Do truckers also try to take advantage of truckers in a fender bender situation ?

Discussion in 'Road Stories' started by Ajagzy71, May 23, 2020.

  1. Ajagzy71

    Ajagzy71 Bobtail Member

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    So while trying to park on my way from California a few days ago, I find the space was too tight so I decided to spin around and approach the parking spot from another angle. All of a sudden I see this man running on foot towards my truck. Then he jumped right in front of my truck and I asked him what was going on. He said my truck hit his when I was trying to back in. I said ok let's go look, this was what he showed me (I can't attach the picture but it was essentially two small lines of scratched paint by his sleeper on the drivers side). So I said alright take it to a shop let them fix it and I would pay. He said he wanted to call the police. he did the police came and they told him it was on private property and was a minor scratch so they did not even need to file a report that we should just exchange details and sort it out.

    I gave him my number and my insurance details but told him I would like to fix it out of pocket and he should go find a repair shop and send me the bill. He called me the next day saying they wanted $200 before the shop will give him an estimate.. I then told him what the hell? I asked him what city he was based in, googled a truck body shop in his city sent them the picture, they gave me an estimate. I then sent him the shop contact and told him to take the truck there. He said he would do that on Thursday which was yesterday that he had some load to deliver.

    Thursday came and rather than go to the shop, dude calls my company to report the accident and to file a claim with our insurance. I just got off the phone with the insurance who have asked me not to pick his call anymore. Dude is saying he was injured while trying to chase my truck and he has lost income working which is a blatant lie, if he his stupid enough to run barefoot after a truck how is that my problem? No injury was actually reported at the scene, too many greedy people walking around looking for a pay day I thought these kind of stuff only happened with car drivers who. only see the dollar sign when they see an 18 wheeler and truck drivers were more considerate of each other
     
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  3. Western flyer

    Western flyer Road Train Member

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    I've been attacked on here before for saying this.
    Always keep a couple hundred bucks in cash
    With you to solve these minor fender benders
    Off the record.
    It's just easier for all parties involved.

    You put a couple scrapes on his truck,
    You should have gave him the 200 bucks on
    The spot and drove off. Problem solved.
    Now look a what you have to go thru.

    Cash is king, especially in minor,no real damage
    Fender benders at truck stops.
    I've had to do it, and I've had drivers who hit my
    Company truck,pay my boss cash off the record
    To fix it.

    Nobody wants the police,insurance companies,
    And drivers records ruined over a little bit of
    Paint being scraped off.

    Next time make a deal on the spot.
    You can easily get that 200 bucks back.
     
  4. Concorde

    Concorde Road Train Member

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    Take pictures, exchange license and insurance info, (Company drivers call your Co) then drive off. Call your insurance company let them know and explain that the driver may be trying to defraud them.

    No way I’m carrying cash around to pay off another driver “just Incase I hit someone”..
     
  5. Texnmidwest

    Texnmidwest Light Load Member

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    Well there are a lot of "characters" out there ready to take advantage of you. Be careful. I am skeptical of a cash payoff. I don't want to ever have to say "But I gave you 200 bucks to take care of this why are you suing me now??!!!!" Yes, it can and does happen. Like when person "A" dings person B's vehicle in a parking lot. You settle in cash to keep the insurance out of it. Person B pockets the cash then turns in a claim to his insurance company and gives them person A's license plate number and claims hit and run. Ya, no thanks. Take pictures, call your company, document document document and cover your butt.
     
  6. Ajagzy71

    Ajagzy71 Bobtail Member

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    May 23, 2020
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    The $200 was just for an estimate,, the shakedown just started. If his concern was fixing his truck, I made that arrangement as promised. He actually did call the repair shop I set up to say he would bring his truck in on Thursday but somehow changed his mind and decided to go for the money before then. It's the injury claim that throws me. the damage on his truck cannot be the basis for any injury claim, so now he is claiming he fell down why trying to chase my truck. Why did he need to chase my truck? it's not like I was trying to run away or something, I did not even know my trailer had made contact with his truck.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2020
  7. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    I'd have looked over my unit for scratches or damage matching what his truck had, photographed everything on both trucks then told him to piss up a rope if my unit had no damage consistent with his.
     
  8. JonJon78

    JonJon78 Road Train Member

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    Funny how when it's something you don't own, it's always a little scrape that $200 will fix...

    You scrape my truck, don't bother insulting me with offering $200... To fix it will definitely cost more than that, police report will be made and insurance company will be contacted.

    My truck is currently in the shop getting repaired from another drivers ignorance. That little scrape you're looking at requires the entire drivers side of my bunk to be repainted. You cant just paint that little area and think that fixes the problem.

    20200515_112208.jpg
     
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  9. Ajagzy71

    Ajagzy71 Bobtail Member

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  10. Ajagzy71

    Ajagzy71 Bobtail Member

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    I did not offer him $200 he asked for it to make an estimate. The body shop billed me $1200 which I agreed to pay if he took his truck there are agreed. He insulted himself asking for the $200 and further insults himself feigning injury that did not happen. I come from a different industry and I am relatively new to trucking, I will not insult another man's working equipment but I come from a school where when you shake hands on "take it to a shop and I will fix it," that is what it should be.
     
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  11. Ajagzy71

    Ajagzy71 Bobtail Member

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    When you handle equipment no matter how careful you may be, accidents haooen.,it's the attitude when of happens that I find disheartening. if I damage anyone's property it's my responsibility to repair it, but I just don't understand how every unfortunate incident that can be settled in cordial agreement becomes "pay day" for some people. I am from a different school entirely.
     
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