Accident and insurance issue

[russel91]

New Jersey, Newark

Hey guys so I got into a car accident in Newark NJ and I realized it was my fault he was driving on the opposing lane and I made a left into the front side of his car destroyed his front bumper and axil. We parked on the side of the road and waited for police to arrive they took too long so I offered to pay him on the side. He got back to the mechanic and said it was 2500 dollars for me to pay off I paid him most of it all I owed was 50 dollars and asked him to give me one more week. He completely flipped out over the 50 and said now he wants to call my insurance and have it all done through them after I already handing him the majority of the money. This all happened in November, and I was wondering what could happen now that he is taking this step. He was upset that I mentioned I would need one more week to pay him, and went on a tantrum. I have some of the payments I gave to him via zelle and also text message conversations. I'm not quite sure how this will play out with my insurance but I'm quite concerned because it was my fault he mentioned he had obtained video footage of a warehouse nearby and he said the footage shows me completely ramming into him. My question is how should I proceed with this matter

 

[quincy]

New Jersey, Newark

Hey guys so I got into a car accident in Newark NJ and I realized it was my fault he was driving on the opposing lane and I made a left into the front side of his car destroyed his front bumper and axil. We parked on the side of the road and waited for police to arrive they took too long so I offered to pay him on the side. He got back to the mechanic and said it was 2500 dollars for me to pay off I paid him most of it all I owed was 50 dollars and asked him to give me one more week. He completely flipped out over the 50 and said now he wants to call my insurance and have it all done through them after I already handing him the majority of the money. This all happened in November, and I was wondering what could happen now that he is taking this step. He was upset that I mentioned I would need one more week to pay him, and went on a tantrum. I have some of the payments I gave to him via zelle and also text message conversations. I'm not quite sure how this will play out with my insurance but I'm quite concerned because it was my fault he mentioned he had obtained video footage of a warehouse nearby and he said the footage shows me completely ramming into him. My question is how should I proceed with this matter

This happened in November? Did you ever pay the other driver the rest of the $2500?

You really should have contacted your insurer at the time of the accident.

 

[adjusterjack]

My question is how should I proceed with this matter

Report this to your insurance company and accept whatever consequences there are. You have no choice. The longer you wait, the worse it gets and you could end up losing your insurance for breaching the contractual requirements for reporting the accident.

 

[LdiJ]

Report this to your insurance company and accept whatever consequences there are. You have no choice. The longer you wait, the worse it gets and you could end up losing your insurance for breaching the contractual requirements for reporting the accident.

However do make sure that your insurance company knows exactly how much you have already paid him towards the accident. He doesn't need to be paid twice.

 

[AlmostThere]

Have you documented how you paid the 2450? Check? Venmo? Receipts?

 

[zddoodah]

it was my fault he was driving on the opposing lane

How could that possibly be your fault?

I was wondering what could happen now that he is taking this step.

There are, quite literally, hundreds of things that "could happen."

how should I proceed with this matter

I suggest you call your insurer ASAP and report what has happened. You need to recognize that you breached your duty to your insurer by failing to report the accident when it happened.

It's not clear to me if the repairs on the other vehicle have been completed and, if they have, whether you're reimbursing the other driver for he cost of the repairs or what. Probably the best thing would be for you to finish paying what you agreed to pay ASAP.

 

[quincy]

New Jersey also fines those who do not immediately report car accidents that have resulted in death, injury, or property damage in excess of $500.

https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2022/title-39/section-39-4-130/

Not only is there a fine, there is the possibility of a license suspension and, with no written report of the accident by law enforcement or any immediate communication with the car insurer, the other driver could always claim he was injured.

It might be a good idea for russel91 to speak to a traffic-law attorney.

 

[russel91]

Have you documented how you paid the 2450? Check? Venmo? Receipts?

Unfortunately I gave him most of it cash and about 500 of it was through venmo although I have conversations through text of him admitting he has received the cash payments , he decided to throw this tantrum because I owe him 50 bucks and I am trying to get him to calm down and leave this alone so I don't have to contact my insurance but it looks like that might be an inevitable situation

 

[russel91]

His repairs are completed and I have paid for all of it , all I asked was for one more week to pay him the 50 dollars out of the 2450 i already paid, and he mentioned he has already contacted his insurance but I don't understand how they will be happy with him after he already did this agreement with me on the side. I will let my insurance know he has already been paid for the repairs.

 

[quincy]

... he mentioned he has already contacted his insurance but I don't understand how they will be happy with him after he already did this agreement with me on the side. I will let my insurance know he has already been paid for the repairs.

I don’t see how your insurer will be happy with you, either. I guess you will learn soon enough the consequences of your failure to report the accident in a timely fashion.

Good luck.

 

[russel91]

We both agreed to settle this outside of insurance , and I kept my promise to pay him the full amount. Regardless I know it was my fault to not report this to my insurance

 

[AlmostThere]

Have you tried to pay him the remaining $50 and have him sign something indicating the repair is paid off?

 

[clarasantiago986]

If the other party proceeds with an insurance claim, your insurer will likely investigate. Provide them with the evidence you have, such as text messages and payment records. Admit fault as you did here. The video footage might influence the outcome. Cooperate with your insurer and be honest throughout the process.

 

[johnjohn20]

In the event of an accident, navigating insurance issues can be complex. Contact your insurance provider immediately to report the incident and initiate the claims process. Provide all relevant details and documentation, including photos of the damage and any police reports. Be prepared to cooperate with the insurer's investigation and follow their instructions to ensure a smooth resolution to the issue.

 

[adjusterjack]

I don't understand how they will be happy with him after he already did this agreement with me on the side.

Suppose he just turns in his receipt and doesn't say anything about already being paid? Could come up with a good story as to needing to do the repairs in a hurry. Was frazzled at the time of the accident and let you drive off without getting your information. Things like that.