996 crash!

[WingedTiger]

I think i wrote of my 996 Targa last night - coming out of a roundabout, about 40, police say there was some grease on the exit - car spun then hit the barrier. Seems very crumpled at the front end (air bags didn't go off though - which is a bit wierd?!), one of the front wheels looks like its hanging off too. not good. this leads me to two questions:

How ready are insurance compnaies to write off now - i haven't crashed in 15 years doing over 30,000 a year so I haven't a clue. At least i may not have to sort my pentosin leakage problem out...

It didn't feel like is was my fault, but clearly no-one else was involved and I could have snuck around at 10mph i suppose - anyone know of any insurance companies that will treat me sympatheticaly - I can only imagine my premiums massively hiked and i can't afford to pay too much more - I'd hate to down grade to a...gulp....other car....

Cheers WT

[Fidgits]

the right off is simply a case of maths.

Cost to repair vs market value of the car.

[wrn]

WingedTiger said:

It didn't feel like is was my fault, but clearly no-one else was involved and I could have snuck around at 10mph i suppose

Sorry mate - but in the eyes of the insurers it was 100% your fault and no amount of begging is going to change that.

Bad luck - at least it's only a lump of replaceable metal that was damaged.

[dontfollowme]

I think all insurance companies will class this as a fault claim. However, I have seen instances where people have had a fault claims and where the NCD is protected it hasn't made a different on renewal. This is not all cases though.

[Clevers]

mate I feel gutted for you, but thankfully you are OK

[phelix]

If it's not too late ask the police to document in writing that there was something slippery (oil, grease, etc) on the roundabout. There's a very slight chance that fact might be of some use. Any other similar accidents before/after yours?

[cardigankid]

Think carefully before you make a claim on your insurers. It may just possibly be better to take it on the chin and keep your premiums low. After a claim like that you won't find it easy to insure with anyone, for years. Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

[Lighty]

I think a full loss will cost yoy a 20% bonus loss , if that makes sense.

[guyvert1]

cardigankid said:

Think carefully before you make a claim on your insurers. It may just possibly be better to take it on the chin and keep your premiums low. After a claim like that you won't find it easy to insure with anyone, for years. Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would take a 996 right off on the chin, insurance is taken for a purpose!!!

[Silver993tt]

cardigankid said:

Think carefully before you make a claim on your insurers. It may just possibly be better to take it on the chin and keep your premiums low. After a claim like that you won't find it easy to insure with anyone, for years. Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

I had a head on crash about 14 years ago. My car skidded on a bend in the wet and hit a car coming the other way. The other guy died and both cars were wrtiiten off. Technically it was my fault, since I was obviously on the wrong side of the road (and that's how the insurers saw it). Witnesses stated that I wasn't speeding or doing anything strange when the car suddenly went sideways. The police of course disputed that but had no evidence to back up their claims. A couple of months later, they re-enginnered the road and built a new roundabout nearby (which never came up in the long legal stuff afterwards. I discovered that there were quite a few accidents in the same spot.

With regards my inusurance, I had no problem a year later getting insured, the claim didn't seem to make much difference when I bought a brand new Corrado VR6 Storm.

[johnmaddox]

Glad you were ok.

Even if you don't claim (!!!!!!) you have still (possibly) written a car off and as such I think you would have to declare it - especially as police were involved.

[superlightr]

pleased your ok.

I wrote off my 996tt a 2 half years ago. Got full payout from my insurer (as only had the car for 3 mths - 70k and my premium went down the next year with them! Needless to say Im still with the same insurer.

I did have protected no claims. But I recon if I drive for another 50 yrs I will still be quids in....

[WingedTiger]

phelix said:

If it's not too late ask the police to document in writing that there was something slippery (oil, grease, etc) on the roundabout. There's a very slight chance that fact might be of some use. Any other similar accidents before/after yours?

I gather they've already noted in teh report there was grease on the road - but I know teh insurance companies aren't charities...any excuse.

[WingedTiger]

Silver993tt said:

cardigankid said:

Think carefully before you make a claim on your insurers. It may just possibly be better to take it on the chin and keep your premiums low. After a claim like that you won't find it easy to insure with anyone, for years. Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

I had a head on crash about 14 years ago. My car skidded on a bend in the wet and hit a car coming the other way. The other guy died and both cars were wrtiiten off. Technically it was my fault, since I was obviously on the wrong side of the road (and that's how the insurers saw it). Witnesses stated that I wasn't speeding or doing anything strange when the car suddenly went sideways. The police of course disputed that but had no evidence to back up their claims. A couple of months later, they re-enginnered the road and built a new roundabout nearby (which never came up in the long legal stuff afterwards. I discovered that there were quite a few accidents in the same spot.

With regards my inusurance, I had no problem a year later getting insured, the claim didn't seem to make much difference when I bought a brand new Corrado VR6 Storm.

Blimey - puts mine into perspective. To be honest i'm most botehred about having to potentially drive around in a Golf for a couple of years, but in teh big scheme of things its only a few quid down the pan - no one was hurt.

[He Skunk]

You have my sincere sympathy. I crashed my 996TT only 2wks after buying it in a totally needless display of pilot error on my part.It will be out of commision for a month or two, and sick as a parrot doesn't do justice to what I felt immediately afterwards. Like you the only thing hurt was my pride ,and no doubt to come on next renewal time, my wallet. With the benefit of hindsight I am able appreciate the most important consideration is that I didn't hurt myself or anyone else, and, all said and done it's a lump of metal, but it still stings to come on here as a castrated Porschist so soon after finally buying one. Hopefully I'm not too old and stubborn to have learned from my cock-up.

Edited by He Skunk on Sunday 19th August 20:22

[burriana]

cardigankid said:

Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

Are you joking? If by any chance you aren't, then the answer is ... ever so slightly, yes.

And you'd have to inform your "spare" insurer of the crash anyway.

[cardigankid]

Silver993tt said:

cardigankid said:

Think carefully before you make a claim on your insurers. It may just possibly be better to take it on the chin and keep your premiums low. After a claim like that you won't find it easy to insure with anyone, for years. Would it be fraudulent to take out another policy now with another insurer, with the benefit of your current no claims bonus, before you make a claim? If so, I wouldn't suggest it.

I had a head on crash about 14 years ago. My car skidded on a bend in the wet and hit a car coming the other way. The other guy died and both cars were wrtiiten off. Technically it was my fault, since I was obviously on the wrong side of the road (and that's how the insurers saw it). Witnesses stated that I wasn't speeding or doing anything strange when the car suddenly went sideways. The police of course disputed that but had no evidence to back up their claims. A couple of months later, they re-enginnered the road and built a new roundabout nearby (which never came up in the long legal stuff afterwards. I discovered that there were quite a few accidents in the same spot.

With regards my inusurance, I had no problem a year later getting insured, the claim didn't seem to make much difference when I bought a brand new Corrado VR6 Storm.

Would you like to share with us who your insurers were because they seem to have been very understanding people? Did they take the claim from the other man's family, which I imagine would have been heavy? Normally, if a car 'goes into a skid' it would be treated as driver error. On the other hand I have seen people claim successfully because of faults in the road including failure by the council to grit in freezing conditions. To remodel the road is not something I imagine that the insurers loss adjusters, who could be looking at a claim running well into six figures, would not notice. Accidents involving a fatality can also take a long time to sort out the liabilities.

I would clearly not wish our targa man to suffer. Maybe he should discuss this with the insurer and see what is going to happen. My own experience was that I accumulated 12 points on my licence some years ago, got an automatic six month ban as a result, with a zero claims record by the way, and was subsequently quoted £4500 per annum to insure an E46 M3 and £2500 for a Honda S2000. All except Porsche Insurance, who reduced their premiums, but weren't interested in insuring other than Porsches.