Inform Insurance Company?
Discussion
Earlier this year my TVR was damaged by another car while parked at a supermarket. The lady driver was as good as gold, she waited for me to come our, gave me her details and her insurers paid for the damage. I had started a claim via my insurer but cancelled it as hers wanted to deal with it.
Roll onto last Sunday 1 September and my BMW was hit by someone driving out of a petrol station without looking. She stopped and admitted fault, I also have conclusive evidence on my dash cam. I understand that she has informed her insurance company and given them the repair estimate for my car.
So if I inform my insurance company of the second incident that’ll be 2 in a year. Should I or would it be best to wait for her insurance company to contact me?
Galling as it’s been over 10 years since my last ‘incident’.
Roll onto last Sunday 1 September and my BMW was hit by someone driving out of a petrol station without looking. She stopped and admitted fault, I also have conclusive evidence on my dash cam. I understand that she has informed her insurance company and given them the repair estimate for my car.
So if I inform my insurance company of the second incident that’ll be 2 in a year. Should I or would it be best to wait for her insurance company to contact me?
Galling as it’s been over 10 years since my last ‘incident’.
Chris32345 said:
You have to inform them of any accident no matter whos fault it is and who's paying for it
It's also likely they will find out from the other party's insurance company anyway
They know everything now - when I was getting quotes for my motorbike last time round I told them about a car crash I’d had back in 2016, but said I didn’t know the cost of the claim. Tappetty-tap went the quote chap and told me it was £14k - which would be dead right; 24k for the car ministry the 9.2k the salvage went for at copart (I watched the auction). It's also likely they will find out from the other party's insurance company anyway
I really wouldn’t lie to insurers these days. I don’t even know why they bother asking - why not just give ‘em your personal details and the system does the rest.
I had two crashes in the same day - both non fault - after many years incident free.
In the morning some Colin McRae wannabe lost control on a roundabout and crashed into me, followed by his scratty wife giving me a load of aggro for taking pics at the scene.
In the evening a chav glued to her phone walked out straight in front of me, no warning at all and made herself a bonnet ornament.
Dopey council scummer then passed the claim to an accident management company who were a pain to deal with, but a report from the police attending soon got them off the case.
No noticeable increase in premiums, but you MUST tell them. They know everything these days!
In the morning some Colin McRae wannabe lost control on a roundabout and crashed into me, followed by his scratty wife giving me a load of aggro for taking pics at the scene.
In the evening a chav glued to her phone walked out straight in front of me, no warning at all and made herself a bonnet ornament.
Dopey council scummer then passed the claim to an accident management company who were a pain to deal with, but a report from the police attending soon got them off the case.
No noticeable increase in premiums, but you MUST tell them. They know everything these days!
So here I am over 2 weeks since the accident and nothing from the other driver’s insurance company though she’s told me they’re onto it. The accident repair garage who quoted for my repair are going to put a Claims Management company onto it. Is that the best way forward? I really don’t want to claim from my own insurer unless I really have to although they have been informed.
SmoothCriminal said:
If it's 100% cut and dried her fault then let the claims management company handle it, you'll get many people on here saying AMC are cancer etc etc but why should you go through the effort of putting in a claim and being out of pocket for your excess for someone else's b
k.
That was my thinking, I don’t see a problem with fault. We were driving out of Fleet services when the other driver pulled out of the petrol station and hit the back of our car. We were established on the road. I have it all on my dashcam.k.bad company said:
SmoothCriminal said:
If it's 100% cut and dried her fault then let the claims management company handle it, you'll get many people on here saying AMC are cancer etc etc but why should you go through the effort of putting in a claim and being out of pocket for your excess for someone else's bk.
That was my thinking, I don’t see a problem with fault. We were driving out of Fleet services when the other driver pulled out of the petrol station and hit the back of our car. We were established on the road. I have it all on my dashcam.k.I really don’t know why you are so reluctant to let your own company handle it, your car would probably be being repaired by now. It will go down as a non fault accident whatever you do, so any adjustment on your renewal - if there is one, is likely to be the same in either case
martinbiz said:
OP ignore that advice it’s tosh, it’s more effort going to the 3rd party direct than it is going through your own insurance as you are beginning to find out. Firstly from reading your posts, you only have the 3rd party’s word that she has reported the accident and given them your quote, she may not have done either hoping you may go away. Secondly there is no reason to be out of pocket, yes, you may have to wait a couple weeks to get your uninsured losses back but that is all and if you badger your company they will often do it for you.
I really don’t know why you are so reluctant to let your own company handle it, your car would probably be being repaired by now. It will go down as a non fault accident whatever you do, so any adjustment on your renewal - if there is one, is likely to be the same in either case
What is the advantage of using my insurance company, what can they do that the claims management firm can’t?I really don’t know why you are so reluctant to let your own company handle it, your car would probably be being repaired by now. It will go down as a non fault accident whatever you do, so any adjustment on your renewal - if there is one, is likely to be the same in either case
roadsmash said:
bad company said:
What is the advantage of using my insurance company, what can they do that the claims management firm can’t?
You have total visibility on what is happening and more control.Your own insurer will want you to go to one of their "approved repairers". If you claim against the other party's insurer you can get your car fixed at a repairer of your own choice, which would definitely be my preference.
Someone drove into the back of my car in 2010 and I used an accident management company to claim against his insurer, and it was a totally pain-free experience.
I didn't tell my insurer until renewal, by which time the claim was already settled. There is only a duty of disclosure at renewal on an annual policy.
bad company said:
martinbiz said:
bad company said:
I really don’t want to claim from my own insurer unless I really have to although they have been informed.
Why not, that’s what they’re there forbad company said:
Are you sure about that? I’m getting conflicting opinions.
Where are you getting conflicting opinions from?You have had non fault accident, it will go on your insurance record and you will need to declare it usually for 5 years. Whether it is settled direct with the 3rd party insurance or via your own company makes not a blind bit of difference if the blame is put squarely on the other driver.
FFS OP Why are you making such a meal out of a little knock, the same as which happens thousands of times a day all over the country
roadsmash said:
You think you have more control by using the 3rd party’s insurer rather than your own?
How do you work that out?
Well if you had quoted all of my post you would have seen that I said claiming on the 3rd party insurer meant you could choose where your car was repaired, instead of being limited to your own insurer's "approved" repairers. How do you work that out?
Still, what do I know - I only spent over 30 years working in the general insurance industry, predominantly handling claims!
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