Backed into with Very Small Cosmetic Damage - Worth Pursuing?

LMindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 10:57
Last edited 02/09/2023 - 11:39 by 1 other user

Backing out of carpark with opposing 90-degree parks - I was about 3/4 (I don't think I had my nose past the car next to me) of the way out of the park & noticed a car on the other side was also pulling out so I completely stopped to give them what I thought was plenty of room (fairly wide double lane road) but he kept coming and ran straight into me.

There's the tiniest little ding in the plastic rear bumper, a 1cm crack in the outer indicator plastic and what looks like a cracked/chipped section inside the indicator reflector (the silver bit inside)

I'm not too fussed about the cosmetic damage but it's a brand new car (2023 Tuscon) and don't want to find out in 3 months that it's led to some electrical damage/let water in or something stupid like that and causing some giant bill worth of damage.

In retrospect I really wish I had pulled forward or at least honked him but there was the tiniest window between "this is a totally normal interaction that happens all the time" & "he's not stopping". He was an older bloke that immediately tried to say "now you know you're in the wrong here because you were reversing but did seem to stutter and shut up a little when I said I had fully stopped my car and he moved into me and there were cameras on a nearby building.

So what say you OzB community; is it worth chasing? I'm also not even sure where I would go for an issue like that to ascertain what the damage is, an auto electrician?

Edit: Photos of the damage with the undamaged one on the other side for reference. Hard to see through the plastic pattern.

Edit 2: I've had a better look now I'm home and I can see underneath & the crack underneath looks fairly substantial to the housing of the indicator and electronics and wouldn't be remotely waterproof anymore, probably beyond minor cosmetic now

Automotive Car Hyundai Motors SUV

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 02/09/2023 - 10:59

    A picture tells a thousand words.

    • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 11:20
      +1

      Good idea, just added links in the post

  • haroldmac on 02/09/2023 - 11:12
    +3

    Get the footage from the cameras if you can.

    Get quote for damage.

    Send letter of demand with quote, to other driver. Await reply.

  • sumyungguy on 02/09/2023 - 11:37
    +2

    Not worth pursuing IMO, bumpers are designed to handle battle scars. If you feel the need to replace the lamp assembly it's a DIY job (plus expensive spare part).

  • Ocker on 02/09/2023 - 11:42
    +2

    You will likely be horrified at the cost of replacing the indicator unit.

    • MeesusEff on 02/09/2023 - 14:58

      Yup, I cracked my Kluger light, wreckers were quoting me $200 for a used light…

      Got it new from Alibaba for about $70

  • AustriaBargain on 02/09/2023 - 13:58
    -2

    Older men sometimes have a lot of money. Often not, but wouldn't surprise me if he could afford to fix it with cash in his bank.

    • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 14:44
      +1

      in an ideal world I'd hope it'd come in under excess and he'd just do what's fair and admit he wasn't watching & hit a stationary vehicle… but given he immediately got out of his car and said "you know this is your fault because you were reversing" I don't think I'm getting a cent out of him without an insurance company getting involved lol

      • AustriaBargain on 02/09/2023 - 14:46
        -1

        You should have bought front and rear dash cams.

        • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 14:57

          agreed. That's actually what made me think to ask OzB because I was already here searching for them haha

  • Euphemistic on 02/09/2023 - 14:37
    +1

    Go see a crash repairer and see what it’ll cost to repair. Then, once you’ve picked up yourself off the floor make a decision based on insurance excess etc. talk to your insurer and see what their thoughts on excess are, they may consider it 50/50 fault because both reversing.

    • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 14:46

      yeah this is where I'm at now. I have a small glint of hope it may not be an expensive repair given it only appears to be one fairly removable looking plastic housing that's cracked

      • spal on 02/09/2023 - 15:17

        What about the other car? You don't know what the damages were. The other driver could lodge a claim to against you. There is usually more to it with these insurance issues. You are probably better off making a claim and pass on the details of the other driver.

        • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 15:29

          He didn't seem remotely concerned and only wanted to brush it off as "we got away with that one I think" being a 15 year old Barina with plenty of cosmetic wear & very easy access to spare parts and no electronics of note in the rear

  • AngoraFish on 02/09/2023 - 15:21
    +1

    In my experience, two reversing cars in a carpark, even if one of them has stopped, will be assessed as being equally at fault by most insurance companies.

    Insurance companies typically won't have any interest in the finer details of who stopped first, and the damage is too minor to take it to court.

    • MindGrenadius on 02/09/2023 - 15:32

      I've seen a few examples after looking for similar examples where proving a vehicle being stationary meant the other driver that reversed into it was the one at fault, which is also consistent with the law. Proving it is probably the hard part. CCTV cams point directly at where it happened but shopping centres don't like to give it up very easily

  • ass3ts on 03/09/2023 - 00:00

    If it's indeed "the tiniest little ding in the plastic rear bumper" and it's a near-new car that has never had any body repair, I wouldn't get my original factory-painted bumper bar ripped out and replaced plus resprayed just for that.

    • MindGrenadius on 03/09/2023 - 10:16

      Not worried about the ding, but I did discover the inside plastic shell of the tail light housing is cracked in several spots & probably going to have moisture/electronics issues if not resolved. I'm guessing it should just be a case of swapping the whole tail light assembly which will be exorbitantly expensive, guessing I will be taking it through insurance

      • sumyungguy on 03/09/2023 - 10:58

        There won't be any significant electrical issue. If you decide to claim through insurance the job may well cost less than your excess. So the most economical plan would be to wait and see.

      • ass3ts on 03/09/2023 - 11:01

        Keep in mind if it's through insurance, the repairer would likely attempt to find everything they can replace including that original bumper bar. I guess it depends on how much you want to leave the car 'untouched' after a small incident like this, but it's probably not that much of an issue with a standard everyday car. Also, if it's just the plastic housing that needs to be replaced, for your car it might still cost less than your excess. Your insurance company may still decide in the end that each party covers their own costs meaning you'll have to pay the excess, and that affects your future premiums too, food for thought.

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