Minor accident help.

[MrPeters]

The gf has caused a minor accident outside her house the other evening.

Basically she began to pull out, then checked mirrors, braked but other car was coming too fast to stop. I don't at this point know what make / model / age the other car is. Her car will probably be a total loss - not to worried about that. Other guy wants to settle cash rather than go through insurance.

From the damage to the GF's car (1999 fiesta) there can't possibly be much damage to his.

We've received a text with a 'quote' from him for £859... which is for a new bumper, wing and respray.

Can we stipulate where the car is fixed? Or do we have to go with his quote?

[CampDavid]

MrPeters said:

Other guy wants to settle cash rather than go through insurance.

I would only rather settle with cash if

a: I wanted to rip someone off and make some money out of this

or

b: I myself wasn't insured

Personally I'd go with the latter. You could check up on askmid

[Gizmo!]

dibbers006 said:

He is uninsured. Call the police.

Sounds quite likely.

Without seeing the accident and location though, difficult to tell who'd get the blame - the girl pulling out into traffic (however carefully), or the guy who couldn't stop.

£859 for a wing and bumper, fitted and sprayed up, doesn't sound too shocking actually.

[Flanders.]

Personally it would take alot of damage for me to my car to go through the insurance company. I'd ,much prefer to settle it outside of the insurance as your Premium will go up by quite alot. As far as I'm aware I'm insured too.

[Gizmo!]

CampDavid said:

MrPeters said:

Other guy wants to settle cash rather than go through insurance.

I would only rather settle with cash if

a: I wanted to rip someone off and make some money out of this

or

b: I myself wasn't insured

Personally I'd go with the latter. You could check up on askmid

I don't agree. I've never had a serious accident, but I've settled a couple of little parking bumps and scrapes. Not worth faffing abut with the insurers and have them load my policy for a minor respray of a panel or a new bumper.

[Shaw Tarse]

You can't specify where he has the repair done ( as far as I know)
If you have his reg run it through askmid.

[omgus]

CampDavid said:

askmid

Yep, Before anything else, ask for his Details, then check he is uninsured, if he isn't and you can deal with your own repairs i would be tempted to tell him to fk right off.

[CampDavid]

Gizmo! said:

CampDavid said:

MrPeters said:

Other guy wants to settle cash rather than go through insurance.

I would only rather settle with cash if

a: I wanted to rip someone off and make some money out of this

or

b: I myself wasn't insured

Personally I'd go with the latter. You could check up on askmid

I don't agree. I've never had a serious accident, but I've settled a couple of little parking bumps and scrapes. Not worth faffing abut with the insurers and have them load my policy for a minor respray of a panel or a new bumper.

I'd rather faff around with insurers than trying to get £860 out of someone who, judging by their car, may well not have £860 (no offence or slight meant)

As I say, check the reg on ask mid. It'll tell you all you need to know

[MrPeters]

He is insured, chaps - already checked!

[Shaw Tarse]

MrPeters said:

He is insured, chaps - already checked!

How do you know he's insured?

[MrPeters]

Shaw Tarse said:

MrPeters said:

He is insured, chaps - already checked!

How do you know he's insured?

Askmid.

[Gizmo!]

In which case it comes down to - does your gf want to put it through her insurance (technically she should have told them anyway, but never mind) with the potential loss of NCB and future premium increases - or does she want to get a couple more quotes from other garages?

At that sort of price it's borderline for me. But in any case I'd want to see the damage fixed before paying up, or alternatively get the garage to invoice me.

[N88]

Flanders. said:

Personally it would take alot of damage for me to my car to go through the insurance company. I'd ,much prefer to settle it outside of the insurance as your Premium will go up by quite alot. As far as I'm aware I'm insured too.

Same here.

[anonymous-user]

If that's the true quote then the insurance co. would view that as a write off I should think.

[Shaw Tarse]

MrPeters said:

Shaw Tarse said:

MrPeters said:

He is insured, chaps - already checked!

How do you know he's insured?

Askmid.

So you have reg number? You can find out what make & model of car he drives.

[MrPeters]

Shaw Tarse said:

MrPeters said:

Shaw Tarse said:

MrPeters said:

He is insured, chaps - already checked!

How do you know he's insured?

Askmid.

So you have reg number? You can find out what make & model of car he drives.

I have now, yes, it's a 107.

[Mazdarese]

doogz said:

Doesn't Askmid only tell you if the car is insured?

ASKMID only tells you if the car is on the Motor Insurance Database. There are cases where an insured car won't appear on there.

[BUG4LIFE]

I must be reading something wrong here! If the accident was your gf's fault, it's not his choice whether to go through the insurance companies, it's hers! If you both decide to sort in with cash, of course you can't tell him where to get the car repaired! You've got to agree on a figure or sort it through your insurance and let them decide.

I was the cause of a small accident about 5 years ago [I knocked over a motor bike I didn't see while reversing, doh!] and made a claim - it came out at about £650 and didn't effect my next insurance quote by that much, even though I lost 3 year NCB.

[Ocean]

Can you stipulate where? Well yes as this is an arrangement that you are making together to get his car repaired without involving insurers.

Have you asked him? I think it's only reasonable to get a couple of quotes.

With regards to him speeding and her pulling out.......if she pulled out in front of him, regardless of his speed, she is at fault I'm afraid so if you do put it through the insurance she will lose some NCB or a life on her NCB protection if she has it.

Technically speaking though, she should be declaring it.

Ocean

[MrPeters]

Thanks for the input chaps.

As you can tell I have no experience of this sort of things, hence the questions.