Auto Insurance Claims: is this credable?, wet paper towel, initial acceleration

Question
I was involved in a very minor accident making a left turn on an arrow.  I entered the intersection legally but was held up by traffic in front of me, allowing the traffic light for oncoming traffic to turn green.  The vehicle that struck me apparently wasn't paying attention to traffic but only to the light.  The drivers initial acceleration was excessive.  I was stopped and the vehicle that struck my car was in a panic stop and just barely hit my right front bumper.  Damage to my car was none,  I wiped the paint of my bumper with a wet paper towel.  Damage to the other car was minor.  We did not call police.  No Police report.  The drivers insurance co.  called me the next day for a description of the accident.  I told them I was not at fault, that their driver had accelerated at a high rate and was apparently distracted if she hadn't seen my car clearly stopped right in front of her.  She had to travel three car lengths to reach the point of impact from a dead stop.  Today I got a letter from her insurance company asking me to pay because their investigation determined I was at fault.  Is this just an attempt to get me to pay?  Is this binding? are they just trying to get me to pay even though it is the other drivers word against mine?

Answer
Hi Steven,

Insurance companies will almost always take the side of their own insured. In your case, it is a little fuzzy because your were making a left turn.

You should report this to your insurance company and provide them with a detailed account of what happened. They will do their own investigation including getting a statement from the other driver. They will then contact the other insurance company to mutually determine fault and make payments or deny claims as appropriate. You should fax or email them a copy of the letter you received as well as any future letters you receive. It's best to just let the insurance companies work it out.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh