PRANG! insurance help please?
Discussion
Aaaagh BUGGER!
Just had a minor prang in the car park used by the office.
Need some advice while I try to stop shaking (slightly, but surprisingly)…
Follow ‘Car A’ into car park (2 open-gated access, owned by somebody else, but authorised use by our office) – he comes to stop at end of single row of cars, and I make to go around him and down next row (U-shaped maneouver around him IYSWIM).
Except as I am half way around, he sets off again – I see this and hit brakes and stop, and he still runs into my front wing.
Get out – minor damage to front wings/indicators both cars.
He does not admit liability, but admits he was stationary… but just gives me his card, and says it is a company vehicle so no probs (?)
The problem is that I am driving my Fiancee’s car, which I am covered fully comp. as named driver, but also 3rd party on my insurance.
So I guess I just pass on the details to one of the companies – but which one? ‘cos I can see this going pear shaped as:
1) It’s a car park
2) No witnesses
3) Apart from he had a passenger
4) Unclear markings to car parking spaces
5) He could easily claim it's all my fault
The ins. companies are just gonna go ‘knock-for-knock’ at best I reckon
That would not be OK, but at least I can get bodywork at cost or less to sort mine v. cheaply, but don't want a claim/accident record sitting on my insurance. But I want ot even less sitting on Fiancee's insurance!
What the hell do I do now?
Cheers, Phil (shaking slightly less now)
Just had a minor prang in the car park used by the office.
Need some advice while I try to stop shaking (slightly, but surprisingly)…
Follow ‘Car A’ into car park (2 open-gated access, owned by somebody else, but authorised use by our office) – he comes to stop at end of single row of cars, and I make to go around him and down next row (U-shaped maneouver around him IYSWIM).
Except as I am half way around, he sets off again – I see this and hit brakes and stop, and he still runs into my front wing.
Get out – minor damage to front wings/indicators both cars.
He does not admit liability, but admits he was stationary… but just gives me his card, and says it is a company vehicle so no probs (?)
The problem is that I am driving my Fiancee’s car, which I am covered fully comp. as named driver, but also 3rd party on my insurance.
So I guess I just pass on the details to one of the companies – but which one? ‘cos I can see this going pear shaped as:
1) It’s a car park
2) No witnesses
3) Apart from he had a passenger
4) Unclear markings to car parking spaces
5) He could easily claim it's all my fault
The ins. companies are just gonna go ‘knock-for-knock’ at best I reckon
That would not be OK, but at least I can get bodywork at cost or less to sort mine v. cheaply, but don't want a claim/accident record sitting on my insurance. But I want ot even less sitting on Fiancee's insurance!
What the hell do I do now?
Cheers, Phil (shaking slightly less now)
Sorry to hear about your accident, Phil.
So he has to claim from insurance, then. You can't just shake hands over it and agree to repair your own cars and forget it if there's a company car involved, AFAIK. Can you??
The passenger makes no difference either way, so it's still his word against yours. I once pulled up on a country road behind a van that had moved over to let another car pass in the opposite direction. He reversed into me while I was stationary, despite me hooting, flashing and yelling "get off my car you moron!!". I stopped the driver going in the opposite direction, he "saw nothing" (not even the van reversing to let him through?!) and drove off. My passenger was deemed not to be a witness because of potential bias. The upshot? Prat in van swore blind I drove into the back of him.
Sounds like...
See if you can reach an amicable agreement with the bloke and his company? They won't want the paperwork either...
Sorry I can't be of more help than that, but I just thought I'd cheer you up on the witness front...
Get out – minor damage to front wings/indicators both cars.
He does not admit liability, but admits he was stationary… but just gives me his card, and says it is a company vehicle so no probs (?)
So he has to claim from insurance, then. You can't just shake hands over it and agree to repair your own cars and forget it if there's a company car involved, AFAIK. Can you??
2) No witnesses
3) Apart from he had a passenger
The passenger makes no difference either way, so it's still his word against yours. I once pulled up on a country road behind a van that had moved over to let another car pass in the opposite direction. He reversed into me while I was stationary, despite me hooting, flashing and yelling "get off my car you moron!!". I stopped the driver going in the opposite direction, he "saw nothing" (not even the van reversing to let him through?!) and drove off. My passenger was deemed not to be a witness because of potential bias. The upshot? Prat in van swore blind I drove into the back of him.
The ins. companies are just gonna go ‘knock-for-knock’ at best I reckon
Sounds like...
What the hell do I do now?
See if you can reach an amicable agreement with the bloke and his company? They won't want the paperwork either...
Sorry I can't be of more help than that, but I just thought I'd cheer you up on the witness front...
The driver of the other vehicle will no doubt try and use his passenger as a witness, but, he should get flamed as because someone else mentioned there is an unfair bias, unless the witness can produce evidence of expertise or bring into the equation some evidence that determines without question who was at fault.
If you have Legal Expenses Insurance, speak to your insurers and seek advice before deciding on a course of action. I suspect that the insurance companies will not want to know as it will be too much effort for a relatively minor incident (No offence intended, but in accident terms it is very minor)but at least your LEI or your insurer will be best placed to advise you.
If you have Legal Expenses Insurance, speak to your insurers and seek advice before deciding on a course of action. I suspect that the insurance companies will not want to know as it will be too much effort for a relatively minor incident (No offence intended, but in accident terms it is very minor)but at least your LEI or your insurer will be best placed to advise you.
I am sure both mine and fiancee's insurance have the legal insurance.
So do I contact mine first, or won't they give a damn about the car I was driving, and hence I should contact the Fiancee's insurance instead?
Would feel pretty bad knackering her NCB if this all goes horribly wrong.
BTW without saying too much, this bloke works for an insurance company (not car thought I think) that is part of Ford Motor Company
Cheers, Phil
So do I contact mine first, or won't they give a damn about the car I was driving, and hence I should contact the Fiancee's insurance instead?
Would feel pretty bad knackering her NCB if this all goes horribly wrong.
BTW without saying too much, this bloke works for an insurance company (not car thought I think) that is part of Ford Motor Company
Cheers, Phil
Small gleam of hope - many co. car administrators will just write a cheque for cheap repairs to avoid hassle so if you're only after a couple of hundred quid you might get them to settle 'out of court'.
Get a sensible quote (i.e. tell the garage it's NOT an insurance job), then phone up their admin wo(man) and ask! If they refuse, you can always claim.
You _should_ notify your insurer anyway, but make sure you describe it as a no-fault incident.
Also worth checking if the carpark has got CCTV - this helped a friend of mine in the states resolve a disputed liability quite easily!
Get a sensible quote (i.e. tell the garage it's NOT an insurance job), then phone up their admin wo(man) and ask! If they refuse, you can always claim.
You _should_ notify your insurer anyway, but make sure you describe it as a no-fault incident.
Also worth checking if the carpark has got CCTV - this helped a friend of mine in the states resolve a disputed liability quite easily!
Dead tricky...Car park shunts are never clear-cut.
If he was stationary, you moved round him and then he started his manoevure and _he drove into you_ then the bulk of liability lies with him as he did not obey the Highway Code, viz. making sure it was safe to move off before doing so; but as there were no witnesses (passengers don't count as bias is assumed) it could get messy. Talk to your insurer on an informal basis - present this as a 'hypothetical' scenario and see what they say.
If he was stationary, you moved round him and then he started his manoevure and _he drove into you_ then the bulk of liability lies with him as he did not obey the Highway Code, viz. making sure it was safe to move off before doing so; but as there were no witnesses (passengers don't count as bias is assumed) it could get messy. Talk to your insurer on an informal basis - present this as a 'hypothetical' scenario and see what they say.
Had a quick word with both mine and Fiancee's companies...
Basically better covered if use her insurance. Unlikely to be settled 100% against me, unfortunately more like 50:50 unless he 'confesses'.
If 50:50 I simply will not claim off Fiancee's insurance and put my hand in my pocket, or if already have claimed, reimburse the company - which apparently should keep her NCB intact. But I would not be impressed as I have no doubt he was in the wrong.
First off going to get a reasonable quote from future FinL's colleague - who runs the bodyshop at the garage he works at
Then will give the bloke, and/or his company a call see if we can keep it sensible.
Thanks for the advice.
Edit: I have already checked - CCTV does not cover the area of the incident
Cheers, Phil
>> Edited by filmidget on Monday 21st October 15:31
>> Edited by filmidget on Monday 21st October 15:32
Basically better covered if use her insurance. Unlikely to be settled 100% against me, unfortunately more like 50:50 unless he 'confesses'.
If 50:50 I simply will not claim off Fiancee's insurance and put my hand in my pocket, or if already have claimed, reimburse the company - which apparently should keep her NCB intact. But I would not be impressed as I have no doubt he was in the wrong.
First off going to get a reasonable quote from future FinL's colleague - who runs the bodyshop at the garage he works at
Then will give the bloke, and/or his company a call see if we can keep it sensible.
Thanks for the advice.
Edit: I have already checked - CCTV does not cover the area of the incident
Cheers, Phil
>> Edited by filmidget on Monday 21st October 15:31
>> Edited by filmidget on Monday 21st October 15:32
If he's already said "it's a company car so no problem" he might not be intending to dispute your claim.
Don't forget that your insurance documents say something like " You must never admit blame" for an incident.
It might be worth giving him a call and asking him if he is going to fight or if he is going to let it go through. At the end of the day, unless
1) he is looking to move to owning a private car instead of the company car
or
2) he has lots of claims against him already
he might not be worried about a making a claim.
Don't forget that your insurance documents say something like " You must never admit blame" for an incident.
It might be worth giving him a call and asking him if he is going to fight or if he is going to let it go through. At the end of the day, unless
1) he is looking to move to owning a private car instead of the company car
or
2) he has lots of claims against him already
he might not be worried about a making a claim.
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