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Motor insurance claim - how long before I'm back on the road ?
housebrick
Posts: 3 Newbie
in Motoring
Hi there,
Not sure if my question is strictly "moneysaving" but I have found this forum very helpful in the past and hoping someone can give me some advice.
My wife recently had a prang in our car when someone opened their car door just as she was driving past their parked car. While the damage to their car was minimal (and very fortunately, no damage to their person !) we have ended up with a smashed up headlight, smashed up bumper, a tear in the bonnet and a nice deep scrape all down the side of the car i.e. it is not drivable.
My wife and the owner of the car exchanged name, address and contact number at the scene of the accident. Initially the owner of the other car indicated that he might try and arrange some sort of private settlement, but very quickly we realised that he was giving us the run-around as every time he said he would be in touch about this he failed to do so. Eventually we had to get his insurance details from our insurer, and so put in a claim against his insurance.
I don't want to get into whose fault it was, as from what I have read its rather academic as there are no independant witnesses, so the most we can hope for is a 50/50 (i.e. he pays for half the damage to our car, we pay the other half).
However what I would like to know is how we can best move forward on this and get our car back on the road as soon as possible. The other car owner's insurance company have said that they will send someone out to do an assessment of the damage to our car, but this was a couple of weeks ago, and no-one has been in touch yet. In the meantime we can't use our car. I have the details of someone local who could do the repairs (i.e. at least make the car roadworthy and legal - I could probably live with the scrape although not ideal) but obviously can't do anything until we hear from the insurance people. Also from what I understand we may be asked to get it repaired at an approved bodywork garage rather than get it done by someone local (and cheaper !).
So my question is at what point can we get our car repaired ? I would sort of be prepared to risk getting the repairs done by someone local and then hope to get some of it back on the other car's insurance. More than anything its frustrating not to be able to use our car, especially with Xmas coming up.
Btw we only have 3rd party fire and theft insurance on our car (and no courtesy car option) so no joy there I am afraid.
Many thanks,
HB
Not sure if my question is strictly "moneysaving" but I have found this forum very helpful in the past and hoping someone can give me some advice.
My wife recently had a prang in our car when someone opened their car door just as she was driving past their parked car. While the damage to their car was minimal (and very fortunately, no damage to their person !) we have ended up with a smashed up headlight, smashed up bumper, a tear in the bonnet and a nice deep scrape all down the side of the car i.e. it is not drivable.
My wife and the owner of the car exchanged name, address and contact number at the scene of the accident. Initially the owner of the other car indicated that he might try and arrange some sort of private settlement, but very quickly we realised that he was giving us the run-around as every time he said he would be in touch about this he failed to do so. Eventually we had to get his insurance details from our insurer, and so put in a claim against his insurance.
I don't want to get into whose fault it was, as from what I have read its rather academic as there are no independant witnesses, so the most we can hope for is a 50/50 (i.e. he pays for half the damage to our car, we pay the other half).
However what I would like to know is how we can best move forward on this and get our car back on the road as soon as possible. The other car owner's insurance company have said that they will send someone out to do an assessment of the damage to our car, but this was a couple of weeks ago, and no-one has been in touch yet. In the meantime we can't use our car. I have the details of someone local who could do the repairs (i.e. at least make the car roadworthy and legal - I could probably live with the scrape although not ideal) but obviously can't do anything until we hear from the insurance people. Also from what I understand we may be asked to get it repaired at an approved bodywork garage rather than get it done by someone local (and cheaper !).
So my question is at what point can we get our car repaired ? I would sort of be prepared to risk getting the repairs done by someone local and then hope to get some of it back on the other car's insurance. More than anything its frustrating not to be able to use our car, especially with Xmas coming up.
Btw we only have 3rd party fire and theft insurance on our car (and no courtesy car option) so no joy there I am afraid.
Many thanks,
HB
0
Comments
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I think you may have made a couple of false assumptions here. As you say, at best it will be treated as 50:50, but blame may well be placed entirely on your wife so with TPF&T, the parked, unmoving, car owner will get their repair and you will be left with a knackered car. As you have already reported it to your insurance so cannot reignite the offer to do it off the books, you really have to push your insurer to get the claim going and hope for a 50:50 outcome.0
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Sorry Colino but you're not correct. There is a specific offence of opening a car door to the danger of others...
105. No person shall open, or cause or permit to be opened, any door of a vehicle on a road so as to injure or endanger any person.
Con & Use Regs 1986.
If the driver of the other other car just opened the door without checking his mirror as the OP's wife was driving past, it's hardly her fault. I'd be pushing my insurance company for a no-fault claim if it were me.
HB I'm wouldn't be waiting for the other person's insurers to turn up, I'd be ringing them every day by now to get it sorted.0 -
...... you really have to push your insurer to get the claim going and hope for a 50:50 outcome.
The OP has no cover for damage to his own car, so has no insurer to "push"! (Apart from the third party insurer, who is currently stalling).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
As the third party is stalling, to get this sorted fast means you paying for the repairs now and then pursuing the third party to (hopefully) reimburse you.
The repairs sound expensive. If the car is worth repairing, then consider getting comp. cover at renewal.
If this is 100% the other sides fault, you won't have to take it to the insurer's choice of repairer, but can take it to your choice.
Presumably if it is 50/50 you will want the cheapest garage to repair it!0
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