Car insurance claim-help please!

Charlie000

My other half was involved in a minor accident last August. It was his fault as he clipped another car in a car park. However the damage didnt appear to be too bad. He spoke to his insurance company and said he would rather pay for the damage, up to a value of £500, rather than losing his no claims bonus.

I'm not sure of the exact process but as far as i am aware all of the relevent documents were filled out, including a police report and contact between both insurance companies, within a month of the accident. However he wasn't sent a letter stating how much he owed until yesterday (for £467.00). This is about about 7 months after the incident and seems like a long time to wait to make repairs and the clain. Is there a time limit on this? Due to the length of time, surely she could have caused subsequent damage to car and charge for it under that incident?

I realise I may be clutching at straws but any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

dacouch

There is no time limit and this length of time is not unusal at all for one insurance company to ask another to repair it.

You will have to pay it I'm afraid unless you let your insurance company pay it and loss some of your no claims bonus

Crazy_Jamie

Charlie000 wrote:

Due to the length of time, surely she could have caused subsequent damage to car and charge for it under that incident?

This is true, which is why you should ask to see a copy of the repair bill, which you are fully within your rights to do. There is no issue with time limits here or similar from a legal perspective, but certainly you should get a copy of the repair bill and ensure that the repairs that your OH is being asked to pay were as a result of the accident. The bill should obviously state the damage, location and repairs undertaken. Presumably your OH remembers where the other car was damaged in the accident, so any discrepancies between that and what was repaired should stand out.

dacouch

It would be sensible to follow Crazy Jamies advice just to make sure although the bill is actually very small for accident damage.

If you ever have an accident again it can help if you photograph any damage to the other vehicle and especially and existing damage so you have some evidence if their is a disagreement as some people will try it on in these cases.

Crazy_Jamie

If you ever have an accident again it can help if you photograph any damage to the other vehicle and especially and existing damage so you have some evidence if their is a disagreement as some people will try it on in these cases.

This is a good tip as well, though it should be born in mind that the burden of proof is on the Claimant and not you. Ultimately if there is a sticking point it is for them to prove that the damage claimed for was as a result of the accident. Consequently it is more important for a potential Claimant to take photographs of the damage than it is a potential Defendant, though either way it is prudent to do so if possible.

Charlie000

Thank you all for the help and advice. Its greatly appreciated. I'll get him to call his insurance company to ask for the repair bill and bear in mind that the burden of proof falls on the claiment if any discrepancies are spotted.

Thanks again