Screwed By Our Own Motor Insurance Company

bowks1968

We were hit by a bloomin great volvo 4x4 on the 27th December 2008. The driver took the blame and exchanged details. The incident landed myself, partner and 2 toddlers in A&E. My insurance were very quick to sort a courtesy car and legal assistance (although we are still waiting to hear from them). My own car was declared a total loss today (it was a P reg Punto) and my insurers have said they will pay me £500.00 less my exess of £250! Now we have a problem. First I can't possible find a car for £250.00. Second our car (although old) was still our car... We knew her well, looked after her and most importantly for the saftey of the kids spent on keeping the car in very good order. I feel we have been seriously let down by our insurers, after all, this incident was not, in any way, our fault. I need a car for work which is 8 miles away and not on any bus routes. I don't have any savings (who does!) and well... after being hit, hurt and losing our only means of transport am sick to the pit thinking that the smug s*d who hit us is still driving his shiny 4x4.
Can we insist that the insurance company find us a suitable and safe replacement car and do we have to pay the exess and then claim it back as the insurance company have suggested?

Your help is greatly appreciated,

Mark, Louise, Athena & Zanthe x

harveybobbles

If it wasnt your fault then you'll get your excess back from the other party.

Strange thing is I know a couple called Mark and Louise who had an accident in their XC90 around Crimbo!!

Ask your insurance company to find you a replacement vehicle to the same value.

Is your Punto a mess? OR does it just need some pannel work? As you could ask for it back, battered of course. People often do this on low value cars.

The car is still written off (on paper) but on a low value car it makes no difference.

hewhoisnotintheknow

tell em you want more

bowks1968

harveybobbles wrote: »

If it wasnt your fault then you'll get your excess back from the other party.

Strange thing is I know a couple called Mark and Louise who had an accident in their XC90 around Crimbo!!

Ask your insurance company to find you a replacement vehicle to the same value.

Is your Punto a mess? OR does it just need some pannel work? As you could ask for it back, battered of course. People often do this on low value cars.

The car is still written off (on paper) but on a low value car it makes no difference.

thanks for that. I had considered it. I do hope the people you know are not from South Manchester! That really would be strange:huh:

thanks again and fingers crossed.

harveybobbles

bowks1968 wrote: »

thanks for that. I had considered it. I do hope the people you know are not from South Manchester! That really would be strange:huh:

thanks again and fingers crossed.

*keeps quiet...* :shhh:



but did it have a private plate? 2 letters and 2 numbers?

MarkyMarkD

It's not your insurer's job to find you a replacement car.

All they have to do is offer you a fair value for your car.

£500 does not sound that unreasonable (off the top of my head) for a P reg Punto.

But if you can show them prices from AutoTrader (say) that demonstrate that it is too low, then they should pay you more - less your excess, which you'll get back reasonably quickly from the other insurer if there's no dispute over liability.

Unstoppable_2

You will only be offered the market value of your car. £500 for a P reg banger sounds about right.
You will be paid out less the excess from your insurance company. You then claim the excess from the third party. This is where that £20 a year legal cover comes in - you DID pay it didn't you?
It is not the insurance companies job to find you a new car.
Regarding the A&E visit, if you or anyone in your vehicle were injured, make sure to get an injury claim started - there's plenty of companies advertising on the telly.

Yes it's not fair and not right but sadly, the above is the way it is. Take heart in the fact that you're still all here and that at the end of the day, a car is only a metal box.

dolby21

I too am beeing screwed over by my insurance company over an accident that was not my fault. Your insurers wouldnt happen to be esure would they?

peter_the_piper

Never accept the companies first offer. Always reject and ask for more than you want, they should reply offering more. Its up to you if you wish to continue the negotiations.

MX5huggy

Have you got the service record for the Punto, recipts showing how well you maintained you car? Use them to back up your claim for more value for your car.

I would not bother with fully comp on such a car.

HappyMJ

Why are you not claiming for injuries? Must be another £5,000 there. So many people around here claim for such minor injuries and amazingly they are paid. Try going to a claims management company in your local town.