Help with settling outside of insurers.

[sam joyce]

My wife was driving our car and stopped at a roudabout we were then hit from behind ( 3 hours ago 19.00pm). The lower plastic bumper was badly dented but no other apparent damage. I took the drivers details (a young lad in a new car) and gave him my number and said I would inspect the damage in the morning and contact him. I got a call from his father some 20mins later enquiring about the damage and suggesting I dont contact the insurers and I said if they pay for the repair thats fine. I didnt officially agree with the driver it was his fault at the time although it obviously was so saw no need to clarify it as we were not moving...does this matter? Anyway how do I go about repairing the car without so say correcting the damage/evidence, and ensure we get it paid. I would like to get it repaired then ask him to pay the garage so I know the full cost will be covered. What is the best way to go about this?

 

Many thanks

 

Sam

[MARTIN3030]

Hi Sam

 

There can be a number of reasons why the other party dont want the insurers involved,it could be that the Son was not insured,that there may be issues with no claims discounts etc.The son may even have had a drink or taken drugs and so didnt want to make a fuss.....

If you agreed to deal then that leaves you at the mercy of the Fathers good faith,but since he did telephone you 20 minutes later,it does suggest that he will be sorting things out.

I think the way to go from here is firstly for you to get an exact figure for the repair in writing,and send a copy with a covering letter to the Father.

You then need to get an acknowledgement in writing that he will be paying for the repair.

It is important that this is done.

Alternatively,arrange for him to meet you at the repairer and pay for the job to be done in advance.

Just my thoughts.

Maybe others will advise.

[sam joyce]

This will leave a few days before I contact the insurers if we dont agree is this OK or should I ring the insurers then just cancel the claim when he has paid?

 

Thanks

Sam

[Dragons Dennis]

but no other apparent damage.

 

Sam

 

The key word is highlighted. When my driving school car was shunted lightly in 2008, it 'appeared' to be just a cracked bumper also. Turned out to be over 3k worth of damage as the 'chassis' had buckled very slightly and the car had to be jigged.

 

Do not be fooled by this . You MUST report all collisions with your insurers anyway. Rear enders often result in whiplash claims, so if you have even the slightest of neck or shoulder ache, go and see your GP today.

[Surfer01]

Have you reported the accident to the police? We had an accident in exactly the same circumstances and the woman admitted she was in the wrong and made the offer to pay for the damage. As a safeguard I reported it to the police which was just as well as about a week later the woman claimed she was stopped at a round about and that I reversed into her. It then bounced between insurance companies for about rthree months before it was resolved

The other thing to remember is that at the end of the year when you do your renewal you are asked if you have had an accidents and if you say no and they find out about it later, they can cancel your insurance with immediate effect and you can be done for fraud. I am not sure if the have access to various databases linked to repair shops. A bit extreme I know but I would be very wary of working outside the insurance company as you have nothing to worry about as the other party is at fault.

[MARTIN3030]

Some good points there.

Up to you then Sam.

[sam joyce]

Many Many thanks, I have reported it to the police and sent a quote to the guys father asking for written confirmation berfore we proceed. Do I need to worry about any of the following.

 

1. I am acting on behalf of my wife and am agreeing this in my name so far.

2. Do I need to confirm the father is acting on behalf of his son and this incident in writing from the son.

3. My wifes licence is still registered to her parents address not her actual residency (our rented flat).

.... I believe this is the case of the other driver also.

[Surfer01]

Get the wife's adress updated at DVLA as soon as possible in case things turn sour plus it is a hefty fine if caught.

[crem]

Get the wife's adress updated at DVLA as soon as possible in case things turn sour plus it is a hefty fine if caught.

 

It's not an offence to use an address other than your own to register your driving licence. It only must be a "place where you can be reached". As your wife's parents could/would immediately notify her if something arrived from teh DVLA then no offence is committed by leaving her licence registered there.

[Dragons Dennis]

Once again, I completely agree with Crem on this. A common misconception. The only legal requiremenbt is that you can be contacted/have papers served to you. Most celebrities register their cars and their licences at their agents office address for obvious reasons.

[sam joyce]

Thanks again, have emailed copy of quote to his dad, is there likely to be a tight deadline with the insurers in making a claim if we need to go down that route.......how long do I wait to hear back from his dad?

 

Thanks

 

Sam