I'm driving down the road (Dixwell for those around here, in front of the Duchess in Hamden), there are two lanes. The right one (that I'm in) goes straight, the left one bends to the left. I'm going along and I feel and hear that awful thump from the left rear quarter. I look in the mirror and this green car is the obvious culprit. We pull into the Duchess parking lot and assess the damage. I've got a moderate scrape on the left edge of the rear bumper, and a little scrape of the panel above it, right at the wheel well edge. He's got a loose corner lamp and is missing a piece of paint about 4x4 inches across. And I do mean missing, it's down to the steel. I think he caught the edge of his panel against the edge of mine and it was enough that it cracked a piece of paint off his car.

Obviously, I'm kind of annoyed. I dont' know if he was just drifting right, or if he was trying to merge, but I can't imagine that as I was pretty much at his 2:00 position. I was in my lane. Could I have been at the leftmost part of my lane? Maybe, can't say with any real definity that I wasn't, but I don't think that makes any difference.

Now, the next thing, he's a West Haven cop. Not to start the whole "Are cops bad?" thread again, but I'm a little nervous. He gave me the address of the West Haven PD, along with their phone number and it was only with some coaxing that I got a personal number for him. I couldn't get his home address, nor his insurance, as he said it was through the PD. He wants me to call him at work tomorrow. I told him I wouldn't have the opportunity to have the car looked at by then, but he wanted me to call him anyways.

To critique, I stupidly did not 1) Ask for his driver's license. Oh, he was driving with a 2001 registration sticker. 2) Get his license plate number. 3) Bring my digital camera that I freaking bring everywhere. 4) Remember exactly what kind of car it was.

Now, before the flames as to that begin, keep in mind that this is pretty much my first real accident with an animate object. I'm sure I'm the only person alive to have been hit by the same Humvee twice (that was my Accord) and I've hit somebody once with no damage to him, lotsa damage to me, we called it even and parted ways without exchanging anything. Also, it's kind of unnerving talking to cops. Even when they're at fault.

So, the lessons I learned are to remember and push for all the info at the time of accident, and to get one of those cardboard box disposable cameras to have in the car at all times. I had this idea before, but I always figured I'd have my digital with me.

Finally, when he got out of the car, he asked if the Z was a Lotus. That only goes to show that cops don't necessarily know anything about cars. I don't think I've EVER seen a Lotus here in CT in 3.5 years. But then again, they thought Rodney King's Yugo was going 150 mph.....


I'll post the obligatory pics, and I'll keep everybody informed as to what happens.

Here's the left rear bumper, the Z isn't too clean.

 

And here's my newly rolled wheelwell edge.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I'm really VERY nervous about this whole thing. My roommate says, "No, don't worry, cops aren't above the law." which is true, but they often try to act like they are. I better hurry up and pay that West Haven parking ticket.....

 

Man that sucks!

Cop or not, if they do not give the info I want then my Glock may have to make an appearance (J/K)! There are no excuses for that. And you say he had 2001 registration. . . I guarantee you if it were you with expired registration you would get a ticket even in this situation. The cops I know are cool, but I do hear stories about others! I would call the PD now and make sure he is who he says he is. Just ask "Is [Name] an officer here" "Who is his superior officer."

You may have to drop his name to get what you want when talking to the officer that hit you.

2 weeks ago my friend got hit by an police officers wife. She called him and he showed up. Same results, very little info.

It all could be legit, I mean he could have been undercover or what not that would explain expired registration and lack of insurance info.

Best of luck!

 

i think rodney had a hyundai. nonetheless, it sure wasnt going 150mph.. sorry for the mishap, but treat this cop just like you would anybody else. if hes at fault, go after him for the repairs. dont shy away just beacuse hes a cop.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident. Did you try the number to make sure that it is real? I hope he didn't give you a phony number.

In any case, don't feel bad. A few years back I was driving my beloved black Alfa spider on the LIE in the right lane in light rain. A very elderly gentlemen in the middle lane starts slowly edging over - you know the type, I don't really know how to drive but if I do everything slowly it will be OK. Anyway, I honk and pull back and he darts back to the middle lane. I finally get sick of shadowing him and start to accelerate just then he starts to pull back into my lane.

I hit the brakes, the guy behind me can't stop in time and hits me in the rear. The old fart gives me this look like I got what I deserved and keeps on going. We pull over and the only damage I can see is a loose tail pipe - what a relief! I get the guys info and idiotically and immediately lose it. Turned out that the entire exhaust system was messed up - an expensive lesson.

Accidents turn your brain to mush. It happens to all of us and that it was a cop only made it more discombobulating. Don't feel bad, it could have been much worse and many, if not most of us would have probably made the same mistakes. Good luck with getting it resolved and your Z fixed.

 

Damn, you're right, it was a Hyundai. How could I forget? I'm definitely not letting him get away with it. I'm just worried about some blue wall of silence or some form of intimidation getting put in effect.

There's no way this guy was undercover, seeing as he was in uniform.

I called the PD, it's a legit number. I actually went there after the accident to see if I could get some pics of his car, but he either wasn't going to work or he parked somewhere I couldn't get to.

Oh, and another bit, I went back to the Duchess and picked up a large chunk of paint which was hanging on to his car by a thread, which he pulled off and threw on the ground. FINGERPRINTS!

As you can see, I am quite paranoid.

But, somehow, I just get worried about a scenario where it's me versus him. Me, a young punk with a few speeding tickets, an unpaid parking ticket and a previous accident, driving a hot sports car versus him, a fine upstanding policeman. I don't really think that scenario would happen, but it always pays to think about the worst.

 

Time to pull out the Dr. card and put the old lab coat on....hehe

I bet everything will be fine. Now is the time to pick up those body kits you always wanted, might as well as long as the paint guy is matching colors to fix your dent and scratches.

 

Hmm, update number 1

If you get hit by an on-duty policeman (ie. in his police car) the insurance is handled by the department. The department also covers their officers for injuries to and from work. However, if you're hit by an off duty cop, then his own insurance takes over. Also, their personal insurance pays for damage to the car.


Hmm, so this is the first bit of incorrect info. Perhaps in addition to an out of date registration, he has no insurance?

The worst thing is the WHPD is basically signing off on this guy. He was in his own car, it's his own insurance, and the PD isn't responsible at all. Damn, at least they're a public organization which wouldn't like bad press.

Pain in stomach.....getting worse!

 

sorry to hear it, hope it works out. He probably doesn't have insurance because he thinks he can weasel out of problems by being a cop.

 

Sorry to hear about this- completely sucks. I hope everything works out for the best.

-Ethan

 

Reminder to all, if you get into an accident:

Get their License Plate Number (tag #), Name & Address from their registration and driver's license, Driver's license number, Day and Evening Phone numbers, VIN of the car, Make, Model and Color of Car, insurance carrier and policy number along with phone number. I also recommend calling the police and getting a police report (which is always required if there is any injury).

If you get all this information, there should be NO NEED to ever directly contact the other driver again.

Call your insurance company and report the accident. If you have collision coverage your insurance company will pay for the repair to your car. If the other driver was at fault, your insurance company will get reimbursed by their insurance company. Now, if you do not have collision coverage, you must contact the other driver's insurance company and put in a claim.

 

True true. Write this all down in checklist form and put it in the car by your insurance. It's easy to forget, obviously.

 

Call your insurance company very first thing in the morning; it is your best friend in this case.

 

If the other driver admits to blame, it's often easier to just contact their carrier directly. This is what my insurance company advised when someone decided to ram their Lexus into the rear of my new Montero at 25 MPH when I was stopped at a red light, and last month when some moron who wasn't paying attention merged into the side of my daughter's CRV - took the entire side out. Since my insurance wasn't even involved, no surcharge. In both cases the other insurance carrier paid without any questions.

As for a cop driving without any insurance, in most states that would be a misdemeanor (or worse) and might cost the cop his job. He would likely be anxious to settle this quickly and quietly. The fact that he was in uniform might impact the issue of responsibility.

Don't be intimidated. He hit you from the rear and that places the onus on him. Still, if this gets ugly, I wouldn't screw around. Get a lawyer as soon as things start heading South...

 

I'm hesitant to go through insurance. Admitedly, the times I have, it's always been my fault, so I guess this is a little different. But, I once had to use insurance to help pay off some $800 body work. I paid the $500 deductible, barely, but I needed help with the last $300. Yes, those were dark days. I subsequently received my revised premium the next year and needless to say, I will have paid WAY over that $300 over my remaining life.

I think insurance is worth it for large amounts, ie. multi-thousand dollar claims, or if your car is stolen, but for the average bit of body work, it's probably better to pay the few hundred dollars yourself.

Now, again, this wasn't my fault, so maybe it's a little different, but I'd rather part with $800 of my own money (or better yet his money) now than part with an extra 100 a year for the rest of my life.

Or course, this is how insurance companies make money.


Insurance experts, fire away!

 

You are right and that's been my experience as well. If it's less than $1000 though, you may not be rated or surcharged. The first thing you should do is get an estimate or two from a decent body shop. You can then check with your agent or insurance company to see what they consider a surchargeable accident. If it is over the amount, you can either pay for it now or pay for it later.

You can easily calculate if it is worth paying out of pocket. Just multiply the surcharge by the number of months and you can get a rough idea. If they will charge you $300 every 6 months for 2 years and the dent is $1200 just fix it ($1800 surcharge for a $1200 repair). In any case, I hope all works out for you.

 

Any body shop experts out there who could clue me in as to how this would go about getting fixed? It looks like just a scrape in the pics, but the edge is actually slightly dented in. From my previous experience, I'm sure this can be fixed with no difficulty, I'm just curious as to exactly how. I guess the panel can be pulled, but that doesn't leave some wrinkles as remnants? The major scrapes are sanded out and painted over?

Body work on cars is pretty much a mystery to me. I couldn't believe how good my Accord looked when it got fixed.

 

Failure to provide insurance and license info is against the law here.... maybe he can get a ticket of his own!

Hindsight is 20/20... but I've dealt with this kind of 'commercial' insurance stuff before, and I would have called him out. If he isn't in a trooper vehicle.. regardless I wouldn't have let him go without personal info. If he didn't want to give it up.. I'd pull out my cell and call 911. Its really obvious the guy can't leave.. even if he's being a dick. Unless I have 'illegal' stuff in the car.. or I'm wanted.. ... you have every right to be a ***** back in demanding what is rightfully yours.

BTW.. the same kind of stuff happens with government people. Basically.. the person themself is immune if working.. so lets say... a snow plow wipes out your parked car in your driveway... the driver himself is completely immune (been there.. got the Tshirt) and you have to deal with the agency and their insurance.

 

Sucks to hear about your story. I really hope the cop is honest about everything.

Funny thing about the Lotus. I saw my first ever Lotus on the freeway last week (Christmas Day actually). It was the Lotus Esprit (2.2L Turbo I think) like the one James Bond had that turned into the submarine.

The one I saw was white, but didn't have a big ol' British flag on it. Oh, and it didn't turn into a submarine either.

Anyhow, I've been in a couple accidents myself, not all of them my fault, and ironically enough, the person I "tapped" in the last accident had the same insurance agent as I did. Needless to say, he's had fun bugging me about my driving ever since. Luckily, I had the highest rating so they couldn't raise my rates. And with 3 more accident free years, I won't have to worry about another fender bender raising my rates. Maybe you have the same type of dealio with your agent, although in this case it shouldn't matter since it was the other guy's fault.

Good Luck!

-D'oh!

 

Hey Andrew...

Sorry to hear about your accident. That area by Duchess is always tricky. Everyone is always moving over too late to go to the right on Dixwell. From what you described, it sounds like hes at fault... he had to see you as he was moving to the right and mis judged his speed clipping your Z. Anyway, good luck with getting the Z fixed. If you need a good body shop in the area PM me.