Accident advice
Discussion
Where we live there’s a driveway between houses which feeds access to garages in rear gardens. Recently, two large vehicles were being parked either side of the exit to this driveway making it extremely dodgy to pull out safely. Several residents got on to the council to demand yellow lines were installed (they now are)
My wife tried to exit, slowly edging forward as usual until you could see round both vehicles and clipped a car coming up the road (no idea of that vehicles speed but less than 1mph for my wife) Owner of the car she clipped said no damage, not to worry. My wife had her plastic bumper broken but after a friendly chat with the woman, took the woman’s details but only mentioned the name of our insurance and told her to get in touch if there were any issues.
Our road ends in a dead end and this woman lives 30 seconds away, so it would be easy to “pop” down to our house for a chat and she needs to pass it every day.
We heard nothing and my wife told her own insurer what had happened and had her own car repaired.
Fast forward a year and we just received documents saying there is a claim against my wife for approx £2700 in damages due to the driver having to hire another car and claims of my other half driving too fast and generally being made out to be a non caring, blind lunatic.
My wife is no longer with the insurance company who fixed her car.
Is this a case of my wife screwing up by not giving exact details to the other driver of her insurers so is liable for everything, or should the other party have made efforts to contact us and our insurers?
The woman herself said she would get in touch if required and even agreed it was a terrible junction to exit at that time.
I still have my emails to the council re: double yellow lines, including the one suggesting there had now been an accident!
Sadly I think you need a solicitor specialising in insurance fraud 
You could ask her old insurer, as they carried the risk at the time, but will know more than you and want you to go away.
You need to know exactly what their responsibilities are toward a late / fraudulent claim like this.
It was your wife’s fault, so why would anyone other than her insurance provider be signing off on a very expensive like-for-like hire car.
Too many questions and pot hols to fall down here, so I think professional advice is required, less you make things worse.
You could ask her old insurer, as they carried the risk at the time, but will know more than you and want you to go away.
You need to know exactly what their responsibilities are toward a late / fraudulent claim like this.
It was your wife’s fault, so why would anyone other than her insurance provider be signing off on a very expensive like-for-like hire car.
Too many questions and pot hols to fall down here, so I think professional advice is required, less you make things worse.
I'm no insurance expert but if it was me that got the letter from the other driver, I'd pass it on to the company who I was insured with at the time.
It sounds like they should be aware of the incident as you reported it and had your car repaired?
.
It sounds like they should be aware of the incident as you reported it and had your car repaired?
.
Edited by PV7998 on Wednesday 10th July 08:14
Red 5 said:
Sadly I think you need a solicitor specialising in insurance fraud
You could ask her old insurer, as they carried the risk at the time, but will know more than you and want you to go away.
You need to know exactly what their responsibilities are toward a late / fraudulent claim like this.
It was your wife’s fault, so why would anyone other than her insurance provider be signing off on a very expensive like-for-like hire car.
Too many questions and pot hols to fall down here, so I think professional advice is required, less you make things worse.
Not sure there is a suggestion of fraud here. An accident happened and a claim appears to have been made. Not being with the insurer any more isn’t relevant; what might enable them to refuse to pay out is the fact you didn’t tell them of the accident. I’d be speaking to them prontoYou could ask her old insurer, as they carried the risk at the time, but will know more than you and want you to go away.
You need to know exactly what their responsibilities are toward a late / fraudulent claim like this.
It was your wife’s fault, so why would anyone other than her insurance provider be signing off on a very expensive like-for-like hire car.
Too many questions and pot hols to fall down here, so I think professional advice is required, less you make things worse.
2 GKC said:
Not sure there is a suggestion of fraud here. An accident happened and a claim appears to have been made. Not being with the insurer any more isn’t relevant; what might enable them to refuse to pay out is the fact you didn’t tell them of the accident. I’d be speaking to them pronto
Why would he? It's not his car and it's not his insurance company.I take it that reading's not your strong point.
PV7998 said:
I'm no insurance expert but if it was me that got the letter from the other driver, I'd pass it on to the company who I was insured with at the time.
It sounds like they should be aware of the incident as you reported it and had your car repaired?
.
Exactly this - just send it on to her old insurance company. She was insured at the time and they know about it so let them deal with it.It sounds like they should be aware of the incident as you reported it and had your car repaired?
.
Edited by PV7998 on Wednesday 10th July 08:14
TheDrownedApe said:
There is pertinent info missing.
Who did you receive documents from?
Old insurer?
New insurer?
Their insurer?
Solicitor?
As others have stated; you are covered in all cases as you were insured and your insurer knows you had an accident.
Or from some scam artist who has just bought a data base?Who did you receive documents from?
Old insurer?
New insurer?
Their insurer?
Solicitor?
As others have stated; you are covered in all cases as you were insured and your insurer knows you had an accident.
I suspect this is simpler than many are making out and is unlikely any form of fraud.
What has likely happened is that the other party made a claim on their own policy when they realised the damage to their car would cost a bit to fix, their insurer sorted out the hire car etc.
Their insurer will then have tried to reclaim the costs incurred against your wife's policy, and her insurers have probably pushed back on the amount claimed and a stalemate reached, at which point the third party insurers have issued a County Court claim etc - which they have to send to you.
Talk to the Insurer concerned (Wife's insurer at the time) and ensure they also have a copy of the third party claim and are dealing with it.
What has likely happened is that the other party made a claim on their own policy when they realised the damage to their car would cost a bit to fix, their insurer sorted out the hire car etc.
Their insurer will then have tried to reclaim the costs incurred against your wife's policy, and her insurers have probably pushed back on the amount claimed and a stalemate reached, at which point the third party insurers have issued a County Court claim etc - which they have to send to you.
Talk to the Insurer concerned (Wife's insurer at the time) and ensure they also have a copy of the third party claim and are dealing with it.
TheDrownedApe said:
There is pertinent info missing.
Who did you receive documents from?
Old insurer?
New insurer?
Their insurer?
Solicitor?
As others have stated; you are covered in all cases as you were insured and your insurer knows you had an accident.
I would also add Who did you receive documents from?
Old insurer?
New insurer?
Their insurer?
Solicitor?
As others have stated; you are covered in all cases as you were insured and your insurer knows you had an accident.
Did the old insurance company pay for the repairs to your wife’s car?
Were the old insurer told of the other parties details?
Agree that there shouldn’t be an issue since there was cover in place and the insurer were told.
Not clear why, if the other party had your wife’s insurance details, they didn’t go through them in the first place.
MrBen.911 said:
I suspect this is simpler than many are making out and is unlikely any form of fraud.
What has likely happened is that the other party made a claim on their own policy when they realised the damage to their car would cost a bit to fix, their insurer sorted out the hire car etc.
Their insurer will then have tried to reclaim the costs incurred against your wife's policy, and her insurers have probably pushed back on the amount claimed and a stalemate reached, at which point the third party insurers have issued a County Court claim etc - which they have to send to you.
Talk to the Insurer concerned (Wife's insurer at the time) and ensure they also have a copy of the third party claim and are dealing with it.
This is by far the most sensible post. I have no idea why people thinks there's fraud going on. A £2,700 claim will likely just be a £750 (+vat) repair and a £150 (+vat) per day hire car for 10 days. What has likely happened is that the other party made a claim on their own policy when they realised the damage to their car would cost a bit to fix, their insurer sorted out the hire car etc.
Their insurer will then have tried to reclaim the costs incurred against your wife's policy, and her insurers have probably pushed back on the amount claimed and a stalemate reached, at which point the third party insurers have issued a County Court claim etc - which they have to send to you.
Talk to the Insurer concerned (Wife's insurer at the time) and ensure they also have a copy of the third party claim and are dealing with it.
Edited by JQ on Wednesday 10th July 10:07
2 GKC said:
Not sure there is a suggestion of fraud here. An accident happened and a claim appears to have been made. Not being with the insurer any more isn’t relevant; what might enable them to refuse to pay out is the fact you didn’t tell them of the accident. I’d be speaking to them pronto
Digby said:
We heard nothing and my wife told her own insurer what had happened and had her own car repaired.
MrBen.911 said:
What has likely happened is that the other party made a claim on their own policy when they realised the damage to their car would cost a bit to fix, their insurer sorted out the hire car etc.
This was my thinking as well. When my other half had to make a claim from her car being rear ended (write off) she went to her insurance who provided a hire car and I know the costs were all claimed from the third party.
I know the hire car took a lot longer to claim the costs back on as they argued it for months.
Not surprised the cost is more significant if there's a hire car involved. We received £12k for the car but the hire car was £3k for the time we had it if I recall.
Digby said:
Fast forward a year and we just received documents saying there is a claim against my wife for approx £2700 in damages due to the driver having to hire another car
My daughter had a clash of wing mirrors with another car when she was established passing a row of parked cars. No damage to her car. on the other car he back of the mirror was damaged. He said it was a £70 fix but then decided to go through insurance. Last I heard he was claiming £3000 including a hire car. Daughters insurer were seeking to go 50/50. However daughter didnt have to pay excess as no damage to her car. Its amazing how much the bill can be once a claim is made.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff