Other person at fault in accident - was it right to call my insurance company?

[TurboDan]

Last night, I was traveling down a two-lane road and a Ford Explorer driven by a young woman made a left turn from the opposite lane. I slammed on the breaks, but she didn't make the turn in time. There was some light front-end damage to my vehicle (a little crumpled, headlight destroyed) but nothing in the area of totaling the car. No airbag deployment as I had slowed to probably about 10 mph. And there were no injuries.

I never spoke to the woman in the other car as she pulled into the entrance to a condo development that isn't exactly a "good" place and she had what appeared to be her seedy looking friends come out to "help" her in the situation. Lovely. Her boyfriend walked over and looked like he was trying to start some trouble, but I told him to get away from my car go back with his party, and he did.

In any event, the police came and the two officers told me the report would find her at fault and she would be issued a careless driving citation. Fortunately, a fireman was driving behind me in a marked department SUV and witnessed the whole thing. When I got home, I called my insurance company to report the accident. But now I'm thinking I should not have done that. Because I called them, does this somehow go "against" me since I'm reporting a claim rather than just calling the other person's insurance company?

Anyone who's been in this situation before care to comment?

[dazzleman]

You had no choice but to tell them.  You really can't deal with her insurance company on your own (assuming this trashy-sounding woman actually has insurance).

If she's found at fault, then her insurance company will pay for your damage, and your insurance company won't hold it against you.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I was lucky enough (unlucky?) that the one time I got hit, we both had the same insurance company, so things were settled very quickly and I got da money. 
My rates didn't go up or anything after that. 

[MX793]

Is your state no-fault?

[Eye of the Tiger]

Is your state no-fault?

wut

[S204STi]

Last night, I was traveling down a two-lane road and a Ford Explorer driven by a young woman made a left turn from the opposite lane. I slammed on the breaks, but she didn't make the turn in time. There was some light front-end damage to my vehicle (a little crumpled, headlight destroyed) but nothing in the area of totaling the car. No airbag deployment as I had slowed to probably about 10 mph. And there were no injuries.

I never spoke to the woman in the other car as she pulled into the entrance to a condo development that isn't exactly a "good" place and she had what appeared to be her seedy looking friends come out to "help" her in the situation. Lovely. Her boyfriend walked over and looked like he was trying to start some trouble, but I told him to get away from my car go back with his party, and he did.

In any event, the police came and the two officers told me the report would find her at fault and she would be issued a careless driving citation. Fortunately, a fireman was driving behind me in a marked department SUV and witnessed the whole thing. When I got home, I called my insurance company to report the accident. But now I'm thinking I should not have done that. Because I called them, does this somehow go "against" me since I'm reporting a claim rather than just calling the other person's insurance company?

Anyone who's been in this situation before care to comment?

I don't think it counts against you.  I called and got an officer to come over and issue a police report which I submitted to both my insurance and hers when I was rear-ended.  Your insurance will simply take it out of her ass (or her insurance, that is) and if it works out at all like my situation you won't see any change to your rates.

[dazzleman]

Is your state no-fault?

Pretty much every state is no-fault now.

What that means is that you go through your own insurance company after an accident, regardless of who was at fault in the accident.  The two insurance companies settle things, but you get your payment through your own insurance companies.  If this trashy woman is found to be at fault in the accident, her insurance company will pay Dan's insurance company for the claim money they paid to Dan, and the incident should not be held against him for insurance purposes.

[rohan]

good explenation dave only now many ins. co. are using a "points" system to determine if your rates are penalized.  It involves a calculation fo several things and many ppl are calling to our department bitching to us because their insurance raised their rates even though we listed the other driver at fault.  When we call the ins. co we're told their client met some mathmatical formula to be given a certain number of points which put them in the next bracket.  I'm told they're even doin that now with claims that they aren't supposed to like vandalism and car/deers and stuff like that.  It's just a BS way to screw us and the worst part is there's so little legislation to prevent them from doing it there's virtually nothing LE can do about it.

[dazzleman]

good explenation dave only now many ins. co. are using a "points" system to determine if your rates are penalized.  It involves a calculation fo several things and many ppl are calling to our department bitching to us because their insurance raised their rates even though we listed the other driver at fault.  When we call the ins. co we're told their client met some mathmatical formula to be given a certain number of points which put them in the next bracket.  I'm told they're even doin that now with claims that they aren't supposed to like vandalism and car/deers and stuff like that.  It's just a BS way to screw us and the worst part is there's so little legislation to prevent them from doing it there's virtually nothing LE can do about it.

True, all that depends on the insurance company.  There are lots of reasons they can raise rates, such as a reassessment of the risk they face in insuring you that would take place as a result of 'incidents' such as theft or vandalism.  But all those are based upon having paid out claims.  In an accident where the other company pays the claim due to the fault of the other person, they have less justification to raise rates.  I can't speak for other insurance companies, but I don't believe my company raises rates unless they pay a claim.

[James Young]

. . .there's virtually nothing LE can do about it.

Wrong.  You?re part of the problem.  Until LE begins to target those activities that tend to interfere with the flow of traffic or are so egregiously dangerous (inattention, impairment, suicidal intent) that the perpetrator must be removed, your pleas of innocence will fall on deaf ears.

For example, in 2000, Texas DPS issued more than twice as many speeding citations as all others combined, including commercial citations, yet ?speeding? does not even register with NHTSA as a ?critical pre-crash event.?  Insurance companies get wealthy from surcharges on those citations and LE gave it to them.

[S204STi]

Wrong.  You?re part of the problem.  Until LE begins to target those activities that tend to interfere with the flow of traffic or are so egregiously dangerous (inattention, impairment, suicidal intent) that the perpetrator must be removed, your pleas of innocence will fall on deaf ears.

For example, in 2000 Texas DPS issued more than twice as many speeding citations as all others combined, including commercial citations, yet ?speeding? does not even register with NHTSA a ?critical pre-crash event.?  Insurance companies get wealthy from surcharges on those citations and LE gave it to them.

lmfao...