Hit and run accident on parked car

Kitty304x

Hi everyone,

I have just joined this forum and hope that someone might be able to give me advice on a problem which I'm currently facing..

To make it short: when I went to my car, parked in a marked bay next to a public street, I found that someone has hit it, leaving huge damage on it without leaving any contact details and without reporting the accident to the police. There was one girl on the scene who told me that she has seen the accident two days ago and gave me a description of the vehicle, including the number plate ! I immediately contacted the police, went to the police station and reported the accident. Now, I'm waiting for them to reply me and the days feel so long.....

My car is completely damaged at the back, I can't drive it in its current condition and without being an expert, the costs of repair will most probably exceed the actual value of the car.

The problem in my case, which makes it different from some ordinary cases is that the car is not officially registered at my name but at my grandma's name and address in Germany. Once I receive the other person's insurance details (will I even receive them ?!) I wish to make a claim which not only includes the GERMAN value of the car but also any expenses related to the accident. Do I have the right to ask for compensation (around 50pounds per day) which I would have spend on a rental car in the size of my car ? Plus, I would like to add the costs that I will have to travel to Germany, buy a new car and have it shifted to the UK, where I live.

I feel angry about such a disrespectful person who made things so difficult for me, as I rely on my car and really wish to have covered all costs and inconveniences that I'm currently facing.

Hope anyone of you could give me advice, on how I should proceed and what exactly I can claim, keeping in mind that my car is not registered in the UK.

Thanks in advance !!

Kate

forgotmyname

You can ask for whatever you like. Unless you can prove your losing £50 and cannot avoid losing £50 a day then you wont get it.

I wonder if your grandma will need to claim and does her insurance know the vehicle is normally in the UK and that she doesnt actually use the car?

£50 a day rental? Supercharged Jaguar, Lexus etc?

Get granny to claim and she can buy herself a new car. I think its going to be
a Dark Matter indeed.

McKneff

To all intents and purposes, this is not your car, you cannot claim anything.


Your grandma should make the claim.


You as just a driver cannot claim anything. It all sounds a bit suss to me to be honest.


Why s the car not registered to you, at your uk address.


One more question Do you think English people are stupid ?

Retrogamer

Just guessing here but it seems the car is registered in your Grans name in Germany, and the car originates from there so that you can drive it here without having to pay road tax and or MOT.

If you can prove the other person hit your car you can usually claim back hire car charges as well as the value of the vehicle. Proof of ownership may be required though before the third party insurance company hand the money over to you.

You wouldn't be able to claim costs for traveling overseas to pick up another car so you can exploit loopholes further i'm afraid.

OnanTheBarbarian

1- The owner of the vehicle needs to make the claim for the repair costs or write off value
2- Travel costs to Germany to buy another are not going to be a recoverable item of claim
3- Reasonable hire car charges are OK, so long as the vehicle is not roadworthy or that temporary repairs could not be cheaply done to make it roadworthy.
4- If the offending vehicle turns out to be uninsured, you will need to present your claim to the Motor Insurers Bureau to pay out, but it will take quite a long time and it would be recommended to claim from the insurance cover for your own vehicle as a means of mitigating loss.
5- Is the car insured in Germany in your Grandmother's name?

maninthestreet

So the car is not registered in the UK? Is it insured via a German insurance company or a UK company?

societys_child

McKneff

Why s the car not registered to you, at your uk address.

Makes you wonder, has the car been here longer than 6 months? If so, it should be registered with HMRC and registered & licensed with the DVLA.

dannyrst

I smell troll.

Retrogamer

societys_child wrote: »

McKneffMakes you wonder, has the car been here longer than 6 months? If so, it should be registered with HMRC and registered & licensed with the DVLA.

Does that not just apply to the owner, rather than the user?

Ebe_Scrooge

Kitty304x wrote: »

Plus, I would like to add the costs that I will have to travel to Germany, buy a new car and have it shifted to the UK, where I live.

Benefit of the doubt here, assuming you are not yet another reincarnation of the DM we all know and love - but why on earth would you need to buy another car from Germany and have it shipped back to the UK ? What's wrong with buying a car in the UK ?

AdrianC

OP - your Gran needs to claim from her insurer. Give them all the details you have, including the registration.

It really is that simple. There is no other option open to you apart from just shrugging and forgetting it.

Her insurer will settle the claim, and she will be paid the appropriate value for her car. I don't know for sure about how it works with German insurers, but how it would work with a British insurer is that if your gran needs a hire car, then she will probably get one to fill the gap between the claim going in and the total loss being declared. Since she was happy to lend her car to a family member for a period out of the country, then I presume she doesn't need a hire car, so her responsibility to mitigate her losses would mean she's not entitled to one.

I find it hard to see any circumstances in which your travel back to Germany to buy another car to bring back to the UK would be recompensed. Whatever breakdown insurance you have would be expected to cover your return home, and it would be down to whatever travel insurance you have to cover the disruption to your visit here.

If you are actually resident in the UK, rather than just temporarily visiting, then it is illegal for you to be driving a German-registered vehicle here anyway, regardless of the amount of time the car has been here. If you need a replacement vehicle whilst resident here, buy one here - used cars hare are considerably cheaper than Germany, anyway.