Disputing a Car Insurance Claim

emmadragon

Hi,

I need some advice on a dispute on a claim being made against me. I had a VERY minor accident last week where I skidded into the back right corner of another car on a wet day, it caused the most minor scratch on the bumber of the other person's car and more damage to my car which I've repaired.

Now he has reported this to his insurance company who have advised him to go to a garage and check it out. The garage have reported that the car (an 11 yr old estate) needs a whole new bumper and then sprayed, not sure of how much it will cost yet but guessing it will probably be more than the car is worth! I've contacted my insurance company and told them that I think this is overkill and asked for this to be reviewed.

Now I have accepted responsibility, have asked the gentleman in question to settle this privately and also expressed that I am more than happy to pay for any reasonable damage and don't want to loose my no-claims discount but he is insisting that he has started the claim and so cannot stop it (rather ignorant).

I apparently have no rights in the situation and the insurance company will just pay out no matter what I say, I've asked for someone from my insurance company to check the damage and an engineer will go over what the other insurance company's engineer has put but will not go and see the car themselves.

This may be a futile question but does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do to dispute this claim or to get this checked by another garage, I cannot believe that I have no choice but to just roll over and accept this on such an old car for such a minimal amount of damage?

Thanks in advance

dogbot

Why should the person you hit accept anything other than the return of his vehicle to the condition it was in before you hit it?

Seriously, put yourself into his shoes. If you were sitting in your car and someone hit the rear of your car, be it your pride and joy or not, would you accept less than full indemnity for the loss?

Your insurer has the right to take over and handle the claim as it sees fit - and they won't be going out of their way to pay money that the other party is not due!

You have done the right thing by pointing out the damage way very minor and suggest they review the other party's engineers report, which no double they will. This will usualy include photos by the way.

The rear ends of cars can look like a lot better after being hit than the front ends - it is just the way they are designed. The bumpers are much better at absorbing impact then popping out again, so there could be damage behind the bumper. They do also crack and the fixings behind the bumper be snapped and weakened. I don't think taking it off, putting a new one on and re-spraying it is overkill at all - they could be looking for a full job to blend the paint to the rear and side of the vehicle too!

dogbot

Ask you insurer to let you know how much it is costing and indicated that if it is under a certain amount you will be happy to reimburse them the money. This leaves your no claims bonus intact - though of course you must still declare the fault accident when obtaining quotes for future insurance.

mluton

This is what insurance companies are for, let them do the work. As long as you have told the truth, drawn diagrams, provided pictures, there is nothing more for you to do.

If they claim a £100 repair of £5000 new bumper paint job, do you really care, your covered.

emmadragon

Thanks for the replies, my point is that his "pride and joy" was damaged with the most minimal of damage and I am disputing the level of work needed to restore his car to its former glory!

Of course I would want my car to be sorted but I would also be a little savy and understand that the garage that my insurance compant sends me to will charge through the nose and maybe bump up a claim knowing that whatever they do they will be paid. And that if the other person had called to discuss payment options and requesting to settle this away from insurance companies for one reason or another that I would entertain the notion.

My amazement is that an insruance company would just pay out and not get a second opionion, we check and double check everything to try and save us as much money as possible but an insurance company just says "ok". No wonder our premiums are so high!!!

My annoance stems from the fact that I have tried to be a very careful driver since I want to retain my no claims bonus and now I will loose it because I will not be able to afford to pay back the insurance company for a new bumper but that I could have if they had just buffed out the scratch.

Rant over...

geri1965_2

With all due respect, you are asking your insurance company to take your word over the word of the bodyshop who have inspected the damage and provided the quote. I'm assuming you are a layman and not a motor engineer, so who do you think they will believe?

The other driver will have had to either take his garage to an approved repairer, or obtained two quotes. Either way he will have satisfied his own insurance company that the repairs are necesary, and your insurance company will take their word for it.

Insurers are quite reluctant to pay out for damage that didn't occur as a result of the accident but very often there is damage that isn't obvious by a cursory look at the vehicle with the naked eye.

Ivrytwr3

if you start disputing (or your insurance does), then both parties will no doubt enter a solicitor battle and costs will spiral. All insurances look for the quickest and cheapest fix.

I see where you're coming from, but don't let it overwhelm you. You had insurance, no-one died, move on..............

mumps

My husband had a problem after an accident, a car hit him and he was pushed into another car. The insurance company of the driver of the car that hit him wanted to pay claim for damage to rear of our car but damage to front of our car and car we hit to be paid by our insurance. Our insurance company was going ahead with this no matter how much husband aruged. He had an excellent independent witness to what had happened. He informed the insurance company that if they went ahead he would go to the police and make a complaint of perjury. They passed this information on to the other company and everything was paid by other company.

negg

Plastic bumpers cost a fortune to be replaced, they often cannot be repaired either. I was shocked when one of mine cost over £600, but even more shocked to find a Vauxhall Vectra bumper cost around £500 to replace, a car I thought would be much cheaper.

no.1swimmum

Wow Negg thats alot of money, I recently had the front bumper on my people carrier changed and a small respray and polish to some minor damage on the wheel arch (caused by a caravan hitting me as he turned the corner and not stopping) I asked how much it would cost as did not want to loose no claims and it only cost £313 I was quite pleased thought at the time it was a bargain

dacouch

If you have scuffed or scratch a bumper (Which is probably plactic) they cannot just respray where teh scratch. It is not reasonable to have one of the people who touch up scratches and paint chips as they use a different type of paint which does not last as long as the normal paint on the car and would start to deterioate fairly quickly.

To ensure a good finish they either have to remove the paint and respray the who bumper or more likely if its a plastic bumper they will repalce with a new bumper and respray it. This is the only real way they can blend the paint in and ensure the paint work on the bumper to somewhere near what it should be (It still won't be perfect and a motor trader will probably be able to spot its been resprayed and could offer a lower amount should he either sell the car on).

He is entitled to be in the same position as before the accident so it is fair and reasonable to replace / respray the bumper