Insurance claim - wifey's had a bump!

Ivrytwr3

Wifey has been driving for 25yrs+ and had never had a bump or claim. Yesterday she reversed into a pole! It was at a garage and the pole was a petrol price sign. It has cracked the bumper and dented the boot, breaking the boot lock. No damage to the pole.

A local garage has quoted around £500 to repair (not replace) the bumper and boot catch, but not the dent - so will become a rust spot.

Car is worth about £10k and so we are thinking we are best putting through our first claim.

Any advice on the process? Any pitfalls we need to be aware of? Also, silly question, is it worth saying we hit our own fence post at home or that we did it at the garage? I just don't want to drag this out as wife needs car for work.

Thanks all.

mr_stripey

I would say definitely don't lie about what happened. It is possible the garage may come after you at a later date for "damage" to the sign.

Inform your insurance company of what happened at let them handle it would be my advice, although others may say differently

Aretnap

Do not lie about what happened. It will come back to bite you, and it also serves no purpose as the claim for damage to your car will be unaffected by where the pole was.

400ixl

Be truthful as to what happened and where. I assume the car is still drivable, so doesn't matter if it drags out for a few weeks as long as she is kept mobile for the period where it has to be in for repair.

Avoid being pushed to an accident management company and insist the insurer deals with the claim and repair themselves. You will need to use their repairer though. Do you have courtesy car cover with your policy? It may be if available, or guaranteed.

As the car is drivable, you can be a bit more flexible on when it gets repaired to allow for a replacement car if needed. This may be where they try to push you to a management company who will guarantee you a car for as long as you need it. This will be a credit rental though which they will then try to claim back from the insurer and you have to commit to supporting them right the way through to court should it need to go that far. Best avoided if you can.

Other than that is should be straight forward as a single vehicle incident.

born_again

What's the excess on the policy, given it will be a at fault claim?

Brie

Nowt to do with your query but if I was your "wifey" I'd be asking for a divorce.  But perhaps you both agree it's a term of endearment.  (sorry it's one of those terms I find highly annoying, up there with calling people snowflakes etc)

mr_stripey

Brie said:

Nowt to do with your query but if I was your "wifey" I'd be asking for a divorce.  But perhaps you both agree it's a term of endearment.  (sorry it's one of those terms I find highly annoying, up there with calling people snowflakes etc)

agreed. I find the term "hubby" also equally as irritating

Ivrytwr3

Hubby and Wifey have looked at the policy:

Guaranteed Hire Car (Level 1)
Legal Expenses Cover
Protected No Claims
Additional Voluntary excess £100

Hire car:

• "This service agreement provides a temporary replacement small hatchback type car such as a Vauxhall Corsa for up to 14 consecutive days where your vehicle is stolen and not recovered, or is deemed a total loss. ✓ Cover for you and any other drivers covered under your Co-op Insurance motor policy. ✓ Option to extend hire period beyond the 14 days at a preferential rate (costs in excess of 14 days to be met by you)."

Does this mean we would only get a hire car if the car was stolen and not whilst in for repairs? Both hubby and wifey are not sure about this one? Wifey says we should get a hire car, hubby says not according to the T&C's. 

Hubby and wifey thank you all for your help and advice.

elsien

I’d read that as you don’t get the hire car for repairs. 

If it was a no-fault claim with a third-party you could go after them for the cost of a hire car in the interim, but unless you’re planning to sue the pole you’d  have to cover that yourselves.

Also had to laugh at your hubby and wifey.  

Ganga

When the person whom you hit gets back to Poland they might put a damages claim in

DullGreyGuy

400ixl said:

Avoid being pushed to an accident management company and insist the insurer deals with the claim and repair themselves. 

How do you think a credit hire company would claim the sign was to blame for the accident? Their costs tend to be crazy but they normally have a reasonable idea of liability. 

Ivrytwr3 said:

Hubby and Wifey have looked at the policy:

Guaranteed Hire Car (Level 1)
Legal Expenses Cover
Protected No Claims
Additional Voluntary excess £100

Hire car:

• "This service agreement provides a temporary replacement small hatchback type car such as a Vauxhall Corsa for up to 14 consecutive days where your vehicle is stolen and not recovered, or is deemed a total loss. ✓ Cover for you and any other drivers covered under your Co-op Insurance motor policy. ✓ Option to extend hire period beyond the 14 days at a preferential rate (costs in excess of 14 days to be met by you)."

Does this mean we would only get a hire car if the car was stolen and not whilst in for repairs? Both hubby and wifey are not sure about this one? Wifey says we should get a hire car, hubby says not according to the T&C's. 

Hubby and wifey thank you all for your help and advice.

Traditionally you would get a courtesy car only if your car is repairable, this is a car owned by the garage and it's also "subject to availability". To deal with complaints that there is no courtesy car in total losses or stolen not recovered etc some insurers introduced the idea of hire cars as an optional extra. 

By the sounds of it your policy only gives hire for the time a garage would never give a courtesy car. You need to look elsewhere in the policy about traditional courtesy cars. Whilst you are at it check if there is any extra excess for choosing your own garage. 

If using the insurers own garage doesn't get you a replacement vehicle you can always see if your preferred garage would