Hi all
Let me set the picture.
Around 10 days ago somebody drove into the back of my car at a T junction. Low speed accident but enough to cause around £1400 to fix. Bumper was damaged but still on the car. The cars booked in to be repaired in a weeks time.
Yesterday, my wife was at a filling station getting petrol. Got in the car and had to drive around the the car in front to get past, as she drove past the passenger opened his door and caught our damaged bumper ripping it off completely. Some small scratches on the rear quarter panel and a cracked rear light cluster. I am prepared to settle without informing insurance companies as the rear bumper is being replaced from my previous claim, but I will need a replacement light cluster and I could use T cut to remove the surface scratches on the rear quarter panel. Am I doing the right thing? The guy who owns the car says he does not want to inform his insurance but the passenger is being a bit difficult as he says that their was stationary so it should be 50/50 blame.
Any advice greatly accepted
Cheers
GazKaz
Edited by Pugugly on 28/06/2008 at 16:02
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Anyone who opens a door into the path of another vehicle is entirely to blame. Your version of events will probably be backed up the the petrol station's CCTV if required. Tell driver you are doing him a favour and only want cost of a rear light out of him - plus paint if he has now annoyed you. Obviously rear quarter panel paint could be done at same time as new bumper is sprayed up.
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Hi Victorbox
Exactly what I thought. I checked the CCTV and they do have it and I've seen it! They said they'll keep it in case it's needed.
To be honest, the passenger guy is being a pain in the backside, and I've threatened to go through insurances, much to the other drivers annoyance. Even the driver said to his passenger something like, "You better sort this out. I'm not going to use my insurance"
I've priced a new light cluster up at £79 but the passenger says he hasen't got the money.
GazKaz
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 28/06/2008 at 17:22
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If the passenger says he hasn't got the money, take it to the insurers. Don't mess about - you'll be waiting ages for something that will never come otherwise.
"You had your chance and you blew it"....
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Suggest the driver gives you the cash and then he gets it back off his passenger. Give him 24 hours and then contact insurance.
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What kind of car is it? If I was you, I'd keep the cash for now or not bother waiting for it, and see if the body-shop doing your first insurance repair replaces the lamp, they can get is much cheaper from their suppliers than you might and will probably be able to polish out the scuff easily with their buffer which they will use to refinish anyway.
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Sorry I edited out the menued car that the OP had catagorized this as (as I perceived it as a General question rather than specific to the make/model.) It was a Vaxhall Vectra B.
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They are about £50 here www.carlamp.com/cart/view_product_detail/322/241/0 , before trade discount, so I bet the repairer can get one for about £35 and will probably just pop one in.
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Thanks for all your replys! Certainly helped.
Spoken to the passenger guy and he said that he has not got the money for the new light cluster, and doesn't get paid till Wednesday. He has asked if he can find a light cluster cheaper in the meantime and if he can't he'll give me the money on Wednesday!
The only thing is that he'll probably get a ruddy second hand one, and I want a new one. I still don't think he realises that I'm the one doing the favour here. He's lucky that the bumper is being repaired by my previous claim.
Should I demand a new light cluster?
Thanks again
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Yes a new cluster is in order, accept nothing less. The passenger needs to learn and accept the consequences of his actions and in this case it means paying for the damage he has caused not to mention the hassle he's caused you.
Notice your insurance company asap anyway, if the guy pays up they'll simply null it from your record, if he doesn't pay then you can either let them chase it up or foot the bill yourself, whichever helps you sleep at night.
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As a passenger I don't have to be insured to be carried in a car, the owner and / or driver needs insurance. If I stumble and fall against a car parked on the highway I can claim damages from the owner.
You claim from the driver, its up to the driver to get the money back from his passenger if he so wishes
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I can see a moral coming up here:- never try and do deals with people who might appear initially to be willing to settle. It's either cash on the spot, or hand it over to your insurance company.
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Worth pointing out that when I last got a bump repaired without involving the insurance I still completed a claim form - and marked it "For information only - Not a Claim". And that was the advice of the insurance company. From their and my end, it could be turned into a claim if the deal went pear shaped, and doing it this way, no way could it be alleged at a later date I'd not told them.
As it happened, all was successfully sorted but I think this is model for how to do it. Not relevant here but my no claims was not put into abeyance during this, I'd not made a claim.
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Tell the passenger that you want the money and if he doesn't pay up you will go through the insurance who will then sue him/his friend for the damage. Once their costs are added then he would probably be looking at several hundred pounds so he had better just cough up.
Never agree to do cash deals as it just leads to problems. Someone that wants to keep it from their insurance company might have something to hide. Check the registration of the car out on the askmid database to see whether it is actually insured. If not, get your money then report the owner to the police once it is all over. Even if the claim is settled via cash the car owner needs to inform their insurance company that an incident has occurred.
When someone drove into me the parents of the chap kept ringing me up asking me not to go through the insurance and that they had a mate with a bodyshop that would do 'a really good job' for a few hundred quid. I had to keep saying no pointing out it was entirely their lad's fault and that with such a nice car I wasn't going to have just anyone mess about with it. Claim in the end was nearer £1000 with the replacement panel, complete side respray and scratch/dent removal on other panels and I hadn't even seen until the insurance assessor turned up.
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"The only thing is that he'll probably get a ruddy second hand one, and I want a new one."
For a quiet life, I'd accept a second hand one provided it was in good condition. Your car is a least six years old, so the one he broke wasn't in it's first flush of youth.
I sympathise with you, I'd want a new one too as the accident wasn't your fault - but for a quiet life...............
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