A woman whose car was rear-ended in the parking lot of a Trader Joe’s didn’t bother reporting the incident. It turns out she’s not the only one who would rather skip reporting an accident.
TikTok user Maddie (@madsexi) says that she didn’t want to go through the hassle of exchanging insurance information and, presumably, filing a police report. While several folks agreed with her, is it a good idea to simply forgive and forget in these instances?
Maddie begins her video, “If you’re the person that just backed into me in a Trader Joe’s parking lot and fled the scene, you’re so lucky I don’t care. And that I would rather have a dent in my car than sit in the Trader Joe’s parking lot for 45 minutes trying to figure out like what your insurance is.”
People had a variety of responses.
One wrote, “It’s giving Lexapro.”
Another said that this kind of carefree attitude only comes to those who don’t drive aesthetically appealing vehicles. “This is honestly the best part of not owning a nice car that no one talks about,” they said.
Others shared similar sentiments.
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“My car is paid off & I haven’t taken it through a car wash in years,” said one. “I could not care less honestly.” Another shared, “Someone backed into me at In-N-Out recently and I just told him to pay for my meal and we will call it even. A win is a win.”
Some said that even in instances where they went through the rigamarole of exchanging insurance information, they didn’t pursue legal action. “One time a lady and I exchanged info as a formality I guess. Apparently neither of us bothered to tell our insurance,” they said.
For another, how someone reacts to an accident dictates how they decide to move forward. “I am so someone who doesn’t care, but it’s the principal for me, if you take ownership and say sorry, I say no problem have a nice day, if you hit and run now I care and have your license plate,” they remarked.
Why Reporting Accidents is Always a Good Idea
Lawyers and insurance companies always advise drivers to report accidents, however minor. There are a litany of reasons why.
Lowry Law says that “you should call your insurance company after a minor accident, even if it seems small or no one appears hurt.” The firm states that doing so helps to protect drivers from any potential complications down the road. While the impact of a crash may not be immediately apparent in the aftermath of an accident, hidden damage to a car’s frame, or jostling of internal mechanisms may’ve occurred. Which means that your car could suffer from prolonged usage in the wake of the collision.
The law firm Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman echoes these sentiments, and adds that some insurance provider agreements may in fact require you to report even minor accidents. Further, different states have different laws that could see drivers fined if they don’t report an accident.
Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman goes on to state that insurance providers may decline coverage to policy holders if they take too long to report an accident. Which means that you might find yourself footing the bill for a crash, even if it wasn’t your fault, because you took too long to report it.
The same firm does concede that the allure of not reporting accidents to insurance providers is understandable. After all, one’s policy rate may increase even if the accident wasn’t their fault. Which means they may be hesitant to give their insurance agent a call to let them know about a collision.
Other law firms suggest notifying the police in the event of seemingly insignificant accidents. Getting these details noted in an official police record can help ensure that you’re covered down the line, such as if the other party or parties involved try to lie about the extent of injuries or damage.
“Minor accidents still need attention. Even fender benders can lead to hidden damage, medical issues, or insurance complications later,” Lowry Law points out.
Motor1 has reached out to Maddie via TikTok direct message for further comment. We’ll update this if she responds.
Clinton Mora is a reporter for Trending Insurance News. He has previously worked for the Forbes. As a contributor to Trending Insurance News, Clinton covers emerging a wide range of property and casualty insurance related stories.