Hi.
I need some advice. Yesterday my car was involved in a minor accident that was not my fault. Basically the other vehicle pulled out of a small side road and collided with the rear driver-side of my car result in minor scratches to the right side of my rear bumper and to the wheel cap of my rear wheel. The driver did stop but refused to exchange details so I reported it to the police and to my insurance company. I did take down the number plate and provided this to my insurance company (Endsleigh) and the police. I also checked online to see if the other driver was insured and confirmed that he was.
I contacted my insurance company and was put through to Drive Assist who took down all the details and said that it was likely the other driver was at fault since he pulled out on me. Today, Drive Assist called me up and said that my car might be a drivable write-off but will have the car accessed first before they do anything.
I have never been involved in an accident since I started driving (over 4 years now) and am little confused about things as this is the first time this has happened. Since the only damage to my car was some minor scratches, should I have reported it to my insurance company in the first place? I value my car at about £2000 (its a Y reg Nissan Almera Activ with 67K miles on the clock and in good condition). Whats the chance of them writing my car off and can I force them to repair it even though it wasnt my fault?
And if they do write my car off, could I claim compensation from the other driver for the inconvenience he has caused me because of the accident since I use the car to commute and its also the only car in the household? Also, who will decide what the value of my car is, his insurance or mine and how much of a say will I have in determining the value of my car.
Also I have read elsewhere that you can buy your car back if it is written off? How does this process work and do you get any additional money back?
Thanks for your help.
Rob
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You have done the right think in reporting to the police and insurance company. Even though its not your fault if you didn't declare this and your insurance company found out they could refuse to insure you. Hopefully it will all get sorted, but different insurance companies do things differently. When my dad crashed his Punto we tried to buy the car back off them after the settlement but they refused, but I know other people have done this.
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I also checked online to see if the other driver was insured and confirmed that he was
NO - it confirms the car is insured - he may be the son/cousin/b-i-l /car theif who is not necessarily insured!
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SQ
NO - it confirms the car is insured - he may be the son/cousin/b-i-l /car theif who is not necessarily insured!
yes.. your're correct, thanks for pointing this out. If that is the case.. ie the driver is not the actual owner of the vehicle or is not insured to drive it then what will happen?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 21/06/2009 at 19:22
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>>The driver did stop but refused to exchange details
At this point I'd be tempted to to shout MY NECK HURTS, CALL AN AMBULANCE, I THINK I MAY BE SUFFERING FROM WHIPLASH.
The plod would then have to be involved.
I know it's an unnecesary demand on resources, but I carry all my details, why shouldn't others?
Oh no! I'm starting to sound like Mr X!
Edited by Webmaster on 22/06/2009 at 01:11
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At this point I'd be tempted to to shout MY NECK HURTS CALL AN AMBULANCE I THINK I MAY BE SUFFERING FROM WHIPLASH. The plod would then have to be involved.
SQ
If I wanted to, then I could have said that I was injured but I like to be honest and realistic. Besides, the police will give him a telling off for not exchanging details since I have reported it to them and told them of this.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 22/06/2009 at 13:46
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Spytek - how do the police know who was driving?
I think you need to be a bit more realistic here. What you are saying is in effect, someone has hit you, you know the registration and that is that. Was there witnesses? I hope the reg of the car is legit and not a clone and that they can trace the driver. There is a huge difference between maybe not knowing your ins details and refusing to give them out. The latter would suggest to me that there wasn't any insurance to give out... which puts you into a different ball game.
I also struggle to see how a few scratches can mean a write off. Yes if a repairer is saying a full respray for matching purposes but unlikely. Do the scratches maybe hide something else underneath, bent wings etc?
Also be wary about these "Assist" companies who will give you hire cars etc - lots of horror stories on here about them. Assume your car is driveable in which case I would avoid incurring any costs at all until I know for a fact that the case is as clear cut as you think it is.
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don't lose sight of the following facts:
1, it's your car, YOU decide what happens to it, not the insurance company, even if "that's the way we usually deal with it"
2, if someone at the insurance co. gets a bit pedantic and is unable to deal other than their script, politely go higher up the chain
3, Drive Assist is not your insurance company
4, some accident recovery companies are better than others, some have a very poor reputation in their industry. You are entitled if you wish to deal direct with the insurance company
5, you don't have to put up with a technical write off, stand your ground and insist on a repair or the value of the car towards a repair, if that's what you want
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At this point I'd be tempted to to shout MY NECK HURTS CALL AN AMBULANCE I THINK I MAY BE SUFFERING FROM WHIPLASH.
Make sure you have got out of the car before doing this, else you might find the car gets turned into an open top quite quickly. This is sure fire way of turning a minor fender bender into a write-off.
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