Company van prang - who should pay?

[Slarti]

DW has had a minor prang in the van she drives for work. Damage to third party, none to company van. She has offered to pay for the damage directly to the third party and informed her boss that this is what she will do, which he has accepted.

My view is that this should go through the company insurance and I feel that her boss is being a bit of a CF in allowing her to pay out of her own money. Having said that as the driver at fault she is culpable so maybe I am BU. But what's the point of a company having insurance on their company vehicles if any accidents come out of staff wages?

The damage is about a week of her wages, if that makes any difference.

I'd expect the insurance to cover it. If she were for example drunk, then I'd expect her to lose the right to drive for the company.

She wasn't drunk

She was performing her usual duties at work and has clipped another vehicle on a car park.

It should go through the company’s insurance although there may be a rule that she pays part of the excess if it’s her fault.

If she’s offered, the manager isn’t being a CF - if she doesn’t want to do it then don’t offer

Why on earth did she offer to pay??

Manager is not daft accepting that but wife shouldn't have offered! Let ins deal with it.

If she’s offered, the manager isn’t being a CF - if she doesn’t want to do it then don’t offer

Perhaps CF isn't the right phrase. It's in her nature to have offered to pay, but to me the right thing would be to decline her offer and put it through the company insurance since she was working for the company at the time of the accident. Instead, he will allow her to go without a week's wages?

I used to deal with our van drivers accidents in at my old job.

Drivers always had to pay the excess if they were at fault.

No idea why it says “in at”

Is there anything in her contract?

My DH has a company car and it is quite clear that he is responsible for a certain amount (think around £250?) if he is at fault. One of his colleagues had a prang - entirely her fault - and she will have to pay the first £250.

When theres been a bump in our work vans it always goes through the insurance. Thats the point in fleet insurance otherwise companies would make you drive on your own insurance i thought.

Even if she settles privately, the company technically still need to inform the insurers.

Morally I would also say it should be through the insurers, perhaps with her contributing part of the excess.

It's her bad driving so she should pay.

Although it would probably would have been more appropriate for it to go through the insurers and for her to pay the excess.