Car accident but don’t want to claim through insurance

robyn1

Hi, I’m just wanting so advice on what to do!! I was parked on the street, ran into a shop, came back out, got into my car and as I began to close my car door a bus pulled in and snagged on my car door!! I believe if he had of checked his wing mirrors before pulling in this wouldn’t have happened.. now the bus company are saying I am at fault etc but I don’t believe I was as they where under the illusion I was exciting my car and opened my car door on to the bus, which neve happened and the cctv on the bus will prove this, we’ll at least I thought that but they’re still saying I was at fault however I do not believe I was responsible for this, so I had to let my car insurance no about the incident, so they’re currently fighting my case, saying there is no evidence to back up the bus company’s accusations, but I did not want to go through the car insurance as I don’t want my premium to increase! This incident happened a few months back and is still ongoing, now I have gotten a new car since then and my car insurance is now up for renewal.. what do I do? Even if it comes back 50/50 (my insurance company advised me of this) I do not need my car repaired as I no long have that car anymore, so my car insurance doesn’t have to pay anything.. will this effect my premium? I have no intentions of making a claim for repairs, any damage to each vehicle is minor. So what happens now? My insurance is due for renewal in 3 days and this issue hasn’t been settled..

waamo

It would appear the bus company are holding you responsible. Do you really want to fight this on your own and potentially be liable for their costs out of your own pocket?

The other point is you've informed your insurance company you have had an accident. Your premium is going to reflect that claim or not.

SweetPotatoPie

You’ve already informed your insurance so I’m afraid you will have to inform insurers for the next few years. I once told my insurance when I hit someone and he never claimed. Still have to declare it even though nobody claimed.

spadoosh

Learn more about insurance before worrying.

You really do want this to go through insurance. If it doesnt and it turns out its 50/50, aside from already having used your insurers legal team and thus likely to have increased premiums (never mind the fact that they know youve crashed and thus could increase premiums anyway) you will likely be faced with the cost of the bus being out of service for any given time during its repairs. This will not be cheap. The operator who will be using their insurers dotn care about the extent of the damage, all theyll want is the bus being made to how it was before the crash.

I suspect not using your insurer on this occasion could cost you far more than any increases in premiums.

alfie1950

Even if nobody claimed for anything you have notified your insurance of this 'incident' and are considered to be a higher risk of being involved in future accidents so as such your premium will rise.
If you don't claim but the bus company claims off you then you will lose two years NCB and this will be a further increase in what you pay.

robyn1

See it wasn’t actually a car accident, I didn’t even have the car switched on. I was only getting into my car when the bus pulled in and hit my car door, I couldn’t have done anything to prevent this, the bus company retracted their statement of ‘you where exciting your car and hit the bus with your door’ when I actual fact I was a pedestrian up until the point I got into my car, the bus driver failed to observe me and then my car, I always check my wing mirrors before pulling in anywhere, I have 2 independent witnesses who saw the incident. The fact that the bus driver wasn’t actually sure what happened and gave a wrongful statement which he later change, it says a lot. See that’s what I was worried about, my car insurance legal team already acting on my behalf, but because this bus company will not accept liability they said it may have to go 50/50. The bus company isn’t providing any evidence to back up the statement, where as I have 2 witnesses who have gave statements in that ties in with exactly what I said.. it just seems so unfair that you innocent doing doing wrong and because someone crashes into you, you have to delacre on your Insurance policy a none fault accident. And then your premium increases, how can that even be legal? If someone crashes into you it’s totally out of your hands and you have no chance of preventing this other than not driving at all. Seems totally unfair

eschaton

robyn1 wrote: »

See it wasn’t actually a car accident, I didn’t even have the car switched on. I was only getting into my car when the bus pulled in and hit my car door, I couldn’t have done anything to prevent this, the bus company retracted their statement of ‘you where exciting your car and hit the bus with your door’ when I actual fact I was a pedestrian up until the point I got into my car, the bus driver failed to observe me and then my car, I always check my wing mirrors before pulling in anywhere, I have 2 independent witnesses who saw the incident. The fact that the bus driver wasn’t actually sure what happened and gave a wrongful statement which he later change, it says a lot. See that’s what I was worried about, my car insurance legal team already acting on my behalf, but because this bus company will not accept liability they said it may have to go 50/50. The bus company isn’t providing any evidence to back up the statement, where as I have 2 witnesses who have gave statements in that ties in with exactly what I said.. it just seems so unfair that you innocent doing doing wrong and because someone crashes into you, you have to delacre on your Insurance policy a none fault accident. And then your premium increases, how can that even be legal? If someone crashes into you it’s totally out of your hands and you have no chance of preventing this other than not driving at all. Seems totally unfair

It was a car accident and declaring non fault accidents is how insurance works.

It isn’t fair that you will be out of pocket but there is nothing you can do.

I’m in the same situation as yourself and need to declare a non fault accident for another 3 years. I pulled in to let an ambulance past that was coming towards me down the middle of the road. About 10 seconds later a silly blind cow crashed into the back of my white car that had brake lights illuminated. Forget about the ambulance also more or less in front of her with its lights flashing.

robyn1

It’s just a nightmare isn’t it, sometimes it’s so unfair like your being punished just for driving, wrong place wrong time and your insurance premium increases at no fault of your own. I’ve had a quote with chruchill insurance and it’s a really good quote, although I’m going to need to call them to let them no about this unresolved incident because I can’t find anywhere to put that information in online

Car_54

robyn1 wrote: »

See it wasn’t actually a car accident, I didn’t even have the car switched on. I was only getting into my car when the bus pulled in and hit my car door, I couldn’t have done anything to prevent this, the bus company retracted their statement of ‘you where exciting your car and hit the bus with your door’ when I actual fact I was a pedestrian up until the point I got into my car, the bus driver failed to observe me and then my car

But it seems you also failed to see the bus before opening the door, or if you saw it you misjudged the clearance.

robyn1

Well actually the bus was driving down the road, I was in parked in a lane used for parking, which means there was 2 whole lanes, 1 I was in and the other the bus was in. So there was lots of room for the bus to get past me, until it pulled in. It was when the bus pulled in to where I was parked the incident happened. I was already in my car and had to door 70% closed and then the bus pulled in and it snagged on my car door. Not that I need to justify that to anyone, I wasn’t actually asking for advice on the incident or the outcome of the incident, the only advice I was looking was on my new insurance policy which is due in 3 days. although it doesn’t seem as tho your comment was wrote to be helpful, more to send some doubt my way.

Aylesbury_Duck

You should read more about insurance to understand how it works. You're spending hundreds of pounds a year on a service you don't understand. You seem more intent on justifying the details of the accident than you are on understanding how and why insurance processes will now kick in as they do.

You've had an accident which was seemingly largely not your fault, although some blame might be apportionable to you. You're going to have to declare it anyway which will affect your premiums.