Unsubstantiated claim on a rear end tap collision

[minivandriver]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA

I rented a vehicle while visiting Atlanta and added my fiancee as an additional driver by paying $10+ per day. On our last day, she was running a quick errand, while I was working. At a traffic light, she started rolling the minivan, not noticing the 2 cars ahead of her did not move. Car immediately in fron of her stopped and my fiancee tapped his SUV in less than 5 mph speed. In my rental minivan, I can see the dent the trailer hitch of the vehicle in the front left, which is less than 1/4 inches deep to tell you the force of impact, but it was hard metal hitting a plastic bumper. No contest there.

Atlanta cops came and took statements and as expected my fiancee was at fault for following too closely. I am good with that. Accident report states that, no bodily injury was reported in either vehicle. My fiancee took pictures of this SUV she hit and where our rental car got the brunt of the damage. His car seems to have no damage at all. But today I got a call from my insurance agent saying they submitted a claim for damages. She said she did not have the exact details but claim is a claim. He will want me to pay for his bumper or at least a paint job, which I know will be about $1K-to-$2k and for nothing that we have caused. If I deny the claim, stating that the damages claimed could not have come from the impact my fiancee caused, do I have to (or my fiancee have to) go to Atlanta for a court hearing, if it comes to that ? Or could it be handled from afar by written statements and pictures ? We live in California by the way.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? GA

I rented a vehicle while visiting Atlanta and added my fiancee as an additional driver by paying $10+ per day. On our last day, she was running a quick errand, while I was working. At a traffic light, she started rolling the minivan, not noticing the 2 cars ahead of her did not move. Car immediately in fron of her stopped and my fiancee tapped his SUV in less than 5 mph speed. In my rental minivan, I can see the dent the trailer hitch of the vehicle in the front left, which is less than 1/4 inches deep to tell you the force of impact, but it was hard metal hitting a plastic bumper. No contest there.

Atlanta cops came and took statements and as expected my fiancee was at fault for following too closely. I am good with that. Accident report states that, no bodily injury was reported in either vehicle. My fiancee took pictures of this SUV she hit and where our rental car got the brunt of the damage. His car seems to have no damage at all. But today I got a call from my insurance agent saying they submitted a claim for damages. She said she did not have the exact details but claim is a claim. He will want me to pay for his bumper or at least a paint job, which I know will be about $1K-to-$2k and for nothing that we have caused. If I deny the claim, stating that the damages claimed could not have come from the impact my fiancee caused, do I have to (or my fiancee have to) go to Atlanta for a court hearing, if it comes to that ? Or could it be handled from afar by written statements and pictures ? We live in California by the way.

Your insurance agent will handle this...but really, it's not unreasonable that she damaged the bumper.

 

[minivandriver]

I know the bumper might have been damaged but being on both ends of rear end collisions myself (Driving in LA, getting involved in accidents, is the norm somehow) I know the damages which can be caused. But I am going by my fiancee's word and she has no reason to lie to me, this happened few second's after they started moving from a full stop at the traffic light. She was stopped and the car in front of her stopped. And the hit on my rental is right next to the license plate and on his car the main force was exerted on the trailer hitch. Yet he claims passenger side of the bumper being damaged. I saw the picture and there is a paint scrape which looked like it had been there for a while with all the dirt accumulated in it. He will try to make me pay to fix that damage. That is what angers me.

 

[Zigner]

I know the bumper might have been damaged but being on both ends of rear end collisions myself (Driving in LA, getting involved in accidents, is the norm somehow) I know the damages which can be caused. But I am going by my fiancee's word and she has no reason to lie to me, this happened few second's after they started moving from a full stop at the traffic light. She was stopped and the car in front of her stopped. And the hit on my rental is right next to the license plate and on his car the main force was exerted on the trailer hitch. Yet he claims passenger side of the bumper being damaged. I saw the picture and there is a paint scrape which looked like it had been there for a while with all the dirt accumulated in it. He will try to make me pay to fix that damage. That is what angers me.

Tell your insurance company - they will handle it.