Car accident - not my fault but discovered i'm not insured !

Cruiksl

I was involved in a car accident today where I was stationary at traffic lights and the car hit me from behind. No-one was hurt but there is damage to the back of my car and the substanstial damage to the other person's car. I have an independent witness who was walking past. We exchanged insurance details and he admitted liability.

All was fine and able to drive home and called insurance company (Tesco) to discover my policy had run out on 25/8. I immediatley renewed it but will be unable to process a claim now.

Can anyone offer any advice on how I should/ can I claim against the other driver ? Really can't believe this has happened.

Quentin

You will need to claim directly off the third party/their insurer.

You can use a solicitor/claim handler or do it yourself.

To DIY, get a quote for the repairs and send it to the third party (or insurer if you have the details).

State you hold them responsible for the incident and ask them to confirm they will reimburse you all costs associated with the incident. (Say something like "including, but not limited to, the cost of a hire car whilst mine is being repaired")

Enclose the quote, and ask them if they want to inspect your car prior to the repairs being carried out.

Some third party insurers offer to instruct a garage, but usually you will have to pay out for the repairs then submit the receipted invoice for reimbursement.

If you can only get the car repaired if they will pay, then await written confirmation that they will before proceeding with the repairs.

Your lack of insurance is irrelevant to the incident (as long as the third party pays up!)

mattymoo

An interesting counterpoint to the threads that complain about auto renewal being a con.

Cruiksl - sorry to hear about the bad luck but as Quentin says, the other persons insurers will not penalise you for lack of insurance.

From experience would you have been happier having a policy that automatically renewed unless you instructed otherwise?

dacouch

Quentin's post is spot on, as the accident is not your fault you are just as entitled to have your car repaired as you are if it was insured. Follow his advice on how to get the other Insurer to pay for it

lisyloo

Hi Cruiskl,

Did you move address by any chance?

The reason I'm asking is that these days policies either tend to renew automatically (which out of interest is something lots of people complain about) or they send you letters to keep reminding you.
I had my car scrapped a few months ago and didn't want to renew but my insurer sent me 3 letters - a renewal notice and 2 reminders.
I can understand a single letter getting lost in the post but I'm just wondering why you never received any of their letters?
Did you move and not tell them?

Cruiksl

An oversight on my part - I didn't read the policy properly and hadn't opened another letter that they sent me as a reminder. It was made worse by me also getting a letter about travel insurance from Tesco the same week which was an automatic renewal and I had to call them to cancel. I stupidly thought it was the same for my car insurance.

Anyway - an update - called the post office who his insurance was with and they won't send out any forms so will have to get quotes and put a claim in just writing it out.

If I could beat myself up about this anymore I would.

maninthestreet

Let's hope the other driver doesn't find out you are uninsured - they'll probably be straight off to the police to report you for driving whilst uninsured. Exactly what action the police might take in these circumstances isn't clear.

roddydogs

Your lucky the boys in blue wernt around at the time " i forgot, didnt get the reminder " etc are old hat excuses

lisyloo

u should have there and then asked the driver of the other car to pay you the money for your damage.

It doesn't work like that.
Firstly you can never admit liability.
It's for the insurers to decide liability even if it's clear cut.
Secondly repairs needs to be assesed, estimated and authorised.
Nothing happens "there and then" except exchange of details.
If the other driver had admitted liability then he breaches the terms of his policy.

BenL

If the other driver is upfront with their insurance company they may write to you directly to save time and their money.

When a guy hit me his insurance company were super fast and very good arranging it all for the repairs as it was in their interests to take control so they were not having to re-mburse my insurers if I claimed from my own policy first.

dacouch

Paulo_Borges wrote: »

i am not sure but i dont think you will be able to claim money from the insurance company..but instead if you knew that your insurance had expired, u should have there and then asked the driver of the other car to pay you the money for your damage..

Irrespective of whether you have insurance on your own vehicle if the other vehicle is at fault and they accepted liability they have to deal with your claim