To ask for reassurance as husband reversed into car in France

[Stressie]

Left note in English with mobile and email address. Should we have done anything else? Will
Need new bumper and lights

There's a form (a constat) you need to fill in with the other driver and both sign - when you agree on the circumstances of the accident. If you are staying in the area of the accident then they may ask you to come back to fill it in.
If it was obvious where the car owner might be you maybe should have tried to find then - e.g. if it was outside a house knock on the door, outside a bar ask in the bar - otherwise I don't really see what else you could do.

I'd report it to local police OP

Perhaps phone your insurance company for advice? They'll have come across this many times before and will be able to let you know what you need to do officially/legally.

Have you taken out car hire insurance?

I think it's fine. You could have left your insurance details but you can always pass these on when they email you.

As someone who this happened to recently it was a huge PITA but I appreciated that the guy left his details and didn't just scarper.

Was it his own car or a hire car op?

Thanks all. It's our own car. Were meant to be traveling down to next stop early tommorow am. Think I'll get husband to ring insurance company before we leave although he'll probably just want to leave as planned and Hope person won't call - which of course they will!

They haven't called. So today's thoughts are do we give it a few days or ring insurance ASAP

I'd call the insurers i think. Perhaps I'm being overcautious but the last thing you need is a surprise letter/phone call from them when you return to the UK, to say the other person has been in contact through their own insurer and you should've let them know sooner. If you leave it to chance, it'll play on your mind and spoil the rest of your trip.

Call the insurers any way because of the risk that not reporting an accident can later lead to them refusing to indemnify. I dont think you could have done more than leave your details though, an email address is obviously an email address even in a different country.

Thanks I agree and will call insurers. Husband disagrees but yes playing on my mind. Think this is what insurance is for

Hang on OP, just one check, did you extend your EU cover? So many brits assume theyre fully comp insurance in the UK simply follows them to France. It doesnt, (aviva I think are the only ones who do as standard). The vast majority of fully comp insurers, downgrade your cover to the very 'basic 3rd party only that applies in the eu country'.

Please check your policy first. If youre 3rd party only, youre raising an issue that will hammer your premiums (a notifiable incident) yet not pay anything out if the car owner doesnt come forward.

Please check your policy first. If youre 3rd party only, youre raising an issue that will hammer your premiums (a notifiable incident) yet not pay anything out if the car owner doesnt come forward.

Not really relevant, the policy will state that they're duty bound to inform their insurers anyway even if there's no claim. Your advice is basically to commit insurance fraud.

Checked and were automatically covered with admiral. Phew!

Good news OP. Its amazing how many dont realise their fully comp doesnt follow them over the channel. They say EU Cover, in big type, then print 'but only as basic/minimum requirement (usually 3rd party only) in EU country of travel' in tiny print. Enjoy the rest of your hols, Im sure itll all get sorted.