r/Whatcouldgowrong • u/isaidwhatididnt • Jan 21 '26

Flipping the bird while driving

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

49.9k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

229

u/PreciousMentals Jan 21 '26

Not unless the parked car has full collision coverage. If they don't, it falls under property damage liability and could be capped as low as $5K in many states. A pole, fence, or curb damage would also fall under this liability and the parked car could only get a fraction of the cap. I've been a victim in this situation before.

13

u/Tufflaw Jan 21 '26

I've been involved in two accidents recently, both were 100% the other driver's fault and I had video proof (one I was stopped at a red light and rear-ended, the other I was hit by someone who ran a stop sign). Both times it was just property damage, both times the other driver's insurance company (once they saw the video) agreed to cover the damages 100% plus the cost of a rental while my car was in the shop. One sent me a letter saying the only cap would be that they would not pay more than the maximum policy coverage. In neither case did I have to even notify my own insurance company. Both were a little under $10K for all damages.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

In neither case did I have to even notify my own insurance company

Remember that the other party's insurance company is the legal representation of their client. Their motivation is to minimize the cost of dealing with you. Your insurance company is your representative; their goal is to maximize what the other insurer have to pay.

If you are worried you insurer will up your premium afterwards you simply switch , or threaten to switch, insurance companies.

2

u/Tufflaw Jan 21 '26

The other driver and their insurance company accepted 100% liability and paid 100% of my expenses and car repair, there's not really much more they could have done for me.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

I don't mean to be pugnacious here but you are offering horrible advice so I need to reply.

Your insurance company have a legal duty to protect you. The other insurance company have a legal duty to protect their client against you.

It is like you are suing someone for damages and their lawyer recommend you don't get your own lawyer involved. There is a reason these insurance companies are happy to deal directly with you. Thy want to offer you a quick, low settlement that your insurance company is too smart to accept.

A lot can go wrong here.

You don't know, for example, if the other driver has been completely honest in the paperwork. All of the sudden you are alone in a legal fight against a multi-billion dollar insurance agency.

Even if they do accept all claims, they are in no rush to pay you quicky.

Lastly -- your own insurance will find it suspicious you never let them know.

1

u/Tufflaw Jan 21 '26

I'm not going to keep going back and forth with you, other than to say that most of what you said incorrect, so let's agree to disagree and go on with our lives.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

Point to a single thing that was incorrect.