Car insurance claim

Dougal_2025

Just after advice/comments really. Last year was reversing out of a car parking space on a public carpark and we collided with another reversing car. She was also backing out of an adjacent space, the spaces are at an odd angle and it seems neither of us saw each other. My husband (driver) got out and the woman started shouting at him. We had kids in the car - one being a new baby - and she was very irate so I got out of the car and calmly tried to diffuse the situation, I said we are insured let’s swap details it’s what we have insurance for let’s let them deal with it. She started shouting again and I got up my husband’s details and asked her to get her phone and told her again let’s let the insurance sort it. There were not witnesses it was pretty early in the morning. She didn’t have her details and said she didn’t even know what to do. I gave her my husbands policy number, phone number, name and address, wrote down our reg for her, encouraged her to take a photo of the damage and I did the same on both cars. She only gave me her name and phone number and I have the vehicle reg. she didn’t know her insurance details or policy etc. we rang and reported the incident and as both reversing they said it would be 50:50. Our car had a slight crack on the bumper otherwise fine. I paid for it fixed myself with a quick repair. Fast forward 6 months and now we have had an email saying they can’t settle the fault and would we go to court. We have legal protection on the policy. I’m just at a loss to why it’s gotten to this point and wanted some advice. 

MattMattMattUK

Dougal_2025 said:

Just after advice/comments really. Last year was reversing out of a car parking space on a public carpark and we collided with another reversing car. She was also backing out of an adjacent space, the spaces are at an odd angle and it seems neither of us saw each other. My husband (driver) got out and the woman started shouting at him. We had kids in the car - one being a new baby - and she was very irate so I got out of the car and calmly tried to diffuse the situation, I said we are insured let’s swap details it’s what we have insurance for let’s let them deal with it. She started shouting again and I got up my husband’s details and asked her to get her phone and told her again let’s let the insurance sort it. There were not witnesses it was pretty early in the morning. She didn’t have her details and said she didn’t even know what to do. I gave her my husbands policy number, phone number, name and address, wrote down our reg for her, encouraged her to take a photo of the damage and I did the same on both cars. She only gave me her name and phone number and I have the vehicle reg. she didn’t know her insurance details or policy etc. we rang and reported the incident and as both reversing they said it would be 50:50. Our car had a slight crack on the bumper otherwise fine. I paid for it fixed myself with a quick repair. Fast forward 6 months and now we have had an email saying they can’t settle the fault and would we go to court. We have legal protection on the policy. I’m just at a loss to why it’s gotten to this point and wanted some advice. 

Agree to what they ask, go to court if required, otherwise you become liable for the costs.

DullGreyGuy

Dougal_2025 said:

Our car had a slight crack on the bumper otherwise fine. I paid for it fixed myself with a quick repair. Fast forward 6 months and now we have had an email saying they can’t settle the fault and would we go to court. We have legal protection on the policy. I’m just at a loss to why it’s gotten to this point and wanted some advice. 

Have you spoken to your insurers?

There is no difference between fault and 50/50 from an impact on premiums with the vast majority of insurers and given you arent claiming for any of your own losses there is little benefit of going to court. You need to speak to them and find out what's going on and agree the way forward.

FYI, Legal Expenses cover is about claiming uninsured losses in a non-fault accidents, your standard insurance policy covers the basics of court (for insured losses) and establishing liability etc.