So I have zero experience with crashing, in fact this is the first time my car has ever touched another car.

First of all, it is not my fault. As you can see in the (shitty) diagram, she in the Honda Odyssey couldn't stop on the ice at the stop sign. She slid into the main road, where I tried to maneuver from hitting her, my front left bumper collided with her rear left bumper.

She left with a scratch, and I have a nice hole.

We have each others insurance information, since it was an icy day. We weren't going to bother the police with such a minor bump.

My question is, what have you learned in experience is the best way to approach the next steps. And what are those steps?

 

Glad it was a minor one and everyone is ok...

call her insurance company and they'll walk you through it... call yours too.

btw, how did you make that diagram? Thats pretty cool

 

Thanks for the advice Big Dish, I had no idea I was to call her insurance!

And I am a multimedia designer.

That specific diagram was done in After Effects. It's the most basic use of the program, but I only had a few moments to whip something up just in case I need to show something to the insurance folk.

 

The animation is awesome.

 

The wreck is the suck, but that graphic animation deserves an applause. I don't think I've ever seen someone post up an animated presentation of a wreck on the forums.




Personal experience regarding wrecks:

1. Get a police report filed. (Yes, I know you skipped this.)

2. Call your insurance company and tell them what happened.

3. Depending on the direction your insurance company goes, contact her insurance company to get your Z repaired.

4. Do your best research on wherever you take your Z for repairs and make sure the repairs are warrantied by the insurance company.

5. Pray.

 

Smart idea. States like Colorado will often announce delayed reporting during snow storms. That way police are not occupied with 50 fender benders in 4 hours. For reporting see: https://crash.state.co.us/

 

Thanks guys, I'm going to call my insurance company in just a bit,

and thanks for the nice comments on the animation.

I'm curious that since many people find it so difficult to explain a car accident after the event. Maybe it would benefit people if there was a tool that you could pick a google maps location and drag and drop the cars into the scenario. Then use simple tactics to animate it.

Might be helpful for law enforcement and insurance companies.

Thanks for all the help guys!

 

Always get a police report for accidents.

Always.

 

Yeah, I've had friends get fake info. One friend was drivng his legit JDM RHD Civic with a ton of aftermarket stuff done to it and got hit by some broad as he was leaving the shop that JUST FINISHED his bodywork. She gave him fake info, but had mentioned that she was just leaving work. He spent weeks driving around the area during the work week before he finally saw the car again.

In AZ, you legally have to have the police come out. Even if both drivers consent to leaving the scene, you can still be charged with a hit n run unless the law has changed recently.

 

There is simply too much liability involved to not get info to the police. Always take pix, always always always. Always call the police and always record every interaction with the other person.

You are taking liability off of you and onto them. If they say or do something, like tell you they are at fault or give fake info and you have it recorded or take a pix of their tag and they handwrite you a different tag....follow

 

show the cops the animation, and youll be fine

 

I'm an insurance agent in MA.
Report a claim with your company AND report a 3rd party claim through her insurance.
Get an estimate from each and take the check from whoever is going to pay more.
Unless of course you are not insured for physical damage coverage..then you have no choice but to collect from her insurance.

It's always a good idea to get the police involved as they can check to see if her insurance is active in the registry (I can do it from my cell phone )