D
deedrop
Guest
I wrote a couple weeks ago after I rear-ended a car with my brother's vehicle. I just moved to California from Wisconsin and have been using his vehicle until I can afford my own. I personally do not have insurance, but my brother does. After the accident the other party and I exchanged information, but no police report was made. We both looked at the damage to his vehicle, which amounted to a scratched up bumper on a car that wasn't that great looking in the first place. He looked everything over and opened and closed the hatch and everything worked. There was no police report made. I told my brother everything, at first he was going to call the insurance company right away, but then he never called because the other party never returned my call, until 11 days later. The other party then said that he was having someone look at his car and they were still trying to determine how much to charge to fix the hatch, which would not open. I reminded him that I saw him open and close it at the scene, and he stammered a little and said they were checking to see if it would close properly. I told him to contact my brother. He said he would call him and never did. He then called back two days later saying that he would mail me the estimate. I do not know what to do. Am I totally liable? My brother would have phoned his insurance right away, but the other party took quite a while returning my call (11 days) and since there was no police report, our understanding was that the damage would be under $500 and I'd probably pay out of pocket because of the deductible, and to save my brother from enduring higher premiums. Do I have to accept just one estimate? Can I pick a place and have him take his car there for an estimate? Is there a limit on how much I owe since there was never an accident report made, and now it seems that the other party is trying to claim there was more damage done than what I wittnessed? Thank you for your help!