Hit and run while at red light

cpheonix

Hi, just looking for advice.

I was waiting at a red light and a transit van hit me from behind before the light when green. After getting over the shock, the lights were green and the van turned into the next lane and sped off. My partner managed to get the number plate so I've reported it to the police. I also had my 5 year old and baby in the back, strapped in child seats of course. 

Tbh, the damage isn't too bad to the car, the skin of the bumper is crushed/cracked. I've never been in a accident before so have no idea what to do in this situation.

Is it worth claiming off my car insurance? Would/could they do anything if I know the number plate of the vehicle that didn't stop?

Also, if the police took action, what could they realistically do?

Thanks in advance. 

Keep_pedalling

You don’t actually know what sort of hidden damage that may have been caused by this rear end shunt, The terms of your insurance almost certainly require you to report all accidents to them so you may as well claim, they in turn will attempt to reclaim from the van’s insurers, assuming it was actually insured. 

dogshome

Long time since I had to do this, but contact the DVLA .

For a small fee if you have reasonable cause, they will give you the name & address of the registered owner of the transit

olgadapolga

dogshome said:

Long time since I had to do this, but contact the DVLA .

For a small fee if you have reasonable cause, they will give you the name & address of the registered owner of the transit

Registered keeper who may not necessarily be the owner of the vehicle.

Car_54

dogshome said:

Long time since I had to do this, but contact the DVLA .

For a small fee if you have reasonable cause, they will give you the name & address of the registered owner of the transit

Save the small fee. Let the insurer do it.

HampshireH

Also Your insurance will pay for new car seats for the children. Make this a priority they shouldn't be re-used after an accident (no matter how minor)

Put the claim in. You have the vehicle registration your insurer will be able to get their details. No need to pay the DVLA (who don't reply promptly if at all even when sent payment)

onashoestring

You should report it to the police and your insurer within 24 hours regardless of whether you plan to make a claim. 

For the other driver - Failing to stop after an accident is a serious offence that can attract penalty points as well as a financial penalty. 

It is likely that the registered owner of the vehicle will receive an NIP (Notice of Intended Prosecution)from the police . If they Fail to provide details of the driver within 28 days of receipt of an NIP it can lead to arrest .

shiraz99

Worth doing a vehicle check to see what the tax and mot status of the van is - https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk, chances are if not taxed then it won't be insured either. Also use askmid.com to check to check for insurance details.

Sandtree

dogshome said:

Long time since I had to do this, but contact the DVLA .

For a small fee if you have reasonable cause, they will give you the name & address of the registered owner of the transit

As already pointed out, it provides keeper not owner, but why would you bother doing this?

The OP's insurer will get the vehicle insurer's details from MID for free and can decide if they also want to get the keepers details from DVLA... not always worth the fee if the vehicle is insured. 

grandadgolfer

shiraz99 said:

Worth doing a vehicle check to see what the tax and mot status of the van is - https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk, chances are if not taxed then it won't be insured either. Also use askmid.com to check to check for insurance details.

This should be the first thing you do

Sandtree

grandadgolfer said:

shiraz99 said:

Worth doing a vehicle check to see what the tax and mot status of the van is - https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk, chances are if not taxed then it won't be insured either. Also use askmid.com to check to check for insurance details.

This should be the first thing you do

Again... why pay for something that your insurer will do for free?

To check a third party vehicle for insurance you legally have to use https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx which comes with a cost of £10. Most will say to breach data protection rules and use https://ownvehicle.askmid.com despite you having to declare its your vehicle (the clue is in the url) however this only shows if some insurance exists today... the paid search and the one your insurer will do for free will show if there was insurance on the day of the accident and give the insurer and policy number so you can actually do something with it.