Letter From Solicitor Re Deceased Husband

Justiceforme

Hi all, hope someone can advise me regarding a incident that occurred in May 2022. My late husband and I visited a restaurant, it was the last meal we had together before he passed away a few weeks later. We entered the car park and pulled up as normal and watched a person close the boot of their car and walk off. We entered the restaurant ordered a drink and food as normal. Then this person from the car park entered the restaurant asking who owned the car, with our registration no and claimed we had damaged the rear of their car. We refused to provide insurance details because we knew we were not responsible any damage caused to their car. The person become very abusive and prevented me from trying to leave the restaurant in order to check their allegations out. I was very shocked because my husband looked visibly physically frail at the time.  I suggested calling the police because of their threating behavior but they left the restaurant stating they would find our details from DVLA. I did complain to restaurant manager about their behavior at the time but he just refused to get involved. On returning home I did take photos of the car, there was no visible damage anywhere of the car. 

I received a letter today from a solicitor in my late husbands name re this incident. They are claiming for damages of £2,500 and car hire and say they have written to my late husband insurance company.  The car was sold undamaged earlier this year. What happens in this situation because there were no witnesses and the restaurant had no CCT footage? I cant understand the reasons for  delaying this claim and why they have not used their own insurance company to deal with matters? I'm sure this person just picked on an older vulnerable couple to see how much they could claim.
 
This letter has left me feeling very distraught because it reminds me of what happened that day.  

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks in advance. 

born_again

Sorry for you loss, but this letter needs to go to the insurers of the car at the time. It will be up to them to sort it out.

lisyloo

Sorry for your loss.

Pass onto your insurance. If they are claiming after 18 months that questions their credibility.
You insurer won’t just pay out on a try on.
try to leave it to them.

Keep_pedalling

Yes, forward the letter to your husband’s insurer with a covering letter and a copy of his death certificate. I would not reply to the solicitor.

Justiceforme

I wont reply to the solicitors letter.  I'm not insured and do not drive. Late husband insurance is longer in place due to him passing away, so are they still obliged to deal with it anyway. I do think this person was a chancer but why are they choosing to use a solicitor rather than thier own insurance company.  Does seem late to make a claim in these circumstances.

Grumpy_chap

Justiceforme said:

I wont reply to the solicitors letter.  I'm not insured and do not drive. Late husband insurance is longer in place due to him passing away, so are they still obliged to deal with it anyway. I do think this person was a chancer but why are they choosing to use a solicitor rather than thier own insurance company.  Does seem late to make a claim in these circumstances.

Sorry for your loss and this must be particularly stressful for you with the memories invoked.
The Solicitor may have been engaged by the other party's insurer.
The insurance in place at the date of the alleged incident is the policy that would cover this latent claim.

BooJewels

I'm sorry that you find yourself in this horrible situation - as a widow myself I can only begin to imagine how it must feel.  I didn't know it was possible for a member of the public to legitimately get access to DVLA information of this nature.

As others have said, the insurer at the time will need to deal with this.  Just send them a copy of the letter with a covering letter from yourself explaining what happened at the time, just as you have here (give the details of the restaurant, date etc) and that you believe it to be a spurious claim and that you ask them to deal with it on your behalf.  if you still have access to the paperwork, include the policy number, car reg etc. and send a death certificate, as already suggested.  Tell them you have photos of the car after the incident showing that there was no damage.

Then please do your very best to forget about it.  Insurance companies take a pretty dim view of people trying to make money in this manner and they will be just as enthusiastic as you not to part with a penny they don't have to.  They will even take counter action against people they think are claiming without justification.

Justiceforme

Thanks for your very kind and helpful post. I will do as you have suggested. This person was in doubt looking to make trouble and gain fraudulent money. Reopened a wound for me, which I could without.