Auto Insurance Claims: What should I do about my minor car accident?, liability insurance coverage, first car

Question
I had my first car accident today.  The short story is, he stopped due to traffic,  I realized that he was stationary too late and braked and swerved to the right trying to avoid him.  I managed to mostly avoid him.  His right rear and my left front fender was touching each other.  My left mirror, hit his right brake light and there's a piece missing from the light and my mirror broke and fell out.  The housing of the mirror was still intact, just in the folded position. He called the police and the officer came and said that the damage was too minor for him to write a report (does this mean i'm not going to get a ticket for this accident?).  The officer gave us both a form to exchange information.

This being my first accident, I was really nervous and I think I probably did a few things wrong. My adrenalin was flowing and I thought the accident was a lot more serious than it really was.  Anyway, we parted way and when I got home, I checked on the damage on my car.  Just a few scratches on the right wheel and bumper where it hit the curb.  The left side there's some scratches and paint transfer where the top of the wheel well touched his bumper and fender, and a bit of damage on the mirror housing where it hit his rear brake light.  I didn't too closely at the damage on his truck, but from the look of the damage from my sedan, it couldn't be much worst.  Since I only have liability insurance, I realized that my deductible would probably cover the repair cost of both vehicles.  Should I call him up and ask him to settle this matter without involving the insurance company? It might already be too late since he said he's going to call them as soon as he get home.  Is this legal? Are there potential problem with doing this?

Thanks.

Answer
Hi Noname,

Even though you did not receive a ticket, the accident will be considered to be your fault. Your liability insurance coverage will cover the cost of the damage to the other vehicle. There generally is not a deductible on liability insurance.  If the claim is made to your insurance company it will likely have an affect on your policy premiums since it is an at-fault event. You can contact the driver of the other vehicle to see if he has reported the accident to your insurance company. If he has you should just let them handle it because once it is reported it will affect your premiums whether they pay out or not. If it has not been reported, you should ask the other person to obtain a repair estimate and provide you with a copy before contacting your insurance. That way if you can afford to pay the claim you can do so without involving your insurance company. If you can not afford to pay it then go ahead and report it to your insurance company to handle. If you do pay the claim yourself, you should have the other person sign a release form before you give any money.  That way they can not come back later seeking additional money.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh