To feel guilty about this?

[Ginmakesitallok]

Was hit by another car today going into a car park - after 2 barriers lanes merge into one, other driver should have given way, didn't and went into my side. Not too much damage, but could be costly respray, dent needs knocked out. Totally his fault. 18 year old driver, only had car a couple of weeks, insurance extortionate etc etc. His mum called me asked me not to go through insurance - I said I'd get a quote for damage, but I'd also tell my insurer . She asked me not to - it'll put his insurance through the roof, he has a high excess.

But - this has happened before (not the same accident obviously )and I've never gone through insurance, and always ended up with a shite repair job..

If I go through my insurance they will pick my car up, give me a courtesy car, get car fixed properly and deliver it back.

How do I know they will cough up? ? I've let my insurance know - but said I don't know if I want to make a claim.

Life would be easier for me to go via insurance, that's what I pay it for. Why do I feel so guilty???

You claim from his insurance and he pays his insurance company back when the claim is closed.

If she thought it was your fault she wouldnt ask you not to go through the insurance.
Don't feel guilty that's what insurance is for.
His mistake,

I'm pretty sure you are obliged to tell your insurance company anyway, isn't it a standard clause?

I won't help him anyway, he still has to declare the accident when he renews so just do it properly. They ask have you had any claims then have you been involved in and accident even if it wasn't your fault.

Wrong thread !

We have a similar thread title OP .

I'll ask Mumsnet to delete it.

Someone crashed into my parked car once and they didn't want to go through insurance , panned out that it was because he didn't actually have any , so we reported him .

Given that I've already reported it to my (our) insurance it looks like I might as well go via insurance. I have to keep reminding myself that it was his daft driving that caused it....

£750 to repair. :( let's see what other driver says....

I can understand why they don't want to. However it's always risky not too and I would feel uncomfortable not taking it through the insurance company. If you decide not too, make sure you use a garage you are happy with and they pay upfront before you have it repaired.

And don't feel guilty.

Don't feel guilty. Similar happened to me when someone went in the back of me. Looked like no real damage but I when it was looked into the crumple bar had snapped and dented my fuel tank. Cost over £1k to fix. Go through insurance!

Don't feel guilty at all!
The reason young inexperienced drivers have such high insurance is because they are far more likely to be involved in an accident... Which has just happened here! Yes, his insurance will probably go up, but that's fair enough, he's only been driving a very short while and has already caused the insurers to have to pay out. He's a high risk to them.

I think I would tell his mum that I would have considered it but changed my mind when she started to blame me for the accident. She needs to take some responsibility for this, too.

Dont feel guilty.

Don't feel guilty, this is exactly what insurance is for.

Go through insurance. What are you going to do if they renege when they see the cost? What are you going to do if they decide to chance their arm, claiming it was your fault and throw in a whiplash claim?

I had this. Go through insurance. You have a legal duty to report it anyway, which means you'll have to declare it on future policies regardless (and your premium will go up).

When it happened to me, the guy who went in to me was really pushy about getting it fixed, wanted it dealt with quickly. Turned out I had a massive crack in the chassis and my car was a write-up off. Guy refused to believe me, so I just went through insurance and stopped returning his messages and calls. Got a courtesy car and a payout which allowed me to buy a new (to me) one of similar type and age.

My dp had this last year. Sitting in traffic, a woman with 2 kids behind got distracted by her child and took her foot off the brake and drove into the back of him. She asked him not to go through insurance. He said he wouldn't. When he rang her to say the repairs were nearly 2 grand, she told him fuck off and hung up. Unlucky for her, he was able to get cctv footage and get her car details and go through insurance. The insurers actually wrote off his car and two days later after the adrenalin of the crash, he was complaining of pain and when we went to the doctor he had broken 2 ribs when he lurched forward in the car and he was able to claim his medical expenses too.

So I would always recommend insurance.

Well the mum has come back to me to say they want me to get a quote from a different garage - but she doesn't know which one. I've said to let me know which garage asap then I will decide where I want to get it fixed. I think she thinks she gets to choose. Not happening love! If they mess me about I'm going straight back to insurance Co.

Are they planning to reimburse you for all this time faffing about between garages?

I had similar recently but it wasn't a big repair. My DH felt sorry for the guy and encouraged me to let them fix it...I was left with scratches etc afterwards that never did get sorted.

OP why are you letting this woman dictate what you should do? I dont think this will end well.

I can't feel all that sorry for anyone who's daft/rich enough to be driving a car aged 18.

Sorry I know that isn't really the point. It's one thing where the cost of repairs is less than the excess, but that isn't the case here presumably.

I took money from a pregnant woman who I think was dazzled by the sun and caused me to scrape the kerb. She claimed her husband would be very angry. And she was heavily pregnant. But the cost of the repair was only £100.