Almost missed him...
12-19-2005, 12:36 PM
#1
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Almost missed him...
Just need to vent a little...
I just dropped my car off at the body shop and I miss it already.
Last Wednesday evening around 7:45, coming home from my 3yr old daughter's DayCare Christmas Party, a guy runs a RED light at Moffett and Middlefield in Mtn. View. I get on the brakes HARD, ABS is active, I do everything I can and I almost miss him. I just catch the very back of the RED light runners car with my drivers side headlight/bumper.
We both stop, the first thing he says to me is "It's my fault". I agree and comment that he had just ran the RED light. We exchange info but he says he'd like to just pay for the damage and not get the insurance involved. I'm OK with that since he is taking full responsability for the accident. I get two quotes and call him the next day. He tells me that it's more than he thought it would be and we sould get the insurance involved after all.
Now he is saying he has no idea what happened and to let the insurance fight it out. There were witnesses and one of them gave me his name and number.
In the end he will pay, I just wish he would not have changed his story...
<Edit>
A few more details:
The light in my direction had been green for some time. I approached the intersection at speed; I was not stopped at a red light. The other person was not trying to make the end of their light, they RAN at full speed through a light that had been RED for quite a while.
A Mountain View police officer was called. They did nothing other than make sure we exchanged information. They did not even take our names. I was surprised the other person was not ticketed for running the light and causing the accident.
I had called my insurance as soon as I got home to notify them of the accident. I let them know of the other person’s initial request to pay for the damage.
I just dropped my car off at the body shop and I miss it already.
Last Wednesday evening around 7:45, coming home from my 3yr old daughter's DayCare Christmas Party, a guy runs a RED light at Moffett and Middlefield in Mtn. View. I get on the brakes HARD, ABS is active, I do everything I can and I almost miss him. I just catch the very back of the RED light runners car with my drivers side headlight/bumper.
We both stop, the first thing he says to me is "It's my fault". I agree and comment that he had just ran the RED light. We exchange info but he says he'd like to just pay for the damage and not get the insurance involved. I'm OK with that since he is taking full responsability for the accident. I get two quotes and call him the next day. He tells me that it's more than he thought it would be and we sould get the insurance involved after all.
Now he is saying he has no idea what happened and to let the insurance fight it out. There were witnesses and one of them gave me his name and number.
In the end he will pay, I just wish he would not have changed his story...
<Edit>
A few more details:
The light in my direction had been green for some time. I approached the intersection at speed; I was not stopped at a red light. The other person was not trying to make the end of their light, they RAN at full speed through a light that had been RED for quite a while.
A Mountain View police officer was called. They did nothing other than make sure we exchanged information. They did not even take our names. I was surprised the other person was not ticketed for running the light and causing the accident.
I had called my insurance as soon as I got home to notify them of the accident. I let them know of the other person’s initial request to pay for the damage.
Last edited by spelk3; 12-20-2005 at 12:28 AM.
12-19-2005, 12:44 PM
#2
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Originally Posted by spelk3
Just need to vent a little...
I just dropped my car off at the body shop and I miss it already.
Last Wednesday evening around 7:45, coming home from my 3yr old daughter's DayCare Christmas Party, a guy runs a RED light at Moffett and Middlefield in Mtn. View. I get on the brakes HARD, ABS is active, I do everything I can and I almost miss him. I just catch the very back of the RED light runners car with my drivers side headlight/bumper.
We both stop, the first thing he says to me is "It's my fault". I agree and comment that he had just ran the RED light. We exchange info but he says he'd like to just pay for the damage and not get the insurance involved. I'm OK with that since he is taking full responsability for the accident. I get two quotes and call him the next day. He tells me that it's more than he thought it would be and we sould get the insurance involved after all.
Now he is saying he has no idea what happened and to let the insurance fight it out. There were witnesses and one of them gave me his name and number.
In the end he will pay, I just wish he would not have changed his story...
I just dropped my car off at the body shop and I miss it already.
Last Wednesday evening around 7:45, coming home from my 3yr old daughter's DayCare Christmas Party, a guy runs a RED light at Moffett and Middlefield in Mtn. View. I get on the brakes HARD, ABS is active, I do everything I can and I almost miss him. I just catch the very back of the RED light runners car with my drivers side headlight/bumper.
We both stop, the first thing he says to me is "It's my fault". I agree and comment that he had just ran the RED light. We exchange info but he says he'd like to just pay for the damage and not get the insurance involved. I'm OK with that since he is taking full responsability for the accident. I get two quotes and call him the next day. He tells me that it's more than he thought it would be and we sould get the insurance involved after all.
Now he is saying he has no idea what happened and to let the insurance fight it out. There were witnesses and one of them gave me his name and number.
In the end he will pay, I just wish he would not have changed his story...
This happens all the time. NEVER trust people in this situation no matter what. Bastards!! Good luck man, hopefully that guy pays.
12-19-2005, 12:55 PM
#3
soggy said it, always get insurance involved, especially if it is not your fault. therefore, just in case it costs more...you got his insurance to help pay...anyways it will all turn out in your favor, after all he ran the red light...
Rocky
Rocky
12-19-2005, 01:00 PM
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i agree that it happens all the time it happened to me also when some lady failed to let me have the right of way making a left turn off a main street
she caved in my left front fender and said its just a scratch.. later to findout from her insurance company that it was $2500.00 worth of damage.
never let them get away without giving you the insurance info at the scene.
i called a cop right away because the lady who hit me was playing the no english sh** after i started yelling at her for not stopping in the intersection she drove in to me and then braked .. she had the stop sign i did not ...
she caved in my left front fender and said its just a scratch.. later to findout from her insurance company that it was $2500.00 worth of damage.
never let them get away without giving you the insurance info at the scene.
i called a cop right away because the lady who hit me was playing the no english sh** after i started yelling at her for not stopping in the intersection she drove in to me and then braked .. she had the stop sign i did not ...
12-19-2005, 01:11 PM
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Always call the police and get an accident report. Everybody says they will pay on the side etc... but when they hear the amount they prefer to let the insurance handle it. Plus they may say something like it was my fault blah blah... then sleep on it and make up another story. Good that you had a witness though.
I had a young girl hit me from behind and she told her parents that I back into her. They believed her and would not even talk to me. So I had the insurance go after her. Last time I did not call the police and moved the car before the police arrived at the scene.
Nick
I had a young girl hit me from behind and she told her parents that I back into her. They believed her and would not even talk to me. So I had the insurance go after her. Last time I did not call the police and moved the car before the police arrived at the scene.
Nick
12-19-2005, 01:13 PM
#7
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Always involve the police from the get go....especially when not your fault. Too many people try and bail on their word that they'll pay.
You need to protect yourself and to hell with them.
You need to protect yourself and to hell with them.
12-19-2005, 01:57 PM
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question about calling the police, do you try to find a non emergency number or call 911? im sure you don't call 911 since it's not really an emergency. do you all carry the non emergency number for the police? i guess the best thing to do is call your insurance and ask them for the number
12-19-2005, 02:09 PM
#10
I had a lady in a big SUV plow right into my rear quarter panel after I had backed out of a spot in a parking lot. There was a witness and the lady admitted fault at the scene, but when the insurance got involved, they fought like crazy to try to prove that I had actually backed into her. After spending many hours on the phone with my insurance company as well as the lady's, I was able to prove that the accident was not my fault. It was not a pleasant process and I really wish I had called the police at the time of the accident. Good luck with your situation.
Thanks
Thanks
12-19-2005, 02:16 PM
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You should always get insurance involved because either way his record will get damaged. I say this because by law if damages are over $500 you have to report to DMV anyways, which means the insurance company will ultimately find out. If DMV finds out somehow that you didn't report an accident that had over $500 damages they'll own you with suspended license and fees and stuff. Not fun 
12-19-2005, 02:28 PM
#12
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Originally Posted by RedStage
Always involve the police from the get go....especially when not your fault. Too many people try and bail on their word that they'll pay.
You need to protect yourself and to hell with them.
You need to protect yourself and to hell with them.
I also called my insurance as soon as I got home.
12-19-2005, 02:46 PM
#13
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Stange, but true
Originally Posted by spelk3
The Mountain View police were useless. They came out and made sure we exchanged insurance info, then left. Didn't even take our names. I was really suprised they didn't ticket the guy at the scene.
Apparently the police don't get involved in auto accidents if they can help it. So accidents that do not involve physical injuries or death, or do not involve an actual crime, they tend to just stay away. They let your insurance companies battle it out.
Now why they didn't ticket him for running a red light, I don't know. I don't like the sound of that. God knows Mt View has more than enough police with not enough crimes.
Joe
(Living in Mt. View these days)
12-19-2005, 02:47 PM
#14
I wouldn't be surprised if his insurance company doesn't blame you. Even though you have a green light you aren't supposed to enter an intersection unless its clear. Thats probably why he is acting dumb about it now. His insurance company is probably talking to yours and blaming you.
12-19-2005, 03:04 PM
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Originally Posted by STIdevildog
I wouldn't be surprised if his insurance company doesn't blame you. Even though you have a green light you aren't supposed to enter an intersection unless its clear. Thats probably why he is acting dumb about it now. His insurance company is probably talking to yours and blaming you.