Claims Companies

[MCFastybloke]

Had an incident last Friday morning. at some lights where the road is marked up as only one lane a car mistook my intent as going right and tried to squeeze up the inside, some bent metal but both drove away. Gave my name and fone and toady have a letter for "Auto Accident Claims LTD" a no win no fee outfit.
What happens if i dont repsond to the letter?

 

[Teego]

Nothing. Go through your insurers. If you want to agree a private settlement with the other party also ignore it. They are ambulance chasers taking a punt. How they got your contact details is a very interesting question.

 

[MCFastybloke]

They got my details from me i guess, i gave my name and fone number to the third party,

 

[MCFastybloke]

Have been for a walk round and might have some CCTV footage,well i have the download but cant open it

 

[merc estate]

Loads of scams with these company's BEWARE use your own insurance Also beware they sometimes phone you making out they are your insurance company There was a program on watchdog last week about it with people getting bills for 6K for a hire car.
Good luck and be careful who you are talking to on the phone ask THEM for your claim or policy number.

 

[Alps]

As above, use your insurance, Even if its being repaired at a mercedes main dealer!

I had a neighbour hit my bumper on my last E63, clear cut case, she admitted it was her fault (I wasn't even in the car!) took it to the official Mercedes bodyshop (Lancaster group) who said they can look after the whole claim for me with the other persons insurance company and lend me an equivalent car. As it was the main dealer official bodyshop I didn't think too much of it, they lent me a Porsche Panamera as a courtesy car which was nice (but not as nice as my E63). It was handled by an external claims company.

repair was done, Porsche handed back, all good? no... the bill for the repair was about £2.5K , that was shocking alone as all it needed was repainting really. on top of that £8k for the hire of the Panamera! The other persons insurance company was happy to pay the repair bill but disputed the hire car charge. The claims company then get a legal solicitor involved who is acting on my behalf , so basically if they loose the case I would not only be liable for the £8k hire charge but also the legal bills! So an easy repair was not getting extremely stressful.

We ended up having to go to court where the judge basically told the insurance company it was her clients fault, it was an equivalent car lent for the inconvienience and they should pay up. This was all over a 6 month period. so be wary the stress of potentially having to pay up out of your own pocket.

 

[E55BOF]

I've been called a few times by companies 'about your recent accident'. It's always cold-calling, and when I ask them to remind me about the details of the accident, because I can't quite recall them, they never can...

Use your own insurers, not a third party agency.

 

[Kudly]

I've been called a few times by companies 'about your recent accident'. It's always cold-calling, and when I ask them to remind me about the details of the accident, because I can't quite recall them, they never can...

I used to get lots of those calls but none for ages now. I'd usually tell them in a sad voice that as I'm blind it couldn't have been me. One cheeky so-and-so quickly responded "oh wait, you were a passenger in the car" to which I said I'd not been in any car since my entire family got blown to bits in a car bomb in the Middle East. Cold caller hung up.

 

[E55BOF]

 

[markjay]

Had an incident last Friday morning. at some lights where the road is marked up as only one lane a car mistook my intent as going right and tried to squeeze up the inside, some bent metal but both drove away. Gave my name and fone and toady have a letter for "Auto Accident Claims LTD" a no win no fee outfit.
What happens if i dont repsond to the letter?

What does the letter say?

Are they saying that they represent the other party?

Or are they offering to represent you?

If the former, ask to see the letter of appointment signed by the other party before you engage with them.

If the latter, run a mile.

 

[fabes]

Avoid.
You pay your insurers to do this sort of thing.

 

[MCFastybloke]

The letter clearly state they are acting for the other party, that i pulled out, gut gives no location or description off the circumstances.
Also enclosed is a form to fill in about the accident with another company name on it.

He rang me first and stated."Acting on behalf of Snugg insurance" but no mention in writing.

I "think" the other party has engaged this company directly.

I am gathering all CCTV footage at the moment and to me it seems a slam dunk she is at fault. I was hoping she would think better of claiming, an 08 Tigra, as i have 4 policies it will impact.

But as you say this is the purpose of the premium.

 

[E55BOF]

Don't engage with them. Fill in nothing. Pass the letter to your insurers and let them take it from there.

If you're interested enough, you might try Googling them, and the other company name you have, to find out more about them. If they are ambulance chasers and chancers, the other driver may come to regret involving them.

 

[oldguy57]

^ This and don't answer phone calls from them. Always let your own Insurers deal with these issues - if they make a mess you have a bigger target to aim at and any increased costs are down to them.

 

[markjay]

Don't engage with them. Fill in nothing. Pass the letter to your insurers and let them take it from there....

^^^^^^^
This