Valeting company bumped my car

[Norgles]

Hi,

Long time PH’er but don’t post much, I have tried searching on PH for the answer but can’t find it so apology’s in advance if this has been asked before .

Long story short(ish). One of those valeting companies you often find in city centre multi stories has bumped my car. An older Gent hit it from behind as one of the Valeter’s from the company was reversing out of a spot (I was inside paying at the time).

The car was hot in the rear left corner and the damage looks cosmetic (some deep scratches to bumper and bit of bumper popped away from body), all the shut lines look good from what I can see and the exhaust heat shields which jut up to the bumper underneath look crease free but obviously needs looking at properly for any damage to mounts etc and then fixing properly.

Owner of the company came about 20 mins after incident and told me and the other party who drove into the back of my car that their company insurance will sort out both cars and that once I have booked it in at my dealer (Car is a 8 month old XC90) they will pay for the repair. I obviously have pictures of the damage to both cars, other parties contact details and details of the valet company (plus they will be getting CCTV footage). To be fair I was more worried for the poor lad driving my car, he looked mortified, was all shakey and looked like he was going to throw up. Told him not to worry as it is only a lump of metal and no one is hurt, also told the owner to not be too harsh with him.

My question is do I need to tell my insurance in this instance as I personally was not involved or just the valet companies insurance sort it out since they have cover?

I usually clean my own car, guess it serves me right for being lazy due to it being rainy and miserable out but on the bright side I did not pay for the valet and they paid my car park ticket.

Any advice would be great, thanks!

[anonymous-user]

Claim on their insurance before they disappear overnight.

[Norgles]

Thanks Flashbang. They have been around for over 26 years and have 11 branches so hopefully they will still be around but I get your point.

Edited by Norgles on Sunday 26th January 16:46

[Bemmer]

Inform your insurance company for it to be logged just incase things turn awkward and you need them to chase it up at a later date.

[Norgles]

Understood, thanks both. Will do it now.

[martinbiz]

Unless I’ve misunderstood, the other party drove into your car, yes? Why would the valeting co suggest they will fix both cars, seems a strange way of dealing with it, almost as if maybe the employee driving shouldn’t have been. If you don’t already have them, I would be obtaining the 3rd party’s details and claiming direct from them. And don’t be too confident about the valeting being around forever.

[KungFuPanda]

martinbiz said:

Unless I’ve misunderstood, the other party drove into your car, yes? Why would the valeting co suggest they will fix both cars, seems a strange way of dealing with it, almost as if maybe the employee driving shouldn’t have been. If you don’t already have them, I would be obtaining the 3rd party’s details and claiming direct from them. And don’t be too confident about the valeting being around forever.

So if you were driving along in a car park, I reverse out of a parking bay into your path and you hit my vehicle, you'd be happy to accept liability?

[martinbiz]

KungFuPanda said:

martinbiz said:

Unless I’ve misunderstood, the other party drove into your car, yes? Why would the valeting co suggest they will fix both cars, seems a strange way of dealing with it, almost as if maybe the employee driving shouldn’t have been. If you don’t already have them, I would be obtaining the 3rd party’s details and claiming direct from them. And don’t be too confident about the valeting being around forever.

So if you were driving along in a car park, I reverse out of a parking bay into your path and you hit my vehicle, you'd be happy to accept liability?

The OP’s wording “hit my car” suggested the other party was at fault? We weren’t there so who knows?

[Norgles]

Sorry for not being clear. I don’t know who hit who. Either the valeting employee reversed my car out and did not see the other driver or vice versa. I did not see the incident (although I heard the crunch) as I was inside paying.

Either way does not matter as all I needed was advice on if I need to tell my insurance company, which I got and have now done. The valeting company have CCTV as does the multi storey so that will show what happened I am sure. I will let my insurance, the other drivers insurance and the valet companies insurance sort it out. Thanks for the advice all.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

You don't need to tell your insurance. Someone else was using your car, and they had their own insurance on it to cover any accidents. No different from me lending my car to my brother, he insures it, he crashes it, his insurer fixes it.

If you lease a car, insure it and crash it, and get it repaired, does the lease company have to tell their own insurer?

[martinbiz]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

If you lease a car, insure it and crash it, and get it repaired, does the lease company have to tell their own insurer?

Not really the same as the OP’s scenario though is it. A lease co wouldn’t have any insurable interest in the car
I agree he doesn’t need to tell them though

Edited by martinbiz on Sunday 26th January 21:50

[Sheepshanks]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

You don't need to tell your insurance. Someone else was using your car, and they had their own insurance on it to cover any accidents. No different from me lending my car to my brother, he insures it, he crashes it, his insurer fixes it.

What happens if your parked car gets hit and it's sorted out by the other driver's insurance?

[KungFuPanda]

Sheepshanks said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

You don't need to tell your insurance. Someone else was using your car, and they had their own insurance on it to cover any accidents. No different from me lending my car to my brother, he insures it, he crashes it, his insurer fixes it.

What happens if your parked car gets hit and it's sorted out by the other driver's insurance?

Well it depends on the specific terms of the disclosure. If they ask about claims you have to declare because you’ll be claiming off the third party who drove into you parked car.

The OP’s situation is different because an employee of the valeting place was in control of the vehicle. The valeting company will be making the claim from their own insurance so there’s nothing for the OP to declare.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Sheepshanks said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

You don't need to tell your insurance. Someone else was using your car, and they had their own insurance on it to cover any accidents. No different from me lending my car to my brother, he insures it, he crashes it, his insurer fixes it.

What happens if your parked car gets hit and it's sorted out by the other driver's insurance?

Then is would be disclosable. You are making the claim. But in this case, the valet company have had an accident and are claiming off their insurance. If they had the vehicle for a week to valet it, they could have damaged it and had it fixed under their insurance without the OP ever even knowing.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

martinbiz said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

If you lease a car, insure it and crash it, and get it repaired, does the lease company have to tell their own insurer?

Not really the same as the OP’s scenario though is it. A lease co wouldn’t have any insurable interest in the car
I agree he doesn’t need to tell them though

Edited by martinbiz on Sunday 26th January 21:50

The lease company do have an insurance interest, they are the owner of the car. But someone else is using their car and insuring it, so the lease co do not need to tell their insurer. Just like the OP, someone else was using his car and insured it.

[Norgles]

Thanks again all for the input and advice. To hopefully help others in the future my insurance company have called me back to say thanks for telling them but they do not need to be involved as the Valet companies insurance will deal with it. They have made a note on my account should it all go wrong and they have to be involved. But as of this moment it does not count as a claim against my policy.

Fingers crossed, it just gets sorted now.

[martinbiz]

Norgles said:

Thanks again all for the input and advice. To hopefully help others in the future my insurance company have called me back to say thanks for telling them but they do not need to be involved as the Valet companies insurance will deal with it. They have made a note on my account should it all go wrong and they have to be involved. But as of this moment it does not count as a claim against my policy.

Fingers crossed, it just gets sorted now.

It doesn’t count as a claim, no but it still may affect your premium renewal as a no fault accident, may have been better not to say anything

[vonhosen]

martinbiz said:

Norgles said:

Thanks again all for the input and advice. To hopefully help others in the future my insurance company have called me back to say thanks for telling them but they do not need to be involved as the Valet companies insurance will deal with it. They have made a note on my account should it all go wrong and they have to be involved. But as of this moment it does not count as a claim against my policy.

Fingers crossed, it just gets sorted now.

It doesn’t count as a claim, no but it still may affect your premium renewal as a no fault accident, may have been better not to say anything

He didn't have an accident, the valet did.
If your partner has an accident in your car, it's her that has had the accident not you.
If you make a claim following her accident then you've had a claim in addition to her accident.
If it's you who has the accident & then claims, then it's you who has an accident & claim.

[Norgles]

Insurer confirmed that it will not impact my policy at all.

[martinbiz]

That’s good to hear