Hit by uninsured driver

doctor40

I will try and keep it short! But would appreciate advice. I was hit by what I have now found out was an unisured driver. He parked at 90 degrees to the back of my car and because he was on a verge, when he opened his door it swung away from him and his mirror hit the back of my car.

There is a little damage, but I didn't realise this until he left, he had seemed a bit agitated when he asked me to move my car forward to let him turn round, and that made me suspicious, so I clocked his reg as he left. I onl yhad that plus the make and colour. I then looked at my boot and there was damage. The car was previously pristine.

I checked on the MIB site and he has no insurance, no tax and no MOT. I contacted the police who spoke to me last night and they will hopefully do their bit. I had asked my insurer Direct Line to deal with it, as I was naively confident he would be insured. But my excess is £600, so chances are the repair will cost less and my own insurance will take a hit.

So, should I call them tomorrow to not proceed - I know they have an uninsured driver thing on their policies, but I don't want to agree to continuing on the hope that they pay out on this basis and then have them wriggle out of it later. Can I halt this process now, it only started yesterday.

Is there any other way to recover the cost from him, besides trying to make a MIB claim?

thank you

forgotmyname

You can halt the claim but you will still have to declare it for upto 5 years.

doctor40

thanks....I realise that, but think it may still be cheaper than losing my NCB for what may not be a very expensive repair. And having to declare it anyway.

forgotmyname

Doesn't DL have cover where you do not lose your no claims im incidents like this?

Stoke

forgotmyname wrote: »

Doesn't DL have cover where you do not lose your no claims im incidents like this?

They certainly used to. That was their big selling point.

No doubt in practice there's a clause buried in the small print.

Shame this still happens though. What with all the ANPR's and stuff, you'd think the number of people driving without no insurance would be fairly low, however I know of several 'delivery' drivers round my area who haven't had insurance for a long time and still get away with it.

G_M

Hopefully the police will identify the owner and/or driver, and you'll be able to sue for whatever it costs you:

* the insurance excess and/or
* the repair
* the increase in future premiums
etc

Small Claims court is not hard but you'll need evidence. the police might provide this. Do you have any photos? witnesses?

doctor40

DL do have uninsured driver cover, they need reg, name and address which they tell me the police will give me if I ask for it. When they get around to looking into it! And you need to "prove" it's the other drivers fault, I have no witnesses - only his wife who is unlikely to drop him in it. And only photos of the area, not his car.

I guess if the police visit on the basis he has no ins/mot/tax and he admits it, then that's "proof" it was his fault. If he denies it, then that's another issue. DL have said they can "send someone round"
and take him to court. Not sure how all that impacts my premium tho

Warwick_Hunt

doctor40 wrote: »

DL do have uninsured driver cover, they need reg, name and address which they tell me the police will give me if I ask for it. When they get around to looking into it! And you need to "prove" it's the other drivers fault, I have no witnesses - only his wife who is unlikely to drop him in it. And only photos of the area, not his car.

I guess if the police visit on the basis he has no ins/mot/tax and he admits it, then that's "proof" it was his fault. If he denies it, then that's another issue. DL have said they can "send someone round"
and take him to court. Not sure how all that impacts my premium tho

No documents isn't proof of liability. It's unlikely the cars even registered to him.