Clipped a wing mirror :S

polkadot100

Hi all!

Unfortunately I clipped someones wing mirror last night and broke it I have not been in this situ before (have been lucky so far!) just need a bit of advice please...

I left a note so waiting for a call. Just want to know where I stand on insurance etc... ready for when they call. I would like to just pay for the repair, don't think it's worth going through insurance but am I obliged if they insist for any reason?

Also any ball park figures on what I can expect to pay for replacement of a Polo wing mirror?

Cheers guys!

BlueFox

Legally you should report it to your insurer.

However, if the other person is willing to let you pay for the repair there "should" be no need to involve your insurance company. The problem could be if you can trust the owner of the vehicle you damaged - they may take the money off you to repair the mirror & then think they can get some other damage sorted or get some more cash at your expense & then report it to your insurer anyway, you can't dispute you caused the damage & they may deny you paid them anything.

The safest course of action is probably to report it to your insurer but make it very clear that you will pay for the third party's repairs & that you are telling them for "information purposes only" & they are not to pay the third party anything, unless you instruct them otherwise.

Can't help with cost of a Polo wing mirror, sorry.

King_Nothing

If you are planning on paying for it yourself don't involve your insurance, I doubt the cost of a repair outweighs loading your premiums with an at fault claim for the next five years. They managed to bung an extra £200 on to my insurance this year, for having someone drive into the back of me! A non-fault accident, so I wouldn't like to guess what statistics they will use to con you out of more money for a minor fault claim.

I wouldn't tell them personally, you're supposed to, but why tell of a minor incident that you pay to get fixed, after all you didn't hit it with your car did you? You knocked it running past?

sillygoose

In the reverse position, someone clipped my wife's mirror and it went through insurance (like you, the other party took responsibility).

It would have been easier if like your suggesting they just paid the bill as the insurers were a pain!

Depends if the new mirror needs painting to match the car or has a generic black shell, was the shell damaged? are you sure it was broken? many mirrors are on a hinge designed to snap back after a knock, can be clicked back into place.

The cost for a Kia one repainted and fitted was just under £300 in the end. I wouldn't expect it to be far off that give or take.

polkadot100

Thanks all.

Sillygoose, yes it was broken, bits had fallen off which I had to collect and put at the side of the pavement! I'm not sure if a whole mirror would be required or if it could be repaired with parts though as the whole lot wasn't hanging off. Also it just looked like a black mirror (not painted) but it was quite dark so not 100%, lets hope so!

sillygoose

If non painted will be cheaper, also depends if its heated and/or motorised, if its just mechanical (with an adjuster lever inside the car door) should be pretty cheap. Fitting isn't expensive, just take a bit of trim off inside and usually 3 bolts to undo, swap and its done.

worried_jim

I recently bought and installed in 1 minute a new wing mirror for my Astra for £14 of ebay.

Anniemacca

polkadot100 wrote: »

Hi all!

Unfortunately I clipped someones wing mirror last night and broke it I have not been in this situ before (have been lucky so far!) just need a bit of advice please...

I left a note so waiting for a call. Just want to know where I stand on insurance etc... ready for when they call. I would like to just pay for the repair, don't think it's worth going through insurance but am I obliged if they insist for any reason?

Also any ball park figures on what I can expect to pay for replacement of a Polo wing mirror?

Cheers guys!

I think that is really decent of you to do what you did. I know for a fact that the majority of people wouldn't do that. As it has happened to me, my partner, my dad and my friends and I cannot recall anyone having the decency to leave a note.

We have all been !!!!ed off that some pr1ck has done that and cost us money!

You really don't want to involve your insurance company. If you find out the make and model you will be able to get a cheap replacement off Ebay or from your local breakers yard. Even if the colour isn't the same it can't cost much to get it resprayed in the matching colour.

Depending on the age and spec of the car do not expect to pay over £100 all in - even for a modern one.

HTH

You will lose your no claims if you go through insurance so it really isn't worth it.

If the person is anything like a reasonable person they will be grateful that you left a note!!

polkadot100

Thanks Anniemacca, no I could never run away although I know a lot of people do and have personal experience of this (and still the scrape to show for it!)

Anniemacca

BlueFox wrote: »

Legally you should report it to your insurer.

However, if the other person is willing to let you pay for the repair there "should" be no need to involve your insurance company. The problem could be if you can trust the owner of the vehicle you damaged - they may take the money off you to repair the mirror & then think they can get some other damage sorted or get some more cash at your expense & then report it to your insurer anyway, you can't dispute you caused the damage & they may deny you paid them anything.

The safest course of action is probably to report it to your insurer but make it very clear that you will pay for the third party's repairs & that you are telling them for "information purposes only" & they are not to pay the third party anything, unless you instruct them otherwise.

Can't help with cost of a Polo wing mirror, sorry.

I have to say that I agree with none of this post. Count yourself lucky that you didn't hit his car.

There are decent, honest people still left in this world as proved by you. I assume you left a note because you made a mistake and it is the right thing to do and not because there was a witness that saw you do it?

Just read your reply. Thanks. It is nice to know that there are still people with principles and values.

Don't stress yourself out - you have done completely the right thing. Like I said - if you know the model and age of car have a look on Ebay and scrapyards.

You really don't want to involve the insurance company. If you are unscrupulous like certain other people they will start claiming for all sorts of phantom ailments!!

polkadot100

No there were no witnesses (except my hubby d'oh!)