How to find a car reg no for a 3rd party who ran into the back of my stationary car

fournarios

I'm trying to find the reg no of a van that ran into the back of mine while I was stationary at a junction with the hand brake on. He gave me his phone no (subsequently found to be false) and name, but I was in such a state of shock that I didn't get his reg no. I was able to track him down because his company name was written on the side of his van. He offered to settle off insurance but turned nasty when I took the trouble to provide 3 separate repair quotes. At which point I handed it over to my insurance company. Now they  are saying that without the reg no it will have to be treated as a claim rather than a no fault claim - no doubt with an impact on my premium and no claims.

Has anyone used a private detective or other means to get a reg no? I have his home address but it's on the other side of the country. 

Sandtree

Someone who hit my stationary vehicle (they had a different version of events), didnt have anything to note my details on, didnt have a mobile but said they could "remember them".  The car I was in suffered no damage, they had a broken wing mirror, and so didnt think anything more of it thankfully as it was a courtesy hire car.

A little while later I got a producer from the police stating I had failed to stop at an accident with a very badly spelt version of my name and address (obv I wasnt the registered keeper so not sure if she remembered by name and address or the registration but would have hoped the hire company did have my details correctly). 

Went to the police, produced  the docs I could (obv cant give hte V5c as not my car etc) and never heard anything more about it.


If you do have his address there are a range of options open, you could pay an investigator (done so before when there was suspicions about injuries etc), could use social media to find a budding detective who may not driving past and photographing if the vehicle was there etc but then he may see the post if hes active or a neighbour tips him off.

Presumably you have just spoken to the First Notification of Loss telephone line so far and no one in their Recoveries team? Certainly we'd get cases with no reg but an address and we'd just write to them and most respond with the details. They were right however to inform you that if they cannot make a recovery that it counts as a fault claim (assuming there is no "untraced driver" type promise on your policy)

bengalknights

fournarios said:

I'm trying to find the reg no of a van that ran into the back of mine while I was stationary at a junction with the hand brake on. He gave me his phone no (subsequently found to be false) and name, but I was in such a state of shock that I didn't get his reg no. I was able to track him down because his company name was written on the side of his van. He offered to settle off insurance but turned nasty when I took the trouble to provide 3 separate repair quotes. At which point I handed it over to my insurance company. Now they  are saying that without the reg no it will have to be treated as a claim rather than a no fault claim - no doubt with an impact on my premium and no claims.

Has anyone used a private detective or other means to get a reg no? I have his home address but it's on the other side of the country. 

Contact the company whose van it is for there insurance details

Jenni_D

bengalknights said:

fournarios said:

I'm trying to find the reg no of a van that ran into the back of mine while I was stationary at a junction with the hand brake on. He gave me his phone no (subsequently found to be false) and name, but I was in such a state of shock that I didn't get his reg no. I was able to track him down because his company name was written on the side of his van. He offered to settle off insurance but turned nasty when I took the trouble to provide 3 separate repair quotes. At which point I handed it over to my insurance company. Now they  are saying that without the reg no it will have to be treated as a claim rather than a no fault claim - no doubt with an impact on my premium and no claims.

Has anyone used a private detective or other means to get a reg no? I have his home address but it's on the other side of the country. 

Contact the company whose van it is for there insurance details

I suspect the company is a one-man-band and the driver is also the owner.

Grumpy_chap

fournarios said:

I'm trying to find the reg no of a van that ran into the back of mine while I was stationary at a junction with the hand brake on. He gave me his phone no (subsequently found to be false) and name, but I was in such a state of shock that I didn't get his reg no. I was able to track him down because his company name was written on the side of his van. He offered to settle off insurance but turned nasty when I took the trouble to provide 3 separate repair quotes. At which point I handed it over to my insurance company. Now they  are saying that without the reg no it will have to be treated as a claim rather than a no fault claim - no doubt with an impact on my premium and no claims.

Has anyone used a private detective or other means to get a reg no? I have his home address but it's on the other side of the country. 

Given that you have identified the driver and the owner of the vehicle (the company), then your insurer should be able to obtain the insurance details - either by pursuing the company with the claim as though it was uninsured or by obtaining details through the insurance database.  As it is a company van, there are likely to be assets that mean a claim against the company would be worth pursuing (which it might not be if claiming off the individual).

fournarios

Sandtree said:

Someone who hit my stationary vehicle (they had a different version of events), didnt have anything to note my details on, didnt have a mobile but said they could "remember them".  The car I was in suffered no damage, they had a broken wing mirror, and so didnt think anything more of it thankfully as it was a courtesy hire car.

A little while later I got a producer from the police stating I had failed to stop at an accident with a very badly spelt version of my name and address (obv I wasnt the registered keeper so not sure if she remembered by name and address or the registration but would have hoped the hire company did have my details correctly). 

Went to the police, produced  the docs I could (obv cant give hte V5c as not my car etc) and never heard anything more about it.


If you do have his address there are a range of options open, you could pay an investigator (done so before when there was suspicions about injuries etc), could use social media to find a budding detective who may not driving past and photographing if the vehicle was there etc but then he may see the post if hes active or a neighbour tips him off.

Presumably you have just spoken to the First Notification of Loss telephone line so far and no one in their Recoveries team? Certainly we'd get cases with no reg but an address and we'd just write to them and most respond with the details. They were right however to inform you that if they cannot make a recovery that it counts as a fault claim (assuming there is no "untraced driver" type promise on your policy)

I have looked at an investigator - very expensive though. Insurance company have tried to contact him with the details I gave them but he is not responding. That's why theyneed the reg no so they can find his insurance comapny and go straight to them.

tacpot12

Have you looked at Fiver or PeoplePerHour? If you just want to avoid the drive to the other side of the country, then you could advertise for someone nearer to do the trip for you. 

Sandtree

fournarios said:

Sandtree said:

Someone who hit my stationary vehicle (they had a different version of events), didnt have anything to note my details on, didnt have a mobile but said they could "remember them".  The car I was in suffered no damage, they had a broken wing mirror, and so didnt think anything more of it thankfully as it was a courtesy hire car.

A little while later I got a producer from the police stating I had failed to stop at an accident with a very badly spelt version of my name and address (obv I wasnt the registered keeper so not sure if she remembered by name and address or the registration but would have hoped the hire company did have my details correctly). 

Went to the police, produced  the docs I could (obv cant give hte V5c as not my car etc) and never heard anything more about it.


If you do have his address there are a range of options open, you could pay an investigator (done so before when there was suspicions about injuries etc), could use social media to find a budding detective who may not driving past and photographing if the vehicle was there etc but then he may see the post if hes active or a neighbour tips him off.

Presumably you have just spoken to the First Notification of Loss telephone line so far and no one in their Recoveries team? Certainly we'd get cases with no reg but an address and we'd just write to them and most respond with the details. They were right however to inform you that if they cannot make a recovery that it counts as a fault claim (assuming there is no "untraced driver" type promise on your policy)

I have looked at an investigator - very expensive though. Insurance company have tried to contact him with the details I gave them but he is not responding. That's why theyneed the reg no so they can find his insurance comapny and go straight to them.

If they are professional investigators then yes they don't charge peanuts 

Where did the accident happen? Any chance CCTV caught the incident? Based on the above it may now be the case that any CCTV that existed has been overwritten/deleted

Herzlos

If you've got the company details, have you checked to see if there are any photos of the van on their facebook page or website?

Other than that, if you have his home address your best bet is to see if you can get someone nearby to go and get the reg number one evening.

It may even be worth talking to the police as he's refusing to provide the information and turning nasty. They might be able to get the details .

mgfvvc

As he gave you a false telephone number I would report to the police.
Retain evidence of that, plus correspondence.

Diver2

Get a friend to contact them for a quote and then take the registration number when he turns up?