Car Insurance claim... skidded into the back of another car..

Forgetful

Hi
My husband skiided into another car at the traffic lights and damaged the 3rd parties bumper, but our own bumper is undamaged.
If the 3rd party wants to claim off our insurance do I still have to pay the excess on my policy??

Thanks for any help..

Katerz

Hello,

You will only need to pay an excess if YOU claim for your own damages.

Kate

Katgrit

Unless you have no claims protection, or a separate policy in place to cover your losses, then yes, as the accident was due to your (husbands) car.

Please make sure you get your car properly checked. Someone skidded into me a couple of years ago and my bumper looked undamaged. A friend advised me to get it taken off anyway and check the support (?armature) bar behind it. Lo and behold a crushed support bar. Modern bumpers are plastic, so on impact it had simply flexed in, crushed the bar, and flexed back out again. The garage said even though the exterior was perfect it could have been lethal if I'd taken another bump.

shelly

Katgrit wrote: »

Unless you have no claims protection, or a separate policy in place to cover your losses, then yes, as the accident was due to your (husbands) car.

No claims protection has nothing to do with being liable for the excess on a policy. No claims protection merely protects your no claims bonus in the event of a claim.

Also as Katerz pointed out, you only pay your excess if you claim for the damage to your own car.

losgiganteskid

Forgetful wrote: »

If the 3rd party wants to claim off our insurance

The third party cannot claim off your insurance without your say so. If you wish to settle privately suggest they supply you with an estimate for repairs - be mindful that if you do pay them you must get them to sign to say that the monies received are in full and final settlement of all claims arising from that incident. If you don't the 3rd prty may come back to you at a later date and try to suggest other damage to their car occurred or they were injured or they needed to hire an alternative vehicle whilst theirs was off the road undergoing repairs.

Quentin

losgiganteskid wrote: »

The third party cannot claim off your insurance without your say so.

That is not so.

It is open to the third party to make a claim off your insurer either directly (himself or using his solicitor) or indirectly (via his own insurer).

But should the third party do this, and your insurer accepts you are liable, once the matter has been settled you could reimburse your insurer their outlay and thereby get your NCD reinstated.

losgiganteskid

Quentin wrote: »

That is not so.

It is open to the third party to make a claim off your insurer either directly (himself or using his solicitor) or indirectly (via his own insurer).

But should the third party do this, and your insurer accepts you are liable, once the matter has been settled you could reimburse your insurer their outlay and thereby get your NCD reinstated.

The insurance premium YOU pay when insuring YOUR vehicle is for YOUR protection (not for anyone elses) - all claims are PERSONAL - if the third party feels the incident was the fault of "forgetful" and "forgetful" wishes to pay the claim themselves they can do so - if "forgetful" wishes their insurance to indemnify them they can request they deal with the matter on "forgetful"s " behalf.

Quentin

losgiganteskid wrote: »

The insurance premium YOU pay when insuring YOUR vehicle is for YOUR protection (not for anyone elses) - all claims are PERSONAL - if the third party feels the incident was the fault of "forgetful" and "forgetful" wishes to pay the claim themselves they can do so - if "forgetful" wishes their insurance to indemnify them they can request they deal with the matter on "forgetful"s " behalf.

Don't know what point you are trying to make, but if you take out third party only insurance, it is clearly for the protection of others!

Your original advice that a third party cannot make a claim off the OP's insurer without his "say so" is bad advice and incorrect.

Soubrette

OH had an accident where he scraped the side of another car. We exchanged insurance details but the other driver had a look and said he felt it could be t-cutted out and wouldn't bother with insurance.

When I was changing insurers, I phoned our then insurers to check how long our no claims bonus was for - I was then informed that 3 years previously someone had made a claim against us and been paid but because we had no claims protection it had not affected our premiums.

Our insurers did not contact us in any way to say that a claim had been made or to ask for our side of the story (although in this instance we were totally to blame). We were not even contacted to say that a claim had been settled.

maginot

Car insurance is not for YOURSELF it is for the other person. That is why the basic minimum everyone has to have is THIRD PARTY (it is for the damage you cause).
You can upgrade and have Comprehensive insurance which would then be insurance for yourself.

But in answer to the OP original question, no you would not be liable for any excess on your policy as there in none for the third party element. However expect future insurance costs to increase, so may be wise to get costs and see if it is not too much to pay yourself rather than insurance.

losgiganteskid

Quentin wrote: »

Don't know what point you are trying to make, but if you take out third party only insurance, it is clearly for the protection of others!

Your original advice that a third party cannot make a claim off the OP's insurer without his "say so" is bad advice and incorrect.

You are buying an insurance indemnity to cover YOURSELF - not other motorists or property - I stand by what I have posted and hopefully someone with some insurance knowledge will confirm I am correct !!