Although the original settlement was very quick the insurer should have been as fast on to the case in dealing with the claim.

If you are struck by a foreign lorry then the claim is processed through the UK agent of the overseas insurer and the normal process is for the information to be obtained from the Motor Insurers Bureau if the lorry left the scene.

Assuming that the vehicle has beend identified and there are witnesses a case should not take much longer to settle than a UK claim.

(For future reference given that there was damage and the lorry driver left the scene the incident should have been reported to the police. Furthermore in the case of foreign lorries the vehicle registration number on the trailer can be different to that on the truck so always report the incident and try and obtain as many details of the lorry as possible - including company name etc - to assist in recognition).

In this case you seem to have the correct details but there has been laxity on the part of the insurer iun processing the claim. Unfortuntaely the person bearing the brunt is your son because any claim is treated as a potential fault claim until there is an admission of liability from the other side. And while a claim is officially deemed a fault claim the excess cannot be recovered and the premiums will be higher. Furthermore there is often very little advantage to be gained by going elsewhere as the impending claim will have to be declared so all are likely to quote a higher premium.

The good news is that in the long term once there is an admission of liability he will recover the full costs of the additional premiums and the policy excess but that does not resolve his immediate bill.

The immdiate advice is to write a stiff letter of complaint to the customer service department decrying the shoddy and lax treatment of his case and then keep pressurising them to push the other side to a swift decision.

If he is not in the position to pay the premium now he could ask his current insurer to offer a three month term pending the admission of liability or seek short-term insurance from another company in the interim.

If the case continues to drag on get in touch with Honest John via this website and I will see if we can assist you further.