Do I have to pay out of pocket if I'm fully at fault in a rear-end collision and go through insurance?
2 Answers
When you are fully at fault in a rear-end collision, you should immediately contact your insurance company, which will then be responsible for the compensation. The amount covered by commercial insurance depends on the type and coverage of the insurance policy. If the other party's losses exceed the insurance payout after the rear-end collision, the shortfall must be borne by the at-fault party, meaning you will need to pay out of pocket. Tips to prevent rear-end collisions: 1. Maintain a safe distance: Generally, a certain safe distance should be kept between two vehicles. Without a safe distance, the driver loses reaction time, and even the best vehicle braking system becomes ineffective. To prevent rear-end collisions, maintaining sufficient distance is key. A simple and practical standard for safe distance in urban driving is to leave as many meters in front of your car as the speed in kilometers per hour you are currently driving. Novices and those with slower reactions should leave even more distance. 2. Keep a clear line of sight: Maintain good visibility while driving to assess road conditions promptly. During traffic jams, due to the short distance between cars and limited visibility, misjudging the situation of the car in front can easily lead to a rear-end collision. In such cases, use the staggered line of sight method: in traffic, avoid driving directly behind the car in front; instead, slightly offset to the left or right at an appropriate distance (without crossing or straddling lane markings). This makes it easier to observe the movements of the vehicle ahead and reduces the risk of a rear-end collision.
Last time I was fully at fault in a rear-end collision and went through insurance. In the end, I didn’t have to pay for the repair costs, but I ended up losing out on the vehicle depreciation fee for the other party. The insurance company said that the car damage insurance only covers the repair part, and the other party’s car, which was only three months old, demanded depreciation compensation. When negotiations failed, I had to pay 8,000 out of pocket. Then there was the issue of advance medical payments—the 18,000 covered by compulsory traffic insurance wasn’t enough, so I advanced 20,000 for emergency deposit, and it took three months for the claim to be reimbursed. The worst part was the lost wages compensation—the insurance company paid based on the minimum standard and refused to acknowledge the other party’s monthly salary of 30,000 with provided bank statements, so I had to cover the difference with two months’ salary. My advice: when fully at fault, immediately demand the insurance company step in to negotiate compensation—private agreements are full of pitfalls.