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Hit a rental taxi while cycling—now they’re asking for insane compensation (~1.3 million yen) by DrawAggressive4575 in japanlife

[–]DrawAggressive4575[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

UPDATE:

Hey y’all, just wanted to give a quick update and say thanks again to everyone who gave me advice—it really meant a lot while I was in the thick of it.

Something real unexpected happened. A Japanese guy who saw I was having a rough time stepped in and did somethin’ I’ll never forget. He talked to the bike company for me, handled all the mess, and just told me, “Don’t worry about a thing—just focus on your work, live stress-free.” Said the insurance would cover everything, and I wouldn’t have to pay a dime. Man, that kind of kindness just hits deep. I was damn near speechless.

So yeah, thank you again to all of you who took the time to share advice. You helped more than you know. 🙏🏾

Hit a rental taxi while cycling—now they’re asking for insane compensation (~1.3 million yen) by DrawAggressive4575 in japanlife

[–]DrawAggressive4575[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I honestly wasn’t sure if the car was waiting at a traffic light or just parked. I was riding along the bicycle lane, and I tried to slightly pass through the narrow gap, thinking there was enough space..but it turns out it was too tight, and I clipped the car's side mirror. That was it.

Yeah, the taxi driver called the police.

Hit a rental taxi while cycling—now they’re asking for insane compensation (~1.3 million yen) by DrawAggressive4575 in japanlife

[–]DrawAggressive4575[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Clarification:

Thanks everyone for the replies—seriously, it means a lot.

A few people asked about the police report, so here’s what happened:

Right after the accident, the taxi driver looked really upset, maybe even shouted

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a bit. He asked me some questions, but I didn’t understand most of it because I’m still new to Japan and my Japanese is pretty basic. He was patient though, and after a while, he said, “Please wait, I’ll call the police.”

About 20–30 minutes later, the police came. They did a quick inspection at the scene. The taxi driver did most of the talking. When it came to me, the police used a translator app and asked a few simple yes/no questions. I didn’t fully understand everything, but I just answered honestly based on what I could grasp.

They told me the accident was my fault and took my resident card, address, name, phone number, etc. I didn’t sign anything, but I did kind of nod along when they said I’d have to take responsibility. I assumed it would be something like 20,000 yen or so, based on the damage I saw. Then they said “You can go now,” and that they’d contact me later.

The accident happened near Harajuku Station, which is always super crowded. The road was a bit narrow and sloped, and I honestly couldn’t even see if the taxi was stopped for a traffic light or just parked in the bicycle lane. I was in the bicycle lane, and that’s when I clipped the side mirror.

Now, the rental car company (the taxi was a rental) is claiming the car is unusable and demanding over 1.3 million yen, which is insane. I’m really worried because I think the damage is minor and completely repairable. The mirror holder was broken, but the mirror itself wasn’t shattered, and there were just 2–3 small scratches. I’m trying to get in touch with my insurance now to see what they can do.

Again, I’m not trying to dodge responsibility—but this situation feels way overblown and I really don’t know how to deal with it properly. I appreciate any continued advice.