crash for cash advice

tight_scotsman

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Tough one but unfortunately these cash for crash scams are all based on the premise it is easier for the insurance company to settle than to contest without some pretty compelling evidence. Unfortunately, 4 people in their car are likely to be more convincing that your wife given they will all back each other up.

I think you are on a hiding to nothing here which sucks and is exactly the reason I have just bought a dash cam.

Yes a dashcam would sort out this type of situation im a coach driver and use one on the coach.
I got mine from carcamerawarehouse.com they start at around £44 and from a guy in stockport not imported from china or the far east some insurance companies give you a discount on your premiums if you use a dash cam.

vaio

tight_scotsman wrote: »

Yes a dashcam would sort out this type of situation im a coach driver and use one on the coach.
I got mine from carcamerawarehouse.com they start at around £44 and from a guy in stockport not imported from china or the far east some insurance companies give you a discount on your premiums if you use a dash cam.

Seems unlikely, got links to any companies that give a discount?

I'd have thought that more likely is they will regard it as a modification and increase your premium

tight_scotsman

vaio wrote: »

Seems unlikely, got links to any companies that give a discount?

I'd have thought that more likely is they will regard it as a modification and increase your premium

If you buy the more expensive ones like roadhawk with telematics then some insurance companies will discount premiums especially for young drivers.


If you put the cost of the expensive cameras at around £300 thats the same as most peoples excess on their insurance.

If you are involved in a disputed claim like the OP then one of the cameras will prove beyond any doulbt who is to blame thus saving your excess and your NCD.

I have never heard of anyone having increased premiums because they fitted a camera

somethingcorporate

Cameras are not permanent any more than a tomtom is so hardly a modification.

I picked up one on amazon for about £50 delivered but it is not a chinese import like a lot of the lower end ones.

I agree that they may not help in a situation like that but they sure as hell do in one like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a0PtRevECE

It's something I'd rather have and not need than need and not have and there are a couple of examples I found on youtube where cars that had caused crashes similar to the one above caught on camera had been used against a gang that had been doing this kind of thing for the insurance money.

vaio

somethingcorporate wrote: »

......I agree that they may not help in a situation like that but they sure as hell do in one like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a0PtRevECE

It's something I'd rather have and not need than need and not have and there are a couple of examples I found on youtube where cars that had caused crashes similar to the one above caught on camera had been used against a gang that had been doing this kind of thing for the insurance money.

Yep, it would help in circumstances like that but I'd have thought the easiest way of scam accidents is unexpected braking on roundabout entry and dual carriageways and filming you running into the back of the car in front isn't going to help.

What does help is that the people who do this are dim enough to do it multiple times and so they get caught by appearing too often on insurers databases either as "victims" or by being a repeat customers of the same recovery agent/ambulance chaser

vaio

tight_scotsman wrote: »

If you buy the more expensive ones like roadhawk with telematics then some insurance companies will discount premiums especially for young drivers......

Any links to which companies and what discounts they offer for having a camera?

....If you are involved in a disputed claim like the OP then one of the cameras will prove beyond any doulbt who is to blame thus saving your excess and your NCD.....

but the OP ran into the back of a car that slowed unexpectedly because they were too close. Having that recorded on film isn't going to affect liability.

.....I have never heard of anyone having increased premiums because they fitted a camera

was (a bit) tongue in cheek but I bet if you rang insurance companies and asked about a permanently installed camera some would regard it as a modification and charge an increased premium.

I suppose dash cams are fitted by two sorts of drivers, sensible ones who want to record incidents and avoid unfair insurance claim and idiots who want to post their latest driving antics/race/speeding etc on You Tube.

See if you can guess which way the insurers knee jerk is going to be if they start thinking about it? dash cam = sensible driver so reduced premium or dash cam = idiot driver so premium loading?

sarahg1969

It looks as though the insurers are taking this seriously. It may be that the collision occurred in a hotspot known for such incidents, or that the people or their addresses had been involved in other similar accidents. Or maybe the accident management company or hire company or solicitors (or all three together) are of concern in relation to induced collisions.

If they do decide to reject the claims after investigations and taking statements from the driver and any witnesses, then yes, you could go ahead and make a claim, but you do risk receiving counterclaims from the other parties.

cxn_2

thanks for all your help
i think il invest in one of these car cam thingies.

in the mean time il wait and see what happens with the insurers, id be happy with the claim being voided and her insurance not to go up.

il post back what happens