Financial Channel

My son rear ended another car, the other party didn't want the police called and never showed proof of insurance. He told them he had insurance but wasn't if it had lapsed (he knew he was late on paying his priemum) and gave him the name of the his insurance co. The light was turning red it just turned yellow when the lady in front of him hit her brakes hard as if to stop then started to take off again as if she was going to go threw the yellow light then all of a sudden changed her mind and hit her brakes again. My son said he too hit his brakes and put his car in netural to come to a stop her but when he saw that she let off her brakes and was moving again he let off his brakes so he could move up closer but when she hit her brakes again he ended up rear ending her. No one was hurt and only minor damage to either car. Two days after the accident he was contacted by an attorney claiming to represent her saying the lady had been injured. Again he asked for her insurance co but was told they would get back to him. They never did. Thenhe received a week and half later a letter from the DMV requesting information on the accident. Finally another week goes by and Ihe was contacted by an insurance co claiming their client vehicle had $4,000.00 in damages. The agent said the accident was his fault no matter what! My son asked the agent when would he get a bill and the agent said in about 3 months that it was going to go to collections. This doesn't sound right at all. Don't the insurance co need to give him a chance to pay for the damage before they send it to collection and don't they need to send some kind of report on the damage to her car and what injuries are being claimed. The attorney has not contacted him back. Plus the ladies son told my son his mom had been involved recently in another accident. My son does have insurance now his ins. had lapsed. How can my son get all the information on what this lady is claiming.

If he provided the requested information to the DMV, they have probably completed an accident report with her information.

Does the ladies insurance co have to provide a settlement offer for my son to pay before they send it to collections?

I think they were just trying to scare him. They have to establish his liability before they have a collectable claim. Granted, in a rear-end collision, the driver who hits the car in front of him is usually found to be at fault.

Some insurance companies immediately send everything to collections if you don't have insurance.

You are wanting to know if the estimate is correct. If you had insurance for this date of loss your insurance company would have been able to protect you and they would "scrub" the estimate and not pay more than is fair. They will certainly not pay a claim without looking at the estimate carefully.Most attorneys won't mess with small claims like this, there is not much money for them, but I am sure they would be able to attain the estimate and proof of payment for the damage they are claiming. Ask if any of your friends/family may have an attorney friend that might do a favor for a lower cost for you. Or have you even tried to ask the insurance company to send you this information?

Of course your son is 100% at fault, he should allow enough room to stop at any time and not hit the car in front and always be alert. What if the driver in front had to brake suddenly for a child?