They’ll do a report for less then that here (suburbs of Dallas, Texas), at least.
I got rear ended while waiting to make a left-turn, pulled into a gas station with the other guy, called the cops, and swapped insurance info. Very polite cop showed up about 20 minutes later. She took our info let me go, and (I learn later from the report) ticketed the other guy for “Failure to Control Speed.” She checked a box on the accident form saying that there was probabably less then $1000 dollars of damage involved (ultimately, my car needed about $1050 worth of body work–new bumper and impact bars).
Dealing with “the other guys” insurance is an absolute breeze when you have a report number and the citation number from his ticket.
Eats I expected as much…that’s why I paid extra for Weasel Words 101 as part of my English degree.
Observe:
**“No-Fault” when I have encountered it ** and **“as far as I can tell” **
On re-reading the Ontario article I notice verbiage like, “You don’t have to go after the at-fault driver for compensation.” (my emphasis) this sounds a bit like my earlier (obtuse and well-hidden) comment, "**(just like you can file a collision claim even though it was I who crushed your puny little girly-car with my EGSPISEI SUV). ** Which basically implies that one can file a collision claim against one’s own policy (and pay the deductible) or file a PD claim against someone else’s. In the first case, who is at fault doesn’t matter–your insurer pays your claim.
Matchka I think part of my long-standing confusion also stems from information that comes from juristictions that are “similar” but “different.” That whole “fault point system” confused the crap outta me.
In any case, if the Van Guy has to repair his light out of his own pocket, I really hope it’s as easy as snapping a new red lens into place and that he can get the replacement part cheaply.
I did not know that I had hit anyone. I was changing lanes and BARELY brushed her on the driver’s side, up front. It was windy that day, and I had felt something on the back of my car, but I thought it was the wind. She honked at me once, but that was it, and so I thought she was honking at my bumper sticker. She made no attempt to get me to pull over, either, so I went on my merry way.
So imagine my surprise when I get a letter a few days later from the police department saying I’m being investigated for a hit-and-run and I have 3 days before they file criminal charges
Being a legal student and knowing what they do to hit-and-runs, I panicked and called the cop halfway in tears. He sort of laughed at me, told me to chill out and call the lady I hit.
So I did, and turns out she realized when it happened that I didn’t know I had hit her. She didn’t even know for sure until she got out of her car to look. The crook car dealer she took her car to estimated $650 in damages, so I probably did about $300 (a little scratch and I gave her a bit of my paint, even though there is no paint missing from my car).
Called my insurance company, told 'em the story. I don’t know yet if my insurance is going to go up but if it does, it won’t be much.
A few years ago someone backed into my car in a theater parking lot while I was inside watching a movie. Fortunately for me, an anonymous witness left me a note with the licence number and description of the car and driver. I called the cops, who told me that (here in Maryland) leaving the scene of an accident is an arrestable offense!
The officer took the info in the note and visited the perp’s house before the end of her shift (about 7 am on a Sunday). Within a couple of hours, the father of the 16-year-old perp called me to apologize and offer to pay for the repairs without involving insurance companies.
AFAIK, no charges were filed, but the visit from the cop apparently shook them up pretty good.
As someone in the OP’s neighbourhood. let me pipe up with what I [think] I know.
Failure to remain is indeed taken pretty seriously in Ontario, regardless of the total damage. If the ‘victim’ files a report with the Accident Reporting Centre, the driver of the SUV will be charged.
If the total damage is over $1000, the driver of the SUV will also be charged with failure to report, which is also pretty serious.
The apparent lack of interest from the police is because they generally do not attend minor accidents where there are no injuries. They let the Reporting Centres take care of it.
I am surprised to hear that the police don’t want to be involved if the damage is less than $1000 and there appear to be no injuries. I’d be paranoid that the other person might later use the accident to their advantage–sue for injuries, or, say, claim greater damage to their car or try to blame me for subsequent damage they did. Frankly, I want the safety of the police report, knowing that a third party with experience in documenting these things wrote down the relevant information (including a summary of the damage and the fact that the other guy seemed fine). But then my husband is a fornesic animator so I always hear the worst of these things. Paranoia.
Cranky the law here says the police won’t come if it’s under $1000 unless there are injuries. If some weasel tried to sue later, I expect the courts would be highly skeptical and wonder “if you were hurt, why didn’t you call the cops when it happened?”
My ex is a lawyer and did a lot of insurance suits while articling. What happens is that the driver and the victim each go through their insurance companies. As far as the lawsuits go, she said that most of the time it was the insurance companies suing each other back and forth with bewildered clients tagging along for the ride.
Cerowyn, oh, you have restored my faith in Toronto’s traffic cops! Thank you! Thank you!
I read several comments and felt that I should respond. I don’t know the laws in other states, but in PA (which is a no fault state) you are not legally required to give ANYONE your insurance info if you do not wish to. No matter how much damage to the other car. It would then become a civil matter in which you could be sued for probably much more than the damages you caused. If you can’t pay however it will go into collections.
The laws are different state to state but, again, I’m PA you are not legally required to give anyone your insurance info
I know it’s old, but I had a Honda Civic long before the date of this zombie, and a rear tail light assembly cost about $200. A simple fender scrape and headlight scrape (not even broken!) on a concrete post in a parking garage (on a cheaper rental car) back in 2005 cost over $1400. Any significant damage to a bumper, or even some serious paint scratch, will NOT be cheap.
I would imagine you have to try VERY hard nowadays to avoid the $1000 limit (which does not appear to have changed much with the times).
The situation is pretty similar here in the UK. If I drove off from a minor (no injury) scrape, I would be committing a criminal offence and could well be prosecuted if a witness was prepared to stand up and be counted. The police would send a form to the registered keeper of the car asking who the driver was at the time and when they got that they would probably issue a fixed penalty. I would have to inform my insurance company and would almost certainly get a hike in my premium on the grounds that I am a bad risk. If I stayed around (or left a note), I could well negotiate with the third party and avoid criminal and insurance consequences.
The police won’t generally come to a no-injury collision unless there is some physical (shin kicking) dispute. All that stuff about special and general claims is the same, except that the insurer will often make interim payments without prejudice and of course the medical costs are limited to a specialist’s opinion on long term prognosis and anything like private physiotherapy. (This would be different for a foreign citizen who should have cover for medical expenses as well)
I am reminded of the (apocryphal) story about the guy who got back to his car and saw that it had a bad scrape. He was relieved when he saw the note under the wiper until he read it.* “The people watching think I am writing my name and address on this note - Sorry”.*
