What would you do if your son crashed your car?

[Abstract]

Rear end accidents are normally caused by the person following too close.

....Experience does not mean that a rear end accident won't happen. Actually, I presume most rear end accidents are not caused by teenage drivers.

Your son is at fault regardless. Not because he was driving crazy (I can't say that is the case) but it sounds like he was not leaving enough room between him and another car.

Well said.


In this situation, where it's just the bumper (which is usually plastic painted over) that was scratched a tiny bit, I'd ask him to pay 50% of it, and just chalk this one up as a learning experience. I'd be a bit disappointed, but accidents do happen, and to pay $1000 just to smoothen out some paint on a plastic bumper is a bit much. It's not going to start rotting or something. If it was a part of the sheetmetal, it'd be different because it may rust.

This attitude would depend on your (your parents') financial situation, and the son's overall reputation in the past. I guess I'd have my son pay 100% of it if he was generally irresponsible in all situations.

There's no point in the grounding, and if the son is normally careful and responsible for his things, partial payment of the damages still gets the message across withouth completely bankrupting him.

 

[zioxide]

Grounding is stupid. It's an accident. **** happens. Get over it and move on, you don't need to be grounded for it.

If you were driving recklessly and ****ing around, its one thing. But you're just learning how to drive and mistakes happen. It took me a couple of years before I finally started to really get comfortable driving, and I know it's really easy to make a mistake when you're just learning. I've been driving for 5 years now and its only in the past year or two that I finally feel completely comfortable behind the wheel.


As for paying, I'd say it depends on the financial situation of the parents and the kid. The kid should obviously pay for part of it, but if I were a parent in this situation, I wouldn't completely bankrupt the kid, and at least pay for part of it.. maybe a 50-50 split or 67-33 (kid paying more).

 

[LumbermanSVO]

Traffic was backed through the intersection. I was trying to get over to the turn lane but someone got in it behind me and blocked it so I couldn't get over, then I realized that traffic had COMPLETELY stopped, but not in time for me to stop completely.

Could you have changed lanes sooner? Did it even cross your mind that you might not be able to get over, and what you would do if you couldn't?

I see so many accidents from people either changing lanes at the last moment or changing their mind at the last moment and not taking an exit/turn(some of these result in death). You need to be prepared for your plans NOT working when driving. Running those scenarios through you mind is what will keep you from getting in accidents in the first place.

Wether you were planning to change lanes or not, you couldn't stop in time to NOT hit the car in front of you. The accident was your fault. Pay up.

 

[Abstract]

Perhaps I misinterpreted the OP's story, but what I imagined was a traffic jam of sorts, and the OP tried to switch to the turning lane due to this traffic jam. Unfortunately, the driver/car behind him thought of this first and beat him to it, and when he tried to change lanes into the clear(er) turning lane, the car behind him beat him to it by a split second and he ended up bumping into the other guy's car. He didn't react in time to see the car behind him make his/her lane change as well.

It has almost happened to me a few time, although I've never been in an accident. If it was just something that easily could have been avoided, as you describe, then I'd take a tougher stance.

 

[Tomorrow]

I would require that he pay for the damages and rise in insurance premium.

I wouldn't punish him. It doesn't sound like he was driving like an idiot, even though it sounds to me like he was at fault and could have prevented the accident.

 

[yg17]

If he wasn't doing something blatantly stupid, even if it was his fault, I would say "**** happens" make him pay the deductible and leave it at that. If he was driving like he was filming the next Fast and Furious movie, there would be hell to pay.

 

[seven7seven]

To clear things up a bit.

4.0 student taking multiple AP classes - college bound
Never done anything bad (party/drugs/etc)
Was allowed to drive car
Is 'my' car but I can't like sell it or do stuff to it since its like 'loaned' to me.
I wasn't like joyriding my dads bimmer or something.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

To clear things up a bit.

4.0 student taking multiple AP classes - college bound
Never done anything bad (party/drugs/etc)
Was allowed to drive car
Is 'my' car but I can't like sell it or do stuff to it since its like 'loaned' to me.
I wasn't like joyriding my dads bimmer or something.

Then you should know that you should do "the right thing."

 

[seven7seven]

Could you have changed lanes sooner? Did it even cross your mind that you might not be able to get over, and what you would do if you couldn't?

I see so many accidents from people either changing lanes at the last moment or changing their mind at the last moment and not taking an exit/turn(some of these result in death). You need to be prepared for your plans NOT working when driving. Running those scenarios through you mind is what will keep you from getting in accidents in the first place.

Wether you were planning to change lanes or not, you couldn't stop in time to NOT hit the car in front of you. The accident was your fault. Pay up.

I was more in the process of accelerating to get over but then got cut off by a guy behind me at the last second so i couldn't get over nor stop in time for the car in front of me in my own lane as traffic had completely stopped even though the light just turned green.

 

[seven7seven]

Then you should know that you should do "the right thing."

If you saw the car you would say "that is going to cost $1000 to fix?!?!"
honestly some touchup paint would make it look unnoticeable from any distance more than 3 feet away.

 

[Surely]

I was more in the process of accelerating to get over but then got cut off by a guy behind me at the last second so i couldn't get over nor stop in time for the car in front of me in my own lane as traffic had completely stopped even though the light just turned green.

It sounds like you may have been driving a tad aggressively.

If you have to pull a move like that in order to squeeze over to the turn lane, don't do it. It would be better to miss your turn, and then turn at the next street or turn around. I hate when people try to squeeze over when it's clearly too late for them.

And regarding the cost of the damage: Ah well..... it's your dad's car, and if he wants it fixed properly, it should be fixed properly.

 

[seven7seven]

It sounds like you may have been driving a tad aggressively.

If you have to pull a move like that in order to squeeze over to the turn lane, don't do it. It would be better to miss your turn, and then turn at the next street or turn around. I hate when people try to squeeze over when it's clearly too late for them.

And regarding the cost of the damage: Ah well..... it's your dad's car, and if he wants it fixed properly, it should be fixed properly.

No, accelerating because the light just turned green and i had been stopped.

 

[Surely]

^^^^^ That doesn't really explain anything.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

If you are driving the car, then I don't see what the issue is. If it's not your car then it should be fixed to the owner's satisfaction. Your parents do a lot for you, learning a good lesson is the greatest gift parents can give.

 

[seven7seven]

^^^^^ That doesn't really explain anything.

I wasn't accelerating to beat anybody, i was accelerating from 0mph and getting into the next lane but someone was an ******* and got in the turn lane far before the opening where you are supposed to get in so I couldn't get over. then traffic suddenly stopped in front.

 

[Surely]

I wasn't accelerating to beat anybody, i was accelerating from 0mph and getting into the next lane but someone was an ******* and got in the turn lane far before the opening where you are supposed to get in so I couldn't get over. then traffic suddenly stopped in front.

Sucks dude. Unfortunately you have to be prepared for *******s. They're all over the roads.

I still think that it should be fixed according to your father's liking.

 

[seven7seven]

Alright.
Well thanks for some of the suggestions.
I just hope my parents let me work it off and not take a massive hit to my bank account for something like this.

 

[thecritix]

I wasn't accelerating to beat anybody, i was accelerating from 0mph and getting into the next lane but someone was an ******* and got in the turn lane far before the opening where you are supposed to get in so I couldn't get over. then traffic suddenly stopped in front.

Well that was your own stupidity to be frank, you have to think for other people as well, and not think 'oh if he's nice i can pull out'

If i was the person you hit I'd be pissed off.

Imagine it was something precious to you, would you tollerate it being damaged or buggered in some way but okay more than 3 feet away?

 

[Tomorrow]

To clear things up a bit.

4.0 student taking multiple AP classes - college bound
Never done anything bad (party/drugs/etc)
Was allowed to drive car
Is 'my' car but I can't like sell it or do stuff to it since its like 'loaned' to me.
I wasn't like joyriding my dads bimmer or something.

This is all well and good, but none of it is the least bit relevant.

If I wreck my car, I pay to get it fixed. If I wreck someone else's car, I pay to get it fixed.

You wreck your dad's car, you pay to get it fixed. That's the way of the world.

There is absolutely nothing whatsoever in this thread that I've seen that suggests that your dad should have to be on the hook for even a single penny of the repair costs - you were the one driving.

I'm not being mean, I'm not saying you're a bad person, and I don't know if you're even a bad driver - but you made a bad move behind the wheel, there was an accident, and I think you should be financially responsible.

Alright.
Well thanks for some of the suggestions.
I just hope my parents let me work it off and not take a massive hit to my bank account for something like this.

If they do, consider yourself VERY fortunate. Very few people in the world would accept such an arrangement. If you were 27 years old and on your own, you'd be on the hook; being younger and living at home may earn you some additional financial security from your parents, maybe it doesn't, but part of being a driver is taking responsibility for stuff like this.

 

[Unspoken Demise]

Not his fault? Well, in GA, (IDK about other states) if you hit anyone behind their back doors, it is your fault, and you pay for damages (trust me, I know. ).

There would be no punishment, other than asking that he pay me back after the insurance company has had its say. I would make a pay schedule with him, and figure out how he could pay me back without totally taking all his money. Its not supposed to be a punishment, just a lesson.

However if it were his own damn fault...

 

[benflick]

I'm 16, and If this happened to me, I would have to pay 100%, then again, I have to pay for my car, driving school, insurance and gas.
However, when I get my license, I can't even drive my Mom's car because I won't be covered on her insurance anymore.

 

[iBlue]

What is your Dad saying about this? Is he asking for you to pay $1000? What do you think is fair? What is your desired outcome?

I tend to agree with Tomorrow in post 44.

You also may be able to work something out with your Dad, pay half or pay some off gradually (and please follow through or risk not being offered a trusting hand again) or work it off in some capacity.

 

[yg17]

If you saw the car you would say "that is going to cost $1000 to fix?!?!"
honestly some touchup paint would make it look unnoticeable from any distance more than 3 feet away.

There could be damage to the frame behind the bumper. I was in an accident and the insurance company first took a look at it and said it would be $8,000 to fix and had my car towed to a body shop. The body shop tore it down to see what damage was underneath and the total came to $16,000 and it was totaled. The $1,000 estimate could include any frame damage as well.

 

[Tomorrow]

There could be damage to the frame behind the bumper. I was in an accident and the insurance company first took a look at it and said it would be $8,000 to fix and had my car towed to a body shop. The body shop tore it down to see what damage was underneath and the total came to $16,000 and it was totaled. The $1,000 estimate could include any frame damage as well.

I once had a guy try to squeeze by me, and his side-view mirror clipped my rear quarter panel. It busted the taillight and left a slight crease in the metal panel and gas cap cover. In order to repair the crease (which was very shallow, and the paint wasn't even scratched down to bare metal), they had to remove the quarter panel from the truck, replace the taillight and gas cap cover, weld, paint, etc. The whole thing cost $1800.

Another time I was rear-ended (in another car) and my plastic bumper cracked. It wasn't very noticeable from more than 5-6 feet away, unless you knew it was there. The entire plastic cover needed to be replaced, as well as much of the foam and frame support underneath. That was around $800, and it was several years ago.

$1000 doesn't sound out of line for this type of repair, IMO.

 

[yg17]

Another time I was rear-ended (in another car) and my plastic bumper cracked. It wasn't very noticeable from more than 5-6 feet away, unless you knew it was there. The entire plastic cover needed to be replaced, as well as much of the foam and frame support underneath. That was around $800, and it was several years ago.

Yup, that happened to me in my old car. Someone in a Jeep Cherokee barely tapped me but going up against my little Hyundai, it put a small crease in the bumper. The entire thing had to be replaced and I think it was around $700.

$1,000 doesn't sound like it's way out of line. Body work isn't cheap.