Insurance claim 6 months after 'incident'

[JEA1K]

My step daughter had a small 'bump' in April whilst driving to college. Her car rolled into the back of another car at about 5 mph at a set of traffic lights. The guy got out of his car (which she'd hit) shouting and screaming at her. As an 18 yr old and recent driver, she was upset and didn't really know what to do. The guy ranted and took her details, even though there was no visible damage to either car. She had a passenger that witnessed the event. The guy didn't give my step daughter his details (he didn't volunteer them and in fairness, she didn't ask as she was upset). As there was no damage, she didn't hear anything from the guy nor his or her insurers.

Fast forward 6 months to yesterday and she receives a renewal from her insurers for £5.5k (1st yr was £2.2k) ... coincidentally, her insurers call her and explain that the guy's car she hit had his car MOT'd and discovered some 'damage' and is lodging a claim. Clearly, neither she or am I happy.

My thoughts are to inform the insurers that he didn't leave his details, nor did he report the incident .... also to ask him/his insurers for an independent engineers report in the damage in case this did not occur at the same time ...

Thoughts please?!

[JEA1K]

Purity14 said:

Thoughts?

Your request for an engineers report means absolutely nothing, what are you hoping to achieve by it?

To establish if the damage he's claiming for could be related to this accident or another.

[JEA1K]

TooMany2cvs said:

She probably shouldn't drive into any more cars, then, whether they're stationary or not.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Wednesday 15th October 11:45

I'm sure she doesn't plan to.

[JEA1K]

swisstoni said:

Odd the insurer didn't at least contact the daughter before paying out non? Shirley they would at least want her take on what occurred?

Yesterday was the first time she had heard from her insurer about the claim (via phone), oddly on the same day she received her renewal (by post).

hora said:

That doesn't sound right at all. Are you getting the full story?

6months after any sort of accident- does that mean I can get my car fixed at the largesse of someone else? Say I have a minor shunt then 6months later I carelessly reverse into a post or nudge forward into a low wall damaging my front radiator and/or bumper?

Another motorists insurer will then pay a cheque to me on the say so of a MOT station/garage 6months after the fact?

Sorry. I don't buy it. You can't be hearing the whole story. Either that or you (her) should be complaining to the insurance ombudsman?

This is my worry ... but there seems like no way to prove or disprove this has occurred. If my car had been hit, I would have taken it to a garage to establish any damage which wasn't visible ... would have taken a month at the most not six months.

[JEA1K]

ZOLLAR said:

3 years.

OP did your daughter report the incident to her insurer?

She did not as there was no visible damage to either car.

[JEA1K]

PurpleMoonlight said:

Quoted for people that didn't bother to read it first time.

They haven't paid a penny yet ....

To add: I am not aware of what stage this claim is at (it was late when I arrived home and had tears!) but as they have already increased her premium, does this suggest that they'e already made their decision?

[JEA1K]

hora said:

Ergo- did she REALLY roll back? Or mistaken? Easy when someone flares up/scares/panic.

She rolled forwards into his rear end (ooerr).

[JEA1K]

julian64 said:

I really don't understand why this happens.

The premiums on young drivers these days are astronmical and I assume you are quite happy to pay the 5K?

£5.5k ... no, I certainly won't be funding this. She was assisted in her first year, after that she was told she was on her own so if her premium does increase as suggested then she'll have to sell the car and catch a bus to college, simple.

[JEA1K]

Ok update.

Called the insurance company so find out whats gone on. His claim was lodged last week, although they hadn't managed to call her about the claim (slightly odd ...). Because the damage was underlying apparently the claimant didn't need to provide an engineers report on the damage (again I find strange). In my step daughters conversation with them, her insurance company say that she admitted fault (during her teary call with them last night) and the claim has been settled between the two insurance companies. The damage was the total of £832 (for what they couldn't tell me) but her premium would now be £5.4k.

Managed to go on some comparison websites, entering the claim against her and she can get cover for around £1,100, so saving her £3.3k on her current insurers premium. Her first year was over £2k, so all in all, the outcome is probably not quite as bad as first thought.

[JEA1K]

Drawweight said:

I hope you would have been shopping around for insurance regardless of whether she'd had an accident or not.

Of course. She knew her policy was coming up for renewal and had looked at some other insurers which were quoting £6-700 (before she knew about the claim) .... an increase of £400 - £500 isn't 'that' bad considering.