Car Insurance Post Office Insurance/ NIG ...problems?

Debs12

Hi,

I was wodering if any of you have had any problems with this organisation. Last Decemeber my husband who has never had an accident in over 20 years of driving was turning right into a car park when a speeding taxi came speeding down the road and when into the side of him as he was turning right.

At first the claim was handled well. The insurance was with Post Office and they seem to pass the claim onto NIG (which is really Churchill some time there letters even state that). His car was fixed hire car when this was done. He had a friend in the car and both gave statements and so on. (In Scotland this is allowed in law).

Then nothing...for ages we kept chasing it as by husband had paid out £250 excess and we needed the cash and the accident was clearly not his fault.

Then NIG started loosing things..stated they could not find his friend statement. So done again and sent registered post. Then the passed the file over to the solicistor. Then the soliciotor stated half the file missing even though NIG says it was there so had to do it again sent registered post. In June we were told as the other party was still disputing liability it would likely to go to court iin 6 to 8 weeks.

Friday the 14th September chased it again (no communication from them always really my husband or I chasing them up) This time a genteleman from NIG stated that they were going to settle the third party claim! Stating that the solictor that looked into the case felt that even though we had a witness they other driver had a passenger who a judge may look on us inpartial so more likely to take there side. I ask to speak with the solictor who had never communicated or spoken with us.

When I phoned the solicotor she was very uncomfertable speaking with me stating that she would have to phone NIG to see if this was possible under the DPA. What she did say was that we have to remember that it costs alot to take someone to court and they have to be sure of a result (I pointed out I know it costs allot this is why we pay insurance). Anyway was unwilling to discuss case.

I phoned back NIG this claims adviser then agreed to get everything back from the solicotor and review the file this time he said when he spoke to the solsitor this afternoon she stated that it was a 50/50 chance. I stated that is along way off from what he stated earlier where he had stated that it would go the third party way.

We then wrote letter of complaint to POST OFFICe and copied it to NIG.

Yesterday recieved a letter from NIG this time stating that they were not prepared to go to court and now stating that the damage is inconsistent. We are livid as it states in his letter damage to right hand door and he was turning right! When I phoned NIG to speak to the person I spoke with he stated that this letter had been sent out in error and that he could not find the file..depite someone having it on Monday!

Good news..his no claims is protected but this is not the point this other driver is lying and getting away with it and to qoute the solictor it costs a lot of money to take someone to court you see! Yes but why should my husbandy have something on his insurance record and us be £250 out of pocket.

Meanwhile yesterday Post Office replied to my letter of complaint not following there complaint procedure it did not state what they were going to do about it it just gave NIG address to send complaints! Completely useless.

We have a contract with Post Office not NIG no mention of NIG anywhere until the accident. I need them to or both of them to follow the 8 week procedure before I should go to the omnbudsman.

We would also like to do a small claims agaisnt the indiviudaul but NIG will also not let me get any information from the file! So much for leave everything to the insurance company do not get involved. When you then find out 10 months later that they cannot bothered you have lost everything. However I do have the other partied address and insuracne details so have enough to file a small claims.

Anyone else had problems with these two? Any advice? One thing I have learned perhaps cheapest is not the best!

knowledgeman

Sorry but your complaint is that your husband has been chosen against with the use of impartial witnesses

You dont think maybe your husband and his friend were the ones being exaggerative with the truth?

Insurance claims are frustrating and mistakes happen, but why would an independent witness lie?

Why should the insurance company spend even more defending a claim they are told they will lose?

You need to be realistic im afraid

The insurance have decided your husband is going to lose and are choosing to minimise their loss on it rather than spendin a fortune defending a claim solicitors have told them they will lose

Also as your husband was turning right by my reckoning that means he turned into the taxis path, is that correct?

If so why do you think the taxi should be to blame for your husband turning into his path? or is it because it was "speeding" in your husbands opinion, something which you cant prove

If I was you Id accept your losing your NCB and excess

noh

From your brief description of the accident it looks as if your husband is at fault assuming he turned into the path of another vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction or even the same direction.
Nigel

raskazz

First off, your complaint is against NIG as the substance of the complaint is the way they have handled your claim

The Post Office acts as a broker, not an insurer. Its role is to bring buyers of insurance together with insurers, and sometimes deal with policy administration and amendments. You do have a contract with NIG - the Post Office's role is to enter NIG into the contact.

With regard to the witness, it is routine that witness statements are not generally useful unless they are from independent witnesses. The taxi driver's witness may obviously be judged to be more impartial as he or she had probably never met the taxi driver before in their life!

As to the specifics of the accident though, I'm not totally clear - was the taxi travelling in the same direction as your husband or not?

Debs12

That the thing I have seen the other witness statement and it agrees with my husband and his friend. This is why NIG sent it to the solicitor. Also the other driver statement we have seen you can also see lots of irreguralties in it. Finally if you were in a Taxi and the driver had an accident and asked you for your name and address would you give it? I think most people would you are in fact in the gentleman care...does that really make you inpartial?

By the way as I pointed out the solistor stated that it was a 50/50 not that clear cut!

Yes despite it being my husband, him and his work colleuage could be lying or shall we say there history of events could now be blurred (and the other parties case of events) however it has now taken over 10 months for NIG to question anything about the case. This is becuase damage and so on was consistent! Like I said so was the other witness statement.

My husband also went straight to police after the accident and reported it!

Surely the point here is if anything was inconsiseent or irregular in the case our insurance company should talk this over with you, this is in there procedure this is the least you should expect.

In the letter recieved this Friday the describe as "your solictors" remember how can these people be described as this they would not talk to us.

If anything happens like this in the future (which is the real worry) is there anything we could do better? and how will the insruance company look after us no matter whose fault it is.

I have no confidence in NIG adminstration skills very worrying consider they are our insurance company every time we step into the car!

knowledgeman

Debs12 wrote: »

That the thing I have seen the other witness statement and it agrees with my husband and his friend. This is why NIG sent it to the solicitor. Also the other driver statement we have seen you can also see lots of irreguralties in it. Finally if you were in a Taxi and the driver had an accident and asked you for your name and address would you give it? I think most people would you are in fact in the gentleman care...does that really make you inpartial?

By the way as I pointed out the solistor stated that it was a 50/50 not that clear cut!

Yes despite it being my husband, him and his work colleuage could be lying or shall we say there history of events could now be blurred (and the other parties case of events) however it has now taken over 10 months for NIG to question anything about the case. This is becuase damage and so on was consistent! Like I said so was the other witness statement.

My husband also went straight to police after the accident and reported it!

Surely the point here is if anything was inconsiseent or irregular in the case our insurance company should talk this over with you, this is in there procedure this is the least you should expect.

In the letter recieved this Friday the describe as "your solictors" remember how can these people be described as this they would not talk to us.

If anything happens like this in the future (which is the real worry) is there anything we could do better? and how will the insruance company look after us no matter whose fault it is.

I have no confidence in NIG adminstration skills very worrying consider they are our insurance company every time we step into the car!

I think your response had answered the question

You've not answered whether the car was oncoming for me that means it was and therefore your husband drove into its path and is to blame and you should stop trying to fight a case you will lose

raskazz

Debs12 wrote: »

That the thing I have seen the other witness statement and it agrees with my husband and his friend. This is why NIG sent it to the solicitor. Also the other driver statement we have seen you can also see lots of irreguralties in it. Finally if you were in a Taxi and the driver had an accident and asked you for your name and address would you give it? I think most people would you are in fact in the gentleman care...does that really make you inpartial?

I was once travelling on a bus that scraped a car. The driver of the bus wanted a witness so I was quite happy to give him my name and address.

Again, there are clearly degrees of impartiality. I would consider a taxi driver's passenger to generally be more impartial then a driver's colleague.

Just because the third parties' version of events corresponds in many ways with your husband's, it does not logically follow that the third party is automatically at fault.

Debs12

Thanks Raskazz,

Husband going down street indicated to turn right and started manouvere. Taxi turned down street in same direction of husband. My husband and his work colleague heard a screech and the taxi hit my right hand passenger door.

Taxi driver version followed car into street. My husband then went into (inner lane) incidated right and came out on him. The taxi dirver tried to go into other side of road but couldn't as traffic coming the other way.

First point no inner lane been back to street to see this for myselfl. 2nd if there was traffic coming the other way why was my husband turning right surely he would have therfore hit the other traffic.

I know that these things are difficult to sort out...like I say everyone versions get disorted that finding the truth is very difficult.

However I have to say I do not believe my husband was at fault here. I think the taxi was not paying attention to what the car in front was doing and in that scieniro how much can the back passenger in his car really see!

Deborah

Debs12

Knowledgeman...please give me time to repsond to questions before stating that I did not answer them..we are not all fast typers! I cannot see replies when I am typing them...

That is a bit rude....

Deborah

knowledgeman

Debs12 wrote: »

Knowledgeman...please give me time to repsond to questions before stating that I did not answer them..we are not all fast typers! I cannot see replies when I am typing them...

That is a bit rude....

Deborah

Having read your account 50-50 seems fair to me

If your husband turned into him he hit him and he probably shouldnt have been were he was but it doesnt mean your husband should drive into him

I think you should just accept what the insurance company say as it is going to be a NCD and excess loser I reckon and your just going to cause yourself unncessarily hassle and stress fighting it for the same result - the loss of the excess, NCD and a fault accident on record

noh

From your description of the accident your husbund turned into the path of the taxi hence the collision damage on the drivers door (of your husbands car). He therefore is at fault and shares some of the blame The insurance company with the evidence presented to them have decided to apportion the blame 50:50

Nigel