Q: I had a minor contact with a car in front of me. I did not see any visible damage to either car, so I took no further action at the scene. I did not do any of the 8 things you recommend at the scene of an accident. Now, the driver I hit is asking for money. What should I do?

Maxine:California.

A: Maxine, you didn't say this, but my guess is that you did not inform your insurance company of the accident either.

You should contact your insurance company and report this accident (and this claim by the other driver) right away.

This is why you have insurance.

Your insurance company will take a statement from you and then it will handle the claim. If its investigation shows that you owe anything, it will pay what you owe. If it does not believe that you owe anything, your insurance company will defend against the other driver's claim.

In other words, advise your insurance company, provide the information they ask for and then let them take care of it for you.

Be aware of this, however . . . If your insurance company handles this claim, it MAY try to hold the accident against you -- especially if it ends up paying out money to the other driver -- and it may, therefore, charge you more for your insurance when you renew your policy.

However, you will probably be far worse off if you do not inform your insurance company, are sued by the other driver and then have your insurance company refuse to defend you or to pay anything you owe. If you do not report the accident and cooperate with your insurance company, you undoubtedly violate the terms of your insurance policy and they may be able to wiggle out of paying.

In my opinion, the smarter option is to report the "accident" to your insurance company.

This is a good opportunity for me to again suggest that you print the Car Accident Facts Form and put it in your car. Then, when a car accident happens, just go through the Form and get the information . . . just in case you need it.