Have I shot myself in the foot?

[hightail]

On Saturday morning I was waiting to turn out of a minor road when a car ran into the back of me. The driver admitted fault there and then, it was all reasonably amicable and we exchanged details without issue but they wouldn't tell me who they were insured with. I tried to contact the driver by email, as much as anything just to confirm details were correct, but the address they gave me just had emails bouncing back. I tried the phone number they gave that evening and again on Sunday morning but there was no answer. By this stage I'm worried that I haven't been given true details so phone my insurers to let them deal with it. Had I been able to contact the other driver I would been contacting my insurers for information only.

 

I've just had a phone call from the other driver's insurer offering all sorts of incentives not to go through my own insurer - too late. They claimed I'd be stuck with the excess and the parting shot was a veiled threat that they will delay paying my insurer to keep it an open claim and affect my renewal costs. I'm not due for renewal for a good six months yet but is this likely? My own insurers followed up my phone call reporting the accident with an email stating they would be recovering 100% from the other driver and I'd have no excess to pay.

[Oddfellow]

Have you any independent information to identify the person who made this phone call as being the other driver's insurer.

Leave it with your insurance company to handle. They will be able to tell you from reg number instantly whether the third party is insured or not.

The third party's insurer is perfectly at liberty to say they will conduct repairs (and offer a loan car) at their own expense.

 

 

If you don't get anywhere, report them to the police for leaving the scene of an accident without providing the required information.

 

 

IN ANY EVENT, DO NOT ACCEPT BEING REFERRED TO A CLAIMS MANAGEMENT COMPANY.

[WarrenBuffet]

Don't trust your own insurance company either, if you need legal representation say that you want a solicitor you know and trust to represent you.

 

NB* If your insurance premium rises dramatically next renewal report them to the insurance ombudsman as this ****/rip off has been going on for years and is now being tackled.

 

Hope none of the above happens but prewarned is forearmed.

[hightail]

My own insurers were presumably able to check the other driver's details whilst I was on the phone to them and it checks out.

 

The third party's insurer is perfectly at liberty to say they will conduct repairs (and offer a loan car) at their own expense.

If I'd been able to contact the other driver this is exactly what I'd have discussed. With the contact details failing I felt I had no option but to go through my own insurer without too much delay.

 

I haven't made any sort of insurance claim in over two decades and I have to say I feel at a bit of a loss. I don't have any choice now but let my own insurers deal with it and I have no complaints over their service. I'm just concerned that I could have avoided a premium increase if I'd held my nerve and waited before informing them so letting the other driver's insurer do it all direct.

[Oddfellow]

It doesn't matter whether you go through your own insurer or the other side's. You would still have to tell the truth when they ask you the questions about acccidents and claims at renewal time. Even if it's not your fault, and even if you claim against the third party rather than your own insurance, the insurance industry have a nice little earner which allows them to mark you as an increased risk (and consequent increased premiums) without having to justify anything!

[hightail]

Even if it's not your fault, and even if you claim against the third party rather than your own insurance, the insurance industry have a nice little earner which allows them to mark you as an increased risk (and consequent increased premiums) without having to justify anything!

Well life isn't fair I suppose and I'm going to lose out because I was sitting in a stationary car and doing nothing wrong. Can't be helped.

[Oddfellow]

I'm in exactly the same position Hightail (although the woman who nearly totaled her Qashqai by scratching my Land Rover's rear bumper was beyond reproach in provision of her details).

 

 

I naively followed my insurer's advice to deal with their appointed claims management company, who then conspired with their various agents to come up with a bill, including car hire, for £2700. The TP's insurer have refused to pay, so I am having to sue (via their legal department, by the way) the TP for this amount, even though all of these charges were outside my control. It's a ****ing scandal.

[hightail]

Luckily my insurers are dealing with it direct, no claims company involved, and so far I can't fault them.

[WarrenBuffet]

Give them time, ill bet you £000000's they will stick their arm into you and rip your heart out in the near future.

[hightail]

ill bet you £000000's they will stick their arm into you and rip your heart out in the near future

If they do they lose three cars and the buildings/contents business as we have it all with the same lot.

 

Why is an increase in premium because of a no fault accident not recoverable from the other party? It's an extra expense on me arising directly from their negligence after all.

[WarrenBuffet]

If,/When it increases report them to the insurance ombudsman.

[king12345]

It will increase even if you don't claim through your insurance and it's not your fault.

Unfortunately there's nothing we can do.

Ombudsman can't do much.

Insurance company just needs to say that you are on a higher risk category than previous year.

On a similar note, if you get points on your licence, they expire after 3 years and disappear from dvla records after 4, but insurance charges you more money for 5 years.

It's total rip off!