car accident - agreed to not go thru insurance

[Takedown3]

so my bro got in an accident in my jeep and although he is covered he told the owner of the volvo that he would rather just go cash and not report the accident thinking that it would only cost a couple 100 since it was just a few scratches on the bumper

turns out the repair bill is going to be well over 2000 plus the cost of a rental car

so my question is this: since they both left the scene of the accident and there is no evidence other then the info my bro gave to the driver is it possible to fuck this person over and just not pay?

im considering giving him the money to pay but he has no means of realistically paying me back for several months if not years. 3g's i just don't want to part with.

[Olo401]

Whose garage did the estimate - your bro's or the owner of the other car?

[Norellicus]

so my question is this: since they both left the scene of the accident and there is no evidence other then the info my bro gave to the driver is it possible to fuck this person over and just not pay?

And people wonder why insurance companies are so anal retentive.

[Tyche]

Just a tip, no matter if you go through insurance or not, always call the police and file a report at the scene. Just because police are called, does not mean it cannot be settled outside of insurance. And, you have documentation if you will need it down the road.

[Headspace]

Aurik Jr is right.

[Byrd]

Or just have him call his insurance company now. Explain his situation -- they thought the damage was incidental, turns out it wasn't.

[zoobernut]

Or just have him call his insurance company now. Explain his situation -- they thought the damage was incidental, turns out it wasn't.

This is the best solution. I would be willing to bet money that since no formal report was filed at the time of the accident the companies will not be able to find fault which means his insurance will pay for his vehicle and your insurance will pay for yours.

[Atreides]

if you're worried about how your insurance company will react, you could always call an insurance company that you're not using and ask them. Like if your insurance is through USAA, call up Geico and ask them exactly what you should do in the situation. They'll probably give you advice even though you don't have an account with them.

[jmc]

Check your state laws.

In most states, you have a set period of time before you can claim a accident to insurance.

Some states (like MA) also have a law, that says if damage to another car is above a set amount of money,your required by law to report it to insurance.

[Takedown3]

canada

and i dont want to use insurance because my rates are already sky high it would be nice not to have this on record for 7 years

[Takedown3]

Whose garage did the estimate - your bro's or the owner of the other car?

owner of the car

[Norelco]

owner of the car

Not that he is obligated, but ask him to do one or two more estimates.

He probably took the car straight to the dealer instead of going to another reputable body shop that could do the same job for considerably less.

He's probably looking to pocket some money off of this deal by giving you a high estimate and then going to a cheaper place since your brother insisted not going through insurance.

[Ruiner]

Not that he is obligated, but ask him to do one or two more estimates.

He probably took the car straight to the dealer instead of going to another reputable body shop that could do the same job for considerably less.

He's probably looking to pocket some money off of this deal by giving you a high estimate and then going to a cheaper place since your brother insisted not going through insurance.

This. Get a second opinion before you do anything rash.

[Boyiee]

Your brother fucking sucks.


Just putting that out there.

[Takedown3]

Your brother fucking sucks.


Just putting that out there.

bingo

and they didnt go to the deal, they did use a reputable shop

i am going to find out if he can do a second estimate but i think im probably stuck paying 2-3g's for some paint scratches

[archibaldcrane]

2-3gs isn't worth avoiding insurance. Go through your insurance.

7 years? Most companies ask for a "previous 3 year accident/ticket" history, not 7.

[Ivve]

Tbh sounds to me like if the damage is really just a few scratches, dude is trying to take your brother to the cleaners for unrelated repairs. Go through your insurance.

[Jotaru]

Its pretty simple really.

Cost is $3k? Will filing with your insurance raise your rates enough that you pay $3k more before your rates go back down? Unlikely, file it. In some cases I understand, but I've seen people turn away their insurance and just pay 5-10k out of pocket... it kinda defeats the whole point of HAVING insurance. Were it something that wasn't a problem / very cheap I'd understand, but damn.

[zoobernut]

Where do you live? I want to come and pretend to run into your car and scam you out of $3k. Seriously don't fall for this shit. Anything over $50 should go through insurance, your rate won't go up that much and if it does change insurance companies because most have accident forgiveness now.

[Jeryhn]

Your brother pretty much did the IRL equivalent of meriting Warcry.
*wink wink, nudge nudge*

As said above, get more quotes.