Motor Insurance Claims - Hit & Run

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Kingy_85

Kingy_85

Active Member
Right,

I've put this up here in the slight chance someone out there might know a thing or two about car insurance claims.

  • Someone bumped into my car in Macdonalds car park.
  • A witness left a note with the car REG and a contact number on.
  • I spoke to the witness and he said an elderly gentlemen clipped my car, checked the damage and then drove away.
  • I reported it to the police and my insurance company and also gave the witnesses details.
  • The claim went through all the processses. I was paid £225 (repair cost of £525 minus my excess £300).
  • Drivers insurance company refused to accept liability as we "could not name the driver".
  • My insurance company is now going to contact the witness for a statement to further proceedings.
  • Police send a letter saying that no further action will be taken and that no court proceedings will follow.
  • The letter DID name the driver and even provided his address.

So what now?

Does a witness statement mean anything to the drivers insurance or am I going to lose my no claims and the £300 excess?

Would writing to the driver to explain the situation (calmly and proffesionally) be such a bad thing? As I'm pretty sure he hasn't a clue that this is all going on.

His insurance company are clearly just stalling but perhaps if I wrote to him he might come forward and admitted it then things would change?

Anybody got any sound advice? And not just plugging it into my TV as I've tried that already!
 
Have you checked if McDonalds have any video of the incident, this will be useful if your insurance decides to move forward or you decide to issue a small claims proceeding against the guy for the excess. I would approach the insurance ombudsman about the way the insurance companies have handled the whole claim as well.
 
Had something similar, was a total nightmare until I got the CCTV and then it was resolved in my favour in days.
 
Be careful - your insurance company almost certainly tells you (somewhere in the policy documentation) not to communicate other than through them. If you do it may give them an excuse not to have any further involvement on your behalf.
 
OldGit said:
Be careful - your insurance company almost certainly tells you (somewhere in the policy documentation) not to communicate other than through them. If you do it may give them an excuse not to have any further involvement on your behalf.
Click to expand...

A Rumanian articulated lorry driver bashed me on the junction to the M1/M69. He spoke no English and my Rumanian isn't very good so we swapped details in sign language. He telephoned his boss back in his home country who did speak English and I told him what had happened and that his driver had cut me up. Basically he was in lane 1 for the M69, I was in lane 2 passing for the M69 and then he decided he wanted to pass straight to lane 3 for the M1. The fact that I was next to him didn't seem to bother him. I suppose if you have an 18 wheel artic you wouldn't really bother that a family saloon was in the way! We swapped contact details and I informed my insurers.

A week or two later I had an email from the Rumanian boss asking for details of my insurers and my full details yet again. I replied (with a copy to my insurers) that all future contact should be directed to my insurers and not to me.

The next day I rang my insurers and it turned out that he had filed a claim against me saying that I caused the accident! He had submitted full 'details' blaming me and only lacked my details. When I queried why they had not advised me they said that they were satisfied that the Rumanian was trying to pull a fast one and that their fraud team were investigating.

Long and short of it, yes, do NOT contact the other party unless with the full blessing of your insurers.
 
Doesn't the fact that it was in McDonald's carpark and on private property not complicate things as well? I'm fairly sure that it's only incidents on a public road that an insurance firm is obliged to cover claims on.
 
spionfox said:
A Rumanian articulated lorry driver bashed me on the junction to the M1/M69. He spoke no English and my Rumanian isn't very good so we swapped details in sign language. He telephoned his boss back in his home country who did speak English and I told him what had happened and that his driver had cut me up. Basically he was in lane 1 for the M69, I was in lane 2 passing for the M69 and then he decided he wanted to pass straight to lane 3 for the M1. The fact that I was next to him didn't seem to bother him. I suppose if you have an 18 wheel artic you wouldn't really bother that a family saloon was in the way! We swapped contact details and I informed my insurers.

A week or two later I had an email from the Rumanian boss asking for details of my insurers and my full details yet again. I replied (with a copy to my insurers) that all future contact should be directed to my insurers and not to me.

The next day I rang my insurers and it turned out that he had filed a claim against me saying that I caused the accident! He had submitted full 'details' blaming me and only lacked my details. When I queried why they had not advised me they said that they were satisfied that the Rumanian was trying to pull a fast one and that their fraud team were investigating.

Long and short of it, yes, do NOT contact the other party unless with the full blessing of your insurers.
Click to expand...

Those Rumanians are some scammers, I'll bet he was transporting a lorry load of Ruma gypsies in to claim benefits as well
 
Someone did that to my car and a witness left their details and the drivers reg number. My insurance company went after them and got paid out in full, about a grands worth of damage.

Do not contact them, you have a witness that's the kicker.
 
Macky said:
Those Rumanians are some scammers, I'll bet he was transporting a lorry load of Ruma gypsies in to claim benefits as well
Click to expand...

Well he was heading for Nottingham..........
 
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