ok here's the story....

it happened last saturday 9:30pm. i was attempting to make a right turn into an intersection. i went ahead and stopped halfway into the turn because i didn't see a car coming. Right behind me was this 2001 nissan sentra (girl driving) that rear ended me. Me and my gf were in the car and we felt a big jolt. I knew the second after that i just had gotten rear ended. I pulled to the side of the road and went out calmly and checked for damages. I wasn't concerned for me and my gf being injured because the impact was that large. Well as far as visible damages to the rear, there are no visible damages whatsoever. I was really cool to the girl so she gave me her information and I her that by daylight of tomorrow I'll further inspect the rear bumper to see if there's anything at all, if not, I'll drop this whole incident.
Not only that but after we drove off the the scene my gf complained of cramps in her neck and so did i but only for a little while after. My girlfriend had cramps for a whole day after the incident.

1. I just want to ask you guys if there's any possible damage behind the rear bumper that I should be concerned about? (I heard that the paint can crack sometimes after impact because the bumper would flex and disturb the paint.)
2. Since we both felt neck cramps for a little while, should I or would I be able to collect pain and suffering from her insurance w/o seeing a chiropractor?

 

If you want to collect money for the injury you should see a doctor first.

 

car can be fixed. your body takes a lot longer to heal. please get a check up for both of you.

 

There is only styrofoam behind the bumper - if there is no visible damage - then I would say that your accident was quite minor.

In order to prove a whiplash type injury - you have to first make a police report, then go to a physician and have a full examination. You will be hard pressed to prove your "case" in court if there is little or no damage to either vehicles. Ambulance chasing lawyers might be able to help you out - but they will charge you a hefty retainer fee.

 

you should see the doctor first...the pain ususally shows up later.

 

You will probably get nothing from her insurance company, because there will be no police report. Any time you are in an accident, regardless of how apparently minor, CALL THE POLICE! Otherwise you have no proof of what happened. It will work better for both you and the other person if you get the police involved.

Case history: Couple of years back, a friend and I were waiting in the Wendy's drive-thru in my Scout. Out of nowhere, we hear squalling tires, then we get hit. Hard. We got hit by a woman driving a minivan. Her foot must have slipped off the brake and floored it.

We checked out the Scout - minor bending of the bumper. Nothing worth fixing, so I told the lady not to worry about my truck. Her minivan was tore the ***** up - bumper cover completely broken off, driver's side headlight assembly trashed, quarter panel bent all up, bumper supports hosed. Probably $1500 damage at least.

That night, I told my folks what had happened. Told them I didn't call the cops. Mom (insurance agent) told me that her company would almost definitely not let her claim the damage, since there was no police report. Live and learn.

 

Yes, always file a police report. I was hit in a parking lot and didn't call the police. It took forever to get any money from the guys insurance. Things would have gone a lot easier if there was a police report...

 

Kind of OT. I did the same mistake as the lady behind you. Sometimes when you see someone turning out of your way, you just don't slow down assuming he will not be there in a second. I almost rearended a driving school car. For some reason it stopped hard in the middle of the corner. The speed difference between our cars was pretty high, so I had to just stand on a brake pedal allowing my ABS save our asses.

I guess it helps to be predictable.

 

A lot of times, cops won't come out to the scene unless there is significant damage (more than 500?) or someone gets hurt. So what to do in a minor accident?

 

Call anyway. You will at least get a report number, even if they don't come out

 

DIGI-CAM! Take pics and get their license number, insurance, etc. File a report with your agent.

 

yup, das wut i've been doing. I've even take pix of accidents that didn't involve myself

yshi - who carries a digicam in 234 90% of the time

 

There is crushable material behind the bumper i.e. foam that should be replaced otherwise in future accidents the damage could be much worse. Check the gap between your rear panels and bumper for variances also.

Similar accident happened to me but I don't think I was hit as hard. I was rear ended by a Corvette on a rainy day while waiting at a stop sign. My bumper had a barely perceptable crease and the gaps were different. His insurance paid for a new bumper cover and replacement of the crushable stuff. Total bill was about $700.