A driver who tried to settle a rear-end crash without insurance says the person who hit them has spent months making promises and missing deadlines. The repair estimate came to $4,000, but the money still hasn’t arrived.
The trouble began in August, when another motorist rear-ended the driver’s car. Rather than involve insurance companies, the man offered to pay for the damage himself. The owner agreed, hoping to get the car fixed without a long claims process.
That decision soon became a headache. The man changed his mind about paying, filed an insurance claim, and then promised to cover the repairs himself again when the claim was denied. By the end of October, the owner was still waiting.
Now, two denied insurance claims have left the owner facing a $600 deductible to repair damage they say someone else caused. A Reddit post describing the ordeal has drawn suggestions ranging from using collision coverage to suing the other driver.
A Deal Gone Wrong
The driver shared the story in a November 5 Reddit post on r/AutoInsurance. According to the account, the man who caused the crash was driving his sister’s car and believed his own Allstate policy would not cover it.
After exchanging information, the owner sent him a $4,000 repair estimate the following day. They agreed to meet near the end of August so he could pay for the damage.
Both showed up, but the money never changed hands. Instead, the man announced that he wanted to go through insurance after all.
Frustrated, the owner went to the police and filed a crash report. The other driver supplied an insurance claim number, giving the owner another reason to believe the repairs would be covered.
About a month later, that claim was denied. The owner suspected the problem was that the man’s policy did not cover his sister’s car, although the exact reason for the first denial was not confirmed.
The man then returned to his original offer. He would pay the $4,000 himself, but needed until the end of October to get the money together.
Another Broken Promise
When October ended, the owner contacted him again. This time, the man reportedly claimed he had the cash but wanted copies of the owner’s vehicle registration and insurance information before handing it over.
The owner sent both documents. After that, according to the post, the man stopped responding to calls and text messages.
With no payment in sight, the owner tried another route. On November 2, they filed a claim against the sister’s Allstate policy, hoping her insurance would cover the damage to the car.
Three days later, Allstate denied that claim as well. According to the Reddit user, the company said the sister’s vehicle was not covered under an Allstate policy when the crash happened.
The owner also carried Allstate insurance. After the second denial, the company reportedly advised them to file under their own policy and pay a $600 deductible.
The $600 Question
Reddit commenters had little faith that the other driver would voluntarily pay. Some urged the owner to stop chasing him and use their collision coverage instead.
Collision insurance generally covers damage to a policyholder’s vehicle, even when another driver caused the crash. The deductible still applies under many policies, though the amount and rules can vary.
There may be another way to recover some of that money. As the California Department of Insurance explains, insurers can seek repayment from a responsible party after paying a covered claim. That process is called subrogation, and it can sometimes lead to a deductible refund.
Other Reddit users suggested checking for uninsured motorist property damage coverage or filing a small claims case. Whether either option would help depends on the owner’s policy and state law.
The owner said they were considering court and had messages showing that the man agreed to pay. However, they worried that winning a judgment would accomplish little if he lacked the money to cover it.
As of the November 5 discussion, the owner had not reported receiving payment. Their biggest concern was whether pursuing the other driver in court would mean even more time spent chasing the same $4,000.