Car Crash - Sorted through insurance but noticed subsequent damage - course of action

stommyrock

A while back someone drove into the back of me. Other driver accepted full responsibility, insurance covered damage (mainly to rear bumper and parking sensors), so no problem.

However I've subsequently noticed some damage that was not apparent at the time. The rubber seals on one of the rear doors are out of place (making a squelch noise when I close the door, which is how I noticed) and the boot clasp mechanism as well as a boot plastic element has moved as a result of then impact.

I'm fairly confident that nothing else has been damaged.

Since the insurance has already paid out, and the accident happened a good 3 months ago, I'm pretty sure that it is going to look like the damage is from a new crash.

Does anyone have any experience of this type of situation, and how to deal with it? Is it worth me trying to get it covered through the previous claim, is is it just going to be too difficult?

Thanks all

Thomas

Retrogamer

I don't have any advise on how to resolve this in regards to the insurance query part but it sounds to me like the who car body has twisted as a result of the impact from the accident you were in.

arcon5

Tbh I don't an insurer would entertain this without some kind of proof if was from that accident.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

The obvious thing is to contact your insurance company and say that although it is late, you have come to realise that the original repair was not complete and you have noticed some misalignment with the door and boot.

What I would expect is that they would wish to inspect the car again. You probably signed something to the effect that the repair was satisfactory, but a decent insurance company will probably be co-operative and may be unhappy that their authorised repairer missed a significant distortion to the body. You are not a bodywork expert and cannot be expected to know what to look for to confirm that the repair was complete and correct.

If you have problems there, are you getting unusual wear on the tyres? It is possible that there is more significant damage to the body and all that has been fixed is the cosmetic damage, so I would certainly follow this up.

It would be obvious that you had not had a subsequent accident to cause the problem.

So, first step, talk to your insurance company.

agrinnall

It's certainly worth speaking to your insurer in the first instance, but if they get awkward I think you're going to have a hard job convincing them that you've only noticed damage 3 months later and after the car has already been in to be repaired. Good luck, I think you might need it!

OnanTheBarbarian

Take it up with the insurer, they will most likely have a suggested course of action.

Take your own pics of what you are talking about too. If the insurer says take it back to the same bodyshop, the bodyshop, on realising they may not get paid fully for sorting out this damage may give excuses to the insurer as to how it is not accident-related, the insurer will then happily stand behind the bodyshop.

It may be that an independent engineer will need to become involved thereafter to comment on whether these problems you have noted further down the line are accident-related or not.