Car Insurance Claim Hell !!!!!!!!!

mickyd21

Really quickly ! I'v tried searching and couldn't find anything.

Basically back in June, i was stationary at the end of traffic, when a company vehicle for a well know drainage company went into the back of me. Causing me to roll into the car in front, causing damage to my car, none to the car in front and very little damage to the van that went into the back of me. Obtained insurance details from the person that went into me ( as a thought no need for the car i rolled into details, caused by me being hit in the rear) The car was a total loss due to the damage at the rear

Basically 5 months down the line, the other insurance company were unable to get in contact with there person (the one that was driving the van) as he no longer worked with the company, my responce, not my problem as when the accident happened, he did.

Friday I contacted my insurance company who have now been advised by the other insurance company that they happy to issue a cheque in reimbursement of our claim, but not in full. This is because they have a statement from the driver of the van, adamant that i collided with the vehicle in front of me before he hit me in the rear.

My insurance company are no return my stamement again to them, advising of them what happened, along with a witness statement ( which the only called and asked the person for a week ago, and the vaguely remember, well seven months down the line what do you expect !

I really dont know where i stand on the hole situation and have so many questions that my insurance company are a bit "cagey" in replying to me so any advice (no matter how harsh) would be greatly appreciated !

dacouch

The witness statement in conjuction with them checking with the vehicle in front as to what happened should be sufficient to sort this out

lcharm

Sorry your 2nd to last paragraph doesn't make sense can you clarify. Are you talking about a witness statement? Did you say you DIDN'T get insurance details from the car in front?

mickyd21

No insurance details were not obtained from the vehicle in front of me, by myself: not to sure about by the person that went into me if they got them either. This on my part was because no visible damaged was caused to their vehicle (in front of me)

lcharm

But you took their contact details right? How did you get a witness statement?

mickyd21

Witness was a pedestrian, who was also a by-stander !

lcharm

Ok I see! To be honest any witness is better than no witness but the problem with insurance companies is they'll try anything not to pay out and you not having the driver in front as a witness to say that you where hit 1st may cause you problems.

The only thing that would cause the van drivers case to be thrown out is the fact that a) He STILL hit you regardless of the fact you hit the car in front (i.e. he still was not paying attention and must of been driving too close or too fast.) and
b)the fact that if you did hit the car in front 1st why has there not been a claim made against you by that driver surely his damage would be bad from a double impact?

To be honest you'll have to just hope for the best unless you want to get solicitors involved!

You can make a written complaint to your insurance company for not dealing with your case properly and they have to try and resolve it within 8 weeks otherwise you can take the case to the financial ombudsman service.

mickyd21

I just want to get my money back out of all this. I feel as the I'v been well and truly screwed over! T.B.A i think its just that fact that Iv been (in not so many words) a liar. Which I'm not !

Thank you Icharm for your advice. Much appreciated !

Any more advice welcome

mattymoo

lcharm wrote: »

You can make a written complaint to your insurance company for not dealing with your case properly and they have to try and resolve it within 8 weeks otherwise you can take the case to the financial ombudsman service.

You can complain on procedural grounds but I do not see this is really going to get you anywhere. The other person is alleging you are partly at fault for the accident and the ombudsman does not rule on such matters, that is what the courts are for.

Am I right in thinking that nodody has contact details for the driver in front? Not even a registration number? They would be able to sort this quite easily by saying whether they felt one or two impacts. If one - you are in the clear, if two, you are partly to blame.

lcharm

True but it's worth a shot now that there's not much hope in finding details for the person in front after 7 months

Was thinking more along the lines of the fact that the Van drivers story doesn't add up so surely the insurance company should pick up on this

mickyd21

I don't have any contact details for the person that I rolled into, and I don't think the person who went in to the back of me got those details.

The thing that really gets me is that this guy who went into me is calling me a Liar. Its not in my nature to be like that. If i was in the wrong then I would admit. If i had gone in to the car in front of me first, Why did I not take their details ? Why am I claiming of the guy that went into the back of me ? Why did he not report it with his company ? Why did the insurance company not chase this up earlier ? What is now going to happen to this guy that did not report the problem?

Also, my insurance company had said that the total damage at the rear of my car, caused the car to be a total loss, which was caused by him going into me !

At the end of the day, I know feel this has got personal, and am more then happy to go to court, have a lie detector test, swear on my mothers life. You name it !

So many questions and not enough answers !

I know these companies must have a lot a cases to investigate but surly there should be measures in place to make sure statements, diagrams etc are investigated and obtained at the earliest stage. Instead of waiting 7 months down the line and nothing adds up !