Question
At-fault wants to pay for damage he caused out of pocket
A car hit me and they accept fault. They are willing to pay out of pocket for everything but I do not trust him. I do not know him. Should I accept his offer? Also, how long do I have to decide?
Answer
Ava joined The Zebra in 2016 as a licensed insurance agent and writer. She now serves as director of insurance content, leading coverage strategy and…
Credentials
- 9+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry
This can be a tricky situation. Usually, someone will try to avoid insurance companies for two reasons: they either don't have any insurance or they want to avoid their rates going up. If the damage is small, this is generally encouraged. You can simply go to a mechanic you trust and get the estimate for the damage and have a check made out to you. Keep in contact with the at-fault driver in case anything else comes up and you need additional funds. However, you are under no obligation to do this. If you don't trust the other driver, get their car insurance information and contact their company and begin the claims process. If you decide on the latter, be sure to check out our claims calculator which can help you decide whether or not to file a claim.
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