Please help me - car insurance

Crazydaisy_3

Hi Everyone

I dont know what to do. I wsa driving home from work about a week ago when a car drove into the side of me. I know i went through green, I had been sat at the traffic lights waiting for them to change and proceeded only when they changed. The other party that hit me is claiming she went through green which is total rubbish. I had no witnesses in the car as she had got out a the traffic lights which is where i usually drop her off. I have only bene involved in an accident once before which was my fault an i admitted that to my insurance company.
I dont understand what happens now. the car has taken some serious damage fro the other car. Her car had a couple of dents in the bumper whilst mine needs two new doors and lots of repair work.
There were no cameras around that i am aware of and i have been looking, have even thought about putting an advert in the newpaper appealing for witnesses as there were cars that had come through the lights with me but they did not stop once they saw i got out of the car ok.
I have been told by my insurance company that to get the car fixed i have to pay the excess which is £250 and they will claim it back from the other party but two points here. 1. it's xmas i cant afford it and 2. the other party is denying responsibility!!!!!
Please help am in a right mess and none of it is my fault

JF77

Hi,

Very difficult as it is there word against yours. I know this is not very helpful but having worked for an insurance broker in the past I can't really tell you it will be fine.

As far as the XS goes, even if it was clear cut in your favour you would still have to pay the XS and claim it back which could take months. An XS is a condition of your policy regardless of fault.

The only advice I can give is to push the claim all the way and hope that their insurers decide to admit liability as it is their decision not their policy holder's.

Did you inform the police and, get a crime reference number as this could add weight to your case.

Oscar_The_Grouch

Hi there

If neither party is willing to back down, then you will usually find that the case is settled 50/50. This means that both of you get a "fault" claim listed on your insurance history and get 50% of your excess back. The only other alternative is to issue county court proceedings and let the judge decide who he believes.

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Crazydaisy wrote: »

... the excess which is £250 and they will claim it back from the other party but two points here. 1. it's xmas i cant afford it and 2. the other party is denying responsibility!!!!!

Sorry to hear about your claim, and I hope it gets sorted to your satisfaction. The lesson you'll need to take away from this experience is the fact that the cost of insuring a car is the cost of making a claim. Not just the premium you pay but your excess too. Both need to be affordable.

JonBoy_SCFC

as previous poster says, bit silly to take on an excess that you can't afford

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...says the person who wrote this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1130595

custardy

does the person you drop off get out right at the lights?
at least they could provide a statement that you had stopped at the lights

Crazydaisy_3

Guys thank you for all your advice. Just to answer a couple of wuestions. As the accident happened right outside the police station i went straight in after the accident and explained what had happened and wanted to press charges for dangerous driving. The lady on the desk spoke to another colleague in traffic who said there was nothing they could do as i had no witnesses. I was far from impressed to say the least.
As for the question about my colleague who i dropped off, i told my insurance company and they said i couldnt use her as a witness as i knew her. Since then i have discovered one of my other colleagues who has been on holiday for a few days who also worked the night of the accident also saw the accident as he wascoming up behind me on foot. I had been sat at the lights waiting for them to change that he had caught up but yet again have been told i cant use him as i know him. I just cant believe she can deny she went through red. Where has all the honesty in the world gone.
I have definately learnt my lesson about the excess though, saying that had i tnot been xmas time and my cooker breaking down i would have been able to sort the excess.

custardy

so how exactly would they define a 'witness'?
i mean how many acidents happen and the only witnesses are those in the car(s)?
generally you know the people in your car

shelly

Quote wrote: »

...says the person who wrote this thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1130595

Well spotted!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

mcjordi

prepare for a long drawn out claim, a now good mate of mine had this exact situation, where an old man jumper the red light and went into the side of his motor, i was behind the "green light driver" and provided a statement - it turned out it was one of my dads old mates who i didnt know at the time, the third parties insurer paid out eventually