Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to go through insurance?

59 replies

crazycatgal · 13/05/2019 19:39

Today after work I was in stationary traffic with a roundabout ahead when the car behind me tried to go around me to get to the roundabout because she was going to turn right. The road had one lane and only split into 2 lanes quite far ahead.

This car hit my drivers side towards the rear of my car and has caused deep scratches to my paintwork. The woman has a large scratch down the side of her car and a small dent.

She admitted fault and we swapped details and I have sent her a message showing her the damage to my car and have explained that I can go to the garage and get a quote. The woman has replied saying 'send me your details and I will speak to my insurance.' It seems like she now doesn't want to pay.

What do I do? I've never had an accident before and I don't want my premiums to go up because the damage is only around £120 worth. I have a dash cam that has recorded what happened and it is obvious that she was at fault.

OP posts:
Divgirl2 · 13/05/2019 19:44

You need to go through insurance really, that's what it's there for. If it's listed as a non fault claim then you won't lose your no claims bonus and your premium won't really be affected. You'll also have your excess refunded (or won't have to pay one but it's more likely to be refunded once your company claims it from the other person's).

It might be that the damage to her car is too expensive for her to pay out of pocket?

janetforpresident · 13/05/2019 19:44

It will be her insurance company that will pay but are you really sure its only £120 worth of damage, that doesn't seem like much! Does she know its only that much? I guess she wants the work done on her car too so maybe it all adds up.

Your premiums might go up a little but with a minor accident like this that was another drivers fault I doubt it will be much.

janetforpresident · 13/05/2019 19:45

Also legally even if you didn't make an insurance claim you are still supposed to tell them about accidents.

BlackcurrantJamontoast · 13/05/2019 19:46

She is doing the right thing to go through the insurance. What did you think would happen?

flirtygirl · 13/05/2019 19:47

If she wants to go through her insurance let her as you have the dash cam and also your premiums should not go up if your not put down as at fault. You should also get your excess back or not have to pay one.

Be careful to make sure they record it properly. If they record it as your fault it will affect you for 3 to 5 years depending on the insurer.

NailsNeedDoing · 13/05/2019 19:47

Even if she was at fault, she still has the right to go through her insurance.

She's obliged to tell them either way, so she may as well let them deal with it and just pay the excess. These things can turn out to be way more expensive than you expect, and she'll have th damage to her car to pay for too. It's not a given that your premiums will go up, they may well not.

Yanbu to wish it could be done the easiest way possible for you though, I get that it would be way more convenient to just deal with it yourself and have her to pay.

ifoundthebread · 13/05/2019 19:48

You contact your insurance company who then claim the costs against her /her company. If it can be proven to be a no fault claim (like your situation with camera footage to prove it) you can also claim your excess back from her company (your insurance company will sort all that) also means she can get the damage to her car sorted as well. I know damage to door panels can be expensive (I was quoted 2k when I damaged the side of my car by taking a corner too tight around another car - which only got £100 of damage to the bumper) so what may only look like a scratch and a dent to her car could be expensive

Original poster
crazycatgal · 13/05/2019 19:48

She seemed really apologetic when it happened, admitted fault straight away and apologised, the tone of her message and the time she's taking to reply is making me think that's she's now trying to get out of paying. I didn't tell her that I had a dashcam so she's unaware that I have the accident recorded.

My DP has had similar damage repaired on his car for £120 which is where I got the figure from, it is only damage to the paintwork. I just assumed that when the damage was only cosmetic she would rather pay for it than go through the insurance?

Do I lose my NCB in an accident that wasn't my fault?

OP posts:
John470322 · 13/05/2019 19:50

Tell your insurance as soon as possible. Tell them that she might offer to pay.
A similar thing happened to me and after several days the other driver was still refusing to pay for the damage so I handed it to my insurance. Because I'd told them on the day he ran into me it was no problem.

Divgirl2 · 13/05/2019 19:52

You won't lose your NCB if it's listed as a non fault claim (this isn't really about blame and more about whether your insurance company can claim all the costs back from the other side - hitting a badger at 70mph and writing off your car is listed as a fault claim because they can't recoup costs from the badger). If you have your NCB protected you also won't lose it (obviously).

CornishYarg · 13/05/2019 19:53

No, you won't lose your NCB if it's proven it wasn't your fault (which should be straightforward with the dashcam footage).

MoreSlidingDoors · 13/05/2019 19:54

your premiums should not go up if your not put down as at fault.

That’s not how it works. A non fault claim makes you statistically more likely to have a fault claim.

If they record it as your fault it will affect you for 3 to 5 years depending on the insurer.

It will be recorded for that long either way.

CornishYarg · 13/05/2019 19:55

Sorry, should have worded that better. As divgirl says, the key thing is whether it's listed as a no-fault claim on your side rather than who was to blame.

janetforpresident · 13/05/2019 19:56

She may be trying to get out of paying or you may be reading too much into it. I doubt she ever intended to pay cash and not go through insurance as it is likely to be very expensive to fix two cars and she is obliged to tell her insurer even if she doesn't claim so her premiums would go up anyway.

Fatted · 13/05/2019 19:58

I've been in the shoes of the other woman and stung for a bloody fortune by settling something outside of insurance when I was a young, relatively new driver. Now having learned the hard way, I'll always go through my insurance. Even if I'm at fault.

JonesTheDow · 13/05/2019 20:01

I didn't tell her that I had a dashcam so she's unaware that I have the accident recorded.

Tell her that you have a dashcam and are happy to send the recording to the insurers. I imagine she'll start responding quite quickly.

Original poster
crazycatgal · 13/05/2019 20:02

@Fatted I'd totally understand if she explained that, but she replied with the message I said above and then has ignored me when I've replied to her.

At the time of the accident she admitted fault but was adamant that there was no damage to my car, it was when I got home that I noticed the damage and sent pictures to her and now she seems like she doesn't want to engage with me.

OP posts:
HBStowe · 13/05/2019 20:03

If she was trying not to pay / take responsibility the last thing she would be doing is telling her insurance

janetforpresident · 13/05/2019 20:04

I had a similar thing and my premiums went up by a few pounds a month. I shopped around and found another company and got a cheaper insurance deal.

Funkyslippers · 13/05/2019 20:08

Also if you're protected NCB your premiums shouldn't go up

FunkySnidge · 13/05/2019 20:08

Why did you not point out the damage at the scene?

Gertie75 · 13/05/2019 20:09

Her insurance will repair her car too which if dented will be much more than yours and she probably doesn't have the money to pay for them both.

Either that or she'll say you moved right and into her but your dash cam will show what happened.

Alsohuman · 13/05/2019 20:09

You’re better off not engaging with her. She’s doing the right thing going through insurance, notify your insurers tomorrow.

BlackcurrantJamontoast · 13/05/2019 20:10

Today after work- time taken to reply Ignored me

It has just happened ?

MoreSlidingDoors · 13/05/2019 20:10

Also if you're protected NCB your premiums shouldn't go up

Not how it works.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.