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General => General discussion => Topic started by: Liam0404 on 27 August 2014, 10:14

Title: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Liam0404 on 27 August 2014, 10:14
Okay so I recently parked my MK4 GT TDi 150 into the rear of someone and done a fair bit of damage (front nearside is destroyed, roof is a bit creased on the top by the passenger door, radiator cracked etc). The engine is fine and still runs as it should, also the leather interior is great condition too! All underneath seems solid too!

Question is do I claim and try and get some money for it (obvs I have to pay £500 excess plus my no claims will vanish), or do I break the car and try and get some decent money for it?
I'm 22 and have 5 years driving on my license!

Opinions please.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: dom on 27 August 2014, 11:33
I'd assume that the person that you ran into will be claiming anyway which means that you'll have a claim against your name. Are your no claims no protected?
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Waspy on 27 August 2014, 12:38
5 years on your license but how many no claims?

If the guy you hit is claiming, then as mentioned you are going to have a claim against you regardless. If you are able to reach an agreement without involving the insurance, I would try that, then break it. By the sounds if it, it might even be a write off. And nobody wins in a write off.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Liam0404 on 27 August 2014, 13:31
The person I ran into is being impossible to get hold of  :angry: said he wanted to settle outside insurance but can't get in touch!

When my renewal is up next year I would of had 5 years driving, 5 years no claims. No claims aren't protected atm. Having 0 no claims puts my insurance up next year about £400, but that's only the first year, not including the years after I'll be making up on my loss!

I have the space and time to break it, just wether I will actually shift the parts or not.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: tweed on 27 August 2014, 18:11
Ha cant get in touch with the person you hit usually means they shouldn't be on the road. No insurance or banned etc.

Break your car.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Wayne on 27 August 2014, 21:22
Break it, you will shift most parts all ok.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Gti_Jamo on 27 August 2014, 21:28
I had a similar issue years ago with a bump I had with another car and it was kind of my fault but i could never get hold of them and they never claimed against me. Which as mentioned already tells its own story. Was surprising at the time as i took the entire drivers side off thier Ford Ka with my mk2 cavalier sri which sustained minor damage. Few days later a yuppie in a porsche boxter totally destroyed it outside my house getting a bit throttle happy in the wet. I'd never claim on my own insurance if i can help it but certainly claimed on his. Best break yours and get something else.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Diamond Hell on 28 August 2014, 10:00
Ha cant get in touch with the person you hit usually means they shouldn't be on the road. No insurance or banned etc.

Break your car.

All this, although take a set of photos of your car on a disposable film camera before you break it, so you have evidence of ALL the damage.  People are strange and the person who you can't get hold of might pop out of the woodwork six months later and you need to be prepared for that to happen..... although if they're being slippery I would suggest you just got bloody lucky as hitting someone up the chuff so hard you crease the roof of your car would normally result in an extensive period of having to deal with your insurance company around their personal injury claims.

Leave a bigger gap next time.  :wink:
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: VW BUSH on 28 August 2014, 19:30
Just hope the driver and his passengers are not getting their stories straight. ......
If they are uninsured or banned and don't claim you still might get a knock at the door.
Difficult situation if you get found out not informing the insurance company, accidents are so much hassle.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Liam0404 on 28 August 2014, 19:38
I've informed my insurance company of the incident, and the police, so all good there, just not put it in as a claim yet. Need to find out what the 3rd party wants to do!

If I can get a signed letter off them saying they won't take it further and present it to my insurer, they will close the case! Then I can break the car!
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Waspy on 28 August 2014, 20:33
You told your insurer? Bold move.

My mate pulled out in front of a cyclist (idiot, I know). Damaged his bumper a bit, and agreed with the cyclist to pay for the damage to his bike. No insurance details were exchanged or anything. He called his insurer to let them know. They have taken his no claims off him because the cyclist "could make a claim". They will close it if he does not claim within 3 year. Then he gets his no claims back. Insurance companies are just ridiculous.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: VW BUSH on 28 August 2014, 20:52
You told your insurer? Bold move.

My mate pulled out in front of a cyclist (idiot, I know). Damaged his bumper a bit, and agreed with the cyclist to pay for the damage to his bike. No insurance details were exchanged or anything. He called his insurer to let them know. They have taken his no claims off him because the cyclist "could make a claim". They will close it if he does not claim within 3 year. Then he gets his no claims back. Insurance companies are just ridiculous.
They put a reserve on you just in case the "injured party" comes back an claims.
If you are protected ncb then it puts up your policy for 3 years so its the same thing.
Protected ncb is a fairy story anyway.
Just got to get over it and drive a bit more carefully, get a cushion for the rear shelf :grin:
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: bobbarley on 28 August 2014, 21:29
I got into an accident a couple of years ago, 50/50 as far as I'm concerned.  We swapped details and then he tried getting cash off me.  I refused and told him he'd have to go through insurance, figuring he wasn't insured as he was foreign and a huge blagger.  I heard nothing, then got a letter from a solicitor saying I was being sued for personal injury as well as damage to his vehicle.  Clearly one of those no win no fee places.

It took a year but my insurer settled with them in the end, saying it was my fault and paid full costs to them.  Although they tried claiming personal injury for a pregnant woman, even though he was alone in the vehicle.  They refused that as I said I'd testify in court that he was on his own.

My NCB was protected though.  As a result I didn't pay a penny extra in insurance, in fact it's continued to go down every year  :grin:
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Liam0404 on 28 August 2014, 21:39
I told my insurers as an "im getting in there first" sort of thing. They said if I can get a signed doc of the 3rd party they will be fine and just note it as an incident - no claim made. They've been pretty easy tbf, letting me get it assessed at my garage etc. Just how easy the claim will be if I go down that route, I don't know.
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: Waspy on 28 August 2014, 22:25
get a signed doc of the 3rd party

Hmm good luck!

I would just expect 3 years of inflated insurance if I was you
Title: Re: To claim or not to claim? That is the question!
Post by: jimjames on 08 September 2014, 13:25
If the insurance are notified then the damage is already done. Even for non fault accidents your premium will increase - crazy I know.

While we were parked car got hit by 3rd party. They accepted full liability and we claimed off their insurance for the damage. It would have cost them or me £200 to get work done as it was cracked bumper.

Despite being non fault my premium has gone up by £100 on both policies so more than the cost of paying from my own pocket. Won't make that mistake again.