Changing insurance company and claiming from third party

Changing insurance company and claiming from third party

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Discussion

clockworks

Original Poster:

6,111 posts

152 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Car (not mine or me driving) damaged 2 weeks ago in a shop car park - wind blew over a heavy A frame advertising sign onto bonnet. The sign had been put there by the shop manager.

Claim form filled in at shop. Shop's insurer may be trying to dodge liability.
Car owner wondering whether to let their own insurer know, and handle the claim.

Car owner's insurance policy is being renewed in 2 weeks with a different insurer. Presumably they need to start the claim process before the policy ends, rather than waiting until the shop's insurer decides what to do?

Quote from body shop is over a grand.

Monkeylegend

27,188 posts

238 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
clockworks said:
Car (not mine or me driving) damaged 2 weeks ago in a shop car park - wind blew over a heavy A frame advertising sign onto bonnet. The sign had been put there by the shop manager.

Claim form filled in at shop. Shop's insurer may be trying to dodge liability.
Car owner wondering whether to let their own insurer know, and handle the claim.

Car owner's insurance policy is being renewed in 2 weeks with a different insurer. Presumably they need to start the claim process before the policy ends, rather than waiting until the shop's insurer decides what to do?

Quote from body shop is over a grand.
How much is his excess?

clockworks

Original Poster:

6,111 posts

152 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
£500 excess.

Monkeylegend

27,188 posts

238 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
I would be thinking the additional £500 over the excess is maybe not worth claiming for from his own insurance. He will have to declare that when he is looking for renewal quotes.

My neighbour had a no fault claim knock costing less than £1000 to repair, paid for by the other driver. He was told by the local main dealer who organised the repair not to tell his insurance company but he did.

His renewal premium went from £880 to £2250 and the repair didn't cost them a penny.

clockworks

Original Poster:

6,111 posts

152 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Her insurance is already a bit silly because of a previous claim and 9 points.

Monkeylegend

27,188 posts

238 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
clockworks said:
Her insurance is already a bit silly because of a previous claim and 9 points.
I think that probably makes it even more sensible not to claim on her insurance again for the sake of £500 or so.

clockworks

Original Poster:

6,111 posts

152 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Monkeylegend said:
clockworks said:
Her insurance is already a bit silly because of a previous claim and 9 points.
I think that probably makes it even more sensible not to claim on her insurance again for the sake of £500 or so.
Exactly what I've said to her. Not sure she'll listen though.

Monkeylegend

27,188 posts

238 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
clockworks said:
Monkeylegend said:
clockworks said:
Her insurance is already a bit silly because of a previous claim and 9 points.
I think that probably makes it even more sensible not to claim on her insurance again for the sake of £500 or so.
Exactly what I've said to her. Not sure she'll listen though.
You can only advise, it would be worse to say nothing.

And those "told you so" moments are very satisfying hehe

119

9,461 posts

43 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Inform your instance company and let them deal with it.

It’s what you pay them for.

Sebring440

2,307 posts

103 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
119 said:
Inform your instance company and let them deal with it.

It’s what you pay them for.
The usual cut'n'paste PH reply. Have you not read the original post?

skyebear

404 posts

13 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Could your friend raise a Simple Procedure (Scotland) or a Money Claim Online (Englandshire) to recover their costs?

119

9,461 posts

43 months

Monday 4th November
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
119 said:
Inform your instance company and let them deal with it.

It’s what you pay them for.
The usual cut'n'paste PH reply. Have you not read the original post?
Yeah, you?

clockworks said:
Car owner wondering whether to let their own insurer know, and handle the claim.

BertBert

19,677 posts

218 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
Is the shop actually liable for this? They have to have been negligent for that to be the case.

Alex Z

1,506 posts

83 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
BertBert said:
Is the shop actually liable for this? They have to have been negligent for that to be the case.
Placing a sign that can blow over, next to cars that can be damaged?
Sounds like they could have been negligent.

BertBert

19,677 posts

218 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
Alex Z said:
Placing a sign that can blow over, next to cars that can be damaged?
Sounds like they could have been negligent.
Yes, I'm not sure it's easy to say. If the sign was sold to the shop as a "windproof" sign, they probably wouldn't be. If it was light as a feather they could be.

Simpo Two

87,026 posts

272 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
BertBert said:
If the sign was sold to the shop as a "windproof" sign, they probably wouldn't be. If it was light as a feather they could be.
Ah well then the shop needs to sue the sign maker... what a world we live in. One of the less desirable imports from the USA.

dundarach

5,368 posts

235 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
I'd be tempted to leave the damage and do nothing, unless it's really terrible??

skyebear

404 posts

13 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
dundarach said:
I'd be tempted to leave the damage and do nothing, unless it's really terrible??
That's a valid point particularly if the car is on a lease or PCP. When they hand the car back it could be peanuts they are charged for the damage.

GasEngineer

1,163 posts

69 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
Another cut & paste PH reply:

Your friend should notify her current insurer and the soon to be insurer of the incident in any case.

clockworks

Original Poster:

6,111 posts

152 months

Tuesday 5th November
quotequote all
She's agreed that the best thing to do is wait and see what the shop's insurers come back with. If they agree to pay, all's good.
If they refuse, she'll forget about it.

It's not a massive dent, might even fixable by a decent PDR man.
She's already got damage on the front bumper (forgot to use the handbrake, rolled into the front of the house overnight) and the rear bumper (reversed into a low wall).

Car is a 2017 MINI One.