Very minor accident - My Fault! Advice?
Discussion
It just gets worse and worse!
After a heated argument, I was driving my (recently serviced) MX5 that was running and driving great - finally.
Was turning right at a junction and had a lapse of concentration, pulled out slightly too early and clipped a van that was turning into the street I was coming out of (don't ask how I managed this)
Basically he cut the corner a bit, and I set off too early - must have been distracted. Only damage to my car is the number plate plinth got knocked off, and his van had a scrape along the sliding door join (from my tow hook i'd guess)
The side of his van was already damaged, it has massive scrapes down the side of it which he admitted were there already.
The issue is, a small ding is very close to the point of the scrape my car caused - and it looked to me like it wouldn't be possible for my car to have caused it, it was a very slow (probably 5mph) collision, yet the van had a dent in the unibody below the sliding door.
My issue is I have built up 7 years no claims, i'm relatively young and this is going to royally screw my insurance up, for a very minor incident - I mentioned to him i'd prefer to just pay for the repair myself at a bodyshop of his choice but he didn't seem too bothered about what I did.
Anyone got any suggestions on tactics for this one? The main issue being his van already has massive scrapes all down that side, and I don't really wanna be fixing pre-existing damage!
Hold my hands up that it was my fault, sadly - I don't know what the hell I was doing pulling out so early and i'm usually so careful and cautious. Anyway, cheers.
P.S. Hadn't installed my dashcam yet, DOH.
After a heated argument, I was driving my (recently serviced) MX5 that was running and driving great - finally.
Was turning right at a junction and had a lapse of concentration, pulled out slightly too early and clipped a van that was turning into the street I was coming out of (don't ask how I managed this)
Basically he cut the corner a bit, and I set off too early - must have been distracted. Only damage to my car is the number plate plinth got knocked off, and his van had a scrape along the sliding door join (from my tow hook i'd guess)
The side of his van was already damaged, it has massive scrapes down the side of it which he admitted were there already.
The issue is, a small ding is very close to the point of the scrape my car caused - and it looked to me like it wouldn't be possible for my car to have caused it, it was a very slow (probably 5mph) collision, yet the van had a dent in the unibody below the sliding door.
My issue is I have built up 7 years no claims, i'm relatively young and this is going to royally screw my insurance up, for a very minor incident - I mentioned to him i'd prefer to just pay for the repair myself at a bodyshop of his choice but he didn't seem too bothered about what I did.
Anyone got any suggestions on tactics for this one? The main issue being his van already has massive scrapes all down that side, and I don't really wanna be fixing pre-existing damage!
Hold my hands up that it was my fault, sadly - I don't know what the hell I was doing pulling out so early and i'm usually so careful and cautious. Anyway, cheers.
P.S. Hadn't installed my dashcam yet, DOH.
As my sons friend recently found out, don't pay cash !
Youngster nudged another car and dented the door slightly. The other guy goes mental and demands £400 cash for repair. Youngster craps himself and coughs up in front of two other friends as witnesses. Then 2 weeks later he gets a call from his insurance asking why he didn't report the accident and the claim is going through as a fault claim. He has no proof apart from 2 other 18 year olds he paid cash and nothing he can do apart from stump up his £600 excess and take a fault claim as well as lose the £400 cash he paid .
Youngster nudged another car and dented the door slightly. The other guy goes mental and demands £400 cash for repair. Youngster craps himself and coughs up in front of two other friends as witnesses. Then 2 weeks later he gets a call from his insurance asking why he didn't report the accident and the claim is going through as a fault claim. He has no proof apart from 2 other 18 year olds he paid cash and nothing he can do apart from stump up his £600 excess and take a fault claim as well as lose the £400 cash he paid .
Aidancky said:
It just gets worse and worse!
After a heated argument, I was driving my (recently serviced) MX5 that was running and driving great - finally.
Was turning right at a junction and had a lapse of concentration, pulled out slightly too early and clipped a van that was turning into the street I was coming out of (don't ask how I managed this)
Basically he cut the corner a bit, and I set off too early - must have been distracted. Only damage to my car is the number plate plinth got knocked off, and his van had a scrape along the sliding door join (from my tow hook i'd guess)
The side of his van was already damaged, it has massive scrapes down the side of it which he admitted were there already.
The issue is, a small ding is very close to the point of the scrape my car caused - and it looked to me like it wouldn't be possible for my car to have caused it, it was a very slow (probably 5mph) collision, yet the van had a dent in the unibody below the sliding door.
My issue is I have built up 7 years no claims, i'm relatively young and this is going to royally screw my insurance up, for a very minor incident - I mentioned to him i'd prefer to just pay for the repair myself at a bodyshop of his choice but he didn't seem too bothered about what I did.
Anyone got any suggestions on tactics for this one? The main issue being his van already has massive scrapes all down that side, and I don't really wanna be fixing pre-existing damage!
Hold my hands up that it was my fault, sadly - I don't know what the hell I was doing pulling out so early and i'm usually so careful and cautious. Anyway, cheers.
P.S. Hadn't installed my dashcam yet, DOH.
Why was the towing eye fitted? You only fit those if you're being towed (or on a trackday).After a heated argument, I was driving my (recently serviced) MX5 that was running and driving great - finally.
Was turning right at a junction and had a lapse of concentration, pulled out slightly too early and clipped a van that was turning into the street I was coming out of (don't ask how I managed this)
Basically he cut the corner a bit, and I set off too early - must have been distracted. Only damage to my car is the number plate plinth got knocked off, and his van had a scrape along the sliding door join (from my tow hook i'd guess)
The side of his van was already damaged, it has massive scrapes down the side of it which he admitted were there already.
The issue is, a small ding is very close to the point of the scrape my car caused - and it looked to me like it wouldn't be possible for my car to have caused it, it was a very slow (probably 5mph) collision, yet the van had a dent in the unibody below the sliding door.
My issue is I have built up 7 years no claims, i'm relatively young and this is going to royally screw my insurance up, for a very minor incident - I mentioned to him i'd prefer to just pay for the repair myself at a bodyshop of his choice but he didn't seem too bothered about what I did.
Anyone got any suggestions on tactics for this one? The main issue being his van already has massive scrapes all down that side, and I don't really wanna be fixing pre-existing damage!
Hold my hands up that it was my fault, sadly - I don't know what the hell I was doing pulling out so early and i'm usually so careful and cautious. Anyway, cheers.
P.S. Hadn't installed my dashcam yet, DOH.
Why do you care how much the claim costs your insurance company, it'll have no impact on you as a claim's a claim.
KevinCamaroSS said:
Leave it all to your insurance company, that is what they are for.
Yes, let them deal with it, but when you report it, tell them that you'd like the option to repay the cost of the claim in order to keep your NCB. Most insurers will be OK with that. When the claim is settled, you can look at the figures and make that decision. fastbikes76 said:
As my sons friend recently found out, don't pay cash !
Youngster nudged another car and dented the door slightly. The other guy goes mental and demands £400 cash for repair. Youngster craps himself and coughs up in front of two other friends as witnesses. Then 2 weeks later he gets a call from his insurance asking why he didn't report the accident and the claim is going through as a fault claim. He has no proof apart from 2 other 18 year olds he paid cash and nothing he can do apart from stump up his £600 excess and take a fault claim as well as lose the £400 cash he paid .
That didn't happen - or if it did, the outcome was different.Youngster nudged another car and dented the door slightly. The other guy goes mental and demands £400 cash for repair. Youngster craps himself and coughs up in front of two other friends as witnesses. Then 2 weeks later he gets a call from his insurance asking why he didn't report the accident and the claim is going through as a fault claim. He has no proof apart from 2 other 18 year olds he paid cash and nothing he can do apart from stump up his £600 excess and take a fault claim as well as lose the £400 cash he paid .
Your excess is to pay for your own repairs. Your insurance company wouldn't take £600 off you to pay for 3rd party repairs.
If I was you, I'd have kept that part of the thread going. You can feel the snarling self-righteous 'ooo you're not insured' PH massive circling 
You've ruined their fun.
You've ruined their fun.Aidancky said:
By tow hook I mean the 2 oem loops of metal which are each side of the front grille.
Car is completely stock.
Car is completely stock.
timetex said:
That didn't happen - or if it did, the outcome was different.
Your excess is to pay for your own repairs. Your insurance company wouldn't take £600 off you to pay for 3rd party repairs.
Of course it didn't, I sit at home dreaming up stories all day to please the masses..silly ol me. Your excess is to pay for your own repairs. Your insurance company wouldn't take £600 off you to pay for 3rd party repairs.
- I don't know the EXACT ins and outs of his case but he did pay cash, and did have the guy claim against him as a fault claim and he also paid his excess, so I assume he thought bugger it and had his car fixed too given he now had a fault claim anyways
Aidancky said:
people not realising all cars have factory fitted tow hooks somewhere 
Many cars don't have them where they'd cause damage in this kind of impact. They're either hidden well out of the way, or they screw in when required.Have to admit, I can't mentally picture how they'd be a problem here, either. Photo?
Just ring the insurers it won't be that bad. I did the same in Feb I reversed into a 1 series causing next to no damage to my GTD and ruining the bumper on his m sport beemer. Thought the worst, didn't claim for my damage (99% buffed out) so no excess to pay. Then come renewal my NCB went from 7 to 3, and I managed to go from paying 700 quid pre accident and now my premium is 550.
SteBrown91 said:
Just ring the insurers it won't be that bad. I did the same in Feb I reversed into a 1 series causing next to no damage to my GTD and ruining the bumper on his m sport beemer. Thought the worst, didn't claim for my damage (99% buffed out) so no excess to pay. Then come renewal my NCB went from 7 to 3, and I managed to go from paying 700 quid pre accident and now my premium is 550.
Who are you insured with, if you dont mind me asking?Why did you not lose all of your no claims? Thanks!
Aidancky said:
Who are you insured with, if you dont mind me asking?
Why did you not lose all of your no claims? Thanks!
Because nobody loses all their NcD for the first accident if you have over 5 years. Check your insurance document, it will tell you that you'll only lose 2 or 3 years for the first claim. Why did you not lose all of your no claims? Thanks!
Gavia said:
Aidancky said:
Who are you insured with, if you dont mind me asking?
Why did you not lose all of your no claims? Thanks!
Because nobody loses all their NcD for the first accident if you have over 5 years. Check your insurance document, it will tell you that you'll only lose 2 or 3 years for the first claim. Why did you not lose all of your no claims? Thanks!
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