Neighbours slate fell off roof and hit our car. Insurance options?

Southernman

Just that really.
A slate fell off their roof and bounced off our car and landed next to it. I got an estimate this morning to fix it as it could rust if left and it was £560😱.
I've not spoken to the neighbours yet but is this something that can be claimed on their insurance? Our car insurance? I could do with some guidance on the best way of addressing this?

Robin9

Their buildings insurance.  

Give the neighbours a copy of the quote

Mickey666

Good luck with that, unless you can prove negligence on the neighbour's part.

MovingForwards

Unless the roof was already damaged it will be an act of God, claim off your own insurance or touch up paint where it's been damaged / gone through to bare metal.

dunstonh

Repair may only cost a few hundred.   Using insurance may cost you far more (excess, record of a claim etc).   
So, it may well be better to sort out without insurance and maybe your neighbour will put something towards the cost if you are on good terms with them.   

TELLIT01

Robin9 said:

Their buildings insurance.  

Give the neighbours a copy of the quote

Only if the neighbour was negligent.  One of our neighbour's roof tiles came through the roof of our conservatory during a storm and we had to claim off our own house insurance.  I would expect the OP to have to claim on their own car insurance.

davidmcn

Mickey666 said:

Good luck with that, unless you can prove negligence on the neighbour's part.

Which may be somewhat easier for any future incidents if the OP actually talks to the neighbour and tells them there are slates falling off the roof.... 

Mickey666

Fair point, though I'd hope that the neighbour would have noticed a missing slate of their roof by now

dunstonh

Mickey666 said:

Fair point, though I'd hope that the neighbour would have noticed a missing slate of their roof by now

Not necessarily.  Many roofs are double tiled.  the top ones will spall over time and fall away and the first you know about it is if you see bits of broken tile on the ground.   Depending on the house and land around it, they may not fall within sight of the owner.