What can I do about a settlement if I was rear-ended at a red light?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What can I do about a settlement if I was rear-ended at a red light?
The person at fault (he) offered to settle with cash since my car had a small dent barely visible and an imprint of his front plate screw. I had damages from a previous incident a few months before; I backed into another vehicle in the same car. He consistantly denied any fault for the prev damages to my car after I told him they were already there (obviously! but he insisted). Neither of us called the police and I did not feel good about his offer, I told him I’d much rather have his insurance information. He insisted on offering cash but still gave me his insurance information. I knew he could tell that I was very inexperienced in this situation by my age-24 years. What should I do? What steps should I take?
Asked on November 5, 2013 under Accident Law, Arizona
Answers:
Terence Fenelon / Law Offices of Terence Fenelon
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
You can file a claim with the insurance company. However, be aware that if you had pre-existing damage to your car and you attempt to collect on the policy, you technically would be committing insurance fraud which is a crime in most states. It's doubtful that significant damage was done to your vehicle. I assume you can still drive it and you desribe the damage as superficial. As long as no one was injured, I might consider taking the cash and letting it go away. Are you really going to have the damage repaired?
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.