What is the name of your state? California
Last week, I was waiting behind 1 car to make a right turn onto a road from an intersection. The light was red for oncoming traffic (coming from left to right) and that traffic had stopped. The woman in front of me turned right onto the main road and then abruptly stopped. I was looking left to make sure that the traffic had stopped while slowly moving forward, saw that she had stopped and stopped just as our cars made contact.
No damage whatsoever to my car, a scuff the size of my little fingernail to her bumper. You really had to search for it to see it. I was shocked in fact that she stopped at all... in new york, cars bump into each other much harder in normal traffic. Basically it was as soft as two cars can make contact.
However, because she was six months pregnant and apparently paranoid, she called her doctor the next day to say she had been in an accident. He of course told her to come in for a check up (can you say liability??) which she did, and was released 3 hours later after $500 in tests, with a clean bill of health. Not suprising.
She filed this with her insurance, along with the 'repair' to the bumper. AAA tells me that I am 100% at fault, and that since she went to the doctor as a result of the 'accident' this is now an injury accident. This means 2 points on my insurance and raised premiums, even though there was no injury. Her bills total $1000. AAA (or whoever I switch to after this) will make far more off of me than this in the raised premiums.
Is there -anything- I can do to fight this crud? I actually spoke to her and her husband (our kids are in the same daycare) and I believe she is not trying to screw me. She is just not terribly bright mentioned it to her doctor in the middle of a routine call. They are both suprised and dismayed at what will happen to my driving record as a result of this.
Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!!!
B
Last week, I was waiting behind 1 car to make a right turn onto a road from an intersection. The light was red for oncoming traffic (coming from left to right) and that traffic had stopped. The woman in front of me turned right onto the main road and then abruptly stopped. I was looking left to make sure that the traffic had stopped while slowly moving forward, saw that she had stopped and stopped just as our cars made contact.
No damage whatsoever to my car, a scuff the size of my little fingernail to her bumper. You really had to search for it to see it. I was shocked in fact that she stopped at all... in new york, cars bump into each other much harder in normal traffic. Basically it was as soft as two cars can make contact.
However, because she was six months pregnant and apparently paranoid, she called her doctor the next day to say she had been in an accident. He of course told her to come in for a check up (can you say liability??) which she did, and was released 3 hours later after $500 in tests, with a clean bill of health. Not suprising.
She filed this with her insurance, along with the 'repair' to the bumper. AAA tells me that I am 100% at fault, and that since she went to the doctor as a result of the 'accident' this is now an injury accident. This means 2 points on my insurance and raised premiums, even though there was no injury. Her bills total $1000. AAA (or whoever I switch to after this) will make far more off of me than this in the raised premiums.
Is there -anything- I can do to fight this crud? I actually spoke to her and her husband (our kids are in the same daycare) and I believe she is not trying to screw me. She is just not terribly bright mentioned it to her doctor in the middle of a routine call. They are both suprised and dismayed at what will happen to my driving record as a result of this.
Any advice or suggestions are appreciated!!!
B