what to do when your car gets hit, use your auto insurance or the company that hit you?

After Christmas I got a really nice belated gift. It was the gift of a stranger running into my car, and removing a third of the front bumper. Seasons greetings and enjoy your newly wrecked car. The decision I had to make was should I go through the person's insurance that hit me or use my own. More on that in a minute. Here's what happened in the accident.
Picture this, you are driving down a road and you see a car coming out of an entrance to a store to your right. You see them, but clearly they don't see you. So, you honk and you keep honking and they keep coming. You are able to get your car to a stop, but the other vehicle never brakes and keeps coming toward you. In slow motion (because accidents always seem to move in slow motion) the car crosses in front of your car. That's when you hear the crunch of metal and plastic. Yes, that's when the reality that you just were in an accident sinks in. Up to that moment you were hoping it would all work out. It didn't. After the car hit it kept rolling away. In a panic you pulled out your phone to get the plate off the other car. Fortunately, the other car pulled over close by and didn't leave the scene.
This was my Christmas greeting. I wanted to be mad but what's the point. The young lady was shaking and clearly upset. I exchanged a hello, and we both asked how we were. Having an accident stinks, there is nothing pleasant about it. 
After the accident I got the girls information. I got her name, her address, her phone number and her auto insurance information. I took photos of my car, the street where the accident happened and I took photos of her car. I also got the name of a witness. After that I ripped the hanging part of my bumper off the car so that I could get home. When I got back to the office I called her company and reported the claim. I waited for a few days to hear back but I didn't. After that I called back again. They still hadn't gotten in touch with their driver to verify the accident.
So, After about a week I decided to call my auto insurance company. The reason I called my company was because I was ready to get the car fixed. I knew that they would repair it regardless of who was at fault. Sorry, I was just tired of driving around in a beat up car! I opened a claim. I told them where I wanted to take the car to get repaired. They gave me a claim number and I then booked an appointment to get it fixed. The accident happened after Christmas it has almost been a month. Since that time the other driver's insurance company has taken responsibility. My deductible has been waived and I won't have to pay anything out of pocket. Actually, there is one thing I might need to get reimbursed for. The rental car. I have on my insurance a limit of 35 dollars a day. I think this rental car is about 39 dollars a day. So, after I get the receipt I'll need to send it into claims and have them cut me a check.
You always have the option to use your insurance if you carry comp and collision on your car. Without those coverage's you would have to go through the other person's insurance. Having the rental car on my insurance also has been a big help because I didn't have to wait for fault to be determined. Check your limits and know what your deductible is. Also, if you haven't put rental car coverage on your policy do so. It makes the process so much easier. If you'd like to review your limits give us a call at 951-395-0754