Getting name of runaway driver?
Discussion
Try to keep this to the point:
Car gets crashed into at side of road whist parked in correct parking zone (to the extent that it will likely be writen off by Insurance company)
No note or any details left
One week passes
Stood at the side of the vehicle on saturday and a witness comes forward, happy to testify and provides registration. Though she had informed police at the time.
Guilty party is insured.
Want to use accident management company (not intrested in hearing any views about this, we've all discussed it at length before) but cannot do so until a name is provided as well as all the other details.
Is there a fast track service to do this? The police are being more than useless given that they couldn't put the two events (one raised by us, the other by the witness) together.
Any pointers?
please don't say DVLA.
Thanks.
Car gets crashed into at side of road whist parked in correct parking zone (to the extent that it will likely be writen off by Insurance company)
No note or any details left
One week passes
Stood at the side of the vehicle on saturday and a witness comes forward, happy to testify and provides registration. Though she had informed police at the time.
Guilty party is insured.
Want to use accident management company (not intrested in hearing any views about this, we've all discussed it at length before) but cannot do so until a name is provided as well as all the other details.
Is there a fast track service to do this? The police are being more than useless given that they couldn't put the two events (one raised by us, the other by the witness) together.
Any pointers?
please don't say DVLA.
Thanks.
Edited by Jimbo_vx on Monday 12th December 15:00
There's a bit of an issue here - it's one thing to have a witness and a registration of the car which 'alledgedly' hit yours - it's another to know that it was that car AND who was driving it.
Those things need to be established by the Police - insurers can't do a great deal until they've done their bit.
and... you'll not be surprised to know that they don't really take this bit of their job too seriously...
Years ago I was rammed in a traffic queue by an idiot in a van trying to cut it - reported to the Police, they took 10 days to wander over to the owners of the van, who said "we had no idea the van had been damaged" and the Police left it at that...
If you're invisaging them doing a CSI-style investigation of the car to check for paintwork etc - you might be a bit disappointed.
Best case, they'll trawl their lazy arse to the registered owner 'eventually' and unless they immediate admit to it (or their car is serious chopped-liver on their drive) they'll drop it.
At which point - you're paying for the damage yourself...
Any CCTV around the area?
Those things need to be established by the Police - insurers can't do a great deal until they've done their bit.
and... you'll not be surprised to know that they don't really take this bit of their job too seriously...
Years ago I was rammed in a traffic queue by an idiot in a van trying to cut it - reported to the Police, they took 10 days to wander over to the owners of the van, who said "we had no idea the van had been damaged" and the Police left it at that...
If you're invisaging them doing a CSI-style investigation of the car to check for paintwork etc - you might be a bit disappointed.
Best case, they'll trawl their lazy arse to the registered owner 'eventually' and unless they immediate admit to it (or their car is serious chopped-liver on their drive) they'll drop it.
At which point - you're paying for the damage yourself...
Any CCTV around the area?
It could be a regional thing, same thing happened me few years ago and the cops were great (didnt catch the fecker but that was pissed/stoned witnesses fault not cops), had several phone calls to let me know what was happening by the cop dealing with it, and he genuinely seemed to want to catch him and do him for hit and run to the full extent.
I know you dont want advice but be sure youre onto the right guy before using the claims company, they run mega bills up and if he isnt the culprit youre left holding a very inflated bill!
I know you dont want advice but be sure youre onto the right guy before using the claims company, they run mega bills up and if he isnt the culprit youre left holding a very inflated bill!
I double-checked this today with someone who used to be a traffic cop and he confirmed that your insurer cannot really do much with just an registration number and the word of 1 witness...
The Police need to track-down the car and find out where it was/who was driving it and whether it has any damage which matches yours. He reckoned you'll need to chase them - remind them it was reported twice and ask why they've not yet looked into it/when they expect to do so.
Thing is tho - if it's not really, really obvious (damage on the matching side with traces of paint matching yours) then it really does come down to their word against yours - your witness could clearly have gotten the reg wrong or just made it up because it was them who actually did the damage or anything - and the Police won't roll out Sherlock Holmes or CSI...
The Police need to track-down the car and find out where it was/who was driving it and whether it has any damage which matches yours. He reckoned you'll need to chase them - remind them it was reported twice and ask why they've not yet looked into it/when they expect to do so.
Thing is tho - if it's not really, really obvious (damage on the matching side with traces of paint matching yours) then it really does come down to their word against yours - your witness could clearly have gotten the reg wrong or just made it up because it was them who actually did the damage or anything - and the Police won't roll out Sherlock Holmes or CSI...
I assume the OP doesn't want to ask his insurer to do the work as he wants an Accident Management company (given they get such an arse-licking on here, find it a bit odd that your chosen one is refusing to even help, but there you go, the impression given is that they are always helpful, who knew they weren't) to handle the claim.
Your insurer will simply look up the Reg No on MID, and send off the details to the TP Insurer, who will then try to contact their insured. They can then respond to the claim. Maybe the car was stolen, in which case the "guilty driver" wasn't "insured" afterall. And the Police would have to find the driver before the Insurer would be liable, otherwise you are looking at a Claim on the MIB under the Untraced Drivers Agreement if you are TP only (or want to make this difficult for yourself). If you are comprehensively insured your insurer *may* waive the Excess and NCD if you can identify the vehicle - Direct Line do.
Fail to understand why the AMC won't tell you all of this or be able to do the MID search. That won't give you the name of the driver, but they can start the process.
Your insurer will simply look up the Reg No on MID, and send off the details to the TP Insurer, who will then try to contact their insured. They can then respond to the claim. Maybe the car was stolen, in which case the "guilty driver" wasn't "insured" afterall. And the Police would have to find the driver before the Insurer would be liable, otherwise you are looking at a Claim on the MIB under the Untraced Drivers Agreement if you are TP only (or want to make this difficult for yourself). If you are comprehensively insured your insurer *may* waive the Excess and NCD if you can identify the vehicle - Direct Line do.
Fail to understand why the AMC won't tell you all of this or be able to do the MID search. That won't give you the name of the driver, but they can start the process.
Edited by Noger on Tuesday 13th December 09:00
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