Rear ended - worth pursuing action?

So last night in the crazy Seattle traffic, I was bumped from the rear by a kid in a BMW suv. We both pulled over and inspected our vehicles while he admitted fault and I received his phone number, lic plate, ect. It looks like the passenger side rear took the brunt of the damage, but the bumper panels themselves are not damaged.

At the time I did not see any damage so we both just went on our merry way.

Taking a closer look in the morning, I realize there is some damage but i'm not sure it is worth pursuing a claim.

Here are some photos, and I will give a side to side comparison.

 

I would want my truck returned to its original condition if someone else was at fault, even if it was minor.

 

Youd be surprised how a seemingly small damage like that would cost to fix

 

I'd at least get it checked out by a shop as soon as possible.

 

Just adjust that. There is tons of adjustment for the bumper corners. I have had to do that on several truck at work, due to OCD owners.
Customer stated bumper is not even. Not a single one comes off the truck aligned correctly.

Sorry rant over. You should be able to adjust it back to where it should be.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiFNrO33bSo

 

The inner bumper rebar edge is rolled over. I'd be filing a claim.

 

Hindsight is always 20/20. If the BMW owner claims you are at fault, the rules change.

Do you have a witness?
Do you have footage?
Did you move the vehicles before taking pictures?
Police report?

In Washington state, if both drivers are equally at fault, is the BMW owner entitled to seek payment for half the damage to their vehicle, from you or your insurance company?

If the other driver files an insurance claim, do not settle the claim fully until you know if the wreck is going to show up on carfax. If it does, you’ll want to consider going after them for diminished value.

Yea, something similar happened to me and it turned into a cluster fuck. I am really pissed off at my insurance company, GEICO, for paying the idiots claim.

Oh, if the other driver files a claim, you might as well too. It’s going to be on your record regardless of fault.

 

My truck got rear ended at a stop light. The hit was mostly on the trailer hitch. It deformed the plastic cover and rolled the edge of the plate underneath it and scratched the chrome piece on left side. Took it in and ended up replacing all the above pieces and the trailer hitch also. $1500 dollars was the bill. The guy that hit me insurance payed for it. You should get it checked out.
Robert

 

This is almost 100% the same situation I am in, thanks for the insight.

 

Just remember. If you do will have a Carfax. Same happened to me last week and due to police report Carfax now has it. Depreciated value now.

 

If the guy hit you from behind its his fault. You are responsible for your front end. Take it in if it bothers you.

 

Fault is determined by proof.

Assume people will lie through their teeth. Also, do not assume your insurance company cares about you.

 

My altima was hit in a parked position and had rear damage as well as front damage. All 100% covered by his insurance.

 

Health insurance, auto insurance, home... any insurance are scams. They only want your money and are not willing to pay for what you need doing.

 

In WA state, 99% of rear end collisions are the faulted to the rear ending driver. Pretty cut and dry. To go the other way, that driver would have to prove the car in front intentionally caused it. So, burden of proof is on that driver, not the driver getting rear ended.

Yep. It doesn't look bad, I mean honestly mine isn't lined up right to begin with. But that's bad enough for me to take it in and fix.

Again, in WA state, rear end collisions are almost automatically faulted to the rear ending driver. Of course, there may be some special cases. But in a "he said she said" case, the burden of proof will always be on the rear ending driver to prove that it somehow wasn't their fault, with tangible evidence.

 

F it. That’s barely notable, and you shouldn’t really run that ugly stock bumper at any rate. High clearance all the way .

well at least you have good karma points in life now ...

 

That alignment looks better than how mine came from the factory

 

Hard choice,claim it and it ends up on carfax,then the same people telling you to make a claim would question whether to buy your truck since it has an accident listed on carfax.

 

No .