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AIBU?

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Original poster

Car crash

185 replies

notagooddayallround · 07/01/2019 04:06

Namechanged.

Yesterday I was involved in a minor car crash. Was at a junction, thought the lights were still green, turns out they had gone red and bumped into the car in front at very low speed. No damage to my car (bar the little plastic bumper just popping out) but his car was a bit smashed in, light box smashed, scratches and dents in one corner. Ok.
Drove round corner to exchange phone, name and Reg.

Both drove away from accident happy that he would go and get quotes tomorrow and let me know, as we didn't want to take it through insurance.

I checked his reg this eve on DVLA website and it is mot'd but only has a SORN. Can anyone advise if I should just take this through my insurance?? I haven't been driving long (2-3 years) so obviously don't want my premiums going up massively.

OP posts:
blubberhouse · 07/01/2019 06:42

According to the DVLA website, you can only drive a SORN car on a public road to or from a pre-booked MOT test. Fines can be up to £2,500.

I would tell the driver that you have to take this through your insurance. You might find he backs off (hopefully, not in his SORN car) when he hears this.

WhentheDealGoesDown · 07/01/2019 06:43

Go through your insurance, there could be some dodgyness involved regarding the SORN and him driving it, it may not be insured etc, etc.

If it was just a small prang and everything seemed above board then repairing privately is usually OK

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 07/01/2019 06:44

That’s a useful link Fiydwi

YepImafraidIchangeditagain · 07/01/2019 06:47

You drove into the back of another car- your fault.
You also don't need to take a day off of work to get over it.

WhentheDealGoesDown · 07/01/2019 06:48

And as PP poster has said, not reporting it to your insurance could invalidate your policy. This could come back and bite you

Do drive to work though and don't let it put you off

Lazypuppy · 07/01/2019 06:54

Your premiums will go up whether you go through insurance or not as when you next renew you have to answer the question that says whether you have had a fault accident in the last 2 years

countrygirl99 · 07/01/2019 06:58

My elderly FIL had an accident. Entirely his fault but the other driver was very keen not to go through insurance, told FIL it would double FILs premium. He got very worried and asked OH what to do - guy was claiming £1000 to fix just ancient rust heap that I doubt would have passed the next MOT. OH told his dad to go through insurance. Turned out the other driver wasn't insured, hence so keen.

topcat2014 · 07/01/2019 07:07

You are obliged to inform your insurance company about the accident even if you do not make a claim.

HoraceCope · 07/01/2019 07:09

You premiums wont go up necessarily, if you have protected claims

HoraceCope · 07/01/2019 07:10

when someone went into the back of me, and didnt want to go through insurance, i took my car to a garage for quote and the man paid.

HoraceCope · 07/01/2019 07:12

perhaps he put it on sorn when he got home?

forumdonkey · 07/01/2019 07:19

Tell him you can't afford to pay and go through insurance. Have you checked if he is insured? Check on askmid. This happened to someone I know recently and she never heard from them again.

Bunnyfuller · 07/01/2019 07:24

If his car is declared SORN his insurance is invalid. Go through insurance and also inform police. They don’t normally attend non-injury RTCs but they do need to know about this because he’s breaking the law. That’s why he’s so keen to not involve insurance.

ouchyoubiteybugger · 07/01/2019 07:27

When was it last taxed ? It will tell you next to the sorn info on DVLA
You don't have to insure a sorn vehicle as you are stating it will not be driven on the road. The insurance won't pay out as the car is not down as roadworthy.
Dh is MOT tester

labazsisgoingmad · 07/01/2019 07:29

what is sorn please

RunningFeisty · 07/01/2019 07:32

Statutory off road notice

scaredofthecity · 07/01/2019 07:32

Go through insurance. My husband had a similar accident a year after passing his test. The claim was for less than a grand and it barely affected his premiums.

They then tried (and failed!) To sue for personal injury. I dread to think what could have happened if we'd settled it privately.

You won't have to pay excess, that's only if you claim for damage to your car.

If he actually can't open his boot that will be a write off for an older car, as it costs too much to replace.

SofiaAmes · 07/01/2019 07:34

If it's SORN then it won't have insurance. You could give him the choice of giving him £300-400 or you running it through insurance and the police.

Clutterbugsmum · 07/01/2019 07:40

Go through your insurance.

I had a minor accident the Wednesday before Christmas, car drove into me on a mini roundabout ( I had right of way). And although my car didn't look that 'damaged' but I still need to have some bodywork replaced as it was all moved out of alignment.

Meesh77 · 07/01/2019 07:43

This happened to me years ago. The lady said I’d caused £1200 worth of damage - her car was really, really old and absolutely battered up - she claimed the scratch I caused would cost that to fix. I couldn’t understand why she would fix that one scratch.

She didn’t want to involve the insurance. I foolishly withdrew the money and arranged to meet her but my gut instinct told me to ring my insurance. She got very shirty with me. The insurance told me her car was only worth £500 so they basically said if she wanted £1200 they’d have to write the car off.

Funnily enough she didn’t get the scratch fixed.

TheRealHousewife · 07/01/2019 07:45

From the gov.uk website:-

When you can drive your vehicle. You can only drive a vehicle with a SORN on a public road to go to or from a pre-booked MOT or other testing appointment. You face court prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500 if you use it on the road for any other reason.

I’d say he’s a Scam Man. Go through insurance.

MaxTeyon · 07/01/2019 07:49

The insurance won't pay out as the car is not down as roadworthy.
Dh is MOT tester

That is simply incorrect. An insurance company will likely pay out less in the event of a total loss of a car with no MOT due to the perceived value being less but no tax does not invalidate your insurance. As for the OP it matters not whether the car is insured, taxed, roadworthy or driven by little green men it’s her responsibility (or her insurer’s) to fix the car.

ReflectentMonatomism · 07/01/2019 07:50

You could give him the choice of giving him £300-400 or you running it through insurance and the police.

So the third party comes back a few weeks later and says “actually, it was a grand, and I want my money”. What does the OP do? Hint: threatening to report a crime unless you are financially advantaged is not a wise move.

There are a small group of people who have the power to fuck up the rest of your life. Amongst them are insurance companies, because if you have to tick the “have you ever had insurance cancelled, refused or offered on special terms?” then you are in for a world of pain. The OP has an accident in which a third party’s vehicle were damaged. They need to report it to their insurer. The end.

To me it somewhat smells of “crash for cash” and if the OP had a dash cam the footage might make for interesting viewing, but even if it is, that ship has sailed once she started negotiating. It seems a pretty obvious fraud: get a non-MoT’s SORN’d car which is worthless anyway, provoke an accident, encourage the other party to settle “off the books”, profit. But that’s the insurance company’s problem.

I am always amazed at the enthusiasm with which people advise naive people who need a day off work after a small car accident to get involved in high-stakes potential fraud with multiple parties for the sake of a few hundred quid. If the OP goes to their insurer it will cost them the price of the repairs to their own car (because the excess sounds like it is more than the damage) and a rise in their insurance for a few years, which they can budget for. If the OP does not go to their insurer it will cost them the damage to their own car, an unbounded amount of money to the other guy, and the potential of having major insurance problems for decades. THe OP is not some subtle operator able to navigate those waters.

OP, tell your insurance company what happened, what you said, and what you know. Leave it to them. Pay you bills next year.

Weepingwillows12 · 07/01/2019 07:50

Not got much to add on top of what others have said but read your insurance policy document. I think you need to tell them about it even if you don't claim or it can invalidate your insurance.

Karigan195 · 07/01/2019 07:50

If his car is showing sorn and he’s claiming a grands worth of damage he may be setting up to take you for everything he can. I would be suspicious and going through insurance to protect myself

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