Failing to Stop - Car Damage

[Alex225]

It would impact now!! I know a guy whose insurance went up because someone reversed into his wife's car whilst she was in her office. The guy who hit her car owned up and they went through insurance. Her husband's policy went up because she was a named driver on his policy.:wallbash

It is mental! I mean the one claim I made was a guy scuffing my wheel arch whilst I was stationary and he was impatient. I actually paid for the repair up front and my insurance reclaimed the cost.

Second one was something very similar (albeit it 4 years later) and again I put it all through to my insurers who claimed the damage without an issue from the other chap. Never affected no claims nor did it impact on my insurance costs right up until it was off the record (circa 2014).

No doubt I'll get grief for this but, being a bit of a nob, I'm pretty immune.

15 years ago I was reversing into a car parking space, it was narrowed due to misaligned cars either side. I touched my front wheel arch with the car to my side, got out and no damage visible - it really was just a touch at barely moving speed.
I gave up on the manoeuvre and parked nearby instead thinking no more of it, big mistake.
Two weeks later a couple of police officers turn up at my home, it was almost comical the way that they were doing the good cop/bad cop routine. I readily admitted that I had touched the other car and no damage was done, they had a look at my car and told me that there are some nosy neighbours with too much time on their hands in the area and I would hear no more of it.
The bad cop must have been more than an act because two weeks later I receive a summons to attend magistrates court to face charges of 1) Driving without due care and attention 2) Leaving the scene of an accident and 3) Failing to report an accident!

I engaged a solicitor and attended court where he negotiated with the CPS duty solicitor and one charge was dropped so I was fined £500 and received 5 points.

I fully expected to face the other car's owner at court but there was no sign, I have never been approached to address any damage and neither has my insurer - because there was no damage!

Here's the real kick in the teeth, I recently needed a criminal records check for my business start-up, no problem thought I. Wrong, because there were two prosecutions completed at the same time I have a record for life!

Sounds like you were made an example of and if there was genuinely no damage it all seems somewhat farcical.

I mean I've seen and/or heard of people causing masses of damage and driving away. Leaving the victim with a huge repair bill or lost no claims.

In fact my other half's last car, was damaged on three separate occasions in 18 months and not a single note was left on the car at any time.

 

[Deep Purple]

Use the DVDs to trace vehicle
Get a quote for repair and if he is local deliver the letter to him, ask him what he wants to do. Make a note that you have done this and when
If no joy small claims action, remember on top of the cost of repair you can claim hire costs or loss of use costs.
Good luck

 

[jfhuk]

I had an incident a few months back where someone hit my rear on the M4 and failed to stop. I reported it to police who gave him a written warning and on their email reply to me they also provided his contact details. "Just in case you need them".

 

[Crazyfool]

I think insurance companies have got a lot to do with vehicle hit and runs. Nobody wants their premiums to go up for the next 5 years, so if they can get away without anybody seeing the accident they will.

I had a similar issue where my car was parked outside the school. The rear bumper was hit just behind the wheel, but surprise surprise no details left.

Worse still a few years ago my car was in for bodywork repairs because someone drove into me whilst I was parked waiting for my wife. I was given a brand spanking new courtesy car. Parked in a wide child parking spot at the local leisure centre, I returned to the car with the entire side profile stoved in! No cctv, nobody responded to my posters I put up in the leisure centre, so all in all I had to pay my excess and an extra £250 for the courtesy car.

 

[Mr Filipov]

Well here are your options:
1. If the repair is less than your excess and you want it fixed go down that route.
2. If the repair is less than your excess and you are not too bothered do not get it fixed and call it a day.
3. If the repair is more than your excess and you want it repaired go through the insurance and live with increased premiums.
4. If the repair is more than your excess and you are not too bothered do not get it fixed and call it a day.

 

[markjay]

Well here are your options:
1. If the repair is less than your excess and you want it fixed go down that route.
2. If the repair is less than your excess and you are not too bothered do not get it fixed and call it a day.
3. If the repair is more than your excess and you want it repaired go through the insurance and live with increased premiums.
4. If the repair is more than your excess and you are not too bothered do not get it fixed and call it a day.

The excess level isn't necessarily the threshold for going the insurance route... there's also potential premium rise and loss of NCD. I would say it depends on whether you have protected NCD or not but up to damage of £500 - £1,000 I would probably consider avoiding using the insurer if possible.

 

[vabenzi]

well i know its been a while re this matter and guess what...it was just time wasted, but for the sake of completion and just a general update to peeps out there..,

The police took their entire 6 month consideration time only to tell me they will not be taking any action with regards to the case.

the request of info from the dvla, I sent off initially was sent back requiring more details, second send off from me got sent back again requesting more documentation, a third send off by me got rejected requesting even more documentation such as pictures etc.. and so in the end i finally gave up..

so in the end.. you can damage someones car..fail to stop and not leave your details and nothing will happen to you... now i know where all my tax money is going.. Fumming!