Insurance claim or suck it up?

Dave_5150

I had my first ever minor bump at a four-exit mini-roundabout on Monday:

• I approached the roundabout whilst indicating right.
• There was a car at the junction to my left 
• There was a vehicle at the junction directly opposite me which was indicating right.
• There was no traffic at the junction to my right so I began to enter the roundabout.
• The car opposite then immediately begin to pull in front of me despite having traffic to their right.
• I stopped to avoid a collision.
• The van behind had not left enough space to stop safely so they grazed our bumper.
• There are no witnesses.

The bumper can be repaired for £180. Our insurance excess is £350 if insurers were to take the easy option and go 50:50 (and our insurance may increase at renewal).

Is it worth claiming through insurance?

daivid

You will be obliged to declare this collision to your insurance company and on getting quotes for the next few years, this is regardless of whether you claim or not and will unfortunately push up your future premiums. You could pretend this never happened and pay for your own repairs, the risk if you do is your insurance co may void your policy for breaching terms, and if the van suddenly puts a claim in, or if when replacing the bumper more significant damage is uncovered you will be in a sticky situation if you haven’t mentioned the incident to your insurance company. Not telling the insurance company is a gamble that could really bite you.

Bigphil1474

OP, I had someone open their car door as I drove past. Took my wing mirror off. I stopped had a chat, decided I'd just get the mirror fixed myself. Cost me about £120. End of story. 

400ixl

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, I had someone open their car door as I drove past. Took my wing mirror off. I stopped had a chat, decided I'd just get the mirror fixed myself. Cost me about £120. End of story. 

Not quite end of story, you will still have had to declare it to your insurer regardless of whether you made a claim. You would also have been partly liable if you had claimed as you did not leave the required gap to the vehicle you were passing (not always practical I know).

OP, from your description it doesn't sound like the other driver has a claim against you, likely the other way around. You do have to notify your insurer of the incident, but can decide not to claim.

If you do claim and your insurer is able to claim all their costs back then you will not pay an excess (or at least will get it back). Thats the risk you have to balance out as to whether to claim or not.

Either way you have to declare it to the insurer and on future renewals for the period they ask.

Whether a non fault or a no claim incident will be more or less on a renewal is unknown, but unlikely to be much difference.

Dave_5150

Thanks everyone. I was already aware of the need to notify my insurer. I read the policy document as soon as I got home on Monday. None claim incidents should be notified at renewal.

The money saving question was whether it would be cheaper to pay myself despite not being at fault rather than claim. Any thoughts on that?

Obviously leaving it would be the cheapest option. The mark is barely noticable and may even machine polish out yet. That could potentially bring the cost down to nearer £30.

facade

If you can repair it for £180 it is the cheapest option when you factor in the trouble of trying to recover part of your excess.

If the third party won't pay up your excess is more than the cost.

If it goes 50:50 you pay half your excess = £175  and you have a claim to report.

If it is entirely the third party's fault, you can claim off their insurance, and there is no excess, but your insurer won't help unless you have the "optional legal cover & un-insured loss recovery"

(In The Olden Days you simply claimed off your insurance and they would claim your excess back if it wasn't your fault and refund you as part of the claim. Now they won't try and recover your excess, presumably to force people into taking out the "optional extra cover")

Bigphil1474

400ixl said:

Bigphil1474 said:

OP, I had someone open their car door as I drove past. Took my wing mirror off. I stopped had a chat, decided I'd just get the mirror fixed myself. Cost me about £120. End of story. 

Not quite end of story, you will still have had to declare it to your insurer regardless of whether you made a claim. You would also have been partly liable if you had claimed as you did not leave the required gap to the vehicle you were passing (not always practical I know).

OP, from your description it doesn't sound like the other driver has a claim against you, likely the other way around. You do have to notify your insurer of the incident, but can decide not to claim.

If you do claim and your insurer is able to claim all their costs back then you will not pay an excess (or at least will get it back). Thats the risk you have to balance out as to whether to claim or not.

Either way you have to declare it to the insurer and on future renewals for the period they ask.

Whether a non fault or a no claim incident will be more or less on a renewal is unknown, but unlikely to be much difference.

No, it was definitely end of story. Neither of us were bothered about notifying the insurers, and I didn't materially gain from not doing so. I wasn't remotely to blame for somebody opening their car door so far that it took off my wing mirror as I was driving past at 20 mph, so don't know where you get that from. As it turned out it was someone I recognised from around town and didn't feel the need to pursue them or their insurers for the minor cost to me. I am not legally required to notify my insurers of every minor bump in my car. I may be contractually obliged by their Ts&Cs, but then I rarely read them so don't care.

OP, personally, if it can be largely polished out and the car is not high end value, I'd leave it myself. 

DullGreyGuy

facade said:

(In The Olden Days you simply claimed off your insurance and they would claim your excess back if it wasn't your fault and refund you as part of the claim. Now they won't try and recover your excess, presumably to force people into taking out the "optional extra cover")

Not sure how "olden" you are talking about? It's certainly a very long time. When I worked in claims "and please reimburse our insured excess" was a single tickbox to select on the recovery letter and then some admin work to redirect the cheque when it was received. Given the vast majority had LE cover it was close to muscle memory to tab to that option and select it (yes old green screens, no mouse) so some did get it without being entitled. 

facade

DullGreyGuy said:

facade said:

(In The Olden Days you simply claimed off your insurance and they would claim your excess back if it wasn't your fault and refund you as part of the claim. Now they won't try and recover your excess, presumably to force people into taking out the "optional extra cover")

Not sure how "olden" you are talking about? It's certainly a very long time. When I worked in claims "and please reimburse our insured excess" was a single tickbox to select on the recovery letter and then some admin work to redirect the cheque when it was received. Given the vast majority had LE cover it was close to muscle memory to tab to that option and select it (yes old green screens, no mouse) so some did get it without being entitled. 

Aren't you confirming what I put?

You used to ask for re-imbursement and then redirect the cheque- from what I read on here that is no longer the case.

DullGreyGuy

facade said:

DullGreyGuy said:

facade said:

(In The Olden Days you simply claimed off your insurance and they would claim your excess back if it wasn't your fault and refund you as part of the claim. Now they won't try and recover your excess, presumably to force people into taking out the "optional extra cover")

Not sure how "olden" you are talking about? It's certainly a very long time. When I worked in claims "and please reimburse our insured excess" was a single tickbox to select on the recovery letter and then some admin work to redirect the cheque when it was received. Given the vast majority had LE cover it was close to muscle memory to tab to that option and select it (yes old green screens, no mouse) so some did get it without being entitled. 

Aren't you confirming what I put?

You used to ask for re-imbursement and then redirect the cheque- from what I read on here that is no longer the case.

No, I am saying mistakenly some people would... I am sure people still make mistakes in 2023 though maybe systems have gotten better as not to leave it to the technician to decide as equally sometimes people forgot to ask for the Excess on people that did have LE cover. 

Maybe in the 80s and earlier people did it routinely for those without LE cover but then you are talking the days where all insurance is bought via brokers and it could well be the broker rather than the insurer doing it. 

ChasF

Bigphil1474 said:

I may be contractually obliged by their Ts&Cs, but then I rarely read them so don't care.

Insurance is always about the Ts&Cs so let's hope your 'bravado' doesn't one day come back and bite you!