Rear-ended by a dealership car

[lmcato42]

Jurisdiction

Tennessee

I was on my way to work for an interview when I came up to a traffic light turning yellow. I slowed down and stopped safely by the time it turned red meaning I didn't slam on the brakes or anything sudden. I got rear ended by a black Honda. My passenger and I are fine aside from a couple of aches and pains. The driver of the Honda sprained an ankle and received a pretty good cut on his head (no ambulance ride required). Here is the kicker. He said he works for a car dealership and he was taking the car to get the emissions tested. He was issued a citation and we were told he would have the fault. Since this is a dealership car, would it be the dealerships insurance I would have to go through or the drivers??? My truck will most likely be totaled because of he accident. This is my first accident so I am kinda lost in all this.

 

[army judge]

I was on my way to work for an interview when I came up to a traffic light turning yellow. I slowed down and stopped safely by the time it turned red meaning I didn't slam on the brakes or anything sudden. I got rear ended by a black Honda. My passenger and I are fine aside from a couple of aches and pains. The driver of the Honda sprained an ankle and received a pretty good cut on his head (no ambulance ride required). Here is the kicker. He said he works for a car dealership and he was taking the car to get the emissions tested. He was issued a citation and we were told he would have the fault. Since this is a dealership car, would it be the dealerships insurance I would have to go through or the drivers??? My truck will most likely be totaled because of he accident. This is my first accident so I am kinda lost in all this.

Make it easy on yourself.
Report everything to your insurance carrier.
You pay them to protect your interests.
Your insurer will work with the other guy's insurer to make you whole.
That way, you have nothing to do but get better.

 

[adjusterjack]

Since this is a dealership car, would it be the dealerships insurance I would have to go through or the drivers???

The dealership's insurance.

Find out the name of the OWNER of the dealership through your state's corporation commission and send him written notice of your claim. At the same time, get the police report. The dealer's insurance information should be on the report if you didn't get it at the scene.

With a rear-ender, insurance company's generally accept liability and settle rather quickly so I suggest waiting a few days to see how that goes. If you get stalled, then make the collision claim on your own policy.

Your insurer will work with the other guy's insurer to make you whole.

No, it won't.

OP's insurance company has no obligation to (nor will it ever) represent it's insured in a claim against another insurance company.

What it will do is pay it's insured's claim (less deductible) and THEN subrogate (seek reimbursement) against the other insurance company. Once OP's insurance company collects, it will refund the deductible to it's insured.

 

[Betty3]

I agree with army judge re reporting the accident to your own ins. co. It is always best to do so no matter who is believed to be at fault. Sometimes it can save you a lot of hassle.

I'm not saying you can't do it the way suggested by adjusterjack though.

 

[adjusterjack]

I agree with army judge re reporting the accident to your own ins. co. It is always best to do so no matter who is believed to be at fault. Sometimes it can save you a lot of hassle.

I agree. But a few days isn't going to hurt. I've been rear-ended a few times where the other driver's insurance company responded quickly and I didn't have to report it to my own company.

A few days is all it takes to figure out that the other insurance company is stonewalling.

Of course, if anybody is more comfortable reporting it right away, that's OK, too.

 

[Betty3]

I can agree with that.