I reversed out of a car park space in a supermarket car park....into a woman who was reversing out the space opposite.
An older gent who witnessed it said it was my fault as she had reversed out further first and I then went into her, rather than us both going into each other, if you know what I mean. She said she was out and had stopped and was just about to pull forward again.
My boot was full and the parcel shelf had been taken out to allow for more shopping and it was sitting angled over the shopping and the back seat, so it's entirely probable that she was out and I just didn't see her. I certainly didn't see her in my side mirror otherwise I wouldn't have started to reverse obviously but maybe she was past the area that my mirror would show.
I didn't think there was any damage to my car and I made that comment at the time. The bumper of her car had a jagged crack about 5 or 6 inches long on the horizontal flat bit (running the same way as the bumper) and obviously the paintwork was damaged around the crack, although only a little. Because of the way the car is made though, the bumper panel is a whole big thing not just a little section that could be replaced.
It was only after she drove off I realised the paintwork on my car had been damaged too around the rear corner of my bumper and just above.
Anyway, we swapped details and she said her husband would phone me tonight and I could deal with him. I asked why her husband and not her and she said it was because it was her husband's car.
It was mentioned that we could avoid going through our insurance companies and she would find out how much it would cost to repair.
I don't know what to do now. Should I wait and see how much the bill is? Should I phone the insurance anyway? How do I know if it is a reasonable quote? How much is reasonable to replace a Laguna bumper (54)? What if they get a quote from the most expensive garage around as they know they wont be paying it? Do I just need to put up with it? If I ask them to get more than 1 quote, they might get fed up and decide just to involve the insurance company without telling me anyway?
Our last insurance claim was only a year and a half ago but having reasd the bumph I see that we're covered as you're allowed 2 claims within a 3 year period, so the NCB should be ok. I expect our insurance renewal quote will jump a fair bit though, if we go through the insurance company.
What's the least out of the evils? Coughing up for a repair bill or coughing up more for insurance.
I've been trying to get through to the local Renault garage to get a ball park figure of how much it would cost to replace a Laguna bumper panel but the desk was constantly busy and I can't get a hold of anyone.
Help? Anyone got any advice please? I have no idea what to say to her husband when he phones. I'm panicking now.
Thanks in advance if anyone can advise me.
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Stop panicking. No one's hurt, these things happen. I expect a new bumper and respraying will be in the region of £400 plus of course they could rightly expect a hire car whilst theirs is off the road. I think I would do this through the insurance.
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Thanks for the reply. I had no idea what kind of cost would be involved.
If it's in the region you suggest then I think the insurance company probably would be the best bet.
I'm worrying about the expected phone call and I just needed someone else's input...my husband is still at work and I can't reach him.
Thanks again.
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It could be less, it depends on a number of factors. You could have a look on www.renaultforums.co.uk - there are some Renault technicians who post on there who maybe able to give you a more accurate cost.
Why do you need to worry about the phone call? All you have to say is 'sorry'. If they're reasonable they shouldn't react too badly.
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Thanks for the link, I'll go have a look. Maybe I'm worrying about nothing, it's just the way the woman kept saying her husband would deal with me. I just got the distinct impression he was going to be well narked.
I did apologise at the time and would do so again, I just hope he's calm.
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If you do go down the line of settling it yourself be careful.
You "could" find yourself paying for things such as hire cars, injury claims (this may sound rediculous but it happens), you would then have to defend these yourself.
Many years ago I ran into the back of someone, an old lady. It cost me around £100 for repairs to the rear of her car, and that was it. She was not going to fleece me for this, that and the other. I was a nieve student and fortunately she didn't take advantage. I settled the claim myself.
A few years later, different car I was parked at a petrol station on the A316 near Richmond using the loo when a gent reversed into my car. We swapped details and the attendants kindly agreed to give their names a witnesses, but I didn't need them. The chap asked for an estimate for the repairs, seeing that this was less then £300, he agreed to settle this himself, but he said in his letter "Please accept this cheque in full and final settlement" ie if I was in doubt as to whether that would cover my costs he needed to know NOW.
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I think it will be cheaper to go throught the insurance - renault parts aren't cheap - could easily run £500-1000 by the time its painted and fitted (and you don't know if the metal support pressing behind is damaged).
If you decide to pay yourself then ask them to get three quotes.
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Thanks everyone. I think I'll just phone the insurance company in the morning.
I don't know anything about cars at all so I'm easy to rip off if the couple chose to do that.
There's been no phone call yet, which seems a bit strange. I'd have thought that would have been the first thing the husband did as soon as he came home.
Am I still best phoning the insurance company whether he calls me tonight or not? I'm a bit worried that if I don't, then he might come back to me a week later with a big bill and the insurance company will want to know why I didn't inform them at the time.
Sorry for all the basic questions.....not used to dealing with this kind of thing.
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Am I still best phoning the insurance company whether he calls me tonight or not?
YES!!
>>I'm a bit worried that if I don't, then he might come back to me a week later with a big bill and the insurance company will want to know why I didn't inform them at the time.
Just phone them. If they don't pay out on this, then your premium is unlikely to be affected. They don't bite!
Sorry for all the basic questions.....not used to dealing with this kind of thing.
That's what we're here for!
When (if) the husband rings, simply state that you are contacting your insurance company, but may consider a private deal if it is reasonable. FWIW, if he says, give me £450 and we'll forget about it, then it's probably worth doing, as long as he gives you a letter confirming that it is 'in full and final settlement of the matter'. Get that from him first; i.e. along the lines of ....'...if you give me £450, the matter is concluded and I accept that I cannot make any other claim in relation to this incident..'
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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do it through the insurance.
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Appreciate everyone's advice, thanks for taking the time.
Will phone insurance in the morning and take it from there.
Feel better now and not so stressed. Thanks again.
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When I was younger someone once told me the best way to deal with encountering someone you're worried about is to picture them in their underpants. It's been a quite handy bit of advice over the years.
So when the phone rings......
Wait and see how the call goes before ringing your insurance. I'm in a similar position at present and I've written to the other party's insurers disputing the facts and so far, silence.
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Depending on the extent of the damage and if all the bits are there the bumper can be plastic welded and a localised spray job done by such as Chipsaway.
Had the same problem. Quotes of £400 + for a replacement colour coded bumper. In the end got it done for £85.
Fullchat
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I wonder if his wife was insured in the first place.
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Bad luck! Had a similar situation when I first started driving. Brother's girlfriend found herself same position recently too.
If you do decide to settle privately, do make sure the other party agrees that by settling, they consider the matter closed, as suggested above. And don't use the word "sorry": saying sorry may be taken as an admission of liability should the other party pass the claim on to their insurance company.
Why not let the other party state their case when they phone before you offer anything? If they're reasonable about it, you can decide to settle among yourselves. If they're not, simply save yourself the hassle and let your insurer deal with it.
- Gromit
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Thanks guys.
No phone call from husband yet, which I find very strange but maybe he is waiting for quotes first. I tried to phone them but it's just a machine.
I phoned insurance this morning who tell me I have 3 months in which to make a claim and they say it's ok to wait to see if the other party get back to me before deciding what to do.
Thanks for the advice about settling and making sure that's the end of it.
One thing I don't know (and forgot to ask insurance company) if the woman wasn't insured to drive her husband's car, can she do anything, legally I mean. I know morally I would still be liable, I just wondered if I was still legally liable?
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Not sure how you would find out if she was not insured, unless the insurance companies tell each other. If you do not hear from the husband within a couple of weeks, maybe pop down to the cop shop and tell them of your suspicions.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Don?t just assume you were in the wrong because some witness reckons you were. Tell them you want your insurance companies to resolve the matter between them. If she wasn?t insured, they?ll probly drop the whole matter.
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Wasn't sure whether to bump this up again but decided to just in case anyone else was in a similar position and was interested in costs involved.
Husband eventually phoned 2 days later telling me he'd been quoted £220 (inc VAT) for the cost of the bumper itself. Obviously paint costs and labour for fitting and painting would have to be added on top of this.
I told him I was going to go through the insurance and he sounded almost disappointed. Turns out his insurance company is the same as mine, but a week later and he still hasn't contacted them regards any claim.
The insurance company tell me the woman I was involved with has her own policy so they need to make sure they are dealing with the right one and have clarified what car she was driving. They wont tell me anything else though. It still all seems very strange to me.
Insurance have asked me whether I want to pay for repairs to my own car or go ahead with the claim. Damage to mine is small, I would probably pay for it myself but I only claimed as I thought it would be as well getting done since the other car was going to be costly. I still don't know what's happening about the other driver/car though so I'm no further forward.
I might end up paying for my own repair then the other driver puts in a claim 2 months later and the insurance ends up paying out anyway. Nothing's ever straightforward is it?
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