Non-fault collision

Chisser

My unoccupied car was hit by another car when parked. Details exchanged. Though I have informed my insurer, and no doubt my premium will consequently rise next year, I do not want to claim on their insurance through mine. Do I have go through my insurer or can I insist the third party pays direct or arranges their insurer to repair my car?

400ixl

You can make a claim directly against their insurer if you wish. There are some advantages and disadvantages to doing this. Main disadvantage being you have no complaints process should you need it.

ontheroad1970

The third party's insurer will often prefer you go through them as they are then in control of costs.  Bear in mind, however that should you go through that route you have no complaint route to the ombudsman, since you aren't that insurer's customer

Aretnap

Also note that while there's a good chance that the third party insurer will offer to arrange repairs due you, you can't actually insist that they do. The only right that you have is to arrange the repairs yourself and take the third party insurer to court for the cost - everything else is what you can agree amicably with them as an alternative to doing that.

It's not like claiming through your own insurer where they are contractually bound to arrange your repairs, and you can complain to the Ombudsman if you're not happy with the quality of the repairs.

prowla

Do you have a protected NCB?

I've had a couple of bumps which were not my fault; in once case someone ran into the side of me when pulling out from a side road, so that was pretty straightforward; in another my car was hit when parked, but nobody came forward, so the insurance recorded it as my fault (apparently somebody has to be at fault even though I was in bed asleep at the time!).

Ganga

Also if you go through the others insurance company they might use a separate claims handling company and there have been loads of posts on this site about the problems people have had . 

sheslookinhot

Chisser said:

My unoccupied car was hit by another car when parked. Details exchanged. Though I have informed my insurer, and no doubt my premium will consequently rise next year, I do not want to claim on their insurance through mine. Do I have go through my insurer or can I insist the third party pays direct or arranges their insurer to repair my car?

I recommend you let your own insurer deal with this repair.

chrisw

sheslookinhot said:

Chisser said:

My unoccupied car was hit by another car when parked. Details exchanged. Though I have informed my insurer, and no doubt my premium will consequently rise next year, I do not want to claim on their insurance through mine. Do I have go through my insurer or can I insist the third party pays direct or arranges their insurer to repair my car?

I recommend you let your own insurer deal with this repair.

I agree. Let them take the hassle and sort it out for you.

DullGreyGuy

Chisser said:
Do I have go through my insurer or can I insist the third party pays direct or arranges their insurer to repair my car?

No to both

Most third party insurers will assist you but they aren't obliged to. They would be obliged to reimburse you of the reasonable cost of repair should they agree with the liability assessment and there are no indemnity issues with the policy. 

If you don't want to use your insurers, the third party insurers aren't willing to assist and you cannot afford to pay the repairs yourself then you will be left in the hands of the accident management companies that will do everything on credit for you.

caprikid1

"You can make a claim directly against their insurer if you wish. There are some advantages and disadvantages to doing this. Main disadvantage being you have no complaints process should you need it."

I did this with Direct Line, ended up massively out of pocket, lied to cheated but they did not want to know and neither did my own insurance company. Next time Accident management company and sod the cost to them.