Hey guys,

First post on here.

Had an unfortunate incidence yesterday. Was driving on the highway and some what I thought was rubber crap fell off the undercarriage of the car in front of me ended up putting a big dent in my front bumper. Chased the guy down and found out it was a company car. Bumper now has a gigantic dent in it. Got it checked out and apparently I will need a new bumper.
Called their insurance guy and he says rubber will not make a dent on the car, and that they're not going to cover it. Anything I can do or am I just **** out of luck.

First picture if the dent
Second picture is the location of the thing that I think fell off of the other car (clips + empty bracket)

Talked to the girlfriend as she was driving behind me and apparently it may not have been rubber but something plastic - looks like a round thing with two points coming off of either side (this is her description) - I'm thinking this is some sort of cover, but obviously they're not going to admit this fell off.

 

rubber can DEFINITELY create a mess..

did the other guy admit fault? I would contact your insurance company and let them know what's going on.. They'll probalby have you fix it using your own insurance and try to get the $ from the other party..

if the other driver admited fault.. i can't believe the commercial insurance person would flat out deny the damage.. lol.. was it a rep from the employer, or was it the insurance company?

 

The other guy was a rep from the employer. Chased the guy down and forced him to pull over but he just denied it. I mean, my GF was driving next to me and she saw the thing come off the car in front.

They essentially just told me to contact my insurance and give them their contact info if needed.

 

Anything I can try doing to maybe push out the plastic a bit while I wait for a new bumper?

 

You have insurance, if you got all the information from the driver you should have turn it over to your insurance company. Find a bumper here on DRIVER on our MARKETPLACE under vendor exterior you like and get the price painted. Let your insurance know what it's gonna cost and wait for an answer....then order. No one should try to deal with other companys or their insurance....Gary

 

personally,

i wouldn't recommend getting an estimate using vendors/online..

I would just take it to a Body Shop and get an estimate for all OEM parts.. then once the check is cut by the insurance company.. use that as a budget to order aftermarket parts...

 

Don't know how it works in your state, but here in Missouri where I am, any object that falls off your car is considered your responsibility. We had it air on the local news channels last year when an ice sheet fell off of one car whose driver didn't bother cleaning off, the ice struck another car and caused an accident. Makes sense.
If you have the time and can bear the headache, I would get as much info about their driver as you can, then call their insurance. You don't really want to involve your insurance if its their fault, that way your rates won't be affected. If push comes to shove, try to find the piece and bring it to the company to see if you can match it up. If they still won't give, turn over the evidence to your insurance. Your insurance (if you have full coverage) will repair your car, then go after their insurance company/the driver for the money (or it will end up in arbitration or some other complex insurance thing).

If you don't want the headache or have time, probably just go to your insurance company.

 

Yea, you're right....^....I was getting the proverbial cart before the horse....Gary

 

Your insurance rep is retarded. A chunk of rubber is more then capable of making a dent, especially if its a piece of a tire. You need to choose your words wisely when dealing with insurance companies.

 

^You misread what happened. OP was told by the Third Party's employer to essentially F*ck Off.

OP, I suggest you contact the other driver's insurance provider directly and tell them what happened. Hard rubber hitting your car at 60mph will definitely cause damage. Also, tell them that you have an independent witness and don't mention that she is your girlfriend (Unless the other driver and his employer already know she is)

 

Will do Ejoe
Going to contact my insurance broker and consult as to what to do. We'll see what happens.

 

I know what happened, but they will make their decision based on what they know. Over $4K worth of damages and half of my car was repainted recently due to rock chips, my insurance company covered it with no increase in rate. I didn't even have to lie about anything since It all comes down to "details". If the OP has full coverage then the insurance company should cover the damage.

 

Yup I've got full coverage, I've contact my insurance broker, its in the works. We'll see what happens. Thanks all for the vote of confidence, I'll keep you guys updated on what happens and the fate of the G. BTW I'm Canadian haha.

 

^In Canada you almost always have to claim through your own provider. The only reason why you would contact the other driver and his employer is if they wanted to try and settle with you outside of insurance. Since they don't want to, call your provider and make the claim.

If you have enough of the other driver's particulars, your provider should be able to file the claim under Direct Compensation - Property Damage; meaning that it will be a 0% At-Fault incident and you should have no deductible to pay.

 

Well, its been filed as a comprehensive claim and I'll only need to pay $250 for the new front bumper. Insurance company is going to try and get the other guys to cover the deductible. Well, looks like I'll be getting a new front bumper.