Well the plot thickens. I had a look at the Solicitors web site, and they're 'the largest personal accident and motorist uninsured loss solicitors in the north west'. They shout about all the awards they've got, and their new call centre, as well as brags about all the big claims for personal injury they've won for their clients. They are also contracted by a number of insurers to act on their behalf for crash management. Most solicitors don't shout about this sort of information.
I reckon someones colected a bump, my vehicles nearby, so they put 2 and 2 together and come up with 5. They then go to their insurers and put in a claim. Their insurer doesn't chase me because the case looks shaky, they pay up minus the excess, and tell the guy to claim this from his £10 policy they always flog you when you take out car insurance. The solicitors then just punch in the details and shoot out a bunch of letters and hope for the best. Interestingly, they sent 2 letters under seperate cover, one for me to fill in and send back, the other for me to pass to my insurer, but they weren't sent by recorded delivery. Though it may sound a bit suspicious if I claim to have got neither.
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Dave N,
Why dont you seek the advise of your own insurers.
If you HAD bumped this car, they would need to know anyway.
I think they will tell you to send all paperwork to them without you replying to the sender. Let them deal with it.
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Your scenario seems the most likely. There was a programme on the TV about this type of company. They were employing canvasers to tout for business and the canvassers were prompting people to fabricate claims. The other posibility is that your registration number has been cloned. Do you have access to free legal advice via your household insurance policy? If so I would give them a ring and see what they say. The other possibility is that they just punched up the wrong registration number.
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Well I got another letter this morning, similar format, but this one 'claiming damages in connection with the accident'. This time it gives a location as 'Geraldine Woodhouse' ?? Sounds a bit of a strange place name to me. It states they are acting for the same guy, but also quote his insurance company name and address. Again they ask for my insurer details, but without the threat of prosecution under RTA, and request a reply within 21 days. Again, only sent by regular mail.
The letter also finishes with 'this is the claimants first letter of claim in the spirit of the pre-action personal injury protocol'. What the hell is all that about?
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Uh oh! Sounds like the next thing (if they get your insurance details) is a claim not just for damage to their car, but lots of made-up personal injury e.g. whiplash etc. etc.
Sounds even more like they spotted a van and assumed it would be a soft touch for a dodgy claim.
I would keep resisting their asking for insurance details - the last thing you want is for your insurers to cave in because they can't be bothered to defend the case, and then load your premium for evermore.
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My main thought here is why isn't his insurer chasing you for money? If they had your details then they would have contacted you surely?
If you can find a contact at his insurer (a check on google may help if they aren't a well-known firm) then a quick phone call to see if they know any details of an incident may help. But again, don't admit anything - saying something like their insured is claiming damages from you for an incident on (x/x/xx). You are unaware of any such incident and would like more information so you can consider what action to take regarding this allegation.
I can find no mention of a place called Geraldine Woodhouse, in fact the only reference Google gives is to a quarter peal ringer!
My feeling would be not to reply at all the these people but try and find more information without making it too obvious. The reference to personal injury also sounds very dodgy as your original post states the vehicle was unattended.
I'd also suggest that for your own piece of mind it would be a good idea to make use of any free legal advice service you may have through your insurance / recovery etc, or look our for a local solicitor that offers free advice sessions. Failing that, go to your CAB.
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Chances are that, even if the claim is genuine (but PI from an unattended vehicle, I don't think so!) the insurer will know nothing of the incident.
If someone crashes into your parked car, and you only have third party insurance, you have no way of making a claim unless you later find out who did it. Therefore, no point in referring to your own insurer - either you call up an ambulance chaser or you accept that your own car is worthless anyway, so another dent won't make any more difference.
The fact is that it looks like they've claimed against a works van because they expect it to be handled by an unquestioning bureaucracy that will pay up immediately.
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True, but if they have given insurance details then that suggests insurance was involved. Also, I believe you are supposed to inform insurance of all incidents(?). Of course in practice most people don't, but I imagine it would depend on the level of damage.
DaveN, do you know the make / model / age of the car in question?
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'Geraldine Woodhouse'? Not Barbara's sister, surely?
(sorry wrong thread for stupidity)
HF
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just a thought, could be your registration no. that was seen but a false plate... hence you've received the mail???
(I've had a speeding ticket but I've argued the fact my car was NOT on the road at the time of the alleged offence, anyway it turned out that a completely different looking car was carrying MY reg.)
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*** UPDATE ***
Well I got a recorded delivey letter from the solicitors, so gave them a call for more details regarding location, witnesses etc. before divulging my insurers details.
It appears the accident happened in Warwick, the car involved was a silver 4X4, and a witness reported my number to the police. My vehicle is a blue Nissan van, and I've never been to Warwick in my life. I told them that surely their DVLA check would have told them it wasn't a silver 4X4 but they seemed to have disregarded that fact. They also had a note that the police had tried to trace the silver 4X4 but had failed to do so. So either someone is using my reg number (unlikely as its a personal plate) or the witness got it wrong, but the police normally check variants if the plate doesn't match the description.
I told them that in light of those facts, I wouldn't be disclosing my insurers details, and that if they write to me with the full details I will write back confirming why I won't be giving them my details as they have to have a good reason for asking, and on the basis of what they have, I don't consider it good enough reason. I have a nasty suspicion I may not hear from them again.
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Good news Dave, I'd go after them for harrasment and sleepless nights from worry. It would server them right for bullyboy tactics.
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To be honest, I wouldn't. All they're ikely to get out of you is a wasted costs order (against them!) if they do.
Other than that, they sent you a standard form nastygram. Most of the time, the person they write to will be the irresponsible fool who drives off without reporting the accident, and frankly, if it happened to you, you'd want your solicitors to be attack dogs.
It's not particularly impressive but you're not going to get any compensation back and even an apology would be doing well. I'd let it lie at that.
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Dave
I wouldn't bother yourself. It understandably has caused you distress and worry but you have been able to satisfy yourself that you have nothing to do with the incident therefore any further costs these solicitors create are down to them.They have no legitimate legal claims over you. Any claims they might alledge just do not hold any credibility. Let them swivel.
It just causes me some worry that your details can be wrongly obtained and then you are subject to acourse of conduct that ammounts to bullying.
Interested to see if Mark or Pugugly have any observations.
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