This August when we renewed our car insurance we put my 17 yo DD on it and because of that the excess went up to £400 (not to mention the huge increase in cost and the fact that lots of people wouldn't insure us).
Anyway today I had both girls in the car, was waiting at the front of a roundabout, about to pull out when there is a massive bang and we are thrown forward. Just when we are recovering wondering what happened another second bang as the bloke drives into us again, I've no idea how.
Eventually I pulled the car over and got out, the other car was driven by an elderly man who didn't seem to have any clear idea what had happened. He didn't say anything, just got the insurance details from the boot of the car. His car was pretty crumpled at the front but damage to our back bumper is surprisingly minimal, though I am concerned that there may be damage we can't see.
All three of us had dreadful neck pain, I bruised my arm badly and wrenched it somehow, and DD2 could not stop sobbing for about half an hour, she was hysterical. After he drove off I phoned the police because honestly he didn't seem compus mentus enough to be driving and I wanted it recorded that he hit me twice and I felt he was unsafe to drive home and might well injure someone else on the way. We phoned GP as DD2 and I were still in considerable pain an hour later, GP sent us all to A and E. They said it will be fine but we will be in pain for a few days. They were talking about a neck collar for DD2 but decided not necessary in the end.
Anyway, I phoned the insurance, reported it and they said did we want the car looked at. I said yes because I want to make sure there is no unseen damage for one thing.
Garage phoned us and said insurance company have told them we have to pay £400 excess. I said no way and they said we might have to wait weeks or more whilst they decide who is at fault.
WTAF!!! I am sat stationary at a roundabout and someone slams into the back of me, my child is now a sobbing wreck who is too terrified to go in the car and they say I have to pay??? The insurance company did ask did I feel I was at fault at all and I said NO, I was just sat there waiting to pull out and this bloke came from nowhere.
Surely this can't be right? I've had the most awful day and now I'm told I have to fork out £400 on top or risk driving a possibly dangerous car. Please does someone know what to advise?
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Legal matters
Car hit us from behind today, insurance company want us to pay excess!
musicposy · 15/10/2013 21:05
OK, thanks. Not quite sure where I will find £400 but it does make me feel better that this is standard and not just the insurance company pulling a fast one. I'm kicking myself for putting DD on the insurance really, it's cost us a bomb and so far she's driven twice along our quiet cul-de-sac at 10 miles per hour. She's having lessons but taking an age to pick it up.
I've never had anything like this, so I'm not very well versed in it. The only other claim I've ever had was when someone drove into our car in a car park and we weren't even in it. I don't think we paid upfront then but I think the other driver was very honest and phoned immediately and told the insurance it was her fault (hard to argue otherwise if no one is in the other car, I suppose!).
I feel scared to drive the car now because it really frightened me how someone can just crash into you from nowhere. I've never been in any kind of accident and I guess I always prided myself that because I drive safely, I would be safe, if that makes sense.
Is there any way he can argue it was me? I cannot see how but all sorts of scenarios are playing out in my mind. I really wish I had stopped some witnesses now or at least taken the registration of a passing car. But the trouble is, you're in shock with something like that and you don't think straight. 
I used to work in insurance claims, generally I would say speak to your insurance company about when the £400 would be due and any payment management. 
As for getting a mechanic to look it over, you could have them do a check over but any interference from a '3rd party' by anyone not authorised by your insurer might cause issues. Again, each insurance company works differently so give yours a call and see if they are happy for you to do it.
It sounds like a very cut and dried none fault claim though so you shouldnt have to wait too long.
I was reversed into in a car park last year - I was stationary and not at fault. My poor car had its front wing all buggered.
I informed my insurance company; they sorted absolutely everything - all I had to do was turn up at the accident repair centre and the courtesy car was waiting there for me (which, spookily, was exactly the same car as mine, even down to the colour 
)
They pursued the claim against the other party - at no point did I have to part with even one groat. It took a couple of weeks for the blame to be put officially on the other party, but I faced next to no disruption or inconvenience - or loss of no-claims.
I was very impressed.
< impressed
They did with us. It was a high profile company as well but can't remember which one. You ring them, tell them, give details of their client who is accepting liability, they send out forms to him. I have to say though I had a lovely, cooperative man who crashed into my parked car and could not have been sorrier so I think he bent over backwards to get everything back to them quickly. I feel bad really because I was so upset when it happened that I didn't even ask if he was ok, he was all shaky .
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