minor bump - other driver wants us to pay for repairs

[Jamberson]

Update - we've been given a quote for £300-plus, including a replacement lamp, which we definitely never broke!!

 

We've said to go through insurance and given her our details.

 

We will report the matter to our insurers for their info.

 

So what is likely to happen? Presumably, our insurance co will resist the claim on our advice - there's no way of anyone knowing for sure what happened, although we probably added some scrapes to the paintwork. Anyone know what will happen next?

[raydetinu]

Your insurers wont resist claim as you have admitted liability, the only question is the amount, so you would loose your NCB ( unless protected ) and your next premium will go throgh the roof.

You need to make sure your insurers do not deal with this.

Let them put it through their insurance if they want, then deal direct with them or just say take me to court and let them decide whats fair.

Suggest you respond the claim for the £300 formally rejecting the amount and put a counter offer.

The courts will like that, if it comes to it. The photos will help also.

[Jamberson]

We have admitted liability inasmuch as we admitted scraping the car. But surely if she now submits a claim, it has to be scruitinised somehow to see what's being paid for? Could she claim say £2,000 repairs to this, that and the other, just because we admit scraping the car?

[raydetinu]

Obviously not, just dont let your insurers deal with it as your costs will go up, loss of NCB and future insurance premiums.

[sailor sam]

Agree 100% with Ray. I suggest that you offer them £50 or tell them to take you to court. They will be hard pressed in convincing a judge that the damage amounts to anywhere near £300 when you produce the pics in court.

 

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[Jamberson]

The saga continues...

 

She does have our insurance details from a while ago. She has now quoted £175 for the damage to be resprayed.

 

Obviously, we don't want to pay that much for a cosmetic repair to a damaged car.

 

What can she do? As she has our insurance company details, does that mean she can just go through them and we get clobbered for the NCB etc? Or is there a process by which we say no, our insurers are not dealing with - even though she knows their details?

[raydetinu]

she can go direct to your insurers, but you can indemnify them of any claim and tell them to refer any claim direct to you.

Have you already informed them of this potential claim?

[Jamberson]

No, we never did tell them. We thought this was going to be forgotten about by the other car owner.

 

So, if we indemnify them, that basically means we instruct them not to act, and refer the claim back to us to deal with privately?

 

I take it that this would not affect our insurance premiums?

 

Sorry - I know very little about all this!

[raydetinu]

well do inform them but for information only at this stage and tell them you hope to deal with it, just in case it goes pear shaped.