Anyone in the car insurance claims business please?

[alexinessex]

Hi all

A long shot but you guys normally come up with great advice and comments

My girlfriend was driving a car (fully comp) which was actually my second car. In torrential rain my gf hit someone from behind who broke hard. My gf admitted liability and gave the lady (MB driver) her details etc. The MB drivers car wasnt badly damaged at all but mine basically crumpled needing a large amount of work. This was nearly 3months ago so my gf assumed that the MB driver wasnt going to claim. My gf even called her insurance company to check if they had been contacted.

Yesterday she was contacted by an assessor and it turns out my gf's insurance company were sending all the info to an incorrect address (their error)

The other party have claimed for their car repairs and whiplash injury but as my gf thought there was not going to be a claim we had my car crushed rather than pay the amount for it to be repaired.

Being fully comp she would have had my car repaired had she known the other party had claimed.

Wonder what the position is?

Many thanks

 

[brucemillar]

I think your position is stone dead. Your GF should have spoken to your/her insurer before making any decisions. They wuld then have advised that the claim was being handled.

 

[alexinessex]

Hi she did speak to them a month after and they had heard nothing. Its only then we had the car crushed as we assumed that no claim would be made. it seems somehow the left hand didnt speak to the right at the insurance company and they also were sending her information to the wrong person.

 

[brucemillar]

OK. I still think that you do not have a strong (if any) position on this. You could go back say that you should be put back to where you were previous to the accident. I am guessing that your insurers will argue that you should not have crushed the car.

 

[grober]

I don't quite understand what you are saying? What happened to your car is between you and the insurance company- you decided to get the car crushed rather than repaired to avoid a claim your car = your choice. The person you crashed into has claimed against your insurance for damage to her Mercedes and personal injury which your girlfriend admitted was her fault. This is a claim against your insurance policy which you have no control over. Always always assume the other party will claim nowadays- why wouldn't they? - if nothing else it may well have been driven forward/encouraged by her own insurance company or more likely an accident management company . The other party will suffer a bit because the incident will be flagged against her risk profile even if it wasn't her fault. You will suffer because you wrote of a car you might have had repaired. That could have theoretically reduced your inevitable next premium hike as insurance companies do tend to take into account the cost of any repair in setting your next premium. However that "non taken up " repair cost will fade into insignificance compared to repairing a Mercedes even after a minor shunt and that's before we get into the lucrative car hire and personal injury / whiplash territory beloved of today's accident management companies. You have my sympathy but the claim outcome of this accident was pretty predictable in today's insurance climate.

 

[alexinessex]

Hi the lady with the MB had pretty much no visible damage. How my car was so crunched I will never know. But after well over a month and calls to the insurance company where they had heard nothing I assumed she was not going to claim against my gf so I got her a new car and scrapped my other one.

Information being the key to my decision, had I/my gf known there was a claim going through (but the info was sent to the wrong address) I would prob not have got rid of the car and had it repaired on her insurance as it was my car.

 

[markjay]

Out of interest, what was the value of your crushed car? How much would you be looking to get if the insurance does agree to pay?

 

[snail]

Your gf's insurers have made an error in sending correspondence to the wrong address. But you no longer have your car so they are unable to assess the damage. Even if the car was a write-off, it becomes the insurer's property.

Your experience is one of the hazards of the no-claims discount system, it encourages you to make the decision yourself. Did you discuss the crushing of your car with the insurance company or just used the apparent lack of contact to inform your decision? Did anyone from your gf's insurer see the car before you disposed of it? Do you have detailed photos of the damage?

She should definitely open a formal complaint about letters being sent to the wrong address. Keep it simple, wait for them to respond before going into any detail about reasons for getting the car crushed. Also keep it polite and explain you are looking for a reasonable settlement to put you back in the same financial position you were in before the accident. (Of course, what you think is reasonable may not agree with what they think!)

If they deny responsibility, that may give you access to the Ombudsman service, at least that way you get an independent opinion.

Good luck.

 

[Rayny]

Hi,
You mention it is your car, then talk about your girlfriends insurers so we could have 3 (or more) possibilities:-
1)Is she named on your policy?
2)Is the policy in your name, with her being the named driver?
3) Was she driving it under a policy in her own name using the Driving Other Cars extension?

p.s. I hate referring to 'her' but am too lazy to type out 'your girlfriend' for each option.

 

[alexinessex]

Really like this site your all brill with the advice and comments.

However, the plot thickens! it now seems the MB driver has not claimed.
The claims adjuster that turned up has said that someone is claiming my GF hit them and they were injured. And the car she was driving was lent to her by a person in her road. The one getting the letters!? My GF does not know the man in her road and he does not know my GF and his car has not been in a crash! You cant make this stuff up its that weird! The insurance guy says that my GF needs to make a statement that she does not know the man up the road and has never borrowed his car and the guy in her road has to do the same and say his car has not been in an accident!!! Weird!

 

[alexinessex]

Should the MD driver ever claim. My answers to your questions are as its still good to know your thoughts. The car was mine but my GF had her own fully comp policy on it. The value was only around £1400 but the damage was well over that and not worth repairing as it needed bonnet, bumper, lights, rad, and front was twisted too. Not sure how but windscreen cracked too. My GF did say the MB hardly had a scratch! lol glad I drive one if that is the result and now she wants mine lol

 

[John]

However, the plot thickens! it now seems the MB driver has not claimed.
The claims adjuster that turned up has said that someone is claiming my GF hit them and they were injured. And the car she was driving was lent to her by a person in her road. The one getting the letters!? My GF does not know the man in her road and he does not know my GF and his car has not been in a crash! You cant make this stuff up its that weird! The insurance guy says that my GF needs to make a statement that she does not know the man up the road and has never borrowed his car and the guy in her road has to do the same and say his car has not been in an accident!!! Weird!

WTF!

Call the Fried Squid.

 

[alexinessex]

Err, yep! I thought the same when my GF told me! It doesnt even make sense! So I have no idea at the moment who has got what wrong as somehow they got my GF's name and number. No idea how but could it be a scam/claim or just insurance companies making a massive mess up!

 

[grober]

However, the plot thickens! it now seems the MB driver has not claimed. Say's who--?? your insurance co or the "adjuster"??
The claims adjuster that turned up has said that someone who?-- you need their name and address or at minimum their insurance details is claiming my GF hit them and they were injured. And the car she was driving was lent to her by a person in her road. The one getting the letters!?Why would a guy who lives in the same road get letters sent from your insurance company- if he has and they are intended for her they are her property and he should pass them on- go and ask for them My GF does not know the man in her road and he does not know my GF and his car has not been in a crash! You cant make this stuff up its that weird! The insurance guy says that my GF needs to make a statement that she does not know the man up the road and has never borrowed his car and the guy in her road has to do the same and say his car has not been in an accident!!! Weird!

I would be contacting your insurance company directly on Monday and asking for confirmation they are aware of what's going on. Who is this claims adjuster ? What company is he working for? Has he furnished you with identification. Tell your girlfriend not to sign anything before you get clarification from your insurance company.

 

[Dieselman]

However, the plot thickens! it now seems the MB driver has not claimed.
The claims adjuster that turned up has said that someone is claiming my GF hit them and they were injured. And the car she was driving was lent to her by a person in her road. The one getting the letters!? My GF does not know the man in her road and he does not know my GF and his car has not been in a crash! You cant make this stuff up its that weird! The insurance guy says that my GF needs to make a statement that she does not know the man up the road and has never borrowed his car and the guy in her road has to do the same and say his car has not been in an accident!!! Weird!

This all sounds like a bit of confusion and information has been lost in transfer from one party to another.

Who has claimed?
Your Gf did hit someone and it is possible they are injured.
The car was indeed lent to your Gf...by you, not someone in her road.

Just confirm the details before going any further.

 

[Dieselman]

One for.

 

[alexinessex]

The accident my GF had was now 2months ago and her insurance company have not been informed by the MB driver she hit. They confirmed this again today.

Grobler I agree its just weird! The loss adjuster didnt show her ID as she wasnt in when he called round so she rang him today. The loss adjuster that wanted to see her to get a "statement" about the accident as none of their letters had been answered (as they went to the wrong address) Its only when he said its not an accident with a MB driver its another accident. And an accident my GF never had, in a car she never borrowed, from a guy up her road she doesnt know! Tomorrow I will get her to bring over all the info and I will deal with it I think. Update you then!

 

[Beardz]

Just as well you didn't claim for your car. As I understand it the car is owned/registered to you? However your girlfriend insures it? Most insurers would advise that as she has no "insurable interest" in the vehicle and kick out the claim anyway (going back to your original query).
I'd let sleeping dogs lie. It's down to the 3rd party to claim against you for damage/personal injury (which you say they haven't done....yet).
The other incident is just too bizarre to make up!!