Dog strike to car - insurance or private repairs?

lisyloo

amtrakuk wrote: »

wow thank for the replies...


I've phoned the insurance people this morning and spoke to someone on the out of hours claim line. Explained a dog ran into the side of my car and asked as the excess alone is probably more than the repair cost if I were to cancel the claim would me premium and no claims discount be affected? She advised to phone back after 10 when the main claims department was open but said as no 3rd party was involved and the claim was against yourself, you could cancel it and your premium and NCD wont be affected.


I will wait and see at 10

There is a 3rd party involved :mad:
The dog owner is responsible.
Dogs are licensed animals and should be under control.
Read post #5 and get the legal advice if that’s free.

Hasbeen

lisyloo wrote: »

There is a 3rd party involved :mad:
The dog owner is responsible.
Dogs are licensed animals and should be under control.
Read post #5 and get the legal advice if that’s free.

Agree the dog owner is responsible and if they have insurance, OP may be able to claim.

Dogs are not licensed animals, but they should be under control.

Op should obtain quote for damage and pressure insurance company to deal with it.

If not claim directly from owner, but may be problematic if there is no appropriate insurance cover.

lisyloo

Hasbeen wrote: »

If not claim directly from owner, but may be problematic if there is no appropriate insurance cover.

I am happy to take advice on this if anyone knows more, but I don’t believe there is any entitlement to know if the owner has insurance or not (unlike motor) or the means to pay.
This is why an insurer may be reluctant to deal with the householder.

It may be possible to find out about someone locally if they are known locally e.g. whether the own a property and have a job.

Claiming directly has the same issue.
The OP won’t know If the owner has insurance or the means to pay.

My feeling is the insurer will be reluctant to pursue but If it was me I’d still be wanting them to tell me why, but I think the answer might be that it’s simply too risky to pursue non-motor claims.

Agree the dog owner is responsible and if they have insurance, OP may be able to claim.

The OP has no right to claim off the owners insurance.
The OP could ask the owner to pay or take the owner to the small claims court but the issue is the OP does not know if the owner has insurance or the means to pay so it’s risky to pay for a court case without knowing if the other person can pay the bill.
If they were for example on benefits the award might be £1 per week and might go unpaid and then the OP has to decide whether to enforce by sending the balliffs around to someone on benefits (probably not worth it).

The difference with motor is that someone is always insured even if it is an insurer of last resort so there is always someone to pay.

uk1

amtrakuk wrote: »

wow thank for the replies...


I've phoned the insurance people this morning and spoke to someone on the out of hours claim line. Explained a dog ran into the side of my car and asked as the excess alone is probably more than the repair cost if I were to cancel the claim would me premium and no claims discount be affected? She advised to phone back after 10 when the main claims department was open but said as no 3rd party was involved and the claim was against yourself, you could cancel it and your premium and NCD wont be affected.


I will wait and see at 10

Your NCD may be safe but I would ask your insurer to confirm in writing that your next premium will specifically not be increased in any way as a result of you reporting this incident.

If you did decide to pursue the owner of the dog and your insurers refuse to help, then there are solicitor claims companies that specialise in this and will do it for you. All the other stuff posted about whether insurance exists or not is all interesting debate but you take these issues one at a time. You do not assume anything either way. These facts can easily be established once contact has been made with the owner of the dog. It may at that stage seem that it is not worth pursuing, or it may well be worth pursuing. One step at a time.



Good luck.

amtrakuk

Just been onto the insurer who has cancelled the claim and put it as a notification only as no 3rd party was involved. They are sending though a letter to show my NCD and premium is unaffected.

Quentin

amtrakuk wrote: »

wow thank for the replies...


I've phoned the insurance people this morning and spoke to someone on the out of hours claim line. Explained a dog ran into the side of my car and asked as the excess alone is probably more than the repair cost if I were to cancel the claim would me premium and no claims discount be affected? She advised to phone back after 10 when the main claims department was open but said as no 3rd party was involved and the claim was against yourself, you could cancel it and your premium and NCD wont be affected.


I will wait and see at 10

2 issues:

1) How will you know your renewal quote has not been affected

2) The incident has to be disclosed to other insurers, and were you wanting to move elsewhere then any assurance from your current insurer is irrelevant

(If you don't claim your NCD is unaffected by this incident)

chucknorris

amtrakuk wrote: »

Phoning the vet this morning

How was the dog?

sheramber

A friend's dog ran into the rod and was hit by a car. The dog was killed.

My friend was contacted by the car owner's insurance with a bill to pay the costs of the repair to the car.

lisyloo

then there are solicitor claims companies that specialise in this and will do it for you

No win no fee companies or paid ones will only pursue claims with a likelihood of winning (and getting paid). With insurnpance companies that likelihood is often >50%.
An unknown householder probably doesn’t qualify.
If you are lucky enough to know something about the person e.g they have a job (and therefore the means to pay) that may make a difference.

lisyloo

sheramber wrote: »

A friend's dog ran into the rod and was hit by a car. The dog was killed.

My friend was contacted by the car owner's insurance with a bill to pay the costs of the repair to the car.

Did you friend pay voluntarily?
Claim off their insurance?
Or something else?

I’d like to think a decent person with the means to pay would just pay out.