To think I'm the victim of insurance fraud but can't do anything about it

[wineandharibo]

On my way home a few weeks ago I was driving along a road near my home which often has many cars parked along one side of it, making it narrow. A car came towards me, we both slowed down to let the other one pass (however my right of way), but suddenly I heard a scraping metal sound just as I was level with the other driver. The driver looked at me, was clearly panicked but then sped off. I didn't get the number plate but know the make and model of the car and also saw the driver.
At home I saw that the damage on my car was minimal but still felt it was right to report the matter to the police, who said they had not received any other reports yet. The damage was easily fixed as there was just a little paint damage and cost just £50.
A few weeks later I received a letter form my insurance company as well as another insurance company to say that the other party was claiming to have their car fixed. However, the details of the car on the letter did not match the car I saw- it is a different colour, make/model and most importantly age. The cost of the damage being claimed for is in excess of £3,000. My insurer stated that the cost is being covered half by my insurance company and half by the other insurer but also refused to give me any other details.
I called my insurance company to describe the situation and alert them that this claim may be fraudulent. However, apparently there is nothing that can be done and even though my no claims bonus will not be affected, the cost of my insurance is likely to increase in the future as a result. The insurer said that the only other way is to go to court.
Has anyone had a similar experience?

[Potatoface2]

say you will go to court.....these scams work by people not going to court.....had a situation not exactly like this but similar in a away....i refused to back down and opted to go to court....the other party then proved to be very difficult, which was stressful, and i had lots of contact regarding the court case from insurance/solicitor.....but then the day before the court case the other party backed down...in my favour....i was so relieved but glad i fought it

[JolseBaby]

Dispute it. Tell your insurer that:

• You are not disputing the incident, but that the car involved does not match the details of the vehicle that is now being claimed on.
  
• That the damage to your car was minimal so a £3,000 estimate sounds unrealistic.
  
• That the other driver sped off but you reported the accident to the Police.
  

Make it clear that if they pay this claim without investigating it, then you will raise a complaint and if their complaints team are unable to satisfactorily resolve it, then you will take it to the FOS (details here but you need to go through the insurer's complaints process first).

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Please don't let them get away with. Dispute it all the way.

[suitsyousir79]

I am an insurance fraud and agree with jolsebaby. Do all of that and if no luck go through the insurers complaints process and then FOS. If I was in your shoes I would be willing to take it to court.

[KakiFruit]

I am an insurance fraud

That's a brave thing to admit, suits

[suitsyousir79]

Oops obviously should say investigator!

[JolseBaby]

Suits

I have contributed to case evidence in the past - we've had a couple of IFED successes which is nice.

[BrieAndChilli]

Did you describe the car to the police when you reported it? If you did (and so they would have it on record) I would most definitely take it further. Did you take any photos ithe damage?? Or try and get a statement from however repaired it to say the damage was minimal.

[SecondMrsAshwell]

My best friend was driving to work one morning and a taxi shot out of side turning without looking and she hit it, but did minimal damage on the rear. they exchanged details and she tootled off to work.

A few weeks later, she received a letter which pretty much demanded the replacement of half the bodywork, respray, realignment, the works.

She wrote back to the solicitor stating that she was not prepared to pay that much for a minor scrape. However, at no time during the exchange of the proceedings had she said what she did for a living. She was (at the time) a police officer and listed all the traffic offences the driver had committed, which she would be more than happy to repeat when the case came to court.

Not another word was said.

[wineandharibo]

Thanks for all your advice. Good to hear that I should try and pursue it. DH is worried that we'll incur further cost if we threaten to go to court.
Yes, the car was described to the police but the insurance company suggested that I made a mistake and cannot prove it. I also took pictures of the damage and have the receipt (and contact details) of the guy who repaired it. The other thing that has made me suspicious is that the incident happened in October 2015- does it really take that long for insurance companies to work through it?

[suitsyousir79]

Yes it can take that long. Personal injury claims can be made up to three years after the accident date. Your insurer should cover the cost of a court case.

[madsaz76]

well if nothing else its an offence to drive off and not provide details after an accident.

So, if the other person has your details but didn't provide theirs, I would now ask politely for their details, furnish the police with them (as after all they have admitted being there) and ask the police their view on not stopping after an accident....

[Littletabbyocelot]

We've had a camera in our car since we had an accident where the other person lied and our insurers failed to ring the person who stopped as a witness. They agreed 50/50 without discussing it. They couldn't undo this, but did end up undoing its impact on us by acknowledging their fault and not taking our excess.

[PagesOfABook]

Where I work we send Assessors out to both cars to see if the damage is consistent with an impact between them. Do you have photos of the damage to your car before the paintwork was fixed up?

[chibsortig]

My Oh had a bump in a petrol station he was reversing slowly and dinked another stationary car - he took pictures and swapped details. Was no damage really and was all on cctv. Shes claiming she spent 4 hours in a&e for whiplash she also tried claiming that he never stopped and swapped details posting on facebook asking if anyone knew him as the garage had given her his name as he was a regular. He'd never been to the garage before and she had been texting him on the number he'd swapped plus her insurance company had been in touch. She is still pursuing for whiplash, the insurance know it was all caught on camera but never bothered to get the footage so our premium will go up and someone will receive a nice tidy sum for nothing.
Its a rubbish system no one has to prove anything anymore they can just get a claim for nothing. Insurers pay up and up premiums and theres nothing we can do.

[Kr1stina]

It's not an offence to not stop after an accident , unless anyone is hurt. But you do have to report it to the police within 24 hours .

[madsaz76]

it is an offence to not stop and provide details.

I know this as the poice are currently pursuing prosecuting someone who hit our car and did not stop to provide details.

The other car did not stop and did not provide details, but has presumably got the OPs details from somewhere. They have to provide theirs - the OP couldn't claim from them as they had no details.