Another car crash question
Discussion
On M25 last night in overtaking L3.
Heavy traffic at around 50-60mph.
Car in front on me braked a bit sharp so I had to brake hard as well. Car ran into the back of me.
We got to hard shoulder and her car was a right mess. Couldn’t get the bonnet open, headlight cracked bumper cracked and pushed back.
The hit was pretty hard but amazingly my car had nothing but a cracked reflector on the bumper. Good old Saab.
She tried to blame me but I said you’re behind have to leave enough space etc.
Anyway I said look I’m not at fault so I don’t have to pay for your damage let the insurance deal with it so she said fine.
Do I need to let my insurance know even though I won’t be claiming?
Heavy traffic at around 50-60mph.
Car in front on me braked a bit sharp so I had to brake hard as well. Car ran into the back of me.
We got to hard shoulder and her car was a right mess. Couldn’t get the bonnet open, headlight cracked bumper cracked and pushed back.
The hit was pretty hard but amazingly my car had nothing but a cracked reflector on the bumper. Good old Saab.
She tried to blame me but I said you’re behind have to leave enough space etc.
Anyway I said look I’m not at fault so I don’t have to pay for your damage let the insurance deal with it so she said fine.
Do I need to let my insurance know even though I won’t be claiming?
Technically, yes. Let’s be honest though, not everyone does for every bump or scrape.
In this scenario though, I definitely would be. She is already trying to shift blame onto you and if her car is as damaged as you said, she may have to go through insurance to repair anyway (Hers you’d hope!). Not worth your insurer contacting you further down the line demanding to know why you didn’t tell them etc.
In this scenario though, I definitely would be. She is already trying to shift blame onto you and if her car is as damaged as you said, she may have to go through insurance to repair anyway (Hers you’d hope!). Not worth your insurer contacting you further down the line demanding to know why you didn’t tell them etc.
sixor8 said:
Absolutely since she will be claiming for her own damage, and will no doubt be telling her insurers your reg no.
You may have much more damage unseen too, such as damaged brackets etc if it's done that much damage to hers.
This, plus, the bumper has a crush zone inside, the outer bumper can be fine to the eye but the crush zone inside can usually only take one impact and it's done. These tend to be more expensive to replace than the shell of the bumper so I am sure, given your description, this will need replacing.You may have much more damage unseen too, such as damaged brackets etc if it's done that much damage to hers.
When my daughters Golf was run into it just looked like a bit of a dent in the rear door. But the C posts where ever so slightly kinked as the force had tranferred into the structure of the car. Insurance company wrote it off.
The Saab might have impact absorbers behind the rear bumper - I recall a friend backing their Vectra into a post years ago and bill seemed ridiculous (as in, a lot).
The Saab might have impact absorbers behind the rear bumper - I recall a friend backing their Vectra into a post years ago and bill seemed ridiculous (as in, a lot).
How is the boot catch, does it open/close ok/as before?
I had a similar shunt in a Fiesta I owned and it looked ok, but the boot catch was pushed in ever so slightly to make it difficult to open and close. I didn't report mine or get it repaired as it was my father that managed to shunt me of all people, so I let him off with it and lived with the car.
My ex also got shunted in her Note by a young girl in a mini, similar situation to yours, her car looked smashed and the Note looked fine, again, boot catch had moved and bumper looked fine. As my ex felt sorry for the girl in the mini, she decided we would settle privately. This was fine as we both knew the local bodyshop owner and he sorted both cars at the cost of the mini driver, but it turns out the costs were much higher than any of us had expected as the crush zone was totalled and needed to be replaced. The insurance company was informed of this but we made no claim against the policy and no claims was not affected.
I guess you need to weigh up what you want to do, you could let her claim from her insurance, report it to yours but not make the claim from them, this is actually all above board, you just have no recourse for future damage of the area. This is probably not worth doing in all honesty.
The other option is to pursue repair via her company, still inform your own of course but inform them who is at fault etc. You may get it repaired or possibly written off, if written off, you will usually have the option to buy back the car, no money needs to change hands, they just pay out a smaller amount in the pay off and you keep the car. You can then get it repaired yourself or not.
I had a similar shunt in a Fiesta I owned and it looked ok, but the boot catch was pushed in ever so slightly to make it difficult to open and close. I didn't report mine or get it repaired as it was my father that managed to shunt me of all people, so I let him off with it and lived with the car.
My ex also got shunted in her Note by a young girl in a mini, similar situation to yours, her car looked smashed and the Note looked fine, again, boot catch had moved and bumper looked fine. As my ex felt sorry for the girl in the mini, she decided we would settle privately. This was fine as we both knew the local bodyshop owner and he sorted both cars at the cost of the mini driver, but it turns out the costs were much higher than any of us had expected as the crush zone was totalled and needed to be replaced. The insurance company was informed of this but we made no claim against the policy and no claims was not affected.
I guess you need to weigh up what you want to do, you could let her claim from her insurance, report it to yours but not make the claim from them, this is actually all above board, you just have no recourse for future damage of the area. This is probably not worth doing in all honesty.
The other option is to pursue repair via her company, still inform your own of course but inform them who is at fault etc. You may get it repaired or possibly written off, if written off, you will usually have the option to buy back the car, no money needs to change hands, they just pay out a smaller amount in the pay off and you keep the car. You can then get it repaired yourself or not.
^^^^ Wot 'e said.
All day every day if you like the car.
Better the devil you know.
My only other advice would be to aim high, negotiate hard and have evidence to back up your claim of value.
I was recently the innocent party while parked up outside my house in the evening.
His insurance co offered me £2600, I eventually settled on £5490.
All day every day if you like the car.
Better the devil you know.
My only other advice would be to aim high, negotiate hard and have evidence to back up your claim of value.
I was recently the innocent party while parked up outside my house in the evening.
His insurance co offered me £2600, I eventually settled on £5490.
Thanks for the advice.
Boot catch is fine. No difference from before.
I guess behind the bumper would be the only way to tell if it had been impacted. Not a scratch on the bumper at all apart from what was already there.
Car has 150k miles. Damage to the front bumper from myself. Yes it’s a 2.8 V6 but I reckon £2k max. I do like it. Got some poke to it. I didn’t pay much for it and don’t mind the toddlers messing up the back.
Will way up the options.
.
Boot catch is fine. No difference from before.
I guess behind the bumper would be the only way to tell if it had been impacted. Not a scratch on the bumper at all apart from what was already there.
Car has 150k miles. Damage to the front bumper from myself. Yes it’s a 2.8 V6 but I reckon £2k max. I do like it. Got some poke to it. I didn’t pay much for it and don’t mind the toddlers messing up the back.
Will way up the options.
.
Seesure said:
She be claiming against you ...
Probably say that you reversed in to her and it was your fault....
Just let your insurance company know... also drop a call in to 101 to let them know you had an accident and get an incident number... at least that way you've covered all the bases.
No need to report to the police. Details have been exchanged and there are no injuries. Probably say that you reversed in to her and it was your fault....
Just let your insurance company know... also drop a call in to 101 to let them know you had an accident and get an incident number... at least that way you've covered all the bases.
My MD had this happen on the A14 on the way to work.
Came into the office and told me, said he thought it would cost £1000 to fix as he couldn't quite shut the tailgate properly on his Audi estate.
I went out and had a look and told him it was a write off.
He didn't believe me.
Insurance company wrote it off and paid us £10,500. Boot floor was twisted.
He now gets me buying all the company cars because he knows I know more than he does about cars.
Came into the office and told me, said he thought it would cost £1000 to fix as he couldn't quite shut the tailgate properly on his Audi estate.
I went out and had a look and told him it was a write off.
He didn't believe me.
Insurance company wrote it off and paid us £10,500. Boot floor was twisted.
He now gets me buying all the company cars because he knows I know more than he does about cars.
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