reporting accidents?

korky69

hi,
i was hit from behind on sat 8th dec, we exchanged details etc and when i got home i reported it to my insurers.
however that evening i got a call from the husband of the other driver (who wasn't there) asking if I'd be willing to let him pay for the damage, i told him that I'd already reported it so no,
he then got abusive and said he'd also rang the police and reported me as a drunk driver!!
i hung up straight away and called the police myself, nothing reported to them and even if i was (i wasn't) they couldn't have done anything 4 hours later.

5 days on and my own insurers are still in the dark if the other party have reported it?
all they have said they have requested details off the other party, but if they won't report it?

surely there must be a timescale to report an accident, even if minor, as i get the feeling after the call Saturday evening it'll get denied the driver was even there, i didn't get any witnesses,
all i have is her hand written details and a photo of her car, and of course a call record from the husband off a mobile, providing its registered to either of them?

is it worth a call to the police to inform them for not reporting the incident?

Sgt_Pepper_2

Is there a reason you won't let them pay for your repair and hire car?

Technically they can do a countback four hours after.

The fact they have not reported it to their insurance is not a police matter.

thenudeone

The police would not be interested in doing anything about an allegation of drink driving several days ago.

And as long as you gave the details required by law, you have nothing to worry about.

It's your choice whether to accept their offer but given their attitude I'd be tempted to make go through the insurance. Ideally if you have motor legal cover you should ask them to arrange everything with the other insurers directly without making a claim on your policy.

McKneff

The police will do nothing, it isnt anything to do with them.

So have the other party not reported the incidnet to their ins. company.

Just keep your records safe, badger your own insurance company to get the details and let them deal with it if they are denying liability.

If they have not disclosed the incident to their ins. company, its them that will be in bother. Be patient if you can.

Quentin

thenudeone wrote: »

...... Ideally if you have motor legal cover you should ask them to arrange everything with the other insurers directly without making a claim on your policy.

"legal cover" won't help out.

The motor legal cover you can buy with your insurance should be called "uninsured loss recovery cover", as that is all they will do.

They won't act as a claim handler for you.

Your own insurer won't pursue the third party either unless you make a claim.

If you don't want to claim off your own policy, then your alternatives are to instruct a solicitor/claim handler or DIY.

If you want to DIY, then first contact the third party insurer and see if they have an innocent third party claim department to handle your claim.

If not then you will need to pursue the third party directly.

thenudeone

Quentin wrote: »

"legal cover" won't help out.

The motor legal cover you can buy with your insurance should be called "uninsured loss recovery cover", as that is all they will do

I don't think it's as black and white as that.

IF the OP had only purchased third part cover, or the costs were below the policy excess; all of the loss would be uninsured, so the "legal cover" would have to become involved in order to recover the costs.

In any case "legal cover" will become involved in ALL claims where a third party is involved, even if you claim on your insurance, because they will claim your policy excess back from the third party/insurer on your behalf. The insurer won't (in my experience anyway).

Quentin

No.

What you get with "legal cover" is in black and white!

Read up what it covers and you will see they do not pursue uninsured claims like this, or act as full blown claim handlers to save you making a claim off your own insurers.

korky69

just to clarify,
i have made a claim to my insurers but they say (after 6 days) the other person has still yet to report the incident and they can only request that their own insurer contacts them about it.
they say not to worry as it seems clear cut that they're at fault, but call me sceptical , i got shafted properly a few years ago by my insurance company at the time, who would not pursue a false witness statement who i could prove wasn't legitimate,
and i reckon the husband will tell her to deny it ever happening, judging by the photo i took of her car, little if no damage was done.
just thought that by us exchanging details that you must report it asap, especially when she knew i did less than 2 hrs after the incident.
hence why i was asking if its advisory to inform the police?
surely "if" they do deny it then they could check their mobile record to prove that they called me, assuming its registered to either of them?

BertTheRaccoon

Your insurers are just messing you about.

At the least, I would ask them to do a search on the Motor Insurer Database to see if the other car is insured and ask them to provide you with the insurance details of the third party.

Phone the third party insurers and report the claim to them and ask them what they will do for you.

If they won't help, then I would search out a claims management company to deal on your behalf.

korky69

BertTheRaccoon wrote: »

Your insurers are just messing you about.

At the least, I would ask them to do a search on the Motor Insurer Database to see if the other car is insured and ask them to provide you with the insurance details of the third party.

Phone the third party insurers and report the claim to them and ask them what they will do for you.

If they won't help, then I would search out a claims management company to deal on your behalf.

my insurers (when i got through!) confirmed that they have the other driver insured by the same company she wrote down to me, but have to wait for them to respond to the claim.
not sure the other party's insurers would speak to me really, unless its for further info regarding the incident, but as of now, they have not reported it according to my insurers.

Quentin

korky69 wrote: »

not sure the other party's insurers would speak to me really, unless its for further info regarding the incident, but as of now, they have not reported it according to my insurers.

If you don't put in a claim to your own insurer then don't expect them to try to hard contacting the third party insurer as they have no need to!

So: Either put in a claim, (your insurer will sort your car out and pursue the third party. You will probably have to pay your excess and have to recover it)

Or: Contact the third part insurer yourself and ask if they have an innocent third party claim department to deal with your claim

(You can get the insurer from askmid - costs £4, which you can add to your expenses)

Or: Use a solicitor or claim handler to pursue the third party