Car park ding, insurance question

Car park ding, insurance question

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Discussion

FiF

Original Poster:

44,232 posts

252 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Car insurance question. Quite some time back now managed to make minor contact with another vehicle in a car park. My fault, really bloody annoyed with myself as this was the only damage ever done to any vehicle in my driving career , owner or 3rd party vehicles, at least outside of motorsport related stuff. Basically trying to fit a large vehicle through a clearly marginal space, to save what? Effing idiot. No damage to mine, but some scuffs and transfer of mud onto bumper of the other, a cheap 16 Yr old very shiny hatchback but in really really good nick, maybe worth 1k.

Other driver not present, go into supermarket, get call put out, nice lady rocks up, I fess up, we go out, show her, friendly conversation, apologise profusely, get thanks for being honest, her suggestion we shouldn't claim but sort it out with cash.

My response was I am contractually obliged to report this so will be doing so, or words to that effect. Reported, no damage my side, but assigned as an at fault incident, fair enough. Expected to get reamed for other vehicle written off, hire car, what have you. Get text couple days after from her saying they've reported it to their insurance.

Now months later insurance co now informed me case closed as no claim has been made by any party, no effect on ncd, though that depends on status in future in case something changes, again understand that, fair enough. (Clearly they'll up premium anyway, my thoughts) But that in future when dealing with insurance companies will have to mention it, but refer to it as a "no fault incident."

Maybe a result, maybe the damage was just mud which wiped off, pretty certain not the case. Somewhat confused how something I admit was my fault can be defined as 'no fault'.

randlemarcus

13,531 posts

232 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Arcane insurance definition? Fault does seem to be related to getting their payout back, and if there's no payout, there can't be fault, can there?

Pica-Pica

13,900 posts

85 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
I damaged another car in a car park. I misjudged my swing and scraped the side of their car. I owned up, and agreed to pay cash. She booked the car into a repair place. I turned up with cash (a couple of hundred), and paid the repairer. I got her to sign a ‘full and final settlement’. I informed my insurance company of a ‘private settlement’, and my insurer kept a note on file, in case they made a claim later. There was no effect on premiums after that. Apart from my original fault of hitting her car, everything went smoothly and hassle-free, with no further consequences.

I don’t know if any of that helps.

ETA: perhaps the other party had just reported it to their insurer as a precaution in case further damage came to light. So perhaps they thought any repair was minor and not worth the trouble of getting it repaired, especially as you had been honest. Karma does pay back sometimes.

Edited by Pica-Pica on Wednesday 28th February 12:01

Random_Person

18,375 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land.

Contractually obliged to whom - insurance company? Where do you draw the line though - you don't report every stone chip entailed. I would say you are not obliged, fair wear and tear.

martinbiz

3,152 posts

146 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land.

Contractually obliged to whom - insurance company? Where do you draw the line though - you don't report every stone chip entailed. I would say you are not obliged, fair wear and tear.
A stone chip is not an RTA so not even close as an anology and for the purposes of insurance a car park to which the public have access strangely is a public place, who owns it and whether or not it is a road is irrelevant

To suggest you can drive around a car park and randomly hit other cars and it be classed as fair wear and tear is frankly ridiculous

Edited by martinbiz on Wednesday 28th February 12:49

Ham_and_Jam

2,268 posts

98 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land.

Contractually obliged to whom - insurance company? Where do you draw the line though - you don't report every stone chip entailed. I would say you are not obliged, fair wear and tear.
[info just plucked from thin air]

Pica-Pica

13,900 posts

85 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land..
Your point? There is still damage, and fault. It matters not where it occurred.

pavarotti1980

4,977 posts

85 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land.

Contractually obliged to whom - insurance company? Where do you draw the line though - you don't report every stone chip entailed. I would say you are not obliged, fair wear and tear.
A supermarket car park would be classed as a highway in reference to Road Traffic Act.

Also you may want to read your insurance policy for T&Cs to see what your obligations are in relation to collisions etc

monthou

4,636 posts

51 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
If someone scraped my car slightly in a supermarket car park, took the trouble to find me and was polite about it there is zero chance I would be making an insurance claim. It would be different if I wasn't driving a shed but one more scratch is neither here nor there. Maybe she felt similarly.

Ham_and_Jam

2,268 posts

98 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
monthou said:
If someone scraped my car slightly in a supermarket car park, took the trouble to find me and was polite about it there is zero chance I would be making an insurance claim. It would be different if I wasn't driving a shed but one more scratch is neither here nor there. Maybe she felt similarly.
But there isn’t a one size fits all.

If I had a scrape down the side of my car, it would probably result in a claim as I would expect the finish to be as previous.

Knowing how some people think this would be about £50 from Bobs paint shop it might come as a shock when the actual cost is presented.


monthou

4,636 posts

51 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
But there isn’t a one size fits all.
Well obviously.
Hence 'It would be different if...' and 'Maybe...'.
Not sure how I could have made that clearer.

Ham_and_Jam

2,268 posts

98 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
monthou said:
Well obviously.
Hence 'It would be different if...' and 'Maybe...'.
Not sure how I could have made that clearer.
I was agreeIng.

monthou

4,636 posts

51 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Ham_and_Jam said:
monthou said:
Well obviously.
Hence 'It would be different if...' and 'Maybe...'.
Not sure how I could have made that clearer.
I was agreeIng.
Sorry. getmecoat

James6112

4,476 posts

29 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Nothing to add.
Apart from, good of you to have done the right thing.

Ham_and_Jam

2,268 posts

98 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
monthou said:
Sorry. getmecoat
all good beer

BertBert

19,115 posts

212 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
FiF said:
Somewhat confused how something I admit was my fault can be defined as 'no fault'.
If you think of it as the insurance claim that your insurers had to pay out on as "your fault" - there was no claim to pay so nothing to be at fault over?

Mr Tidy

22,596 posts

128 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
pavarotti1980 said:
Random_Person said:
Supermarket car parks are not defined as "roads" do despite being a public place it is essentially private land.

Contractually obliged to whom - insurance company? Where do you draw the line though - you don't report every stone chip entailed. I would say you are not obliged, fair wear and tear.
A supermarket car park would be classed as a highway in reference to Road Traffic Act.

Also you may want to read your insurance policy for T&Cs to see what your obligations are in relation to collisions etc
Exactly, the RTA definition of public road is basically any road to which the public have access.

Great outcome for FiF though. thumbup

Random_Person

18,375 posts

207 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
You are wrong. Public places and roads differ.

A car park is not a road. Supermarket scrapes are of no interest to most, scrapes in such places are fair wear and tear and can be sorted directly, as the land is private. Its still a public place open to the public, but it is not a road.

Look up Griffin v Squires 1958 if you can be bothered. Or if you can't, speak to a legal professional rather than rely on PH where only 0.0005% of the population post - and usually incorrectly.

BertBert

19,115 posts

212 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
You are wrong. Public places and roads differ.

A car park is not a road. Supermarket scrapes are of no interest to most, scrapes in such places are fair wear and tear and can be sorted directly, as the land is private. Its still a public place open to the public, but it is not a road.

Look up Griffin v Squires 1958 if you can be bothered. Or if you can't, speak to a legal professional rather than rely on PH where only 0.0005% of the population post - and usually incorrectly.
What is your point in relation to the thread?

pavarotti1980

4,977 posts

85 months

Wednesday 28th February
quotequote all
Random_Person said:
You are wrong. Public places and roads differ.

A car park is not a road. Supermarket scrapes are of no interest to most, scrapes in such places are fair wear and tear and can be sorted directly, as the land is private. Its still a public place open to the public, but it is not a road.

Look up Griffin v Squires 1958 if you can be bothered. Or if you can't, speak to a legal professional rather than rely on PH where only 0.0005% of the population post - and usually incorrectly.
I certainly don't be relying on you for accurate information.

If you can be bothered check out the RTA and then you may realise you were wrong and continue to be.