Rear ended.. minor damage but don’t know what to do

[AMIYY4YOU]

So I just got rear ended by someone I believe who was texting and driving. She was nice and admitted fault, cooperated and gave me her registration and license and license plate number. The damage is fairly minor but Im not sure what to do. I did spend a lot of money on the car but I was hoping someone could give me some validation of whether I should file a claim with my insurance or not. The downside I see is anytime you get insurance involved wither party's rates can increase and I'll have an accident marked. If I do nothing then I have to live with an eye sore on the rear bumper of my brand new 60k car.. Really appreciate any feedback.

 

[rhaekar]

Who knows if any of the sensors or anything else were damaged. I'd just file the claim and let insurance take care of it. It's a brand new car, might as well get it fixed properly.

 

[ebmcs03]

Get it fixed.

It’s not your fault your insurance shouldn’t ding you

 

[marusan]

I think part of the issue is having the accident on the car's record.

Some folks opt to not deal with insurance at all and just have it fixed privately. You could always offer that to the other party. Just ensure that they're financially responsible (which might be tricky with body shops, who can hold a mechanic's lien).

 

[glide]

It’s not your fault your insurance shouldn’t ding you

That is not necessarily how insurance works. Your risk profile is going up regardless of who’s fault it was.

What happens next will depend on your carrier, the state you live in, and other factors.

 

[cartwright]

That doesn't look like serious damage. If everything is working well then I would just get it fixed without involving insurance. See if the person at fault will pay you out of pocket to avoid filing a claim. Bumpers get hit and fixed all the time.

 

[AMIYY4YOU]

That doesn't look like serious damage. If everything is working well then I would just get it fixed without involving insurance. See if the person at fault will pay you out of pocket to avoid filing a claim. Bumpers get hit and fixed all the time.

Perhaps someone knowledgeable on cars can tell me whether or not that is fixable.. Can it be fixed with filler/sanding etc. and never be recognized? I assumed the full rear bumper would need to be replaced.. If anyone has had experience with something like this that would be incredibly helpful because I'd prefer not to get insurance involved especially if there's a repair that can be done for a few hundred which she would probably pay for.

 

[cartwright]

Perhaps someone knowledgeable on cars can tell me whether or not that is fixable.. Can it be fixed with filler/sanding etc. and never be recognized? I assumed the full rear bumper would need to be replaced.. If anyone has had experience with something like this that would be incredibly helpful because I'd prefer not to get insurance involved especially if there's a repair that can be done for a few hundred which she would probably pay for.

If insurance gets involved and you go to a Tesla body shop, they will likely replace the bumper. But if you go elsewhere, judging by the picture, it can be filled. To know for sure you should have the bumper cover removed and have everything inspected to make sure there isn't some hidden damage. But just judging by the pictures, I'd say this is very minor.

 

[AMIYY4YOU]

If insurance gets involved and you go to a Tesla body shop, they will likely replace the bumper. But if you go elsewhere, judging by the picture, it can be filled. To know for sure you should have the bumper cover removed and have everything inspected to make sure there isn't some hidden damage. But just judging by the pictures, I'd say this is very minor.

That's kind of what I was thinking.. If it counts for anything she was going < 5 mph so I highly doubt any internal damage was done but definitely worth checking

 

[bonnie]

My X was rear ended a few months ago with fairly minor damage (around $5k). The other driver opted to pay out of pocket (clearly was his fault), including the cost of a rental car for me while it was in the shop.

The body shop offered him a 15% discount for cash payment.

• It saved him money and kept his record clean.
• I didn't have to deal with a diminished value claim.
• The body shop didn't have to deal with insurance companies.

Only advice if you go this route is to make sure you have something in writing from the other driver acknowledging liability and that they are paying for it. If they don't pay up, then it will be much easier to go after their insurance company. And make sure you use a Tesla-approved body shop.

 

[a.void]

I don't understand the issue.

You turn this into her insurance. Your insurance should not be involved. It will not effect your rates.

 

[Fusion]

Why even bother buying insurance for those that have to wonder and think if they should file a claim anytime an accident occurs?

 

[Shygar]

I don't understand the issue.

You turn this into her insurance. Your insurance should not be involved. It will not effect your rates.

It depends on what state you live in. If you live in a no-fault state, it doesn't matter whose fault it is, it goes on your insurance.

 

[a.void]

It depends on what state you live in. If you live in a no-fault state, it doesn't matter whose fault it is, it goes on your insurance.

Rear ended is automatically the other drivers fault for failure to keep assured safe distance.

Get the other driver's insurance and let them know you're filling with their insurance. If they become difficult and refuse to provide, then you let them know you'll get the police involved and they get smacked with a ticket on top of the insurance hit.

 

[nvx1977]

Major pain in the ass in no-fault states for you to personally file the claim with the other insurance company. They will lowball you and claim that they are only 70% at fault (implying you or your insurance company has to cover the other 30%). Doesn't matter how flagrant the fault is (like a rear end crash). If you inform your own insurance company, they will go to bat for you, and the other company is way less likely to play games like that and pay out in full.

 

[canyondrive]

I've had minor bumper repaired by a mobile bumper repair guy. It was not a Tesla but the paint was hard to match. He first asked for paint code then came back with the exact paint. It cost me 300 last year and result was 95% good - you couldn't tell it was repaired unless you shine real hard light against the exact spot. I just searched on Yelp.

 

[glide]

Rear ended is automatically the other drivers fault for failure to keep assured safe distance.

Sadly, that is not how it works in every state. Not something I would want to gamble on over a bumper scratch.

OP should find out if they live in a no-fault state.

 

[SageBrush]

Why even bother buying insurance for those that have to wonder and think if they should file a claim anytime an accident occurs?

We can compare premiums, and then you might understand. Mine is about $640 a year for the Model 3.

 

[AMIYY4YOU]

Sadly, that is not how it works in every state. Not something I would want to gamble on over a bumper scratch.

OP should find out if they live in a no-fault state.

Insurance Companies and Car Accidents in MA : Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

Looks like MA is a no fault state. Sounds like ideally it would be disadvantageous for me to go thru her insurance and try to find a local body shop that she'd be willing to foot the bill for?

 

[SageBrush]

OP, you are putting the cart before the horse.
Step #1: Find out if the counter-party has any desire to pay out of pocket.
Step #2: If yes, find out maximum out of pocket
Step #3, If reasonable amount (say, $4k), follow Bonnie's advice
Step #4, If yes, go to a couple shops and get quotes