Crashing in street furniture

sevenhills
sevenhills Posts: 5,885 Forumite
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in Motoring
When there is an accident involving lamp posts, rails and any local authority property, do the police inform the local authorities?
If a tree or fence needs replacing, do insurance companies foot the bill?
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Comments

  • unholyangel
    unholyangel Posts: 16,863 Forumite
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    It my experience it depends on the situation. Typically the police (at least here) will try to trace the owner or if it was perhaps a council house that was damaged, they'd ask the tenants to contact them.

    Your 2nd question...think things through logically for a second. Whats the minimum insurance coverage required to legally drive a car? Third party liability. What does third party liability mean? Well a third party is a entity who is not party to the insurance contract. So third party liability provides cover/insurance against a claim for any damage/injury suffered by someone else for which you are liable.
    You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means - Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
  • bris
    bris Posts: 10,548 Forumite
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    Yes it's third party damage, insurance will cover it. The police need to be called and will inform the appropriate council department with your details.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    The police don't need to be called. If property is damaged, and you aren't able to give your details to the property owner at the time, then you must report it to the police ASAP, and in any event within 24 hours.
  • angrycrow
    angrycrow Posts: 1,078 Forumite
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    Just wait until you see how expensive it is to replace a lamp post then you will be glad your insurer is picking up the bill. You are talking thousands.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550 Forumite
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    I smashed up a bridge parapet once and wasn't billed. My wife bent a length of roadside railings out of shape and she wasn't billed either. The police attended in both cases.

    There seems to be a degree of luck involved as I know several people who have had to foot the bill for damaged street furniture: lamp posts, a telephone pole, fences and a bus shelter.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
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    Gloomendoom wrote: »
    I smashed up a bridge parapet once and wasn't billed. My wife bent a length of roadside railings out of shape and she wasn't billed either. The police attended in both cases

    Can you be sure your insurers weren't billed direct? They wouldn't necessarily tell you
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,300 Forumite
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    A friend of mine hit a motorised barrier at the blackwall tunnel after slipping on diesel on the road


    he got billed for that but never found out how much , but we hate to think of the expense if insurance hadn't covered it
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  • 306chris
    306chris Posts: 234 Forumite
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    One of my lorries knocked over a stone bench in a town centre a few years ago.

    The police weren't involved but we did receive a hefty bill from the town council.
    Bedroom Tax / Spare room subsidy / Housing Benefit Reduction - It's the same thing, get over it.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,550 Forumite
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    Car_54 wrote: »
    Can you be sure your insurers weren't billed direct? They wouldn't necessarily tell you

    In my case yes, absolutely. The car was self insured by the company I worked for. The car was written off but no money was paid to any third party.

    In my wife's case, she asked for cost of the accident when switching insurers and it only covered the cost of the repairs to her car.
  • sevenhills
    sevenhills Posts: 5,885 Forumite
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    Gloomendoom wrote: »
    In my wife's case, she asked for cost of the accident when switching insurers and it only covered the cost of the repairs to her car.

    It does seem rather lax, our taxes pays for the repair of street furniture, and not the offender.
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