sake, but a camera phone work just as well). This happened on a busy suburban highway. I have heard people say they've sometimes had trouble getting the police to come to a fender bender if they're busy. I don't know how true it is because as I've said, it's only happened this once.

we did decide to call the police because my lower back was hurting within minutes of it happening.

And sometimes it's not until the next day that pain sets in.

 

[OK!]

The last time I was in one, the other driver and I exchanged info and then, since there was obvious damage to his car (grrr), we decided to call the police just to make sure everything was documented and all official-like. I waited to call my insurance company until I got his estimate (if it'd been relatively cheap, I wasn't going to involve the ins. co., but when I found out that it was $1800, I was on the horn to Geico post-haste.)

 

[lspst8]

I've only been in one fender bender, and we did not call the police. We just exchanged information. I was on the street, and he pulled out of a parking lot right into the side of my passenger door. His insurance company paid for my repair costs.

My husband and I rear-ended a car when we were dating. It was on the main road in this little town, so I think it was the big activity for the townspeople. One police car stopped and a EMT even though no one was hurt. (We didn't call anyone, they just happened to pass by.) It was annoying to have the local cop there, because he wouldn't let us call AAA for a tow truck (which would have been free) and he called some tow company out in the middle of nowhere that cost us an arm and a leg. It was completely frustrating, so I will never voluntarily call the police to a minor accident.

 

[NY Disney fan]

Thank you for sharing these stories. When you say "call the police" does that mean 911? What if the other car doesn't stick around to exchange info? Or doesn't have any?

 

[OK!]

Thank you for sharing these stories. When you say "call the police" does that mean 911? What if the other car doesn't stick around to exchange info? Or doesn't have any?

Hmm...I don't remember how we called the police. I may have called St. Louis County PD via their direct number rather than 911 since it wasn't really an emergency.

 

[marthachick]

Unless you personally know the other party and know 100% that they are honest, call 911! A woman rear-ended us on July 3, 2009 & when we got out to look at the cars, she ended up getting back in her car & running! We thought she was moving off the road to a parking lot but nope! She ran! Thankfully I had given her license number and a description of the car to the dispatcher. Funny thing was 5 people who saw the wreck knew her (and knew she was a nut job) and were willing to hang around for the State Trooper & be a witness and 1 couple followed her home and kept her from leaving there once she got there. 7 weeks, numerous phone calls and a bunch of headaches later, we got our check from her boyfriend's insurance. It was his car. She had no driver's license, no insurance and no business driving!!! Nightmare! Call 911!!!

 

[Flight]

It was annoying to have the local cop there, because he wouldn't let us call AAA for a tow truck (which would have been free) and he called some tow company out in the middle of nowhere that cost us an arm and a leg.

Why were not able to call your own tow truck service?

 

[pixiewings71]

Unless it's a very minor accident I call the police. I have the local police number programmed into my phone because our neighbors have a dog that likes to run lose and chase me, I call the police when he's out.

 

[golfgal]

ALWAYS CALL THE POLICE and get a report. People change stories and you can be left holding the bag so to speak. ALWAYS CALL THE POLICE. If for some reason you can't, take pictures of EVERYTHING, the cars, the location, the intersection set up, license plate numbers of anyone that stops to help, license plate of the person that hit you, EVERYTHING you can think of--the sky if the weather was nasty even. It will come down to your word against their word and the more info you have to back things up, the better.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The advice that I received from a close friend who is a police officer - always, always, call the police. (He said always twice when I asked )

 

[Handbag Lady]

I just take pictures, exchange insurance and name info, LOOK AT THEIR DL!!!, never admit fault (or discuss it) and then let the insurance companies fight it out. I've never had someone not have insurance, but if they did, I'd call the non-emergency line and make a copper come since that is illegal in my state.



The only time I felt compelled to call the police (and even did 911) was this time when this old, old lady ran into the car in front of her. They were in front of me and as I tried to go around their accident, the old, old lady tossed her car in reverse qucikly, hit the gas and hit me hard.

The old, old lady then yelled at the first lady she hit (for stopping suddenly, of all things and yes, we were in stop and go traffic) and then she yelled at me for being behind her.

Both the other lady and myself felt the old, old lady was a menace and shouldn't be driving, so we needed to call the police. She wanted to get back into her car and drive away, saying she'd hit someone else if she had to. Egads!

The police came and did nothing. They took a report and said that since the lady had a valid driver's license, we couldn't do anything about it and let her go.

 

[NY Disney fan]

Hmm...I don't remember how we called the police. I may have called St. Louis County PD via their direct number rather than 911 since it wasn't really an emergency.

What if you are not anwwhere near your local police? What do you do then?

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

Always call 911 and involve the police. They are there for a reason. I had someone pull out of a side street and broadside me. I pulled over and immediately called the police. She got out of her car screaming at me that I was speeding and was all the way back at the traffic light when she looked. Okay lady but the traffic light can't be seen from the street you were on and that was over half a mile away. Nope, she didn't look. Then she whined to me that she left her cell phone at home. I told her the police would help her out with a tow company if she needed to call someone to tow her. So rule of thumb for everyone, if you wish to borrow the cell phone of the person you just creamed, try a little sugar first!

You never know when someone's information may be false, outdated or lapsed. It's best to have a report. Don't take chances with it.

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

What if you are not anwwhere near your local police? What do you do then?

Call 911, the police have cars. They will come to you, really.

 

[DizBelle]

Even if the police show up and even if the other party has an insurance card, call their insurance company right there and then and confirm that they actually have insurance. The only two times I've been in an accident, it was someone elses fault, they claimed to have insurance, but in the end did not.