insurance payout taking ages
Discussion
Wife got hit from the rear by someone pissing around on their phone. Her car written off along with a dose of whiplash.
Hire car has been with us for over a month, so no real worries about having the payment through, but nothing from copart or the other drivers insurance company. Our insurance is with Admiral but this has been passed to a 3rd party for a non-fault claim. They have apparently had no contact from the other insurance company and we are no closer to our payout.
Only minor frustration is that we are still paying off a small bank loan for a car that she no longer has.
Does it normally take well over a month for an insurance company that is at fault to acknowledge or even make contact?
Hire car has been with us for over a month, so no real worries about having the payment through, but nothing from copart or the other drivers insurance company. Our insurance is with Admiral but this has been passed to a 3rd party for a non-fault claim. They have apparently had no contact from the other insurance company and we are no closer to our payout.
Only minor frustration is that we are still paying off a small bank loan for a car that she no longer has.
Does it normally take well over a month for an insurance company that is at fault to acknowledge or even make contact?
Assuming you're comprehensive with admiral you could go back to them to claim for the value of the car, then let admiral deal with the other party.
This is the quickest way to deal with. As mentioned be carefully about letting the hire car drag on, you have almost certainly signed a credit agreement to finance it, and could potentially get stuck with a bill if not careful.
This is the quickest way to deal with. As mentioned be carefully about letting the hire car drag on, you have almost certainly signed a credit agreement to finance it, and could potentially get stuck with a bill if not careful.
I'm currently in a similar situation, non fault accident and liable party is seemingly dragging it out.
I've been told by my insurer that the other parties insurer has 90 days to investigate from the date of the accident. I'm on day 50 out of those 90 and still nothing from them so far. Last I heard, 5 days ago, the other insurer was still chasing their policy holder for a statement, which is crazy considering how much time has passed. What happens after those 90 days, I don't really know.
Why the need to drag it out is a bit baffling really, but fortunately it was only a courtesy car. Cynical or not, dragging it out just screams of guilt to me.
I've been told by my insurer that the other parties insurer has 90 days to investigate from the date of the accident. I'm on day 50 out of those 90 and still nothing from them so far. Last I heard, 5 days ago, the other insurer was still chasing their policy holder for a statement, which is crazy considering how much time has passed. What happens after those 90 days, I don't really know.
Why the need to drag it out is a bit baffling really, but fortunately it was only a courtesy car. Cynical or not, dragging it out just screams of guilt to me.
Yorkchimp said:
Wife got hit from the rear by someone pissing around on their phone. Her car written off along with a dose of whiplash.
Hire car has been with us for over a month, so no real worries about having the payment through, but nothing from copart or the other drivers insurance company. Our insurance is with Admiral but this has been passed to a 3rd party for a non-fault claim. They have apparently had no contact from the other insurance company and we are no closer to our payout.
Only minor frustration is that we are still paying off a small bank loan for a car that she no longer has.
Does it normally take well over a month for an insurance company that is at fault to acknowledge or even make contact?
It can take a lot longer than a month for an insurer to admit liability sometimes but the third party insurers should have been notified of accruing hire charges and that should have focussed their mind somewhat. By now your car should have been inspected, you should have agreed a total loss value and the other insurers should have had your demand for payment...? If not, then I would agree with the other poster that you should seek advice from your insurers/insurance brokers about having your own insurers deal with your total loss. If you are advised against doing this, then I would seriously question why...Hire car has been with us for over a month, so no real worries about having the payment through, but nothing from copart or the other drivers insurance company. Our insurance is with Admiral but this has been passed to a 3rd party for a non-fault claim. They have apparently had no contact from the other insurance company and we are no closer to our payout.
Only minor frustration is that we are still paying off a small bank loan for a car that she no longer has.
Does it normally take well over a month for an insurance company that is at fault to acknowledge or even make contact?
When a personal injury claim is intimated the at-fault/third party insurers have 21 days to respond to the Solicitors initial notification and then 3 months in which to investigate liability. In a case like yours even if they can't get an answer out of their policyholder they could very easily pay you out without prejudice so as not to formally accept liability but to ensure that hire costs do not accrue unnecessarily.
WillG said:
Assuming you're comprehensive with admiral you could go back to them to claim for the value of the car, then let admiral deal with the other party.
This is the quickest way to deal with. As mentioned be carefully about letting the hire car drag on, you have almost certainly signed a credit agreement to finance it, and could potentially get stuck with a bill if not careful.
Sage advice. However OP should check to see if he has a customer liability insurance policy as part of the hire agreement which means at no point would he be required to pay any hire bill as long as he fully co-operates and hasn't lied to get a hire car to keep him mobile (it happens). This is the quickest way to deal with. As mentioned be carefully about letting the hire car drag on, you have almost certainly signed a credit agreement to finance it, and could potentially get stuck with a bill if not careful.
I can assure you that there is almost zero sympathy shown towards hire companies in the county courts when pursuing their own hirer's for payment of unpaid credit hire charges.
What happens generally is that the bill goes into the third party insurers and is paid under the ABI GTA protocol agreement or some other bi-lateral agreement. Alternatively it is argued and a reduced payment is negotiated. Or finally the hirer instructs a Solicitor (facilitated by the hire company) to litigate for a fair reward, settlement is then negotiated or in rare circumstances the case proceeds to trial and a judge makes the award based on what the hirer is likely to have paid had he hired a car local to himself from the general hire rental market if he could have afforded to. If the hirer is simply unable to afford to hire a vehicle and having a credit hire car is the only option then the judge can award the full bill to be paid. Almost always though any shortfall is swallowed up by the hire company.
Edited by anniesdad on Thursday 3rd March 14:02
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