Doing the right thing?

I drive a 2003 VW Jetta. Sunday, a 23 year old girl rear-ended me in a traffic jam on the interstate. I was completely stopped in traffic, she was turned around looking in the lane to the left, and hit the accelerator to change lanes. Her front passenger side smacked into my rear driver side. It did quite a bit of damage. The whole back end (bumper) needs to be replaced, and my trunk isn't closing properly. Perhaps the trunk will be fine once the new bumper is put on.



She was very upset and apologetic at the scene. I was very nice to her, reminded her that it was an accident, and told her everything would be okay.



Well, the police report was ready today, so I was able to get the ball rolling to get my car fixed. I called Progressive (her insurer) and after filing the claim, they informed me that she has lapsed in her insurance, and is in fact not covered.



I contacted her, and her father called me back. He said that he would pay for everything, and recommended a mechanic (someone he knows). If I report to the police that she is uninsured, she is going to be in a LOT of trouble with the state of Georgia. She could lose her license. I don't want to do that to her. However, I do want to do the right thing for me. I told her dad that I would be happy to get a few different estimates including one from a VW dealer (where I had planned on going when I thought her insurance would pay for everything) and the guy he recommended. He will have to agree to pay for a rental car while it is being fixed. I drive to school and work every day.



Assuming that her insurance was going to pay for everything, I planned on taking my car to a VW dealer to be repaired. The value of my car has already been compromised because now it has been in an accident. Will it be compromised more if I don't get it fixed at a dealer???



I don't have uninsured motorist protection on my own insurance. I can file it under collision, and make them pay for the $500 deductable. My agent said that since it was not my fault, my premium would NOT go up. But then woulnd't she definately be reported? Would my insurance company go after them??



What if I don't claim it under insurance, and it's not fixed properly? What if the trunk starts to leak?



I would love some advice!! I'm trying to do the right thing. We're all human, and she made a mistake. I've been late on my insurance before for financial reasons, and thankfully did not get in an accident.



What would you do?? Does anyone know around how much it will cost if it is only the bumper??



Thanks!!Doing the right thing?
do what ever is in YOUR best interest, it sucks , but sometimes you got to do what you got to do, tell him you want it fixed wher YOU want, if he doesnt agree , then go through your insurance and make them pay the deductable, and if they refuse then go through small claims and you WILL WIN your money back, buisiness is buisiness, you cant always go around being the nice guy, not unless he gives you a promisary note saying that it eill be fixed back to factory standards, and if its not you can sue him so that he can pay to have it refixedDoing the right thing?
Don't fix the bumper only. If the trunk is not closing properly, it needs to be looked at too. I would think that regardless of whether you claim it under insurance or the guy pays for it, the place that makes the repairs has the responsibility to make sure it is repaired so it doesn't cause problems (leaks) later on. I wouldn't assume that the dealer is the best option; there are plenty of qualified collision repair places. Take it to several places, including the dealer, and make sure they understand that you want everything fixed so that there are no issues in the future. They should be qualified enough to judge what needs to be repaired or replaced. If the guy insists on you taking it to his guy, point out your option of reporting the accident to the police, filing under your insurance, his daughter getting in trouble, etc., and that should make him see the light. Don't let him bully you. Also, when he gets you the rental car, make sure he is there, putting it in his name with his credit card so you don't get stuck with the bill. In general, with the whole deal, your first concern is to cover your own a$$ and get what you need to get your car fixed, and only then worry about her concerns.
a bumper is not much but she could have done alot more damage i had a 97 honda civic and the lady bumped into me she worked for a insurance company i had no insurance she did we didnt call the cops so it saved us each a ticket... and she hit me going like 2-4 mph... very slow ( poped the clutch lol) well anways damage to get it repaird was 1,500-1,600 her insurance paid it... it could be a lot it could be a little get a quote and if its not much to repair it i would let her dad do it but its its more and they couldnt pay for it sadly i would report it and pay 500 just to get my car fixed...
I agree with the last persons answer. there could be a lot of damage that you cant see. I would do exactly what you were going to do, take it to the dealer and have it fixed there. If they cant afford it then report it. If she wasn't legal to drive then she should have rode a bus.