I'm posting this for a colleague- can anybody advise
"My dad was in a car accident last Friday when a truck made an illegal right turn and crashed into him. Thankfully, he is OK. The car has now been assessed by my father's insurance's garage but they have said it is borderline/write-off so they have to wait for the insurance's engineer to assess (although I don't know when this will be). In the mean time, my father's insurance refuses to give my father a courtesy car even though I have phoned numerous times and explained that they are both elderly and that my mother is disabled. The legal department for my father's insurers have said that they can get my father a hired car at the expense of the third party as long as my father's insurers agree. However, the insurance people will not authorise even this."
Are they entitled to a car prior to the assessment? And which insurer pays for the courtesy car?
Sigma
|
Are they entitled to a car prior to the assessment?
Only if its specified in their OWN insurance policy
And which insurer pays for the courtesy car?
If your own policy does not specifically include a courtesy car, then you have to hire one and recover the costs from the other parties insurance if they agree their client is at fault.
You may have to sue them to get the cost back
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
|
When you say 'elderly', is he perhaps too old for a hire car anyway?
If not, then no reason not to hire a car and recover the cost from the 3rd party. There are companies that specialise in doing this, but insurance companies don't like them very much.
Is the truck driver being prosecuted for the illegal right turn?
|
Try ringing Helphire who provide temporary vehicles for those involved in non-fault accidents, sorry I don't have time to look the number up, but I'm sure a quick Google will reveal it.
Blue
|
Very often the courtesy car is provided by the repairing garage as s service to the customer and/or insurer. If they might write the car off then they won't get the busisness repairing it - so no courtesy car.
|
|
|
|
Sigma,
Its down to their particular policy. What you're being told is harsh, but not impossible. More normally you would be allowed a car for a couple of weeks.
If you can tell me the company then I'll try and have a look at their specific policy for you, although probably not until tomorrow.
Alternatively you have the option of hiring a car and claiming it from the other party;
1) I don't know your personal circumstance so I don't know if that is viable. You would have to lay out the money initially and there is always the chance that you don't get it back.
2) Get hold of the third party insurer and speak with them directly, you might well be surprised.
3) explain to the legal department of your Father's insurance, that they might or might not be able to get a hired car at the expense of the TP insurer, but that would be absolutely naff all to do with your father's insurers either way, unless they're saying that they will pick up the cost if the TP does not.
I think you might be having communication difficulties with the legal department or perhaps there may be some confusion. Is this possible ?
|
Thanks to everyone who replied, especially Blue. My colleague contacted Helphire. Helphire asked for the circumstances surrounding the collision and decided that it was likely that the other party was at fault. A courtesy car arrived the next day (charged at a daily rate of £1.75) and will be available until the damaged car is writtem off or repaired. Helphire say that they will recover all expenditure from the other party. So overall a great result.
Thanks Again
Sigma
|
|
That is a good result,theres a Helphire depot near me and they do seem to be very busy.
|
No probs, pleased to help!
Blue
|
|
|
|
![2021 Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T 160 [157] Acenta Premium 5dr DCT](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/da990225dbcac5ecfadc85d8ad4e2654/690936625217cd1efba5c9cdd4bc42f1.jpg)
