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Original poster

Involved in (small) collision - need advice please

78 replies

wondering1101 · 01/12/2018 18:30

About half an hour ago on my way home this evening and going round a bend, my car and the car coming the other way came into contact.

We both stopped. The other person’s car has white scrape marks but no dents down the left hand back door. Mine has a dent, some black paint marks and some actual scratches in the paint on the front right hand wing.

Instead of exchanging insurance details, the other person suggested we both get quotes at the local garage, and split the cost down the middle. I said yes. She said we don’t know who is at fault and that was also my first thought when it happened. My dd reckons I was close to my side of the road but she could be wrong.

Initially, before she realised that her car was also scraped (but not scratched like mine is), the other driver was going to pay for all my damage, but when she saw her white paint marks she came up with the split the cost down the middle thing. Her friend was telling her not to talk (in their language but I understood) ie. don’t offer to pay all this person’s costs.

So I have to contact her this evening and we are going to the garage together.

Have I done the wrong thing / right thing?

OP posts:
Redglitter · 02/12/2018 09:40

Your insurance might increase but probably not by much. I had a bump several years ago. When my insurance renewal came up I shopped around and got insurance for pretty much the same price.

Definitely go through your insurance

ollhe · 02/12/2018 10:04

Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s horrible when this happens. I remember bumping into a car years ago and I was so panicked I had no information about their car (except for the colour Grin) but it all worked out. They claimed from me and I probably paid a bit more, but it wasn’t really a big issue.

These things happen, hopefully your insurance company will be kind and give you support.

mum11970 · 02/12/2018 10:13

Was a small rural road with very little room to pass each other, as it would obviously be the fault of the driver cutting the corner and being on the wrong side of a normal road. There is no way you’ll need a new wing, that is a minor ding.

Original poster
wondering1101 · 02/12/2018 10:25

It was a curved road (in zone 2/3 in London) where both cars have to turn - me to the left and her to the right.

Thanks for the kind messages.

I am going to phone the insurance company just to let them know (in case she comes back with any crap) but definitely not claim. Hoping my premium doesn’t go up too much, but it doesn’t sound like it would.

Yes I think you are right about not needing a new wing Blush. Will get a quote and just look after my repair and she can look after her own. Do you think?

OP posts:
theduchessstill · 02/12/2018 10:27

I had a fairly similar incident this year, though my car was parked at the time so there was no uncertainty as to who was at fault. I initially agreed not to go through insurance as I was worried about my premiums going up despite my not being at fault. Then the other person (who was one of my bosses!) refused to pay my transport costs while my car was being fixed, meaning I would have had to pay at least £100 for a hire car when I get one for free through my insurance. I went through insurance and then felt anxious for a few months waiting for the premiums. I renewed earlier this month for less than a tenner more than I paid last year - I don't think the incident had a bearing on it at all. Seriously, go through your insurance - it's what you pay the bloody thing for and it really does take the stress out of dealing with these annoying situations and people.

SoupDragon · 02/12/2018 10:29

Try Chips Away for a quote as well as a garage. I was very pleased. There are other similar companies too.

FlorencesHunger · 02/12/2018 11:18

I would go through insurance tbh it will cover the high costs if there is Any. If the premiums go up just count it against the costs you would have paid if you hadn't. That's what it's there for.

Last year I slid into a parked car, no damage to my car but hers looked a bit dented and my car paint was on it.

She claimed and I admitted fualt to my insurer but for whatever reason it didn't go any further they wrote me six months later saying it had basically been dropped.

Hasn't affected my premiums or my no claims discount. If anything my insurance split in half at renewal.

It is daunting op but its not as bad as you think. Just go through the proper channels and take no shit.

Redglitter · 02/12/2018 21:07

I never understand the reluctance to claim insurance. If the repair was say £500 any increase in your premium is going to be absolutely nowhere near that.

My premium didn't go up by any noticeable amount after a claim.

Fstar · 02/12/2018 21:13

I scratched someo es car and left my detils on their wi dscreen. He was happy for me to pay outwith insurance but for peace of mind i just went through my insurance. My premium went up aboht £50 when it came to renew. Much less hassle and i think you still have to declare to your insurance either way

empmalswa · 02/12/2018 21:17

Why would you not claim on the insurance? That’s why you pay it!

Original poster
wondering1101 · 02/12/2018 21:44

Update - the lady has given me her policy number and insurance company. I’ve said that I am ringing the insurer and finding out more tomorrow, as well as getting my own quotes. I guess if the amount to pay is less than the excess and a possible increase in premium price then it’s not worth claiming?

I am new to all this though, and the thing I find hardest is standing up for myself. I have to keep reminding myself that she may well have been on my side of the road.

OP posts:
MyFriendGiraffrey · 03/12/2018 00:03

If you call your insurance company for advice but don't follow through with a claim it will still affect your premium. The cost of your policy is based on risk. Not claiming doesn't change the fact that you were in a collision and is one of the criteria they use to calculate your premium.

You may be able to get insurance at a lower price with another provider at renewal but it may not be equivalent cover. You may have a higher excess, no courtesy car, you might be tied to using one of their approved repairers in a further away location or their customer service/claims handling may not be as smooth and cause you inconvenience or additional costs if a similar situation arises in future.

It might be better to get a quote from your own garage and one from hers and then decide what to do next.

LizB62A · 03/12/2018 00:10

Definitely use your own garage - if you use one she's recommended, you could easily get ripped off.....

Haggisfish · 03/12/2018 00:14

Similar happened to me -she got panels beaten and I paid for it as it was my fault. Didn’t tell either insurance company. It does affect premiums even if you don’t claim but do tell them you were in an incident.

Original poster
wondering1101 · 03/12/2018 06:42

The thing about not getting advice from my insurer is that if it turns out that my damage is more than I can manage to pay for, it will be too late to call them at a later stage?

OP posts:
speakingtruthfully · 03/12/2018 06:57

Insurance usually gives 50/50 anyway , if it's expensive go insurance , if it's a couple of hundred just get it done at the local garage

Original poster
wondering1101 · 03/12/2018 07:14

My problem is that I don’t know how much it will cost - what does anyone think - daylight photo attached.

And apologies I know that I might be making a mountain out is a molehill.

There is also the risk that the other person’s bill will also be “huge”.

Involved in (small) collision - need advice please
OP posts:
Original poster
wondering1101 · 03/12/2018 07:15

Out of

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 03/12/2018 07:38

Chips Away charged me about £250 for a dent slightly worse than that and a scrape.

Original poster
wondering1101 · 03/12/2018 08:17

Thanks SoupDragon - I know you had already told me on this thread Blush.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 03/12/2018 08:20

:)

GingerbreadTeapot · 03/12/2018 08:24

I wouldn't even bother to fix that tbh. Is the car very new? Do you really care if there's a very small amount of cosmetic damage?

popcornwizard · 03/12/2018 08:28

Insurance doesn't just pay for repairs, it pays for peace of mind. Next time you have a bump, get the details, phone your insurers and leave it all up to them and have a stress free weekend.

SlipperyLizard · 03/12/2018 09:00

You can tell your insurer about it and say you haven’t decided whether to claim or fix it yourself - then find out the cost and call them again if you want to make a claim.

I did that a while ago after a prang that turned out to be more serious damage to the car than at first appeared.

Original poster
wondering1101 · 03/12/2018 12:17

Thanks all.

I phoned them this morning and I have what is called a notification only claim which I can turn into an actual claim within the next three months if I want. Or if the other people suddenly claim or get in touch with my insurance.

It will not affect my premium unless it becomes an actual claim.

So I will now get quotes and take it from there. If the quote is not massive I am tempted to just leave it at that and pay my own, as more or less certainly the other driver will get a quote from her neighbouring garage that matches mine so that she doesn’t have to pay any of mine.

If on the other hand she suddenly starts claiming that I owe her money (unlikely as I have a dent and she has a scrape only albeit quite long?) then I suppose I could get my insurance involved again?

I cannot believe the extent to which this event has tipped me over the edge anxiety wise - I couldn’t do much all weekend and still feel crap. I suppose everything else in my life is stressful, and this was too much.

OP posts:
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