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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to claim or not to claim?

45 replies

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 21/12/2011 12:43

Accident yesterday. Kids fine, I have whiplash and very tender back. (Nothing worse, A&E did X-rays)

It hadn't even occurred to me re: claiming, but my mother is insisting I speak to the insurance company about it.

DH says not to on principle. (Perpetuating the blame culture).

What to do?

OP posts:

henrythecat · 21/12/2011 14:57

I would claim (speaking as someone who has had claims made against them) -if it was the other way round, they would probably claim on you. As other posters have said, you may need physio and your insurance premiums will no doubt increase slightly.

I would also try to get in there very quick with this to establish liability for the accident. I had an accident (other party's fault completely) but as the other party was a child, I chose not to persue and paid for repairs to car myself, writing it off as others have said as 'an accident is an accident'. Boy did I live to regret that...now other party are trying to claim off me for an accident that was completely their fault (they are also lying through their teeth...but that's another matter). Claim - if only to try and establish liability and protect yourself.

Hope you and children are not too shaken up, must have been frightening.

Original poster

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 21/12/2011 15:40

Thank you all so much for your advice, and your kind words. I t was very frightening (lane so narrow that I struggled to get babies out of car seats - doors wouldn't open fully) and with smoke billowing out... Drove to the police station to report it earlier. Driving made me cry. :(

Just glad we're all OK though. Thank God for car seats!

OP posts:

DoMeDon · 21/12/2011 15:43

I wouldn't claim for injuries on principle either. Agree with your DH. Hope you feel better and DC are not frightened.

catsareevil · 21/12/2011 15:56

When I was doing my last insurance renewal my premium went down when I added in that there had not been any personal injury element to my last (large) claim.

SuzysZoo · 21/12/2011 16:01

I would claim - you don't know how long it will take to heal and how much it will hurt. I had something similar. My neck hurt off and on for about 6 months (as doc said it would) but since then it has been fine. I claimed for the car and I claimed for me. The whiplash injury led to a settlement of £3,000 which I felt was fair for the amount of pain/discomfort suffered.

Original poster

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 21/12/2011 17:04

Oh, just thought, will the insurance pay for new child car seats? I've ordered new ones because, although I couldn't see any damage to the old I was advised to, are insurance likely to cover that?

OP posts:

MeltedAdventCalendarChocolates · 21/12/2011 17:06

Don't claim. Seriously people need to get a grip... Accidents happen. Unless it affects your ability to earn for a real length of time get over it and stop money grabbing!

Original poster

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 21/12/2011 17:07

Um, I'm asking for advice, not money grabbing. :(

OP posts:

MeltedAdventCalendarChocolates · 21/12/2011 17:09

Ooops sorry OP. It's just something that winds me up no end.

I would have some self respect though and not claim out of decency.

Hope you feel better soon. (my first memory is of being in a crash, I would not have wished my mother to claim)

south345 · 21/12/2011 17:11

Whiplash can be really nasty, it stopped me holding my newborn for about 2 months as it was so painful.

Definitely claim for your car if not your fault if worth it but will also knock value off it if anything like our claim.

south345 · 21/12/2011 17:12

They gave me £200 for car seats I had to send a copy of receipts.

breatheslowly · 21/12/2011 18:10

I'd claim, more because if they write off your car you will get the official value of the car, not the value to you. You will certainly be out of pocket on this and you might as well recoup as much as possible.

littleducks · 21/12/2011 18:15

Oh I had forgotten, but make sure you dont accept the first offer the insurance company make for the car, its low and they expect you to haggle

KnittingNovice · 21/12/2011 18:27

Op we had an accident on valentines day that was not our fault and were able to claim to replace the car seats although we had to send plenty of photos of our old ones and new ones to prove we had them. We also claimed for other things like the petrol to go and recover all the things from the car ( we were coming back from parents and were bout 50 miles from home when hit) I also had physio and counselling as I had only recently come off anti depressants and struggled to cope. We also had to claim back the excess on my insurance policy.

bubblebubblebubblepop · 21/12/2011 18:45

Hope you're ok after your accident. I would notify insurer of the injury and then wait and see how you go. You might have no long-term effects and no need to claim, but it could cause neck/back problems in the future, in which case it will be easier to process if they already have the details and doctor can verify you were examined or treated directly as a result of the accident.

Sirzy · 21/12/2011 18:57

If you are injured there is nothing wrong with claiming. I have had whiplash and its awful and can easily lead to time off work/physio etc.

It annoys me when people claim simply because they were in the car but if you are injured claim.

I was in a Rta a few years back when a bus drove into my car. Thankfully only myself and one child on the bus was injured. I got 10 solicitors letters asking me to confirm people were on the bus at the time of the accident - there were only 7 passengers on the bus but about 5 other people stood at the nearby bus stop! I refused to sign any of the forms!

PeaceofCakeAndGoodWineToAllMN · 21/12/2011 19:00

You should claim Loopy. Whiplash is a nasty injury and can cause problems with your neck years down the line. It's not feeding the compensation culture, it will help with the physio at least. Tell him I said so.

Belledechocchipcookie (I name changed for Christmas).

ginmakesitallok · 21/12/2011 19:05

Depends on whose fault the "accident" was. If it was the other drivers then I would have no hesitation in claiming for whatever I was legally entitled to - that's what insurance is for. Whiplash can give you problems for years (my brother still suffers from whiplash from an accident over 15 years ago)

tanfastic · 21/12/2011 19:13

I had an accident a couple of years ago when someone pulled out in front of me and I got a whiplash type injury. I claimed and got £1500 for my injuries and a further six sessions of physio paid for so I'd say claim.
What I didn't bank on was two years' later still suffering from anxiety when driving. If I see a car approaching a side road when I'm driving and they aren't looking in my direction I immediately think they are going to pull out and start to break. I can't help myself. It's probably made me a dangerous driver myself.

Lindax · 21/12/2011 19:20

my parents both received compensation for whiplash after their car being hit/written off by a bus.

this was only because they both had to have many repeated appointments at doctors, very stong painkillers, physio etc for over a year after it happened.

I was in a head on collision with another car and had a sore neck/back for a few weeks, found it uncomfortable to sit/stand for too long for a few months but didnt need painkillers/physio or time off work so I never claimed.

think it all depends on the seriousness/inconvenice of your injuries whether you should seek compensation.

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