Hit by a work colleague

[folos]

Never been involved in an accident in my own vehicle so I've never had to deal with the aftermath myself other than filling forms in so I'm not sure of the best way to proceed.

Anyhow, I work for a bus company and as I was turning right into the depot this morning a bus approaching the junction started pulling out as I was turning in. Either he assumed I'd let him out because he recognised my car or he just didn't look, I'd already started turning right as he pulled out so there was no time to react or avoid it.

I'm not sure whether to inform my insurance company now or wait until Monday and speak to the relevant people in the company myself. They're self insured up to £50,000 so would likely be paying it out of pocket, without naming the company they're a council owned firm of a
medium size so I don't imagine they'll play silly buggers and avoid paying out.

However, my car is (was) an immaculate 2006 VW R32 and I want it back how it was with no corner cutting.

Is it worth informing my insurance today or just seeing how it plays out? Obviously I'll need a car while it's fixed and I'm not sure if the company would go that far even if it meant I would be unable to get to work.

[TooMany2cvs]

folos said:

However, my car is (was) an immaculate 2006 VW R32

So a write-off is fairly unlikely.

folos said:

Is it worth informing my insurance today or just seeing how it plays out? Obviously I'll need a car while it's fixed and I'm not sure if the company would go that far even if it meant I would be unable to get to work.

You're entitled to out-of-pocket expenses, but not entitled to take the Michael. You're entitled to replacement transport, but unless you can demonstrate that you have a definite need for something bigger/posher/faster, you're not entitled to anything more than "transport" - a fairly basic entry-level hire car.

Go with the third-party direct, but be prepared to bring your own insurer in if they're intransigent.

[Funk]

I would inform your insurers anyway just in case they need to get involved.

[folos]

I don't want anything other than it fixed to how it was before the collision and not to be left without transport while it's being done, nothing more to make that clear.

[Marcellus]

I'd speak to your depot manager 1st and then decide how to play it.

When one of our Company Vehicles (not buses) hit an employees private car we just paid the employee to get it repaired.

[Mopar440]

Seriously, don't worry about any of this OP, or let it spoil your weekend.

People have accidents all the time. And you have taken out insurance to cover yourself for situations like this. So use your insurance. You have paid for it, so use it.

[22Rgt]

Go with your company as claiming/involving your insurance will cost you in the long run. Youre entitled to temporary transport, just watch out for cost cutting offering you something 'bigger and better' before handing you the keys to the spare bus..

[Mopar440]

22Rgt said:

Go with your company as claiming/involving your insurance will cost you in the long run. Youre entitled to temporary transport, just watch out for cost cutting offering you something 'bigger and better' before handing you the keys to the spare bus..

Fairytales, yet again...

[folos]

The driver and company admitted liability this morning and their insurance company is dealing with it. Car is going to be collected next Monday with a like for like hire car, waiting on the hire company to contact me now.

I'll take whatever I'm given, will be a novelty to drive something different!

[eybic]

Don't forget you will need to mention this for 5 years when getting insurance as no matter who's fault it is, you'll be seen as increased risk.

[Rude-boy]

folos said:

I'll take whatever I'm given, will be a novelty to drive something different!

To give you a happy feeling I have had various bits and bobs done to my cars over the years by a local garage. We have a great relationship and most of the time I have no time pressures on the work so the deal is that they can have mine for as long as they need to get round to it if there is ever any slack time so long as I have one of their snotters.

Without this I would never have had the hilarity of driving a diesel Beetle, nor a 1.6 petrol A3 - an absolute hoot and a great reminder of days gone by when I could only afford to buy and insure things with less power than an asthmatic ant!

[STW2010]

eybic said:

Don't forget you will need to mention this for 5 years when getting insurance as no matter who's fault it is, you'll be seen as increased risk.

Whilst this is, of course, true it doesn't mean that you will necessarily have increased premiums. I'm with Direct Line and they don't increase premiums due to non-fault claims. Admiral, who I was with previously, do.