When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
At age 18 making a claim unfortunately might be worse than just paying to fix it. Insurance companies are looking for any excuse they can find to cancel or surcharge young single male drivers. The van which cut him off probably just kept on going making this a single car accident , automatically making him "at fault".
Spinning the wheel should not hurt the transmission. The traction on grass /weeds is low. Bill Ball spins one wheel for 1/2 a city block at a time with no damage except for the tire smoke
I have a good one (passanger side) off the parts car and if it fits, you can have it for free but shipping it from up here might be as much as $50 or more (cost over $110 to ship an empty gas tank)