Friend had his truck parked along street, it was hit twice in less than 30 minutes.

This. Never, ever do this. Always call the police, always take pictures and document what happened.
It was his accountant's kid. I wouldn't ruin a relationship with someone who provides a professional service to me, if I didn't have to.

Your accountant is the guy who goes to bat for you, when the IRS comes calling...
 
It was his accountant's kid. I wouldn't ruin a relationship with someone who provides a professional service to me, if I didn't have to.

Your accountant is the guy who goes to bat for you, when the IRS comes calling...
Of course you wouldn't want to ruin the relationship, but I'd say it has made things a bit more complicated now.
 
It was his accountant's kid. I wouldn't ruin a relationship with someone who provides a professional service to me, if I didn't have to.

Your accountant is the guy who goes to bat for you, when the IRS comes calling...


This is an unusual situation. Call the accountant and tell him the story. He may realize that he has no choice now but to deal with the insurance.

Also find out from your insurance how they handle these types of situations.

During snow and ice events can you get your cars off the street?
 
This. Never, ever do this. Always call the police, always take pictures and document what happened.
Police around here do not respond if there are no injuries, the parties involved exchanged information, and vehicles can be driven away.

"Not involving insurance" is becoming the de facto response these days. People pay for it to be able to drive legally, but then don't want their rates to go up if they hit someone.
 
No need for your friend to worry about which insurance company does what and how its handled in the back ground. If it's totaled now, just get paid out and move on.
 
So they are just going to believe the reckless second driver when she said the truck was already damaged? She has no proof of that.
If the 2nd lady has a black car and there’s red paint scuffed down the side, the answer is quite obvious. Leads down a rabbit hole of insurance fraud.

The first driver was reckless too IMO.
 
And you don't think that insurance companies defraud people every day of the week?

If you don't, I have a bridge to sell you in Sheep Springs, NM.

The mess that he got himself into is that he had a 'handshake deal' on the first accident...
Yeah he shouldn't have done that, but "well, well insurance companies defraud people every day!!!" doesn't mean that you should try to do it as well. One, its still unethical and as the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right. Also its still illegal and insurance companies have more, better paid lawyers than you do.
 
If this happened to me, and if I had full coverage insurance on the truck, I would absolutely just file a claim on my own insurance, pay my deductible, and get the ball rolling on getting the truck fixed or totaled. I would tell my insurance company what happened, give them the insurance info of both of the other drivers (and tell the accountant friend sorry, but it has to go through insurance. If that ruins the relationship, so be it. He should be understanding though), and let the insurance companies argue with each other and figure out who should pay what. I would get my deductible back eventually, once they come to an agreement and settle up.
 
Yeah he shouldn't have done that, but "well, well insurance companies defraud people every day!!!" doesn't mean that you should try to do it as well. One, its still unethical and as the saying goes, two wrongs don't make a right. Also its still illegal and insurance companies have more, better paid lawyers than you do.

When an insurance company "appraises" a totaled vehicle, and misses around 15 options... which affects the value of the payout on the totaled vehicle by about $2,000... who is defrauding who? Honest mistake, right?

Print out the flawed appraisal, cut a check as quickly as possible, and take away the rental car. Let the poor sucker figure out that he's been screwed (if he can) and let him fight to recover what is rightfully his.

Protip: Insurance companies have *easy* access to build sheets and Monroney sheets. They know exactly what they're doing.
 
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Police around here do not respond if there are no injuries, the parties involved exchanged information, and vehicles can be driven away.

"Not involving insurance" is becoming the de facto response these days. People pay for it to be able to drive legally, but then don't want their rates to go up if they hit someone.
Correct, most of the time Police want no involvement, understandably. Not involving insurance can end up badly though if it's more than just a scuffed bumper. I used to be an adjuster. I can't count how many times two parties "agreed" that the offender would pay for the damage, and a few hours later the victim has a change of heart and calls insurance. Now the person that hit them is in a real pickle, especially if it was just a cash deal. The bottom line is you want documentation on everything, because people suck.
 
The second driver told her insurance company that the truck already had damage to it before she hit it. Of course they don't want to pay out 100% now, since it had already been hit.
Good thing the hits were so close together in time, I guess if he has pictures of the first hit he should just send them to all the insurance companies involved and let them sort it out. No need for him to be in the middle.
This. Let insurance sort out the percentages. Accountant friend might have no choice now but to submit to insurance...especially if his son is a bad driver.


And 100% agree with Wylie...

I fully support the implementation of Germany's licensing system here in the U.S. We need to be rid of the system that allows anybody with a pulse to score a license.
 
The accountant friend should have personally delivered a check to cash to cover most of the damage. Otherwise it's a he said she said problem. I think the police should have been called after the first accident in order to keep things in order even if he didn't get hit the second time.
 
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