Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 09:49
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - lordwoody

My daughter has just rung to say that someone has run into the back of her car at a roundabout. She has the other drivers details and car reg. and has now continued on her journey, having rung to say that, althoug damaged, the car is still driveable ( it was a low speed shunt, sounds mainly bumper damage)

I just wanted to be forwarned about the claim process as I have heard stories about dodgy claims handling companies etc and want her to be aware of any pitfalls. If she is offered a loan car, are there any problems with this? We could insure our car for her whilst her car is repaired, would that be more advatageous or are loan cars not a problem? ( I think she's with Direct Line)

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 10:41
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - Falkirk Bairn

Inform your daughter's insurer - no claim, just notify.

Call 3rd party insurer, tell them name of 3rd party, car reg, date time etc.

With luck the 3rd party should admit fault to their insurer. Assuming this happens everything is straight forward.

Choose your preferred bodyshop, get a price and get them to send quot to 3rd party insurer. 3rd party insurer will send their assessor unless it is very minor.

Get the 3rd party insurer to provide a loan car whilst yours is in for bodywork.

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 10:43
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - gordonbennet

My first move would be to speak to the other drivers insurance, tell them the situation and that you/she wishes to avoid the claims handling sharks if at all possible (presume she's not injured and won't be wanting injury etc compensation).

If the company are on the ball they should be agreeable to sort her car out pronto and provide a free courtesy car in the meantime, and should be grateful that the credit hire mob arn't getting a large cup of tea....if this happens then her own insurance only need to be notified for information purposes, though that will probably trigger the compo texts etc.

If the other insurer won't play ball, then normal channels it is and a subsatntially higher loss for them.

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 10:52
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - Falkirk Bairn

Depending on the age of your daughter there maybe Hire Car difficulties.

When my 2 x boys were 20 y.o. they could not be covered for an Astra 1.4 hire car - their car was a12 month old Astra 1.4

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 10:52
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - coopshere
If there is any indication that there is an injury, however small, report it to the Police. Yes, they will only give you a reference number at best but at least you will have complied with the law.

Report it to the insurance company immediately. They will send out a claims form and log all the information. They record the call so stick to the facts and don't hide anything.

Get someone to ensure the car is fit to drive while the insurance claim progresses, it may seem like minor damage but its a small car and there could be hidden damage behind the bumper.

You decide where you want the car repaired, if you have a preferred repairer locally you can use them. The insurance company will probably try to get you to use their preferred repairer because they get a kick back. The choice is yours.

Most repairers have their own small loan vehicles. If the damage is slight and the car remains driveable you can arrange a convenient time to you both for the repair to be done and use their loan car.

A lot of insurers will want to hand you over to an accident management company, beware. Yes they will take care of everything including providing a nice replacement car from a hire company BUT you will have to sign a credit agreement and if for some reason the other drivers insurers refuse to pay or the details you have are false then you will end up paying the bill if the costs can't be recovered.

Make notes of the times and dates of who you speak to with regard to the incident. Don't be fobbed off. Take photographs of the damage and the location. Write it all down whilst it is still fresh in your mind. Keep all details safe for a year or so as you are likely to get phone calls from companies way down the line saying you can claim compensation.you have to decide morally where you want to go with them.

Hopefully and probably all will be well but consider everything offered to you carefully. Good luck.
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Fri 5 Oct 2012 15:44
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - lordwoody

I have just had a call at home, for my daughter, from a company ringing on behalf of Tesco's, the insurance co. of the other driver, saying he has admitted liability and offering to organise a loan car ( with no credit arrangement to sign, I asked) and the repair of her car. Presumably this will save her having to tell her own insurer ( Endsleigh, not Direct Line) of the accident, so it seems like a good thing, or am I missing some trap? It used to seem so much easier sorting out a little bump!

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Fri 5 Oct 2012 16:03
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - coopshere
I would almost guarantee that if you read the small print of the policy it will state you should inform the insurance company. If you choose not to at this time then you will certainly have to at the next renewal. All insurance companies log accident details on to the data base at the Motor Insurers Bureau. At renewal time, if not before, your insurer will probably check it. If they don't and you don't tell them when renewing you will be making a false statement to obtain insurance which is a criminal offence and will nullify the policy.
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Sun 7 Oct 2012 09:08
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - lordwoody

As she was getting conflicting advice she decided to inform her own insurer ( Endsleigh) who promised a car and someone to asses her car would both arrive together, at her boyfriends house, on Saturday afternoon. This meant she had to come back here (15 miles away), get her driving license, go back to wait at BF's house, only for no one to turn up. She is now told they will turn up on Monday, so she is having to miss a day at uni as she not only has to wait for the insurance people but also has to see her doctor as she has a bad neck ( her car was hit from behind with some force, her BF's sister, who has seen the car and works in insurance, believes it is a write off)

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Sun 7 Oct 2012 10:06
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - Teapot42

There is a difference between informing your own insurer and having them handle the claim. If you claim from the other parties insurance then you have more control over what happens, including any decision on writing the car off. Of course, that depends what you'd prefer but often you do lose out to a degree if the car is written off.

If the other parties insurance is handling this you need to tell them if your insurer are now handling the claim - you can't have both insurers dealing with it.

Edited by Teapot42 on 07/10/2012 at 10:06

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Sun 7 Oct 2012 10:53
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - lordwoody

Her own insurance company is handling it, she didn't contact the other parties insurance.

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Sun 7 Oct 2012 23:23
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - Teapot42

Earlier on in the thread you mention you had been contacted by the OP's insurer. It wasn't clear if they were already treating it as a claim or not.

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Sun 7 Oct 2012 23:34
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - gordonbennet

Somewhat worse than originally estimated then, no longer a simple bumper job its now a possible write off and injury to deal with, so will be a substantial claim.

Ignore my previous post.

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Mon 8 Oct 2012 00:23
Toyota Aygo - Avoiding insurance claim pitfalls for my daughter - bathtub tom

>>she is having to miss a day at uni as she not only has to wait for the insurance people but also has to see her doctor as she has a bad neck

She doesn't have to miss a day at uni, they broke the appointment so it's up to them to make another at her convenience. Good idea to get an independant asessment of any injury.

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