Insurance company LV= General Insurance has advised us on this.

Its claims director Martin Milliner says: "Without knowing the full details of the case it’s hard to talk too specifically, but the options for the driver are threefold - pay for the repairs himself, make a claim on his insurance or begin legal proceedings against the girl’s parents, something we would strongly advise against. In all likelihood, given the girl’s age and the fact she said she wasn’t looking before crossing, any small claims court or judge would argue that it was an accident and the driver was equally culpable, regardless of whether he was driving within the speed limit. That course of action could also give rise to a counterclaim for the injuries suffered by the young pedestrian.

“The best course of action in the circumstances would be for the driver to pay for the repair out of his own pocket. However, it’s worth noting that as he has already informed his insurer of the crash, whether he makes a claim or not it will be classified as ‘open’ on his policy for at least three years and this could affect the cost of his insurance and his no claims discount position.”