Help! Advice please. My fault!

RedfordML

At work, two weeks ago I accidentally left the handbrake off my car and it rolled back and has damaged the property (the garage!) that backs onto the carpark. 

I’ve not submitted a claim with my insurance as I am waiting for the property owner to get quotes. 

I admit it was my fault and have taken photos. My question is will my insurance pay out/cover me for not putting my handbrake on? Who has to put the claim in first? Me or the property owner. 

Sorry, I am just unsure what to do and I worry my insurance won’t cover me as it was my fault and I don’t put the handbrake on. 

Any advice would be great. Should I contact my insurance despite not knowing  the costs involved?

I am also very worried because it was my error, the insurance company won’t pay out? Sorry, this is the first time I have claimed on my insurance and I have no idea to the process. I also notice my insurance is up for renewal in June - so might need to act now rather than wait (I will prob auto renew if I put the claim in!) 

Final edit. That happened two weeks ago, but the property owner didn’t realise the damage to the garage. Would my insurance be invalid or because I only got told about this yesterday, (I assumed I would pay cash for a new fence panel!) do I need to put the date of the claim / accident as yesterday due to my claim being invalid?? 

As you can read, finding this all a little stressful but don’t want to find out my insurance won’t cover etc and I am left with a bill I can’t afford, especially right now with the cost of living! 

Any help/ advice would be so gratefully received 

user1977

RedfordML said:

I am also very worried because it was my error, the insurance company won’t pay out?

Literally the whole point of motor insurance (as a minimum) is to pay third parties for losses they suffer due to stupid things you've done to them with your car.

TELLIT01

Your insurer may not pay for damage to your vehicle but, as user1977 says, 3rd party cover is there to cover most eventualities.  What damage has been done to the garage?  What is the garage construction?

Sandtree

TELLIT01 said:

Your insurer may not pay for damage to your vehicle but, as user1977 says, 3rd party cover is there to cover most eventualities.  What damage has been done to the garage?  What is the garage construction?

Why wouldn't they? First party cover is normally only limited against deliberate acts, failure to have an MOT (which is questionable), drink driving or allowing an uninsured person to control the vehicle... which of these do you think the OP has done?

You are required to tell your insurers as soon as practicably possible the fact you've been involved in the incident and therefore they can act appropriately if the third party decides to approach them directly (or their solicitors/insurers do). Some don't and so some claims are registered by third parties in which case the insurer will be attempting to contact you to 1) find out why you have failed to report the incident and 2) your side of the story. In reality only if you've let it go over a renewal are there any real consequences for late reporting but they will remind you that you failed to keep your end of the bargain. 

As has been said, the majority of accidents happen because someone did something stupid (or failed to do something that a sensible person would do). Its exactly what third party insurance is there to cover you. Only potential exception is things you do intentionally and presumably you didn't think it'd be fun to see what happened if you didn't put the handbrake on that day.

Morph4610

Redford. I'd just calm down and tell your insurer as they should deal with this especially if you have comprehensive cover. If so the likelihood is that both the damage to your vehicle and the garage will be covered. Insurers typically may not pay out for fraudulent activity rather than driver errors or mistakes      

RedfordML

Morph4610 said:

Redford. I'd just calm down and tell your insurer as they should deal with this especially if you have comprehensive cover. If so the likelihood is that both the damage to your vehicle and the garage will be covered. Insurers typically may not pay out for fraudulent activity rather than driver errors or mistakes      

Thankyou! I’m very stressed as all new to me. Even though it happened two weeks ago will that impact? 

Honestly Thankyou to all you have replied. I didn’t sleep through stress of it. 

RedfordML

Should add the panel too the car but the garage is very old and the panel of concrete looked v thin 

Sandtree

RedfordML said:

Morph4610 said:

Redford. I'd just calm down and tell your insurer as they should deal with this especially if you have comprehensive cover. If so the likelihood is that both the damage to your vehicle and the garage will be covered. Insurers typically may not pay out for fraudulent activity rather than driver errors or mistakes      

Thankyou! I’m very stressed as all new to me. Even though it happened two weeks ago will that impact? 

Honestly Thankyou to all you have replied. I didn’t sleep through stress of it. 

They may tell you off for not reporting it earlier but ultimately it will make no impact.

RedfordML

I’ve logged the incident and it’s been “logged” as a fault claim. Does the home / property owner contact my insurance next or what should happen next? As no damage to my car, there are no costs to recover I just wonder how the claim is processed next? 

Sandtree

RedfordML said:

I’ve logged the incident and it’s been “logged” as a fault claim. Does the home / property owner contact my insurance next or what should happen next? As no damage to my car, there are no costs to recover I just wonder how the claim is processed next? 

Its up to them... they may approach your insurers directly, they may claim off of their own insurance who counterclaims from yours. The may decide its not worth the effort and nothing ever happens in which case your insurers close the case after circa 6 months. 

RedfordML

Sandtree, can't thankyou enough for your calm, knowledgeable advice. Given the damage, I think they want some kind of claim so I will wait to see what they do next. I am happy to give them my insurance details, then its over to them.