Do i have to pay this?

i got in a small accident and put a mark on the bumper of this girls car. we talked back and forth for a while and she said the damage wasnt that bad. the cop who came to the accident didnt even give me a ticket. then three weeks later she sent me a bill for $660 for the damage! i asked her to get a second estimate and she said she was not legally required to get another estimate. so do i seriously have to pay all that??? isnt there any way around it?

ps: i didnt turn it in to my insurance company because the wreck was so minor and she made it seem like it was no big deal. i also didnt want my rates to go up.
Additional Details
what she sent was an estimate, not the actual bill

OliveJuice

Unfortunately, you do have to pay it. She is not required to get further estimates on the damage. If she turns it in to her insurance company they will pay it and then sue you for it. If the police were called it will be on your driving record. If I were in that situation and had a $500 deductible I probably would just pay it and not report it to the insurance company.

Pay the repair shop, not the car owner to be sure that was the actual amount of the repairs.

Say

If you weren't faulted in the accident, you don't have to pay anything, technically. You could do the morally right thing and pay her for the damages, or part of them, like $300, but its really her fault for not reporting it to the insurance company before getting it fixed (if she did).

Since she did it on her own (not with your insurance company), you don't know if it could have been fixed for less, so you're not really obligated to pay anything, especially if she won't get a second estimate. Someone probably told her she could get money from you, and thats true, but she'd have to file a small claim suit for the money, so make her work for it.

Worst case, she could tell your insurance company, but it might not pay her either if you weren't faulted by the cop.

frank

two choices, send the estimate to your insurance company or write out a checque to her.

if you write out a cheque, be sure to get a release of liability signed by her.

Scott H

The injured party has no obligation to obtain multiple estimates. Either pay up or submit it to your insurance company.

Deke

Two ways you can go on this. One is to let your insurance company handle it. Your rates may go up but by $660?

The other way is to take the estimate to another shop and ask them if it's reasonable.
Rates for parts and labor and for the amount of time to perform each task are standard so they'll be able to spot an obvious rip-off. The bad news is that a lot of times the only way to fix a small scratch is to replace or repaint the whole bumper, or there may have been some damage you didn't see, so you might be stuck here.

Ironball

I would pay it and be rid of her. Or find your self in front of a judge and have to pay much much more.

abigpurplediamond

Was there a police report? My husband was rear-ended by a woman & she waited for a while but took off. She gave hubby the insurance information,but get this, we both had the same insurance company. SO when it was turned in SHE said hubby rolled back into her car. The place where it happened had a slight slope forward there was no way his little truck rolled backwards. The insurance company said if there had been a police report they would have paid.So you may just have to pay up, was there damage to your car? I would NOT pay for her car unless I went to get the estimate with her & then I would ONLY pay the repair shop.

holly

She is right $660 is not a big deal when comparing the cost of damages for car repairs. As you caused the damage you are responsible and are liable by law to pay.

CwboyBill

$660 bucks isn't very much these days. She is correct -- she is under NO obligation to get more than one estimate, however, you are under NO obligation to pay if you feel the estimate is too high. Just make a claim to your company and let them handle this.

Robert F

With these late model cars the repairs are hi.
Most of the time the courts want a second and third estimate
Was it a bill or an estimate ?

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