A woman who got hit from behind in a Trader Joe’s parking lot recently chose to let the driver who ran away go free. She decided this because dealing with insurance companies and police reports seemed like way too much trouble. TikTok user Maddie, who uses the name @madsexi, shared what happened to her. Right away, this started a huge debate about whether reporting a small accident is really worth all the time and stress.
Maddie’s response is honestly something we can all understand, even though it’s probably a terrible idea from a legal standpoint. According to Motor 1, she made her priorities very clear in her video. She said, “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.”
This feeling makes total sense. The paperwork and the never-ending phone calls you need to make after even a small car accident are absolutely the worst. It takes up so much time, and sometimes you just want to get on with your day, especially if the damage isn’t serious. It turns out Maddie isn’t the only one who feels this way. Many people agreed that skipping all the formal steps is becoming the new normal.
The relaxed approach is catching on fast
Apparently she is not the only one who has such a laidback to an accident like this. “One time a lady and I exchanged info as a formality I guess. Apparently neither of us bothered to tell our insurance haha,” one user commented. This kind of laid-back response to uncomfortable situations isn’t new, as some people have even handled confronting unexpected intruders while unprepared with surprising calmness.
However, calling your insurance company is a good idea even if the accident seems like nothing and nobody appears injured. The biggest reason is that you need to protect yourself from problems that might come up later. That small bump might have caused hidden damage to your car’s frame or parts inside that won’t show up until weeks or months later.
Also, you might actually be legally required to report what happened. Some insurance company agreements require you to report small accidents. If you don’t report them, you could face fines depending on what state you live in. False accusations about accidents can also spiral out of control, similar to cases where people face wrongful hit-and-run claims from strangers.
Even worse, if you wait too long to report the crash, your insurance company might refuse to cover it at all. That means you could end up paying for the repairs yourself, even if the accident wasn’t your fault. This is a huge risk to take just to save forty-five minutes in a parking lot.
The legal experts admit that people’s hesitation is understandable, though, because your insurance rate might go up even if you weren’t the one at fault. That’s a terrible situation, but the risk of losing coverage completely seems much scarier than your rate possibly going up.
It’s also a smart idea to tell the police about seemingly small accidents to create an official record. This protects you in case the other person tries to lie about how bad the damage or injuries were later on.
