Car insurance problem

SaverRate

doggyland said:

facade said:

doggyland said:

facade said:

You shouldn't need to open a new policy, what does your insurer say is happening?

If they have cancelled your policy then when you take out a new one you have to declare that you have had a policy cancelled as well as the accident, some insurers won't accept you, and those that do will charge huge prices.

You didn't lie when you took out your current policy unless you knew that you were at fault, if you honestly believed that you weren't then you were wrong, or mistaken, not lying. Lies are an intentional untruth or omission.

If the insurer is going to cancel the policy, then you need to cancel it first before they do, then you can truthfully say that you have never had insurance cancelled on your next application.

Okay, so I checked my email and that's what I get from from insurer. 

"We write with reference to the above incident. 

Based on the incident circumstances and the lack of any independent evidence, we would look 

to settle this claim on best terms possible with the third party representatives. 

This will mean that your No Claims Bonus will be affected subject to any protection you may 

have on your policy. 

Once the file is closed we will let you know."

And then about mont after another email saying "file is closed Your no claim bonus been reduced" 

That's all so I'm not sure now if it even means that I was at fault? 

"At fault" has little to do with who is responsible for the accident.

You could have been stationary at traffic lights with your handbrake on, and another car plows into the back of you.

Not your fault- as in you are not to blame.

However if the other driver claims you reversed into him, or rolled back, then without witnesses and camera evidence it is cheaper for your insurer to just say "OK!" and forget about claiming anything off them than to waste time and resources arguing. In which case it is termed "at fault" because they didn't get the other driver to cover your repairs, not because you were responsible.

As you made a claim on your policy which wasn't recovered from the other driver your no-claims was reduced.

So when you apply for insurance you put down the accident and don't tick the "recovery made" box.

The "problem" will be that insurers love to ask "how much was the claim?" but they rarely tell you how much a claim was, you may know how much the body shop quoted to fix yours, but you have no idea what third party payments were made.

For all you know the other driver could have got £1500 out of you for a poorly neck.

So what I ve done is. I opened new policy with different company. I been 100% honest about accident I had. I declared 0 years NCB and I cancelled previous policy. Will I be fine now?

doggyland said:

facade said:

doggyland said:

facade said:

You shouldn't need to open a new policy, what does your insurer say is happening?

If they have cancelled your policy then when you take out a new one you have to declare that you have had a policy cancelled as well as the accident, some insurers won't accept you, and those that do will charge huge prices.

You didn't lie when you took out your current policy unless you knew that you were at fault, if you honestly believed that you weren't then you were wrong, or mistaken, not lying. Lies are an intentional untruth or omission.

If the insurer is going to cancel the policy, then you need to cancel it first before they do, then you can truthfully say that you have never had insurance cancelled on your next application.

Okay, so I checked my email and that's what I get from from insurer. 

"We write with reference to the above incident. 

Based on the incident circumstances and the lack of any independent evidence, we would look 

to settle this claim on best terms possible with the third party representatives. 

This will mean that your No Claims Bonus will be affected subject to any protection you may 

have on your policy. 

Once the file is closed we will let you know."

And then about mont after another email saying "file is closed Your no claim bonus been reduced" 

That's all so I'm not sure now if it even means that I was at fault? 

"At fault" has little to do with who is responsible for the accident.

You could have been stationary at traffic lights with your handbrake on, and another car plows into the back of you.

Not your fault- as in you are not to blame.

However if the other driver claims you reversed into him, or rolled back, then without witnesses and camera evidence it is cheaper for your insurer to just say "OK!" and forget about claiming anything off them than to waste time and resources arguing. In which case it is termed "at fault" because they didn't get the other driver to cover your repairs, not because you were responsible.

As you made a claim on your policy which wasn't recovered from the other driver your no-claims was reduced.

So when you apply for insurance you put down the accident and don't tick the "recovery made" box.

The "problem" will be that insurers love to ask "how much was the claim?" but they rarely tell you how much a claim was, you may know how much the body shop quoted to fix yours, but you have no idea what third party payments were made.

For all you know the other driver could have got £1500 out of you for a poorly neck.

So what I ve done is. I opened new policy with different company. I been 100% honest about accident I had. I declared 0 years NCB and I cancelled previous policy. Will I be fine now?

Yes but I wouldn't have necessarily put my no claims to 0 years but thats up to you. 

SpudGunPaul

doggyland said:

ontheroad1970 said:

doggyland said:

diystarter7 said:

doggyland said:

diystarter7 said:

Hi OP

Sorry, could you elaborate on how you was a "hundred per cent sure ..not your fault"?

Are you saying you guessed?  Even if you did, why not then declare it when you found out?

Thanks in advance. 

Yes i just guessed as it was hit in back of my car and 2nd driver run away from accident place. but it was straight after i get my licence i didnt know what to do i have no damage on my car, so i just called Police if they can get anything from cameras? then i called insurance and they as far i remember ask me only to describe accident. Then it was quiet for 6 months. Meantime i opened new policy. I cant tell now why i didnt declare it i should do

Hi
Many thanks for the update, appreciated.
The question asked when signing up for new insurance often worded around have you been in any accidents and not just claims - what did you answer to that?
The insurance may ask you why you had not updated earlier so be prepared.
Good luck.
Thanks

I did answer that I been involved in accident. 

Okay I understand that I lied to my current insurer and it can cause big consequences but 

If I open new policy will be honest with past accidents etc. Do not declare premiums from current insurance. Will they still find out? 

Be aware that not everyone who answers queries on here knows as much as they might try to suggest.  If you do things that make you look like you are trying to cover tracks you will show a paper trail, and it will lead to a view of you deliberately misleading insurance company.  As Facade has suggested, the insurance industry could be more helpful by overhauling the 'at fault' and 'non fault' to reflect the 'unable to recover costs' of many claims.  In my view these should not impact the policy holder as much as an absolute 'at fault'.  The fact that the 3rd party ran away demonstrates his likely guilt.  

On renewal or a new policy declare the accident as 'at fault' or if there is an option, non recoverable.  

So what I ve done is. I opened new policy with different company. I been 100% honest about accident I had. I declared 0 years NCB and I cancelled previous policy. Will I be fine now? 

So what happens if they view the CUE database and see you had a policy with 3 years no claims and a non fault accident, or did you explain that when you took out the policy?

facade

SpudGunPaul said:

So what happens if they view the CUE database and see you had a policy with 3 years no claims and a non fault accident, or did you explain that when you took out the policy?

Nothing.

You don't have to use a no-claims bonus if you don't want to. (You might be buying a second more expensive to insure car shortly and wish to use the no-claims on it, you could also believe that cancelling a policy cancels any no-claims, either way they aren't going to stop you paying them more money! )

Should they query the change of accident status- and why on Earth would they?  "Information has now come to light that although the accident wasn't my fault, full recovery of the costs was not actually made, so I believe I have to put it down as an 'at fault claim' now "

And you cancelled your previous policy for "personal reasons"   (For all they know, you might have found out about non-ethical practices or heard bad stories about the previous insurer from relatives, anyway, you don't need to discuss why you cancelled a policy with a different company)