"Incident" that is nothing to do with me
"Incident" that is nothing to do with me
Author
Discussion

drjhill

Original Poster:

182 posts

220 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Morning all. Couple of hours ago I opened a letter from some sort of accident management company asking for my insurance details in relation to an RTA that they deem I am liable for.

From about 5 months ago, Saturday lunchtime, on the main road through my home town. "regarding liability, you failed to make adequate observations, and collided into the rear of our driver's vehicle"

Except that I haven't rear ended anybody. Or any ended anybody for that matter. Whatever happened is nowt to do with me (or any of my cars).

No details of the vehicle I am supposed to have been driving, and a bit odd that it has taken 5 months to contact me.

Obviously must be a complete mix up that we can laugh off as soon as I phone them and point out that I haven't rear ended anybody. After they have apologised.

Unless ... how does a scam like this work? I'm not going to fold and give my details when I haven't done anything.

Quick Google of the letterhead brings up a legit looking website for their services (fleet/coporate insurance management solutions type stuff), not dug beyond this yet, should be asleep by now

Any thoughts before I give them a bell tomorrow?

popeyewhite

23,087 posts

150 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Possibly find a witness who will swear you were with them miles away at the time of the (alleged) accident.

JacquesMesrine

329 posts

164 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Ask them which car they believe you were driving.

Ask them to send a vehicle inspector round to inspect your car and show that there is no damage, either on there, or repaired within the last 5 months.

If you can do this then there won't be a problem.

S26VE P

35 posts

137 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
No idea on the legalities of it, but just be wary.
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car and the load on the back shifted causing a load crash. The driving instructor jumped out accusing the driver of hitting them but wasn't ANY damage to either vehicle and we have photo proof. A month or so later we had an LV investigator or to inspect the vehicle damage who agreed the whiplash claim they had now put it would most likely be contested. Yesterday we start enquiries for fleet policy renewal and guess what, LV have paid out £6800!!!!!!! Fair play to A plan tho they are fighting our case.

Collectingbrass

3,001 posts

225 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Pass to your insurers. telling them that there was no incident and you deny most strongly any involvement. Do not contact the originator. It's either a typo in the original reg details, likely if both your car and the actual at fault car were registered in the same area, in which case your insurers should defend or a scam. Either way, nowt to do with you.

Buff Mchugelarge

3,316 posts

180 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
S26VE P said:
No idea on the legalities of it, but just be wary.
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car and the load on the back shifted causing a load crash. The driving instructor jumped out accusing the driver of hitting them but wasn't ANY damage to either vehicle and we have photo proof. A month or so later we had an LV investigator or to inspect the vehicle damage who agreed the whiplash claim they had now put it would most likely be contested. Yesterday we start enquiries for fleet policy renewal and guess what, LV have paid out £6800!!!!!!! Fair play to A plan tho they are fighting our case.
That's us shocking. I makes me angry the insurance industry is that corrupt. furious

The Mad Monk

11,558 posts

147 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
S26VE P said:
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car

Instruct your driver that he must always drive at such a speed that he can stop safely within the distance that he can see to be clear.

HTH

daytona355

825 posts

229 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
A few years ago, I had a similar letter threatening court unless I paid for damages in some accident, the reg quoted was my girlfriends car (registered in my name), so I shouted at her, and it turned out, over on some slip road to a dual carriageway, she had been queued behind an S-type jag waiting to join, he pulled away, she looked to see if it was safe to follow, allowing herself to gently roll forwards, and looked back. He had stopped. She actually braked, but did 'tap' his car.

Both got out, not so much as a scratch on her car (brand new, 600 miles on it BMW 1 series). Dead centre hit, not even a mark on the number plate, which is what hit him. He drives off

I ring the solicitors, they state the damage was for straightening the chassis, new rear end, light clusters, new bumpers, boot etc, over £6000 (car probably worth what, £1500 if it's factory!), and he seemed to have waited 3 months before needing to fix it.

Told them to stuff it, or I'd be talking to plod and getting him nicked for insurance fraud, and told them to send an adjuster out to view her car, still had only a couple thou on it by this time, and no marks/repairs

Adjuster turns up couple days later, confirms the car could not have been in the accident as described.

Now the solicitors want me to accept apologies, no way. i send them an invoice for my time talking to them and seeing the adjuster for £500, and give all the details to my insurers.. I get the cheque, with another request that I forget the matter.

NO WAY JOSE!

Insurers had the guy prosecuted for insurance fraud, as although I had cracked the case, it was clearly going to end up with them for payment. I think it helps that I am in the industry and know those in the firm that deal with fraud though, not sure they go that extra mile when customers solve it themselves normally

JacquesMesrine

329 posts

164 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
daytona355 said:
A few years ago, I had a similar letter threatening court unless I paid for damages in some accident, the reg quoted was my girlfriends car (registered in my name), so I shouted at her, and it turned out, over on some slip road to a dual carriageway, she had been queued behind an S-type jag waiting to join, he pulled away, she looked to see if it was safe to follow, allowing herself to gently roll forwards, and looked back. He had stopped. She actually braked, but did 'tap' his car.

Both got out, not so much as a scratch on her car (brand new, 600 miles on it BMW 1 series). Dead centre hit, not even a mark on the number plate, which is what hit him. He drives off

I ring the solicitors, they state the damage was for straightening the chassis, new rear end, light clusters, new bumpers, boot etc, over £6000 (car probably worth what, £1500 if it's factory!), and he seemed to have waited 3 months before needing to fix it.

Told them to stuff it, or I'd be talking to plod and getting him nicked for insurance fraud, and told them to send an adjuster out to view her car, still had only a couple thou on it by this time, and no marks/repairs

Adjuster turns up couple days later, confirms the car could not have been in the accident as described.

Now the solicitors want me to accept apologies, no way. i send them an invoice for my time talking to them and seeing the adjuster for £500, and give all the details to my insurers.. I get the cheque, with another request that I forget the matter.

NO WAY JOSE!

Insurers had the guy prosecuted for insurance fraud, as although I had cracked the case, it was clearly going to end up with them for payment. I think it helps that I am in the industry and know those in the firm that deal with fraud though, not sure they go that extra mile when customers solve it themselves normally
Really? Sounds like a great story. Can you link to the court case please.

JacquesMesrine

329 posts

164 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Buff Mchugelarge said:
S26VE P said:
No idea on the legalities of it, but just be wary.
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car and the load on the back shifted causing a load crash. The driving instructor jumped out accusing the driver of hitting them but wasn't ANY damage to either vehicle and we have photo proof. A month or so later we had an LV investigator or to inspect the vehicle damage who agreed the whiplash claim they had now put it would most likely be contested. Yesterday we start enquiries for fleet policy renewal and guess what, LV have paid out £6800!!!!!!! Fair play to A plan tho they are fighting our case.
That's us shocking. I makes me angry the insurance industry is that corrupt. furious
I'm completely confused.

Who are LV in this? If they're the learner drivers insurer than why would they pay out for injury when it's not covered?

Why did LV send an inspector to look at your car? It doesn't matter to them.

Are A-Plan your insurers? What exactly are they fighting?

hornetrider

63,161 posts

235 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
JacquesMesrine said:
Really? Sounds like a great story. Can you link to the court case please.
I'll second that. I love to see these con artists being brought down a peg or two. I fancy a good read.

daytona355

825 posts

229 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
JacquesMesrine said:
Really? Sounds like a great story. Can you link to the court case please.
I never bothered following it, I got £500, and the guy got done. I wasted enough time on it. I wasn't about to pay for some dick to buy himself a new car

Tallboy

102 posts

290 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Buff Mchugelarge said:
That's us shocking. I makes me angry the insurance industry is that corrupt. furious
Run that by us again. A driving instructor and driver collude to bring a seemingly fraudulent claim and it's the insurance industry that's corrupt?

tight fart

3,601 posts

303 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
One of my drivers was parked making a delivery when the van was clipped by a bus, it knocked the wing
mirror off that landed on the boot of the car parked in front. The bus didn't stop. We were harassed for a
year by the cars insurance company for damage to the cars boot. (of which we were sure there was none)

Jasandjules

72,626 posts

259 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Tallboy said:
Run that by us again. A driving instructor and driver collude to bring a seemingly fraudulent claim and it's the insurance industry that's corrupt?
I suspect it was the paying out nearly 7k for no collision?!

Tallboy

102 posts

290 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
I suspect it was the paying out nearly 7k for no collision?!
Agreed but looking like fraud and declining a claim for fraud are two very different things, especially as we don't know what was claimed. Still trying to work out how an insurer getting hit with a fraudulent claim makes the industry corrupt?

walm

10,644 posts

232 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
S26VE P said:
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car

Instruct your driver that he must always drive at such a speed that he can stop safely within the distance that he can see to be clear.

HTH
He did stop in time. That's the whole point of the story.
HTH

Nezquick

1,844 posts

156 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
Collectingbrass said:
Pass to your insurers. telling them that there was no incident and you deny most strongly any involvement. Do not contact the originator. It's either a typo in the original reg details, likely if both your car and the actual at fault car were registered in the same area, in which case your insurers should defend or a scam. Either way, nowt to do with you.
^^^

This 1000 times over.
Tell your insurer now....do not respond to the letter at all. Explain to your insurers this was not you and that you want the claim defending in full.

Get evidence as to where you were at the time.

Nezquick

1,844 posts

156 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
hornetrider said:
JacquesMesrine said:
Really? Sounds like a great story. Can you link to the court case please.
I'll second that. I love to see these con artists being brought down a peg or two. I fancy a good read.
I'll third that too....I work in the industry defending these type of claims and I've never heard anything about this case.

The Mad Monk

11,558 posts

147 months

Friday 19th February 2016
quotequote all
walm said:
The Mad Monk said:
S26VE P said:
Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car

Instruct your driver that he must always drive at such a speed that he can stop safely within the distance that he can see to be clear.

HTH
He did stop in time. That's the whole point of the story.
HTH
S2VE P said
"Last year my driver was following a learner car that stopped at some traffic lights and when they changed they stalled, the driver very nearly hit the back of said learner car and the load on the back shifted causing a load crash.

"The load on the back shifted causing a load crash".

Stop safely if the key phrase here.

HTH