Car Accident - To Not Go Through Insurance

[albapunk]

Had a car accident today which I wasn't liable for and the other driver has admitted fault without issue. We're both uninjured. I reacted with enough time that damage to my car is minimal. We both drove to a garage afterwards and damage to my car is completely cosmetic (£100-£150 to fix) as is the other car. His wife has asked if I would be happy to settle this outside of insurance as they can afford to pay for the damage up front to my car even if it exceeds the quote. We have exchanged details, and the garage owner knows my family and the other driver so no fear of being bumped by a dodgy mechanic.

AIBU for considering to let them pay for the cosmetic damage and leave it at that? Would it be worthwhile telling my insurance I've had an accident but I don't wish to claim? I don't want something so minor to end up affecting my policy and neither does the other driver. I've never had an accident previous to this so have never dealt with insurance outwith buying it!

[Crispbutty]

If you know each other, the garage owner knows you both too then yes, I would go for it.

[durezz]

I would definitely prefer to sort it out without going through insurance. Even if it's not your fault insurance companies make loads just by adding that you have made a claim on your policy. Your insurance will go up

[Tangfastics]

I would say just deal with it between yourselves.

[albapunk]

I don't know them, but I know people who do and my family knows the mechanic and garage owner so I thought it seems a safe bet. They were lovely to deal with thankfully.

A family member was once quoted £50 by a mechanic after an accident, turns out he was pals with the driver at fault and it resulted in her needing much, much more work done but by then it was too late.

[lilypotter]

Ordinarily, I'd say that you should inform your insurance company, but in these circumstances I think I wouldn't. Dd had someone gently bump her when she was learning; not her fault, no damage, no claim made, but the insurance companies had to be informed as the "at fault" driver had a black box and it had registered the slight impact. A fair few companies point blank refused to cover dd after that and others quoted ridiculous amounts as they insisted she was now "higher risk!" For sitting at a junction, well-placed on the road, indicating right, and another driver failing to brake in time! Outrageous. Fortunately, other companies were OK about it.

[thecook]

Are you sure you are uninjured OP? Whiplash can take time to manifest........

[albapunk]

lilypotter that is my worry! They had been waiting to pull out from a side road and had "zoned out" and pulled out looking left when I came from the right, hammed on the brakes and the horn and managed to swerve enough that the side of my bumper took the impact, the noise was unbelievable for cosmetic only damage! I got out the car expecting the worst!

Insurance companies needs to make their money but the level of greed from some is ridiculous, and quotes vary wildly, my last set of quotes from lowest to highest had a range of £5000!!!

[albapunk]

thecook Pretty sure I'm fine, impact was on the side of my bumper so wasn't flung forwards etc, was very very lucky there was nothing coming on the other side of the road that I was able to swerve a little or the outcome would have been much worse and I would definitely have whiplash/muscular injury.

[M00nUnit]

I definitely wouldn't go through the insurers in your situation, it'll only cause you more hassle and money. I had someone drive into the back of my car a couple of years ago and even though the other driver's insurers paid out and I supposedly didn't "lose my no claims bonus" I still have higher insurance premiums now because I made a claim. I tried to do it through the other driver's insurers and not my own but they refused to speak to me and said they'd only speak to the person who had insurance with them. Long story but I should have just let the other driver pay me directly because dealing with insurers was one of the most stressful things I'd had to do in ages. SO much unnecessary grief.

[piknmixer]

Personally I'd go with them paying for the damage.

A while ago someone ran into my car in the work's car park (I wasn't even in it, they left a note).

I asked them to pay for the damage which was only cosmetic but as the car is 15 years old and despite it being pretty immaculate for the age, I was concerned damage to two panels could technically write it off.

They refused and informed their insurer so I ended up with a courtesy car for over a week, loads of hassle with sorting out a permit for the courtesy car, arranging a tow truck etc.

A stack of hassle for what would have cost them £200 in any average body shop and be done in a day or two.

[SingingSandwich]

If you don't inform your insurers at renewal that you have been involved in an accident, even if it wasn't your fault, then you risk invalidating your insurance if it gets found out. You are perfectly within your rights to get the car repaired without claiming through either insurer (as far as I know) but it is your duty to inform them of the accident. What happens if the other driver decides that actually the damage to his car is too much and will go through the insurance after all? You'd then be in trouble for not declaring the accident. Your premiums will go up though. I was hit in the rear by a van driver, whilst stationary at a roundabout in my husband's company car. He was completely at fault etc etc. Quite a bit of damage on my husbands car but no injuries. Insurers dealt with it all and then when it came to my own insurance renewal, MY premiums had gone up, even though I'd not used my insurers for anything. All the details were on the MID though, so they knew about the accident I'd been in, despite me not being at fault and not even driving my own car! I was livid!

[ShotsFired]

I had a non-fault accident a few years ago.

Amazingly my car had zero damage but the other driver's was mashed up (yes it was from the accident, not old damage).
I did the "right thing" - informed my insurers of an incident, but that I wasn't claiming, had photos and video of the damage to her car, wrote a formal statement of events etc.

She never, ever reported the claim to her insurers.

I of course had my premium hiked due to me being a "higher risk" - and my ins co also informed me she has up to five years to make a claim, and they will then have to re-open the file and act as if it was brand new.

For all their dire warnings about how the insurance database will find you out if you so much as breathe wrongly when driving; I was disgusted to find out they don't even contact other parties when someone has formally notified of an incident involving them. Surely that invalidates their policy?

[SquidgyRedBall]

I had someone drive into my car while it was parked and left no details arsehole and I had to claim through my insurance as it was too much damage for me to afford at the time.

My insurance didn't go up, but also didn't go down either as it had been doing for the previous years so I wasn't too worried.

I also had someone reverse into me and dented the side panel. They decided not to go through insurance and paid me the cost of fixing it.

Maybe you can do an online quote including this accident to see how your insurance is effected. Me personally, I would tell the insurance company as I'm a stickler for telling the truth, you could always ask the other people if they would cover any expenses for increased premiums longshot

[quasibex]

Not informing your insurer is risky because if they find out that you've not reported an incident to them it invalidates your insurance and is likely to get you added to the 'refused insurance' list which makes it even harder to get future insurance.

I had a woman hit my car, entirely her fault and we agreed to sort it between us but still informed my insurance company.

It hasn't made the slightest difference to my premiums because my risk hasn't changed through someone else's poor driving.

Your gamble.

[PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon]

I would avoid the insurance company. Even if you say you don't want to claim it will go down on your file. My mum had damage to her property from someone driving, told insurance company but wasn't going through them (people paid for repair) but the insurance company said it would go against my mum

[durezz]

Don't forget you get the added 'bonus' of those accident claim companies calling you up regularly after the incident has happened!
We still get calls to this day asking about 'that' accident which was years ago now!

[londonrach]

Very difficult ad someone drive into the side of my car as he didnt look my way. No one hurt. My car is old so cost of cosmetic damage was higher than cost of car. I had to fight and i mean fight to keep my car. All mended now but although it was my fault insurance goes up. I told my insurance at time and other insurance paid for repairs. In renewal i phoned up and asked why quote high and they said it was the accident. I said wasnt my fault, they said they knew that just goes up. Had to ring around but still higher than previous years. I live in dread it happen again as i love my car, it works perfectly. Not sure what id do in your case op as normally very honest...

[londonrach]

All mended now but although it wasnt my fault not was!!!! Grr ipad!

[albapunk]

This is my issue too, I'm a very honest personal normally but I genuinely cannot afford higher premiums atm, barely affording to keep the car but it's required for my new job which will pull me out of my financial hole. I'd rather pay off my other debts than put it towards increased premiums for something that wasn't my fault and is easy to fix. Mechanic was happy to agree on the spot no mechanical damage and checked both cars, quoted on the spot for the cosmetic repair work. Other driver isn't too bothered about the scratches etc on theirs as their car is a much older cheap run-about and they have another car.