spork

Hey, so I was in an accident last night (fully the other guy's fault, he was drinking and he ran a red light). I called up my insurance company and everything but I have a few questions if anyone can answer these.

1) Do I need to let Mazda know? I'm leasing from them.
2) My insurance company gave me some local body shops that they deal with. If I get it fixed from them the insurance company will cover everything for sure.

But all the body shops are closed on the weekend and the next week I have work training so I cannot take days off next week. Will it be a problem if I postpone taking the car in for an estimate for a week?

3) If not, then can I take it into the Mazda dealership for an estimate? They're open on weekends so it'd be a lot easier this way I think.

4) Am I going to be penalized in some way for this since the car is a lease? Because I'm sure they'd rather not have a leased car be in an accident.

Thanks.

Cattywampus

Did you get any info from the other driver? I would let mazda know. I would get an estimate from Mazda. The insurance should cover everything if it's a recommended place from the insurance company. I would file a delayed police report so you have yourself covered from your insurance company. You will not get penalized for anything if you have the police report.

BlueEyes

You might want to read over that lease of yours. My dad had an accident in a leased car, he told them and they didn't care. I'm sure there is a **** happens section in your lease.

spork

I have all the info I can possibly want from the other driver. (Name, address, license, license plate, phone numbers, date of birth, insurance policy, car VIN#, a signed statement from him saying that he was fully at fault). I already talked to my insurance company about it but the big worry on my part is the Body Shops that are recommended are not open on the weekends and I can't go on the weekday for the next week.

I'm guessing it's not good to put off estimates for a week. The Mazda dealership is open on weekends so I'm hoping they can give me an estimate but I'm not sure if the insurance company is going to be ok with that. I guess I'll call Mazda tomorrow and see what they think.

Thanks for the info though.

Tigster

My experience with Mazda credit is that as long as you fix it properly they don't care. I had a 2002 miata that got rear ended twice.

irish8

spork...sounds like all your bases are covered!! Take your car into a Mazda dealer. Ensure they have a bodyshop. You should be able to demand/choose where your car can be repaired. Don't accept a bodyshop you are not excited about. It's your car and the accident was NOT your fault. Don't give in. Did the Police arrive? Was the other person arrested for DWI/DUI? Is your car driveable?

Good luck!!

- Irish

spork

my car is driveable. all the damage is cosmetic as far as i can tell.

i posted pictures here

and i'm not sure if i did the right thing, but i didn't contact the police and the guy was definitely drinking. he seemed really apologetic and complied immediately with everything he was supposed to do (which i was grateful for since even though i've been driving for about 10 years, i've never been in an accident of any kind and was also shell-shocked from the whole experience). he knew i knew he was drinking too (i could easily smell it on him). after talking to him, it really did sound like he wouldn't do it again. he gave his wife a call and she walked over (he lived very close and was on his way home). she gave him a mouthful too... but i dunno. i'm still wondering whether or not i did the right thing by not getting him arrested.

that's kinda bothering me actually. first whether or not he'll do it again and second whether or not i did something illegal by not turning him in.

Cattywampus

They gave you a choice on whether to prosecute or not? Wow. You did everything right. You have yourself covered. That is all that matters. Tell you insurance company about you schedule deal and let them know that Mazda will fix it. Give your insurance company the estimates.

Grabitquick

I wouldn't worry about not having made a police report, as long as you get the car fixed to your satisfaction. If you got the impression that the guy simply had a bad night and isn't a chronic drunk driver, chances are you've not unleashed a future public hazzard. Especially if his wife gave him an earful, my guess is that he won't be driving in that condition again anytime soon.

I'm curious about who your insurer is, and what body shops they (or Mazda) recommend. I also live in So. Calif. and like to keep track of this stuff. So far, nothing has happened to my RX-8 (knock on wood), but my previous car spent more time in the body shop than Cher so I'm always paranoid.

BlueEyes

I don't know man, I would have turned him in for drunk driving. I'm sure he says he was sorry and won't do it again and everything, but c'mon, how many times have people said that.

If I was in your shoes, I would be praying I don't see his face on the news in a couple months from now because he mowed down a few kids while drunk behind the wheel.

Grabitquick

Problem is, unless the police had been called to or otherwise arrived on the scene of the accident and actually conducted a field sobriety test, I'm not sure that a post-accident report of the other guy drinking while driving would have done any good--it would be Spork's word against that of the other guy. Maybe police34 can chime in on this one if he picks up on this thread.

BlueEyes

That's obviously the case. If someone hit my car because they were driving drunk, I would have called the cops right then. F'em, they could have killed me or someone else because their an idiot.

spork

BlueEyes:
Yeah, the thing was I was feeling kind of grateful to the guy. Sounds weird I know, but this was my first accident and I was totally shell shocked. He actually had the opportunity to drive away and not have me be able to do anything. After he stopped and gave me his info, I realized that I wasn't sure I was clearminded enough to tail him if he took off and I never actually looked at his license plate number. He also was very quick to provide his information and paper/pen for me to write stuff down.

That and it really sounded like to me that he wouldn't do it again. I told him afterwards that he better not do it again and his wife walked over and from her displeasure I'm hoping that's a sign he's not going to. I don't really know tho. Because I would feel really bad if this was a one time thing on his part. A really bad mistake and he got put into jail. But then again like you said if I see him on the news for killing someone... ****. :-/ That's my huge moral dilemma here. Did I do the right thing? I have no idea. And I'm a total softee. If I think someone is truly remorseful I find it hard not to forgive them. I go off gut feeling though.

And yeah he could've probably killed or maimed me if I was just at the intersection just a little earlier. He was lucky that that area was pretty deserted.

But anyways I called up Mazda in Tustin (where I bought my car from). The guy there told me he doesn't think I need to report it to anyone and that they have a bodyshop. But like all bodyshops near by they're closed on weekends.

Grabitquick: My insurance company recommended a place in Anaheim, two places in Orange, and 1 in Tustin. let me know if you actually want the names of the place. I'll probably take it in to the Mazda dealership if they let me though.

This whole thing blows though. It's a new car dammit and it was my baby. Sigh. So much hassle now even if I have it covered completely. Thanks for the advice and words of wisdom though people.

Cattywampus

Excellent statement. Nothing for me to say because you are correct.