Got a call from my wife this morning shortly after she left for work. Rear ended.

Very minor bump, but the paint's scuffed up a lot, and the license plate frame edge cut into the bumper. It's not hugely noticeable, I couldn't see it at first when I drove over to check it out, but close inspection shows that it won't all buff out. The styrofoam bumper backing looked fine when I checked underneath, and the bumper doesn't misalign anywhere it meets other body panels either.

Price for a new, unpainted bumper is $518 from the dealership, but I think this can be repaired and repainted for less than that.


So the damage is minor, but I don't have collision coverage, and even so, I think it'll repair for less than the deductible. Hawaii's a no-fault state too, so I'm not sure how I go about getting the other guy to pay for the repaint/repair.

To add further complication, the guy who hit my wife is in my military unit (not sure if he's aware of this or not), and I outrank him a bit. I don't want there to be an impression that I'm using my rank to take care of this, but I'd rather spend that money elsewhere. I'd rather not take it through insurance, for his sake, as he's already under 25 with a Cobalt SS and probably pays enough already.

 

sorry to hear about the bumper man, it can be a pain. it sounds like the damage is minor though - perhaps a good painter can just touch it up or limit the repairs to just that area. Good luck man!

 

you can definitely get the bumper for cheaper. find a local junkyard, craigslist, or even someone on here might have one. i got mine for about 250 brand new. good luck!

 

I think paint can take care of it, but does anyone have any experience with no-fault states with something like this?