Someone Has Bumped My Car

marksyx

Someone has bumped my car in the work car park.

I wasn't in my car at the time which was parked and stationary but arrived just after it had happened. My car was parked horizonally and hers vertically facing my drivers door. Apparently she left the car in gear and when turning on the engine it's jerked forward into my car.

The car is still driveable and i've reported it to the insurance but agreed to get quotes so we can try and settle it privately in orderfor her not to lose her no claims etc. I'm starting to wonder if it is worth it?

The damage is across the drivers door and also the back wing, so two sections of the car. My car is also metallic paint which adds to the cost.

Spent yesterday trying to find somewhere open to get a quote and was quoted £550. Advised her of this and she said it seemed a bit step please send me photos of the damage, i've sent her photos via e-mail as requested and she said she'd get back to me today.

Today she has rang and said that quote seems steep - can we get can we get the quote written for her. The quote we were given was verbal so I gave her the details of the garage in order for her to check. She said she would pay the garage directly. She said she would ring them tomorrow to check.

It is clear she doesn't believe me, and i'm getting a little frustrated. I've been told the work will take 2-3 days, which means i'm going to be without a car for that amount of time. So I either pay for a hire car, or get lifts/use public transport. I've given her a quote just for the work and not even mentioned what i'd have to pay for a hire car.

If I go through the insurance I would get a free hire car for the time the work takes to complete. They've also told me I wouldn't lose my no claims and wouldn't have to pay my excess.

The girl is lovely and was devstated about the accident, kept apologising etc. and that is why I have been willing to try and help her out. But now i'm starting to feel like i'm the one going out of my way and being inconvenienced for something that wasn't even my fault.

I do worry though that if I go through insurance my premium might shoot up upon renewal? I wasn't even in the car at the time, so surely can't be found at fault, but i'm not too knowledgable about insurance so am not sure how it would effect mine?

mcjordi

put it through her insurance.. if its affordable for her she can always reimburse the insurer to retain her NCB

i wouldnt mess on getting qoutes..

dazedandconfused_123

You are trying to be helpful to this girl-but loads of people wouldn't be as nice as you.

It's causing you stress (and from experiance some people arn't even grateful)- really you don't deserve the problems so just let the insurance sort it out and save yourself the agro!

mildred1978

marksyx wrote: »

The car is still driveable and i've reported it to the insurance but agreed to get quotes so we can try and settle it privately in orderfor her not to lose her no claims etc. I'm starting to wonder if it is worth it?

.........



I do worry though that if I go through insurance my premium might shoot up upon renewal? I wasn't even in the car at the time, so surely can't be found at fault, but i'm not too knowledgable about insurance so am not sure how it would effect mine?

It's going to increase anyway, especially as you've told your insurers about it. And for the next 5 years you'll have to declare it as a non-fault incident*, which will push your premium up.

*Assuming it doesn't cost you or your insurers anything for the repairs/hire car etc because the other person/her insurers pay it all.

Road_Hog

mildred1978 wrote: »

It's going to increase anyway, especially as you've told your insurers about it. And for the next 5 years you'll have to declare it as a non-fault incident*, which will push your premium up.

*Assuming it doesn't cost you or your insurers anything for the repairs/hire car etc because the other person/her insurers pay it all.

^
What this person says (it is correct).

Get on to your insurers now, and let them deal with it, don't muck around.

But first, send her an email and ask her something like, how much is she prepared to pay for the repair?

Keep the reply, it will be an admission of guilt. Otherwise when it goes through the insurers, she might suddenly change her mind that she was responsible. It's amazing how many people know they were responsible at they time when they've hit your car, but as 24 hours suddenly see it differently.

[Deleted User]

Just go through the insurance. I would. People like that always think they can get body repairs done for 50 quid then wiggle out then they realise you can't. I wouldn't mess about. It's what you pay your insurance for anyway.

kiwi07

I had exactly the same. Just a month before my renewal!! I left my car at Asda and when I came back I noticed that someone has bumped my car. The girl waited to see me and was also very apologetic. She asked about my details and said that her insurance company will sort everything out. Her insurance company rang me to say that they pay for the damage but I can inform my company if I want. I rang my insurance company to inform the incident and that girl's insurance take care of everything. So I put it through her insurance. When I was doing renewal my insurance put my premium up and they put this incident into my insurance history!! I looked for another provider. I was very annoying as my insurance history was clear up to date and this accident was not even my fault. Now I dont know what should I put as the answer for following questions. "Have you had any incidents for the last 3 years? Have you made any claims for the last 3 years?"

mildred1978

oki1875 wrote: »

I had exactly the same. Just a month before my renewal!! I left my car at Asda and when I came back I noticed that someone has bumped my car. The girl waited to see me and was also very apologetic. She asked about my details and said that her insurance company will sort everything out. Her insurance company rang me to say that they pay for the damage but I can inform my company if I want. I rang my insurance company to inform the incident and that girl's insurance take care of everything. So I put it through her insurance. When I was doing renewal my insurance put my premium up and they put this incident into my insurance history!! I looked for another provider. I was very annoying as my insurance history was clear up to date and this accident was not even my fault. Now I dont know what should I put as the answer for following questions. "Have you had any incidents for the last 3 years? Have you made any claims for the last 3 years?"

The answer is yes to both.

savemoney

I had my car damaged idiot women up road reversed down the street into my car front drivers wing, door mirror even though folded in, drivers door costs £650 to fix at body shop plus car hire for 4 days. I claimed off my insurance which got paid by theirs, they said they wont increase my insurance as they can recover the costs I also got a letter from theirs to say they pay all damage and it wont effect my no claims

Its really expensive body work now I had had my car damaged twice in 3 years but idiots even though car was parked and I always leave plenty of space and tuck mirror in. My last accident was hit n run and that was over £550 similar accident

Oh and if done via insurance expert claim management calls, I got loads but thankfully blocked most of them

marksyx

Thankyou for the advice everyone, I am gonna see what she says later today when she calls back and then may go down the e-mail route.

I really am panicking about my insurance going up though if I go through them and she suddenly decides to say she wasn't at fault? I wasn't at the vehicle when it happened, and I have a witness who was walking to the car park with me and saw the kafuffle around my car who can back me up with that. But the other witnesses I dont know and were her work colleagues.

kiwi07

mildred1978 wrote: »

The answer is yes to both.

Are you sure? I did not make a claim. She did. My NCB was not affected.