Hit and Runs...

[s0leful0ne]

Home for spring break, my car alarm went off yesterday I assumed it was nothing. On my way out to lunch a few hours later and I realized someone had hit my car...No note or anything. Judging by the angle, the most likely candidate is the neighbor across the street. Looking at his car (suspiciously backed in this time) it has too many prior dings to make any sort of conclusion. I was grabbing the mail later in the day, and the wife(?) started to say "how are you doing", but the husband(?) hurried her inside and shut the garage.

Had the police report ready to file, but decided against it, the damage is likely less than $500 not worth the hassle and a $500 deductible. My mom, bless her heart, told me that if they dont have the courage to own up to it that karma will come back around and take care of it. Its just a shame these days that people can't own up to their own actions.

well, if it helps any, that's a direct impact from almost 90 degrees.

Your door, as well as the dent, have NO directional abrasions (scratches).

I'd kick the neighbor dead in the testicle for that one.

namely -

1) for doing it

2) for attempting to play it off

Need me to come "accidentally" hit his car with an 8,000 lb truck???

[Mugen910]

Originally Posted by tobii3

well, if it helps any, that's a direct impact from almost 90 degrees.

Your door, as well as the dent, have NO directional abrasions (scratches).

I'd kick the neighbor dead in the testicle for that one.

namely -

1) for doing it

2) for attempting to play it off

Need me to come "accidentally" hit his car with an 8,000 lb truck???

I can't rep bump you anymore

[MortonMilo]

Invite him over for dinner.

[Blueface]

Being in the fraud detection business involving staged accidents and damages and given my background in a body shop and as an adjuster and manager, I say very well done by all of you that have assessed this to be a backing up type impact as opposed to a sideswipe.
Clearly evident by the door not having a major impact to go along with what the fender sustained.
As far as your $500 assessment, consider the following:
Cost of Fender - probably in the $150 plus range
Cost of labor to remove old fender and install new one - probably around $45-50 per hour, minimum, more if at a dealer
Cost of materials to paint the new fender - very expensive nowadays
Cost of prepping, priming and painting the new fender
Cost of inner fender skirt - plastic and clearly damaged
Door OK or does that need to be addressed and blended for color matching?
Cost of clearing door to match once blended
Any damage to suspension? Any chance the wheel got whacked and now you will eat your tire?
Any damage to the rim? That alone can be from $250-$500 easily.

I would inspect his car closely. Impossible for him to not have sustained some resulting damage. Does he have a painted bumper or chrome?

[Col. Kurtz]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Being in the fraud detection business involving staged accidents and damages and given my background in a body shop and as an adjuster and manager, I say very well done by all of you that have assessed this to be a backing up type impact as opposed to a sideswipe.
Clearly evident by the door not having a major impact to go along with what the fender sustained.
As far as your $500 assessment, consider the following:
Cost of Fender - probably in the $150 plus range
Cost of labor to remove old fender and install new one - probably around $45-50 per hour, minimum, more if at a dealer
Cost of materials to paint the new fender - very expensive nowadays
Cost of prepping, priming and painting the new fender
Cost of inner fender skirt - plastic and clearly damaged
Door OK or does that need to be addressed and blended for color matching?
Cost of clearing door to match once blended
Any damage to suspension? Any chance the wheel got whacked and now you will eat your tire?
Any damage to the rim? That alone can be from $250-$500 easily.

I would inspect his car closely. Impossible for him to not have sustained some resulting damage. Does he have a painted bumper or chrome?

Carlos hit every angle. I've been in the loss business for a while also.

I'd probably, get a police report. It'll help prove your car was parked and not moving. Let the officer ask your neighbor what happened. He might be more likely to fess up.

I'd be willing to bet that's closer to $1200 in damages. Get the report, file it on his liability (if that's what happened) and get it fixed.

All just my opinion, but that does suck.

You'd be surprised how many H&R's I get vs. people taking responsibility. Or maybe not.

[s0leful0ne]

Originally Posted by Blueface

I would inspect his car closely. Impossible for him to not have sustained some resulting damage. Does he have a painted bumper or chrome?

Hmm...now i'm concerned. Considering I have a long drive up to Gainesville tomorrow, if there is more damage than just cosmetic it could be very dangerous on the freeway.

The bumper is painted on the suspected car, but there are already so many dings and dents in it it would be hard to conclude anything.

Would it be too late to call in the report if it happened yesterday?

[Col. Kurtz]

Originally Posted by s0leful0ne

Hmm...now i'm concerned. Considering I have a long drive up to Gainesville tomorrow, if there is more damage than just cosmetic it could be very dangerous on the freeway.

The bumper is painted on the suspected car, but there are already so many dings and dents in it it would be hard to conclude anything.

Would it be too late to call in the report if it happened yesterday?

No.

Edit to say. Listen to Carlos. I seem to remember Fla. being a PIP state once upon a time. Each state sets up its own rules on P&C. Statues were different enough I didn't get tied up in liability cases down there.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by s0leful0ne

Hmm...now i'm concerned. Considering I have a long drive up to Gainesville tomorrow, if there is more damage than just cosmetic it could be very dangerous on the freeway.

The bumper is painted on the suspected car, but there are already so many dings and dents in it it would be hard to conclude anything.

Would it be too late to call in the report if it happened yesterday?

Absolutely not too late at all to file a report.
If you advise the police you suspect him, they may very well ask to see his car.
If he caused that kind of damage to your car, I doubt it won't be visible on his. Furthermore, a little thing called "paint transfer". Your fender has paint missing from the impact. Bet dollars to donuts it will be on his car.

[kelmac07]

Sorry to hear Aldrin...that sucks big time.

I have a feeling that is more than $500.

My car just got out of the shop and for a new tail light, painted bumper, and labor it cost the lady who hit me $1500.

[ir13]

if its just the fender and nothing else it shouldnt exceed $500 IMO.

[GKitty]

If they can prove it's him, you don't have to pay the deductible as it comes out of his insurance.

Had a neighbor back into someone's motorcycle which tipped the bike over onto my grill. The motorcycle owner and I both got checks for the damage. I never even had to call my insurance company.

[Commander Quan]

I'd have a talk with the neighbor, let him know that if he did do it you would like him to turn it into the insurance, other wise you will will be contacting the police and reporting a hit and run. If the police find out that he did do it, it will be a lot worse for him at that point.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Darrell

I have a feeling that is more than $500.

You're crazy for no police report. Go after him and make his insurance pay. Tell him someone came by and identified his car. Call his bluff.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

You're crazy for no police report. Go after him and make his insurance pay. Tell him someone came by and identified his car. Call his bluff and get some dough out of him.

Moses, being on the claims side of insurance, I can tell you we would strongly defend this case if he were to present it to us, and we were that neighbor's carrier.
If an insured denies the event and if furthermore, there is absolutely no related damage to substantiate the claim (which is clearly evident here), we would honor the insured's version and let a judge decide for us or for you. Our duty in this matter would be to defend the insured as otherwise, with no physical evidence he did it, his rates would unjustifiably go up as result of us paying this claim.

If the damage was significant enough, which is not the case here, we would also hire a reconstruction expert that would testify to that affect, if he agreed that it is unrelated of course.

This neighbor's car did not cause that damage. That is not to say it didn't emanate from that driveway. Just not that car.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Blueface

This neighbor's car did not cause that damage. That is not to say it didn't emanate from that driveway. Just not that car.

The hope is the neighbors will give up the car who really did this vs. going through the hassle of fighting it.

Are there street cameras in that neigborhood?

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

The hope is the neighbors will give up the car who really did this vs. going through the hassle of fighting it.

Are there street cameras in that neigborhood?

Agree.

I would ask the neighbors if they saw any vehicles in the area other than the two in that photo. A scene canvass can often turn up valuable information.

On a related note, I am trying to find my digital card reader so I can upload some interesting photos to illustrate the damage that can result to a bumper cover from just the slightest pressure against it.

My wife pulled into the garage with the BMW and just slightly pressed into an object that was there, that she misjudged. As a result of this, there is now a nice gauge on my front bumper cover.

Now imagine, that was from a slight impression, from slowly pulling in to the driveway, crawling at that point until the car came to rest. I assure you, my wife is very slow when pulling in the driveway as in front of that object she hit are two 40 gallon containers for my fish tank and the water heater. Imagine what would result from that cover, that has a metal reinforcement for support behind it, which would put pressure back out towards the point of action, that ends up striking and bending metal?

[shark]

Sucks that you can't prove who did it. People can be such totally spineless a-holes.


I was following some guy in a F-150 one day down a residential street. We passed by some parked cars but he didn't judge the distance very well and ended up tasking off one of the parked vehicle's outside mirrors. He kept on going like nothing happened, so I kept following him until we got to a main highway. He turned abruptly into an alley running parallel to the main highway and I stayed with him; he obviously realized that I was following him. He turned into a parking lot and I pulled up behind him, got his plate number, and got out of there in case he decided to come after me and do something (road rage). I went back to the house where the collision occurred. The owner was there looking at his car and he recognized my car, so I parked and gave him the plate number, make model, and a good description of the driver. Too bad back then there were no cell phone cameras (this was probably a good 12 years ago).

[Volt]

you might want to call.... It's gonna be pricier than you think to fix. Sorry for the luck.