Should their insurance replace my repair fuel costs?

lejogger

Hi Folks,

I have just received my car back from the bodyshop after being hit from behind in the recent snow.

The other party admitted fault and the repairs were carried out under her insurance.

The only bodyshop offered to me were a Wrexham outfit, and they picked up my vehicle and returned it to my offices in Wallasey (driven, not on the back of a truck).
I've just checked my fuel gauge and they've left it with only vapour in the tank, so I'm now out of pocket to the tune of a 70+ mile round trip, whatever they used over the 4 days it was in the shop, and the equivalent wear and tear that would cause.

Would it be worth pursuing this with her insurance company, as surely any out of pocket expenses arising from the incident should be covered even if we are only talking approx £30?

I'd be very grateful for any advice offered.

BertTheRaccoon

speak to her insurers about it. Was there any form signed when they took the car away to support how much fuel was in the car?

InsideInsurance

What car do you have that 70 miles costs £30 in petrol?

Looking around, the average mpg for a uk car is about 40 and so £11 seems a much more sensible number.

You could claim for the petrol, in the garage is going to be next to nothing, wear and tear will be next to nothing, but you do need to balance the amount of time and effort it will cost to get and bank a cheque for £11 and how much £11 is worth to you

lejogger

InsideInsurance wrote: »

What car do you have that 70 miles costs £30 in petrol?

Looking around, the average mpg for a uk car is about 40 and so £11 seems a much more sensible number.

You could claim for the petrol, in the garage is going to be next to nothing, wear and tear will be next to nothing, but you do need to balance the amount of time and effort it will cost to get and bank a cheque for £11 and how much £11 is worth to you

40mpg?? in real life??? Really?!

I get 40mpg in my 2.0l 7 year old Honda Accord if I drive like I've got Miss Daisy in the back, the conditions are perfect, it's mostly downhill and I've got the wing-mirrors tucked in! :rotfl:

35mpg max is much more realistic. I do get your general point though, however if I were to put in a mileage claim at work I'd get 54p per mile. I know some of that is a contribution to my business mileage insurance but not a huge amount.

I've be very surprised if the insurance company didn't have a rate for such occurances already.

However as you say, if it does involve a lengthy evidence based claim then it may not be worth the hassle.

Cheers

lejogger

BertTheRaccoon wrote: »

speak to her insurers about it. Was there any form signed when they took the car away to support how much fuel was in the car?

No... they seemed very light on any sort of paperwork to be honest. They only took the mileage I think.

HappyMJ

lejogger wrote: »

40mpg?? in real life??? Really?!

I get 40mpg in my 2.0l 7 year old Honda Accord if I drive like I've got Miss Daisy in the back, the conditions are perfect, it's mostly downhill and I've got the wing-mirrors tucked in! :rotfl:

35mpg max is much more realistic. I do get your general point though, however if I were to put in a mileage claim at work I'd get 54p per mile. I know some of that is a contribution to my business mileage insurance but not a huge amount.

I've be very surprised if the insurance company didn't have a rate for such occurances already.

However as you say, if it does involve a lengthy evidence based claim then it may not be worth the hassle.

Cheers

The usual reimbursement rate for fuel only is about 18p/mile for a petrol car under 2.0L or a diesel car over 2.0L. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cars/advisory_fuel_current.htm

The 45p/mile on the first 10,000 miles and 25p/mile thereafter rate is to cover all expenses of the car.

InsideInsurance

lejogger wrote: »

40mpg?? in real life??? Really?!

I get 40mpg in my 2.0l 7 year old Honda Accord if I drive like I've got Miss Daisy in the back

As I said, it was from a quick google and was an ok number to base a quick calculation on.

Is it accurate? No idea, it certainly is higher than my car but then you have to of cause balance out our mid-older mid-large engine with the mountain of 1.1L and diesels etc (which would have been included in the figure google found)

The amount you get for expenses is reimbursement not just for fuel but for things like the car tax and insurance etc. All of these things the OP would have had to pay for the period of the repairs even if the car wasnt involved in the accident and so are not claimable

If you want to use 35mpg instead though it would be c£12 rather than c£11

lejogger

InsideInsurance wrote: »

If you want to use 35mpg instead though it would be c£12 rather than c£11

I do appreciate what you're saying. I guess I'm just looking at it from the view that they're legitimate out of pocket expenses that are better back in my pocket regardless of the rate.

It means I have to stop at the petrol station on the way home at rush hour on a friday when I wasn't intending to put any in until the end of next week. I'm also grumpy because I over filled the hire car with diesel when I returned that earlier too, not to mention the time I've had to take out of work to collect and return that rental to a different place than the body shop who actually did the repair...

The whole thing has just been a big hassle for the sake of someone hitting me through no fault of my own, so I guess when they returned the car with the needle on E, it's the straw breaking the camel's back.

InsideInsurance

Unfortunately the courts generally accept the fact that life sometimes has some hassles in it and so often dont look to strongly on a global "inconvenience" element unless there is something more specific or its long term (ie an injury)

It is a legitimate out of pocket expense and you are entitled to claim the actual cost which would be more in the £10-£15 space than the £30. I was just commenting that you always need to consider effort -v- reward and some may find it more hassle than £15 is worth to them.

As to over filling the hire car.... I'm sure we've all done it but thats your own mistake

bryanb

As you were rear ended, was the fuel tank removed for the repair?

forgotmyname

Will you be paying them compensatiob because whilst your car is off the road its actually got less miles on and less wear and tear?

Too much hassle for little gain.