Tim,
Here in British Columbia the RCMP will *NOT* come unless someone is hurt or
alcohol is involved.  So, if I get into an accident and no one is hurt or
no alcohol is involved... I'M LYING to the person at 911 by saying that I
am hurt or bay saying *I BELIEVE* the other person was drinking.  Problem
is at this point the ambulance will be called and you get a non-free ride
to the hospital... I have a feeling that if I get into an accident and it
isn't my fault... you better not come close or you will be visiting the
hospital.  ;-D

At 12:20 07/01/1999 -0400, Tim Smith wrote:
>Hi,
>
>Having been stung by a couple of accidents my policy is that I won't move
>my vehicle or allow the other vehicle to move until the police have seen
>everything, talked to both drivers and have made a report.   I don't care
>who this bothers, nothing gets altered until the cops ask me to. I've been
>T-boned by an uninsured driver, who just HAD to get to her dentists
>appointment, I offered her a quarter and pointed to the phone booth. You
>can still agree to allow a direct settlement instead of going through the
>insurance companies, letting the police write their report doesn't affect
>this option, even if they press charges.
>
>Coming to a 'gentleman's agreement' without the police report means the
>other driver can and will most likely blow you off. Remember that you are
>looking at least say $500 for a body shop to get involved, price a broken
>vanagon tail light to get an idea of the starting bid. If they don't want
>that on their policy they likely don't have it in the bank either. And even
>if you have name's and addresses of a couple of witnesses for your side
>they can still blow you off long enough that you have to get repairs done,
>then go after the money when you can no longer show their ins. co. the
>damages. Plus the police get ticked at being called into an accident
>afterwards. Witnesses may also orget or not want to bother after the fact.
>Get their names anyhow, even though the police are coming/there, and pass
>them on to your insurance co. too.
>
>Be careful just walking away from a minor fender bender when no damage
>beyond bumper to bumper contact has happened. I have had a guy later report
>a claim to his company that I had crunched the passengers side of his car,
>he had a body shop bill to prove the repairs.  I had to fight this one, his
>description of the accident included the details that it happened on a
>oneway street and he was turning right when I 'hit' him (we'd nicked
>bumpers due to slippery conditions) Took a while to get my insurance
>company to reject the claim, until they woke up to which side of the car
>the repairs were done on.
>
>bottom line, 'call da cops', and stay put.  If you block enough lanes
>someone will call the cops anyhow, while you make sure you don't get a
>'drive-away'.
>
>HTH, Tim
>
>Finally I have had some fights regarding 'depreciated' value of my vanagon
>(it was 3mos new when T-boned, to the final tune of $3400Cdn)  Bottom line
>is unless the vehicle is a write-off I'll fight against ANY depreciation, I
>wouldn't be replacing these parts myself, why should I have to pony up any
>money because someone else makes me need replacements?  Insurance companies
>have a hard time with this, be ready to fight and DO NOT use their rec'd
>body shops for an estimate, stick with dealer or high end body shops that
>know European cars.  I have had an insurance co refuse to give me more than
>what 'their' shop estimated, then the shop turned around and jacked the
>amount during the job and was paid it.  Enough that I could have had it
>fixed at the dealer.
>
>

--    David Marshall - Vanagon List Administrator    --
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