Accident Help? Elephant Insurance. I need some Advice

CraigWinder1

Hi there,

Recently, I was involved in an accident on the M62 on the thelwall via duct.

An accident happened in front of me with multiple other vehicles. As i hit the brakes, another car come up on the left side of me (undertaking), realised that their was an accident in front, swerved (switching lanes to my lane) to avoid hitting those cars, and hit me on the left side, pushing me into another vehicle.

I have been in constant contact with my insurance company, who have deemed my vehicle a total loss.

Elephant insurance are now telling me that they value the vehicle at 1250 but are going to take off my £600 excess, remove my no claims and bill me for the remainder of my policy (£1400 ISH) which would leave me owing them money.

However, since the accident was not my fault, I have given them the details of the vehicle that hit me and the other vehicles involved.

Elephant told me that everyone is claiming off the person who started the whole thing originally.

The party that hit me, and the party who started the whole thing off are BOTH insured with the same company as me. However they say it's not feasible to pay me until they admit liability.

The accident was not my fault and I feel I am being screwed over by my insurance and need some advice.

vaio

is your car drivable?

CraigWinder1

No, it's completely knackered

rev_henry

CraigWinder1 wrote: »

Hi there,

Recently, I was involved in an accident on the M62 on the thelwall via duct.

An accident happened in front of me with multiple other vehicles. As i hit the brakes, another car come up on the left side of me (undertaking), realised that their was an accident in front, swerved (switching lanes to my lane) to avoid hitting those cars, and hit me on the left side, pushing me into another vehicle.

I have been in constant contact with my insurance company, who have deemed my vehicle a total loss.

Elephant insurance are now telling me that they value the vehicle at 1250 but are going to take off my £600 excess, remove my no claims and bill me for the remainder of my policy (£1400 ISH) which would leave me owing them money.

However, since the accident was not my fault, I have given them the details of the vehicle that hit me and the other vehicles involved.

Elephant told me that everyone is claiming off the person who started the whole thing originally.

The party that hit me, and the party who started the whole thing off are BOTH insured with the same company as me. However they say it's not feasible to pay me until they admit liability.

The accident was not my fault and I feel I am being screwed over by my insurance and need some advice.

No you weren't - the Thelwall viaduct carries the M6.

You're fully comp right? If your car isn't driveable you should be able to get a courtesy car, iirc all elephant comp policies include one.

For now probably just a case of waiting it out. Or will they not proceed with the claim at all until you've paid the money they claim you owe them?

CraigWinder1

rev_henry wrote: »

No you weren't - the Thelwall viaduct carries the M6.

You're fully comp right? If your car isn't driveable you should be able to get a courtesy car, iirc all elephant comp policies include one.

For now probably just a case of waiting it out. Or will they not proceed with the claim at all until you've paid the money they claim you owe them?

I have a courtesy car from my Solicitors, however they are only dealing with my personal injury.

I have to deal with the vehicle claim. What i'm trying to say is it's like i'm claiming off my own insurance rather than the other party's insurance. Where they should be claiming off the other party. They say my vehicle is worth 1250, take off 600 for excess and 1400 for the remainder of my policy. which would mean after the claim I owe them 750!

What I don't understand is why they are taking my excess and the remainder of the policy if I was not at fault. Surely it should be the other party's insurance they claim off, not my own?

rev_henry

CraigWinder1 wrote: »

I have a courtesy car from my Solicitors, however they are only dealing with my personal injury.

I have to deal with the vehicle claim. What i'm trying to say is it's like i'm claiming off my own insurance rather than the other party's insurance. Where they should be claiming off the other party. They say my vehicle is worth 1250, take off 600 for excess and 1400 for the remainder of my policy. which would mean after the claim I owe them 750!

What I don't understand is why they are taking my excess and the remainder of the policy if I was not at fault. Surely it should be the other party's insurance they claim off, not my own?

OK.

What's happening is they're treating it as an at fault claim until the other side admits liability and reimburses your insurance company, which of course is the same company so it is a bit silly. Why have they not admitted liability, or decided with whom liability lies? What I'd do is say to them that you don't want to claim on your own comp insurance but want to wait until the 3rd party admits liability then claim off their insurance. Then you won't have to mess around with this £750 nonsense.

CraigWinder1

rev_henry wrote: »

OK.

What's happening is they're treating it as an at fault claim until the other side admits liability and reimburses your insurance company, which of course is the same company so it is a bit silly. Why have they not admitted liability, or decided with whom liability lies? What I'd do is say to them that you don't want to claim on your own comp insurance but want to wait until the 3rd party admits liability then claim off their insurance. Then you won't have to mess around with this £750 nonsense.

I've said that to them but apparently they are trying to get an 'admission of liability'. What i don't understand, is it's the same company. If they see the damage to my car and then the damage to theirs, shouldnt it tally up?

It just seems like because their company is the same as my company, either way they make a loss so they are reluctant to pay out.

scheming_gypsy

insurance isn't about tallying up it's about liability.

Until the other driver admits liability they have to put you as liable whilst everything is sorted out, and then they reinstate everything and give you the rest of your money. Having the same insurance company is just fortunate as it'll be sorted out internally but they need to sort out who was to blame and until then everybody else is in the same boat as you. They've not decided that you're it and they're going to screw you over, they're doing what they do for every other accident.