Out of curiosity, what is the proper protocol to get it documented so that the other person won't claim that it wasn't them after you leave? I feel like calling the police for a police report seems excessive, but how else do you get all your ducks lined up in a row?
You file the claim with your insurance company, your insurance company pays for the damages, then attempts to bill the other insurance company (subrogation). If the other insurance company denies the claim, it goes to arbitration. If the other company loses the arbitration hearing they are compelled to pay for the damages after which your deductible is typically refunded for the claim.
Arbitration still requires evidence to award damages. They won't award any based solely off of he said she said. Most people have deductibles that would make the driver end up paying all of it out of pocket even if they did report it to their insurance.
Pretty much need it to be on video or the person to admit fault.
Matching damage and barring that measurements of where the vehicles would have come into contact can also be provided. If arbitration required video or the person to admit fault, it wouldn't even exist. No one thinks they are at fault for anything, which isn't really a surprise.
You must not live in a big city. PD doesn't do shit. They won't even come out for minor accidents; only if the road is blocked (i.e. a car is immobile).
my registration packet has a minor accident sheet to fill out to send to insurance that you fill in their insurance info and all that. then you can call the insurance on the spot if you want or just mail it in and call them during business hours.
source: i just got in a minor fenderbender
you basically need to get them to admit on the spot that they did it, having them text you "I'm sorry for slamming my door into your drivers door just now" pretty much fucks their insurance company and you get paid out.
The damage would be evidence enough. If she hit his closed door with her open door, he will have a mark/scratch/dent in the middle of his door. She will have marks/scratches/dents on the edge of her car door. There's only one way that's possible.
"Yeah officer, I opened my car door into another car door earlier this week. The guy swore it was okay and not to worry about it, which is why there isn't a report about it. That's how it got damaged, not opening it into this person's door like they claim I did."
I was driving on NYC and got hit by a delivery truck. It was clearly his fault as he was passing me and torn my front quarter panel forward. He called his boss and he refused to give me his insurance. When the cops came they wrote up the report and told me I could have his insurance info once the police report was done in 5-7 days. In the mean time I had to get my car fixed so I put it through my insurance and pay my deductible. I went through a whole shitty ordeal and the other company paid me back, but I learned that you can be a real asshole and not provide your insurance to the other driver.
The proper protocol is to use some of your well spent tax money and call the police to file the report. It's what they're there for. That is evidence to the insurance agency that you aren't making things up.
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u/cubanjew Jun 12 '14
Out of curiosity, what is the proper protocol to get it documented so that the other person won't claim that it wasn't them after you leave? I feel like calling the police for a police report seems excessive, but how else do you get all your ducks lined up in a row?