To think this is what I pay my insurance premium for?

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

Last week a lady drove into my parked car - I was sat in it at the time (DS was snoozing in the back and we were a little early for our appointment). Scraped the front of it (more damage to mine than to hers). She was very apologetic and, although I was a bit annoyed as it wasn't exactly a 'tight' car-park - I was nothing but nice and just shrugged at 'these things happen to the best of us' etc. We swapped names and numbers and I took photo of her reg. no - with her consent.

When I got home I told DH and he sighed and said "you'll have to call your insurance then", I said "yeah I know, it's a faff" blah blah. Phoned insurance, car picked up next day, courtesy car delivered - all no problems.

Then yesterday I get a stroppy phonecall from the lady who drove into me. Saying she had been contacted by her insurance company 'out of the blue' and that she'd hoped we could have sorted it without the insurance companies getting involved. She said she'd said this at the time of the accident.

I genuinely don't remember her saying that. I apologised profusely - explained my car would almost be repaired by now and there wasn't a lot I could do.

I was then contacted by her insurance company and explained the same thing to them. They said they'd let her know there was nothing that could be done now. The lady rang me again later last night - I didn't answer and she didn't leave a message.

My reasoning is that I pay my insurance premium in order to have a courtesy car at times like this - and frankly, don't want the inconvenience of trawling around getting it repaired myself

[catsrus]

you also pay your premiums so that you don't have to deal with people like her to be honest - if she contacts you again then simply say she should communicate in future through her insurance company.

I had someone pursue me for ages trying to claim it was my fault that she drove into the back of me [hconfused] - it was my first ever experience of a claim so I didn't know that I should not be dealing with her - her father coming round to the door was the final straw [hshock].

[Ithinkitsjustme]

What catsrus said.

[Flisspaps]

Perhaps she should have called you sooner to arrange to have your repairs psid for if she wanted to bypass her insurance company.

She's just annoyed that her crap driving is now going to increase her insurance premium.

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

I'm so relieved at these first few responses - I've been feeling really guilty.
No doubt someone will be along soon to tell me I'm an unreasonable bitch soon enough....

[pregnantpause]

I don't know- if she were nice, apologetic and happy to pay for repairs I wouldn't have contacted insurance myself. It will push her premiums up, and cost her more than the cost of fixing your car in the long term, and if roles were reversed I would like to think if I hit someone they would give me the chance to sort it without costing me my no claims.

But, you are right. That is why you pay. You don't have to deal with her or as you say, faff about without a courtesy car etc so YANBU, but I understand why the lady is upset about it.

[IcouldstillbeJoseph]

Pregnantpause - do you think she'd have been happy to organize a hire car for me too - I'm totally reliant on my car?! I'm not being argumentative, I'm just saying that's what I pay for each year....

[throckenholt]

I think you are supposed to inform your insurance company even if you don't make a claim.

And you don't know how much it will cost until you have it assessed. I don't think you should have apologised to the woman - she drove into you, damaged your car and you dealt with it through your insurance.

[pregnantpause]

I don't know, I don't know how much damage was done etc. I said you were not unreasonable, but that it was not what I'd have done. IMO insurance companies rip us all off, and accidents can happen. hen someone has damaged my car,(wing mirror knocked of when parked as the dosy boy swerved to avoid a squirrel) I was happy not to involve insurance and he was happy to pay for repairs. But as someone else very fairly said, its the consequence she will pay for bad driving, her insurance premiums are not your concern.

[madamecake]

I've had a similar experience to catsrus, driver went into the back of me, swapped details etc., then went home and rang my insurance company.
The next morning the father of the driver turned up at my house (she was 18) to ask if we could sort it out privately, as it was her third (!) accident this year and she might become uninsurable.
Felt bad for her, but I'd already contacted my insurance company and my courtesy car was on it's way. I would be wary of sorting it out privately anyway, best to leave it to the insurance companies, thait's what we pay them for.

[ChessieFL]

You have done nothing wrong. As you've said, you need a courtesy car, it's not just a question of paying for the repairs.
There's nothing wrong with her asking you not to involve insurance companies, but completely up to you whether you go along with that or not and she shouldn't get stroppy with you if you don't want to.
Also, depending how extensive the damage is, not using an insurance-approved repairer could cause you problems for any future claims you might have (i.e. company might refuse future claims by saying that previous repairs weren't to a good-enough standard).
No need to feel guilty. Just explain to her that because of the need for a courtesy car, you had to approach your insurance company.

[Sallyingforth]

The next morning the father of the driver turned up at my house (she was 18) to ask if we could sort it out privately, as it was her third (!) accident this year and she might become uninsurable.

If she's going to keep having causing accidents then she should be uninsurable and kept off the road before she kills someone.

The only safe thing is to report ALL accidents to your insurance company. If you don't you are breaking the terms of your policy and insurance companies will use any excuse to avoid paying out.

[Zalen]

If she wanted to sort it privately then she really shouldn't have waited the best part of a week before contacting you. I've agreed to this before but to be honest, if I'm unlucky enough to be involved in a fender bender again I wouldn't agree to this if asked.

A man in a transit drove in through the passenger door of my escort as I was going round a roundabout, I was never confident of the quality of the repairs afterwards and ended up replacing the car. In hindsight I'm fairly sure the car would have been written off by the insurers which would have been the correct decision.

[maddening]

A You would have remembered her profusely asking to settle privately

B she waited a week and only contacted you when she got the letter - hardly beating a path to the door to pay was she! And I doubt she would have coughed up for a courtesy car!

Yanbu and ignore her

[Sallyingforth]

Last time I had a shunt I took a video on my smartphone of the damage to the two cars, but then I only pretended to stop it recording, so although the phone was pointing to the ground it recorded everything the other driver said.

That sort of recording wouldn't stand up in court, but it was quite enough to convince my insurance company of what was said, and it saved my NCD.

[SlightlySuperiorPeasant]

YANBU. If she wanted a private arrangement she should have a) said so , and b) sorted it out, including hire car, the same day. Don't feel bad!

[Aethra]

You are both supposed to notify insurers even if no claim is made, and failure to do so can render your policies invalid. So neither of you has lost anything. I would point this out to the silly bint next time she calls you.