Can you appeal a DOT reportable accident?

So I'm a ####### idiot! Yup, I think this thread deserves to be started as such after the stupid as mistake I made today. So, imagine for me a 4 lane divided highway, BUT you are able too cross it without over passes or traffic lights. (Dunno how else to discribe it) I'm sitting on the south side of an intersection and want to turn left onto the divided highway (across the median to the other side) I'm sitting there for 10 minutes when there is finally a break in the traffic.... I go for it (mind you cross traffic is going 65 both ways). Meanwhile a gentleman on the north side of said intersection wants to turn left as well (essentially we'll meet in the middle and each make our left) anyhow..... I go for it and so does he, I have to take the lane on the inside of the median (fast lane) so not to disrupt traffic. Well guess what sir stupid ### (me) does? I don't pay attention to off tracking and my trailer tandem tire rubs his bumper with the sidewall. It breaks a couple of chuncks off but all in alll not too much damage. Cop comes and gives me an accident report as well as a paper that he tells me to fill out and return within 10 days. From what I've been reading this paper I must fill out, must be the dreaded dot accident report because on there it says fill out if someone is killed, injured or there is $1000 damage. Call me naive but I don't think a 2000 toyota camery bumper is worth a grand! So to all you vets......

Can I fight this?
Can I not fill out the sheet? (It says on there its a misdemenor in MN not to send it in but at least it won't hurt my record)
How much does a DOT accident hurt you for future jobs?
Is there a forgiveness to one accident in a potential employers eyes?

You see my biggest worry is future employment. Currently I'm at a big box training company but want to get on with a local company that has a small fleet and is 10000000x better than big box but they are pretty tough to get into. I feel like such a ####tard ### for what I have done but don't feel I should be punished for the next 7 years due to a freaking camry bumper. How long exactly do accidents haunt you?

What do you guys think? Fight it? Thanks for any advice. I seriously haven't been this bummed about fudging up in a long time. I literally told my long time girfriend "there are a lot of options out there for me" an hour and a half before it happened. It was so hard to basically see my 6 month plan go up in smoke and have my dreams crushed.....

 

I knew a fellow trucker friend that went to the office to fight an accident report he had, IT DIDN'T WORK and it got the officer more p-off.

 

Appeal what? Impatience? Just because you sat there 10 minutes is not an excuse for a failure to yield. You are held to a higher standard with that CDL. You sit there 30 minutes if you have to.
Most companies allow 3 accidents, but you being new, you might have a hard time.
I did a quick check on the bumper cover. Most aftermarket are around $30. I did see one for $419 marked way down to $30. But we are probably looking at dealer parts, paint and labor. I have seen some bumper jobs cost $1500. That guy will probably go for top dollar. I wouldn't play with the DOT form. Fill it out if in question unless the other party gives the company an estimate and you are for sure it's under $1000.
Things will hit the fan, but it will get better. Just keep trying. All hope isn't lost from a fender bender. Learn from your mistake.

 

Fill out the form...trying to evade these things just makes them worse.

Was it just the bumper cover? The egg crating underneath the cover breaks very easily as well. I had a Chrysler Cirrus for a company car in the late 90's and what appeared to be a minor parking-lot ding requiring a a bumper cover ended up costing $2500. No idea how it got there...I found it when I was washing the car. I was freaking out because I was new there, but it was so common the fleet manager just laughed.

 

To be a DOT reportable there must be a fatality,injury or tow. It will show up as a non DOT reportable accident.

 

to YOU it's just a freaking Camry bumper, but I OWN a Camry and i can assure you that you did MORE damage than you think you did. you also damaged part of the Styrofoam support for that bumper which will have to be replaced, and i personally would go to a Toyota dealer for PROPER repairs, not a "uh-oh, better get Maaco" repair job...

that damage i would surmise is going to be around $2,000 before it's done,because you also must have ripped out part of the rear quarter where it attaches to, and NOW you have to worry about "belated injuries", which personally i do believe are going to hit you sooner than you think. i know that I WOULD sue for injuries, that's the kind of person I AM when I SEE $$$ in a trucking company.....

now you work for a "big box company"???? (Werner)......

expect to be fired soon enough as well...you even admitted "you didn't pay attention to the off-tracking"..that's IS a failure on your part..

can you fight the ticket..?? sure you can, you can fight anything you want....but will you win...?? hell no, they got you cold on this.

yeah, an "at fault accident, DOT reportable" , you're gonna have a tough time for a while, hey, you admitted you messed up, thank you, but you ain't gonna survive that easily from this point on, especially when your company fires you for an "at fault accident"...(since you are still on probation)

as stated by someone else, you FAILED to yield to oncoming traffic, as you know those trucks are SLOW to get out of anyone's way.

you had better fill out ALL the paper work you got, because those "belated injuries will push this into the "reportable category" no matter the cost of repairs.. even just going to the doctor..?? it's a reported injury for the guy in the "freaking Camry"..

as i stated, and of course depending on the condition of the car BEFORE the accident, if the car was in "pristine condition" who would want a cheapo bumper..?? i wouldn't....i would NOT want some parts for my car to come from some country (other than the country of origin of the car) and hap hapazzardly put onto my car...it goes (my car) to the Toyota dealer....and i hope that Camry driver goes to his as well...

there WILL BE extended damages i can assure you that the dealership WILL FIND....


yep, impatience gets the best of many newbies, that think they can get out of someone's way while driving a big truck......

 

Thanks for your honesty rerun, albeit scary as all hell, thanks. How bad is this going to kill my driving future? I had an oilfield job lead but it was iffy to begin with do to my lack of exp and age for the insurance company but I can pretty much kiss that goodbye now, huh? I realize I ###### up, I really do feel more regret and self hatred than I can express through text.....

EDIT: so wichris is right, I was reading the fmcsr laws on accidents and it is only those 3 criteria. So what was this crash report given to me by the cop? I thought that was a dot accident report because on there it says fill out only if the crash resulted in injury, fatality, or damage exceeding $1000. Is this just for MN DOT or is DOT a federal entity? I'm just trying to figure out how this is going to appear on my record and what details I must give to future employees. Thanks

 

ok, now how bad is it..?? as a newbie/rookie it is almost ALWAYS a given fact that some will have a crash of some sort, since one is not experienced. i do not believe the oil field job will really be hot and heavy on you for this, as much as say another OTR or local company may be, so i'd still try applying,and above all else, be as honest as you can on the application..!!! do not say things like, "stupid camry bumper" or whatever, stay focused on the FACTS

well here-in lies yet another problem, that other form, is a state form. you nor i nor the cops KNOW the exact cost of the TOTAL repair bill, now do we...?? do any of us know if the driver of the camry hasn't already been to his/her private doctor..?? no we don't..

now, you said its a misdemeanor if you DO NOT send it that form...right..?? it could even lead to suspension of your drivers license, do not forget, you have a CDL, you ARE different from everyone else...

you wanna get THAT against you and try to explain this at a new employer..?? i wouldn't....so fill it out, and as for the amount of damage, put down the $1,000 when it asks you...do not forget, that driver of that car can get a rental car, and the body shop can EASILY add that cost to the repair..!!

cover your arse...

 

Being a state form will it show up as a dot preventable? I called the patrol office and talked to an officer about the damage as well as his insurance provider. Per the insurance provider; "he will submit a claim and be required to get two different quotes on the repair and then submit the qoutes to my companies insurance" per the state patrol;" if you come to find out that the damage does not exceed $1000 you do not have to fill out and send in the crash report". So I suppose we will see. The real issue that is confusing me is how this goes on my record, I know for sure it will be recorded as an accident, but are there two types of accidents? DOT and non? When I am asked if I have had an accident do I tell them? (If it turns out to be non DOT) is federal dot and mn dot accident form the same as far as severity? Thanks for your helpfulness rerun, and sorry about talking about his camry bumper so low, it was really just my way of dealing with my mistake mixed with so much relief that nothing worse happened. Thanks again

 

an accident is an accident..car, truck, motorcycle...you have to tell ANY future employer about ALL accidents, no matter what it was.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Definition_of_a_dot_recordable_accident

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/facts-research/research-technology/visorcards/bluecard.pdf


your employer will have all the DOT forms you will need...

many times, when a driver gets a ticket, no matter the vehicle, it denotes at fault....

oh yeah also i forgot to mention, where ever the exhaust system is, right side, or left side, in your posting you claim to have taken a chunk off or two..well the exhaust system sits right under the bumper, and recently i had my dad's camry exhaust replaced at a cost of nearly $600.00..!!! you could have cause damage to that, just so that you know.....4 cylinder camry's have the exhaust on the right side, V-6 have both sides......and i hope it WAS NOT a V-6......