Honda Hits Explorer

[MikeP]

An 88 Honda Accord (pulled out in left direction from being parallel parked on the right side of street) slowly hit my slow moving 91 Ford Explorer 4x4 as I pulled into parallel park in a space large enough to put an 18 wheeler, his left front bumper impacting my left rear wheel well region. I heard this "thump" and looked back, see this chap backing up into his parking place. I get out and there are two plastic parts on the street and his bumper is cracked. I look at my Explorer and no apparent new scratches. Apparently he tells my insurance guy that it is my fault! Duhhhhh, say what! And I had my park lights on, it is 4pm daylight. Oh well, no big deal - but I hate to get a blemish on my insurance record. I just really like to drive a vehicle which is tough. Once a friend of mine was driving my 3/4ton GMC 4x4 and mixed it up with a 4-door sedan, no visible marks on my old GMC but caved in the entire side of the sedan - no one got hurt (it was the sedans fault, I was able to take photos to document the scene in this GMC incident). In this case I failed to have my camera in my Ford. Suggestion is to always have a camera along to document such incidents. Mike in Seattle

 

[sink]

You should be all set Mike. He hit your side with his front. That is an easy argument for his fault 100%. Many states the law is that you must "have control of your vehicle at all times" which is commonly translated into 'if you hit anything with the front of your car, its your fault'. Drive through Connecticut once. Half the people there will slam their brakes in front of you if they get ticked at you. That is because it would be your fault. That is a stupid thing to do, but that demonstrates the law there. Some 50 something woman pulled out froma park like that honda did, crossed two lanes and hit my wife on the pass side door behind the front wheel. The wife called me crying because the old bit** was trying to make a scene and say my young wife was at fault. The police report even had the cars drawn incorrectly. However, I wrote a two page letter and marked up my copy of the police report and sumbitted to my insurance. It explained how the damage could not have possibly occurred from the other driver's description and the police sketch. Insurance ruled 100% the other lady's fault! Moral of the story- DON'T let them pin it on you. You can win.

 

[Clint]

my explorer did not do so well i went into a grocery store came out and there was a big dent where the gas tank filler is my truck sits pretty high 33's 6 inch lift so i don't know what the hell hit me but u could see where they tried to park hit my truck lifted there bumper and then backed up because their is a swirl scratch thats around the dent oh well it pissed me off but i am over now

 

[MyExp]

I find it amazing how people can hit your car, totally their fault and try and pin it on you. My girlfriend was rear ended while stopped at a construction zone. Lady is not paying attention, slams brakes swerves hits her left rear quarter panel, causes over 1000 in damage. Police report says it is totally the other person's fault, and that she was driving beyond the road condition limits.

Lady still has not paid and refuses to take repsonsibility, because my girlfriend did not have her foot on the brake (5-speed), therefore no brake lights, lady claims she did not see brake lights to get her attention to stop. DUH!!

 

[MarkB]

Besides taking photos at the scene of an accident, it always helps to get the name & at least phone number of any independent witnesses. By independent I mean not someone you know and not a passenger in your vehicle. I determine liability in auto accidents for a living and there is one common thread to every accident: at least one of the drivers was not paying attention. In a case where there is not any witnesses nor a police report and it just word versus word, your insurance carrier should always side with your version of what happened.

 

[Stephen]

Yes, always try and get witnesses and take pictures.

The one thing I really hate is when someone hits your car in a parking lot and just leaves. I would never do that. In the first place, I wouldnt be stupid enough to HIT a car in a parking lot. I've been driving for 40 years and have never done that. But if I ever did, I would leave my phone number.

 

[Paul Gagnon]

How about when one of your neighbours knocks mirrors with you in front of your house and doesn't leave a note or knock on the door?

 

[TDG]

How about when your neighbors speed boat rolls down the hill into your driveway and hits your vehicle, happened to me once and it made for a very interesting call to the insurance company.

 

[irtySanchez]

You should have done the job right and run over his car.

 

[sink]

Gimp, Gimp, Gimp, Gimp, Gimp. I think I found out a PET peeve of yours, you do have something in common with me. There goes the neighborhood. Boy the stories I could tell about the neighbor's dog. However, I would risk some cruelty to animals hate. However, letting your pet roam unsupervised in a populated is in itself cruelty. BTW, I hate it when my 110V engine block heater develops an accidental short to the frame.... did I tell you that urine is very conductive?

 

[davesexplorer]

look out!

until i get the best mod available: Electrified Full Body Honda Smashing Roll Cage, i guess ill have to deal with parking lot dents my own way... WITH A HAMMER! Needless to say when i got my explorer it had a few dents on it now it has a few more. If i ever find the person who scraped my last car, sparks will fly.

PS: explorers newest option: 360 degree rocket launcher, no one can park within a mile radius of the beast!

 

[D]

How about when a drunk guy on drugs with no legs or insurance T-bones your 69 Plymouth Barracuda at 7:30 am with a 76 El Camino in a park n ride and rams it across a whole parking space where it runs into a 68 chevelle ss 396 smashin my cuda on both side, completly F*&king up one side and putting a huge dent on the other. Other than the passenger door not opening and the horrible body damage my cuda drove as good as ever. We got 1000 more than we paid for it in insurance money and I was able to get a much nicer 66 GTO. This was a few years ago while I was skiing. The drunk had some jail time for that one.

 

[TDG]

Forget the dog. Beware of owner.

 

[Jaytee]

How about when your Dad backs up one early morning and takes out the Driver-side corner panel...brake light too. $1,500 dollars of damage. Week later, mom backs out and knocks a dent in my Girlfiends Chevy S-10. $750 dollars of damage. I no longer park anywhere close to either of my parents.
What about Toyota's? About 4 months ago, I was downtown (Greenville) and a young 16 yr old girl failed to check her blind spot in her moms Toyota Avalon. I felt bad for her....she wouldn't stop crying. Wasn't bad....$1,500 again.

JT

 

[MikeP]

The rest of the story. I talked to the Honda owners insurance via phone, and described what happened. The Honda's insurance person said the Honda owner said I pulled into the parking place, then backed up and hit the Honda (which is just not true!). However, the Honda's insurance person said the Honda owner's story was "fishy" because it would be very difficult for me to back up and hit the Honda in my left rear wheel well. The Honda's insurance person told me "off the record" that she thought it was the Honda's fault. My insurance agent (when I phoned in the report) said he thought for sure it was the Honda's fault, but that my insurance company's claims agent makes the decision. My insurance company's claims agent called me a couple of days ago to tell me she decided it was a situation where the Honda owner and I had equal fault for the accident. This really pissed me off and I asked her if there was any way I could have prevented the accident, other than to have not been there? She said that because I had no witness to prove what happened, this was all she could do. By the way, my insurance agent warned me that my insurance company's claims agents have a tendency to be wimpy and not defend their clients (too costly). My insurance agent guessed the cost for repairing the Honda bumper would be about $500 and my insurance company claims agent said the cost estimate she made was $900 and she said my insurance company inspected the 88 Honda's damage (hence my insurance company paid the Honda owner $450 for 1/2 the damage cost). Note that there was no damage I could see to my 91 Ford XLT 4x4 Explorer. I acknowledge this is a minor incident. But remember to have a camera in your rig so you can take photos of an accident scene as these can usually show what has happened. I have even take photos at night which have been used (headlights & flash are sufficient to make photos). Mike in Seattle

 

[sink]

You got boned if this has any affect on your wallet or your rates. (If not, so what). I had a claims adjuster show up in a friggin suit to do my car once 20 yrs ago when I was on my dad's insurance and was hit mostly underneath by someone in an RX7. If I was you I'd be in my agent's face tellin them sianara!!! 1-800-Progressive.