Will this benefit me to claim?

[abecketts]

Folks, would appreciate your views

9.30am this morning proceeding down the main high st in down town Devizes when from a side street guy driving a peugeot 806 continues out and hits me on the near side rear wheel and then scrapes along the top of the bumper and bottom of the body panel. Nett result alloy with slight mark but no dent, scrape marks on the bodywork and bumper and the corner of the bumper impact strip has been knocked off. Guy admits it is his fault and apologises and he has insurance.

Do I claim and probably see the car being written off 95N W124 E320 144k as cost of repairs would probably exceed value and have to wait for excess to be recovered.

Or do I put up with it, polish out the scrape and live with the missing bit of the bumper until I can find a decent one second hand?

Or is there another alternative?

Thanks


Paul

 

[d w124]

After reading that you`re keen for a change,I`d say claim it

 

[trapperjohn]

How is your neck? I jest Glad you are OK.

If in anyway it affects the resale value, claim and get it fixed sharpish. If it makes it a Cat D then perhaps not. Your insurance may be effected too even with a no fault claim. Certainly for the next five years you will have to declare any claim, your fault or not.
Good Luck with what ever you do.

 

[Ted]

This happened to me many years ago, where I was at fault.

I would try to agree a reasonable cash payment for the damage, explaining why you do not wish to go through the insurers.
Remember his NCB and loading will affect him for more than just the next renewal.

 

[bolide]

No need to claim off your insurance. If it's a no fault accident you can ask him to return your car to the pre-accident condition, so long as that is a reasonable request (ie so long as your car isn't a smoldering ruin). It's up to him how he deals with it - cash or insurance

See the Honest John website for info on no-fault claims

Nick Froome

 

[Shude]

No need to claim off your insurance. If it's a no fault accident you can ask him to return your car to the pre-accident condition, so long as that is a reasonable request (ie so long as your car isn't a smoldering ruin). It's up to him how he deals with it - cash or insurance

See the Honest John website for info on no-fault claims

This is exactly what you should do.

The 3rd party's insurance has no right to declare your car a write-off and is required to put the damage right, essentially regardless of cost although it must not leave you in a better position than prior to the incident.

 

[abecketts]

i'm off to read honest john's info, i've not made a claim on car insurance since 1994 and what a complicated mess it is.

Call one to the broker (HSBC) who take details and then put me through to Drive Assist who will get me an equivalent E Class merc as cover when it's being repaired, seems nice but if they don't succeed in getting the costs back they'll come for me and the insurance legal protection won't cover that.

They then try and persuade me to let them do it all and cut out my insurer so they claim everything off the third party, sounds groovy no insurance excess etc, but if they fail they come after me and I can't get my insurer involved as i've declined their assistance. To got through all that took just over 1 hour.

I then get transferred to my "insurer" as I won't let Drive Assist handle the claim, 2 wrong numbers until they find the right insurer, they don't have any details from the initial call to their claims line and I have to regurgitate it all again, they then put me in touch with their "claims handler" who guess what does not have the info and I must go through it again.

2 more calls from Drive Assist type companies wanting to Credit Hire me something, clearly my details are being circulated around the place. Finally the estimator calls to confirm an appointment to view and quote for repairs.

A complex way of handling one small shunt, must be progress.......

I'd assumed that as the car is of some age they would write off but thanks to Nick and Shude I can see the chance to keep it maybe

Thanks for the info guys, a good reason why this place is so darn helpful.

 

[abecketts]

just an update, have now had in writing from the 3rd party that they have accepted liability so after talking to my insurer the 3rd party are handling things. I can't find enough info on repairing vehicles after a no fault claim, if anyone can help i'd appreciate it, i've tried Honest John, RAC Motoring and a couple of consumer forums but nothing substantive enough to equip me to argue with the insurer.

Thanks

Paul

 

[Rayny]

Is it the third party or their insurer who have accepted liability?
If it is their insurer, just contact their insurance company and say that you would like to arrange the repair of your car. They should just then ask if you want them to arrange the repairs, or will ask you to submit a quote for the repairs.

In my (limited) experience, if their insurer is Axa then you will be well looked after.

 

[abecketts]

just an update for those interested, third party insurer has accepted liability and best of all they are going to repair, new bumper plus new paint on rear quarter panel and do a wheel alignment check to ensure all is ok. They are even supplying an automatic 7 seat vehicle whilst our is in for repair. My spider senses tell me they are trying to sneak credit hire back in here but i'll play along until they mention it.

 

[Rayny]

As liability is not in dispute - the third parties insurer is happy to deal with you direct so that they can control the costs, they will be arranging the hire car at their rates rather than you using a credit hire company with potentially higher rates.