To think her car insurance is taking the piss?

[QuestionableMouse]

My mum had someone go into the back of her car on the 29/6 this year.

It's still not resolved - they've written the car off based on a few photos but she's still waiting for the payment. They're also refusing to replace two high backed boosters (both nephews were in the car) as mum can't find the receipts for them.

She's just had a letter today asking is she'd admit 50/50 liability despite the other driver being totally at fault. Mum indicated and slowed to used a slip road and the driver behind was on her phone and hit the back of the car. We'd been out for the day together so I was a couple of cars behind and saw the entire thing but they're refusing to accept my statement because I'm related to her.

Aibu to say they're taking the piss?

Definitely. She should write back that it was not her fault and that she needs an interim payment for carseats and hire car (if her policy covers it) . A month is not a long time to wait though,

It's the car seats that's the problem. Can't really afford to replace them and they belonged to my sister who really needs them.

Check the manafactures guidance on if the seats are safe to use after a crash.
If not then ask the insurance company if they are willing to certify the seats as being safe and if they are willing to provide a written statement of indemnity if their use subsequently result in additional injury to one or both children.

The insurance company staff are idiots they are risking 2 personal injury claims which your sister could take on behalf of her 2 children.

I had a similar problem when someone reversed into my parked car.
I no longer had the car seat receipts.
I found the equivalent seats online and screenshot the website including the price and submitted that to enable them to issue an amount for replacement.
Alternatively if you can afford to buy the replacement do that and submit the invoice/receipt for payment, ask for it to be settled in x amount of days.

Agree with every pp’s have said but also a month isn’t very long in insurance. I was hit by another driver, clear non fault claim from me and he admitted fault, it still took nearly 2 months for them to sort it

Insurance companies are all bastards.

Could the purchaser of the seats screen shot a website and also include a copy of bank or credit card statement showing the payment?

I was rear ended twice recently. I was stationary both times - once at a red light in December, once on stop lines in March (I'd had my car back from the body shop 4 weeks!). In the first incident the other driver was unconscious; in the second he admitted liability straightaway (sorry love, my fault, I thought you'd gone).

The March incident is still being resolved, although I've got my car back.

No car seats involved though.

When my car was stolen I had to either provide receipts for the car seat and the other stuff that I was claiming for, or buy new ones and present those receipts. That won't help if she can't afford to replace the seats then claim, but surely you can see why they won't just handover the cash without any proof of purchase? There's a limit on the amount you can claim (I think it was £250 when I claimed) but car seats are usually separate from the rest of the contents, best to check the insurance policy.

A courtesy car is normally included on comprehensive policies but it only be provided for the time the vehicle is being fixed, so if the car has been written off then there won't be one provided.
Hire cars are normally an optional extra on the policy, so if your mum hasn't opted for this when taking it out then she won't get one and will have to suck up the cost if she needs to hire a car.

She shouldn't accept 50/50 responsibility, they're probably trying that as the other driver has disputed liability so it makes it easier and quicker to settle if they split the blame.

With regards to a payout for the car she won't get anything until the claim can be closed. It can take a few weeks unfortunately. My claims for the contents were paid more quickly though.

Something I forgot to say in my previous post, if the car is written off the insurance company will probably try to undervalue it. Find out what it would cost to replace like for like (same make, model, age, mileage, condition - check price guides and used car adverts) and send them 'proof' if they try it on. I had to do this and got £2.5k more than the original settlement offer.