Car Ins. settlement advice please

thehound

Hi everyone,
unfortunately my wife was involved in a car crash today. The other driver has admitted liability and his insurers have called us to offer to take over the claim.
I asked my insurer and of course they want to keep the claim and deal with it themselves.

What should we do??
(The car's a write off but no-one seriously hurt, but my wife has whiplash.)

Many thanks.

dacouch

If you go through your insurers you will have to pay your excess and your no claims bonus will be reduced until you recover it from the other party. Your Insurers are likely to pass you over to a credit hire company who will give a like for like car at massively over the going rate (Your Insurers will be paid commission of around £150 for doing this) they will also receive circa £350 commission for each person who claims for injuries.

If you allow the other Insurers to deal with the claim you will not have to pay and excess and your no claims bonus is not affected. They should offer you a decent hire car (If they offer a basic hire car ask for an equivalent).

Who are the other Insurers?

thehound

dacouch wrote: »

If you go through your insurers you will have to pay your excess and your no claims bonus will be reduced until you recover it from the other party. Your Insurers are likely to pass you over to a credit hire company who will give a like for like car at massively over the going rate (Your Insurers will be paid commission of around £150 for doing this) they will also receive circa £350 commission for each person who claims for injuries.

If you allow the other Insurers to deal with the claim you will not have to pay and excess and your no claims bonus is not affected. They should offer you a decent hire car (If they offer a basic hire car ask for an equivalent).

Who are the other Insurers?

That was quick! thanks! The others are Norwich Union, mine are Privilege.
If the others have already admitted liability, doen't that make it easier?
They are both offering to loan me a temporary hire car with the same company.

dacouch

Norwich Union are a good company, they normally provide hire cars through enterprise who are quite prompt with the cars.

I personally would get the other Insurer to do the work and give you a car as you will not pay any excess or have your no claims bonus affected.

If your car is being repaired make sure you check the work when you pick the car up ESPECIALLY if Norwich Union send you to Solus who they own as they can be very hit and miss.

thehound

dacouch wrote: »

Norwich Union are a good company, they normally provide hire cars through enterprise who are quite prompt with the cars.

I personally would get the other Insurer to do the work and give you a car as you will not pay any excess or have your no claims bonus affected.

If your car is being repaired make sure you check the work when you pick the car up ESPECIALLY if Norwich Union send you to Solus who they own as they can be very hit and miss.

i think it's a write off. the front is badly smashed up.

dacouch

Nu should in theory offer you as much as your current company and in theory would normally be quicker as they will want you out of the hire car

bb2611

Get Norwich Union to deal with the claim, its the easiest thing for you to do, in the mean time if you think its going to be a write off start looking for cars on the same basics as yours to find out what yours is worth. You can then haggle the value of your car until you get what you think your car is worth.

dacouch

Good advice BB, if the repairs are more than about 60% to 70% then it will be a write off, you will be amazed how expenseive it is to get accident damage repaired.

Be aware that second hand values have dropped a lot recently so you may receive less than you are currently expecting but with the money they pay you it should be possible to buy an equivalent car.

To get an idea of the value go on autotrader and find the exact model, condition and mileage of your car within the localish area. Bear in mind that the cars may be advertised for that amount but they are not neccessarily selling for that price...

NU should be getting you in an Enterprise hire car (At their expense) by late this afternoon if you speak to them