Claiming off a neighbours home insurance for car damage
Discussion
We had high winds overnight on Monday and I woke up to find that two of the bargeboards from my neighbours house had been blown off and bounced off my car creating various scratches/dents on the front wing, A pillar and a dent in the roof (looks like at least one of the bargeboards landed diagonally on the car). A rough estimate puts the damage around 800-1k.
The neighbours called their home insurance but they said that I should claim off my car insurance and my car insurance will recover the costs from their home insurance.
I then called my car insurance and they said that they could not guarantee that they will be able to recover the costs from the neighbours home insurance and that if I put it through as a claim then I would have to pay the excess and then see what happened.
Worst case the neighbours house insurance would not pay and I would have a claim on my record, best case it would be a no fault claim as they would be able to recover the costs.
I don't understand why my car insurance doesn't like the idea of claiming off a house insurance policy nor why I should be taking the 'risk' of putting in a claim for something that isn't my fault when the other party has (in theory) insurance to cover it.
Has anyone gone through something similar and what was the outcome?
The neighbours called their home insurance but they said that I should claim off my car insurance and my car insurance will recover the costs from their home insurance.
I then called my car insurance and they said that they could not guarantee that they will be able to recover the costs from the neighbours home insurance and that if I put it through as a claim then I would have to pay the excess and then see what happened.
Worst case the neighbours house insurance would not pay and I would have a claim on my record, best case it would be a no fault claim as they would be able to recover the costs.
I don't understand why my car insurance doesn't like the idea of claiming off a house insurance policy nor why I should be taking the 'risk' of putting in a claim for something that isn't my fault when the other party has (in theory) insurance to cover it.
Has anyone gone through something similar and what was the outcome?
Negligence - that's why.
If it was unforeseeable and unavoidable it's an act of god. You're still covered, but they are not negligent.
If they continually had issues with these falling down, were not maintained properly, or the like - Then they could be negligent.
I would say you will have difficulty but it is not impossible to claim. Can you prove negligence?
If it was unforeseeable and unavoidable it's an act of god. You're still covered, but they are not negligent.
If they continually had issues with these falling down, were not maintained properly, or the like - Then they could be negligent.
I would say you will have difficulty but it is not impossible to claim. Can you prove negligence?
Years ago, I had some tiles blow off my roof in a storm and they landed on my neighbours drive where her car is normally parked. Fortunately she had parked the car in her garage that night.
My understanding is that unless I was negligent (new house, new roof etc) then she had no recourse through me or my home insurance unless I was negligent (house falling to bits, roof needing replacing decades ago etc). In all likelihood I would have paid out of my own pocket had any damage occurred because we have great neighbours.
Your car Insurer is right in that they are unlikely to be able to claim off the neighbours household policy.
My understanding is that unless I was negligent (new house, new roof etc) then she had no recourse through me or my home insurance unless I was negligent (house falling to bits, roof needing replacing decades ago etc). In all likelihood I would have paid out of my own pocket had any damage occurred because we have great neighbours.
Your car Insurer is right in that they are unlikely to be able to claim off the neighbours household policy.
joropug said:
Negligence - that's why.
If it was unforeseeable and unavoidable it's an act of god. You're still covered, but they are not negligent.
My neighbour's wheelie bin blew into my car. I just paid the bill, rather than go through my insurance, but I've no issue accepting that were I to do so, it's my insurance, and my claim - and my excess.If it was unforeseeable and unavoidable it's an act of god. You're still covered, but they are not negligent.
One of those things.
Thanks all. As I pretty much thought the insurance route is a non starter so now I have three options.
1. Present the neighbours with the quote to fix the damage and see what they say.
2. Pay for it myself whilst cursing insurance companies.
3. Do nothing and take the hit on trade in/get it fixed nearer the time.
Option 4 would be to put it through the insurance. But once you have factored in the excess, the cost of the repair and having to declare it for the next 5 years it would be cheaper for me to pay for it myself. Plus previous experience of insurance 'preferred' body shops has not been great and I could do without that back and forth as well.
1. Present the neighbours with the quote to fix the damage and see what they say.
2. Pay for it myself whilst cursing insurance companies.
3. Do nothing and take the hit on trade in/get it fixed nearer the time.
Option 4 would be to put it through the insurance. But once you have factored in the excess, the cost of the repair and having to declare it for the next 5 years it would be cheaper for me to pay for it myself. Plus previous experience of insurance 'preferred' body shops has not been great and I could do without that back and forth as well.
KTF said:
I very much doubt it as they seemed attached - weren't flapping about, etc - until the high winds.
Makes the insurance aspect pointless then if they can simply say 'bad luck' and get out of it.
Who is saying "bad luck"? YOU have insurance for YOUR stuff. How is that pointless? Makes the insurance aspect pointless then if they can simply say 'bad luck' and get out of it.
KTF said:
Thanks all. As I pretty much thought the insurance route is a non starter so now I have three options.
1. Present the neighbours with the quote to fix the damage and see what they say.
2. Pay for it myself whilst cursing insurance companies.
3. Do nothing and take the hit on trade in/get it fixed nearer the time.
Option 4 would be to put it through the insurance. But once you have factored in the excess, the cost of the repair and having to declare it for the next 5 years it would be cheaper for me to pay for it myself. Plus previous experience of insurance 'preferred' body shops has not been great and I could do without that back and forth as well.
Sorry, option 2? why are you cursing the insurance companies?1. Present the neighbours with the quote to fix the damage and see what they say.
2. Pay for it myself whilst cursing insurance companies.
3. Do nothing and take the hit on trade in/get it fixed nearer the time.
Option 4 would be to put it through the insurance. But once you have factored in the excess, the cost of the repair and having to declare it for the next 5 years it would be cheaper for me to pay for it myself. Plus previous experience of insurance 'preferred' body shops has not been great and I could do without that back and forth as well.
Accidents happen. You bought insurance for your car, agreeing to an excess. They appear to be happy to pay (subject to excess).
Curse the cruelty of life, and then reflect about first world problems
OverSteery said:
Sorry, option 2? why are you cursing the insurance companies?
Because something fell off the neighbours house on to my car and, despite it not being my fault, I have to pay for the damage (either myself or through my insurance) to be fixed even though they have house insurance which seemingly doesn't cover this sort of thing.sxmwht said:
How is that pointless?
Because I would have expected their house insurance to cover it given that it was bits of their house that fell on to my car.If bits of their car had landed on my car then I would already be claiming off their car insurance but because the bits came from their house, different rules seemingly apply.
KTF said:
Because I would have expected their house insurance to cover it given that it was bits of their house that fell on to my car.
If bits of their car had landed on my car then I would already be claiming off their car insurance but because the bits came from their house, different rules seemingly apply.
Different rules don’t apply at all. If their bonnet having previously been securely attached had blown off and hit your car then guess what? Same situation. If bits of their car had landed on my car then I would already be claiming off their car insurance but because the bits came from their house, different rules seemingly apply.
The only difference with car insurance claims is that there is usually negligence involved. There have definitely been threads here where negligence or lack of have been discussed in relation to collisions between cars though.
Dingu said:
Different rules don’t apply at all. If their bonnet having previously been securely attached had blown off and hit your car then guess what? Same situation.
How would that have been the same as my car insurance would have claimed off their car insurance as per any other 'accident'? Because its car insurance claiming off a house insurance they dont seem to be able to guarantee they can recover the costs.KTF said:
OverSteery said:
Sorry, option 2? why are you cursing the insurance companies?
Because something fell off the neighbours house on to my car and, despite it not being my fault, I have to pay for the damage (either myself or through my insurance) to be fixed even though they have house insurance which seemingly doesn't cover this sort of thing.Sometimes things just happen. This is quite literally why you have insurance.
KTF said:
Because something fell off the neighbours house on to my car and, despite it not being my fault, I have to pay for the damage (either myself or through my insurance) to be fixed even though they have house insurance which seemingly doesn't cover this sort of thing.
But it's not your neighbour's fault either. It was the wind. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff