Written by John Kruse, one of the leading experts on Bailiff Law, this consumer friendly guide is essential reading for anyone who comes into contact with a bailiff.
The book is easy to understand and clearly explains the rights
a bailiff has, and also what they cannot do when collecting debts and repossessing goods etc.
To cut the story short - I very slightly damaged another car with my wing mirror in a small, congested, London street.
The damage is very superficial and is simply surface damage to the paintwork, which, in my opinion (!), will easily polish out and will incur minimal cost to sort out.
My question is - do I have to make a claim on my insurance? Can I "settle" of the insurance world? If so, how can I ensure that the 3rd party is not going to go to some "matey" garage and come back with a ridiculous quote? Can I also have a say in which vendor he/she uses to get the paintwork sorted? (Am keen as a very close friend runs his own garage and I can get this easily sorted in the cheap-far cheaper than an my excess and the resulting increase in premiums etc!!!) What can I do if he does come back with what I consider an "unjustified" amount? Is there anything I can do to demand getting a second quote for example?
Yes you can pay for it and don't need to involve your insurance company.
You must insist on more than one quote and also get your garage friend to give you an estimate as well so you can compare and then you will know how factual those quotes are.
Be aware though, some paintwork cannot be repaired and the whole panel may need respraying.
Trading Standards wants your help
Dubious website businesses Conterfeit alcohol and cigarettes Illegal sales of alcohol, tobacco, knives & fireworks to children Cowboy builders or tradesmen Car clockers Counterfeiters Aggressive selling
Never phone or accept phonecalls from debt collection companies.
If you don't believe you can win, there is no point in getting out of bed.
_________________________ ________________ _________________________ ___________________
Make sure you always take a photograph of the damage as soon as it happens.
Ive learnt this at my cost & now keep a camera in the car at all times.
People will accentuate the damamge later on if they think they can get something more out of it.
You MUST notify your insurer of the incident even if you do not intend claiming.
I usually advise against settling privately - I have seen some disaster stories (where the insurer refuses to get involved due to complications earlier). Not too sure if a "Full and final" statement would be effective, but I would certainly use one.
Best for a claim to be made on whichever policy and for you to pay them back the costs - whatever they happen to be.
That's an excellent point with regards to the damage and having a camera! I've never thought of it. Mobile phones with cameras are useful after all.....! Fingers crossed your experience isn't repeated this time....
Thanks for your advice, however what exactly is a "Full and final" statement?
sorry - meant Full and final settlement letter! Basically it just states that you will pay the TP X amount of money and he will have no further claim against you arising from the incident - i'm not well up on the legal aspects of such things. Just to explain why settling privately can go wrong by using a couple of real examples.
Example 1. Insured paid TP privately for damage to bodywork (about £200). It transpired a week later taht there was further damage which the insured was pursued for (and paid). The insurer would not get involved as the work carried out, they felt, was insufficient as a repair, and subsequent repairs would have cost more than they would have paid out in the first place.
example 2. same scenario, but in this case the damage was significantly more. The insured went to his insurer who refusd to deal, as it turned out that liability would have been disputed. This was referred to the fos who agreed with the insurer. Although the TP was not successful, it followed months of stress for the insured.
Insurance Question!
Reply With Quote
Fingers crossed your experience isn't repeated this time....
