6 year old son collided with car

[SaviTavi]

A woman is trying to bill us for damage to her car after she was coming out of a cul de sac and collided with my 6 year old son on his friends bike. She was coming straight on (was luckily slowing down) and my son collided into the side of her car.
She claims she didn't see him despite seeing him and his friend playing as she went into the cul de sac and thinks we should pay for the damage to the side of her car to stop her insurance increasing. While I was sympathetic because she uses her car for work (and was driving away from a job) my son was Injured from the handle bars hitting his chest and I took him to A&E to get checked over. He's got minor bruising. The woman has been rather cheeky and messaged half an invoice of "damage estimates" which have been hand written and have no header from a garage. My son dented the wing panel and the handle bars have scratched the passenger door. These estimates are from a family friends garage.
She's not reported the incident to the police but is demanding we pay. She hurt my son and I'm cross she's trying to get about 400 quid from us.
Legally do we have to pay?

Hell no !!!!

Do not pay anything!!!!

No. She should go through her insurance

Check you household insurance to see if 3rd party damage is covered.
I know it sounds awful, but if your son rode into her car, rather than her hitting him, she may have a claim, but it should go through insurance.

I'm assuming she hit your child on the road as she shouldn't be driving on pavement. Was she actually driving or was she parked up and your son hit her? At the end of the day this is part of the reason we have car insurance so she will just need to suck it up, I don't think you are obligated to pay anything. I'm more worried that she hit your son, if she was driving and bumped him it should have been reported to police and that's what I would be doing.

Depends whether or not your son was at fault. Did she hit him or did he ride into her car?

If the former then her fault and you shouldn't pay. If your son was at fault then you absolutely should pay.

Was your son in the road? Don’t think it’s relevant that it wasn’t his bike. Hope he’s ok

Sorry, if your son went into theside of her car, I struggle to see how she collided with him.

Cars don't travel sideways so it sounds from what you've written like he rode side on into her car. It's that right?

Whether you are legally obliged to pay and whether or not her insurance would otherwise cover it, morally I think you are obliged to pay for the damage your (unsupervised? Surely not) 6 year old son caused to her car.

I'd message back you were claiming for injuries to your son. He is a minor, she will get no where, you however might.

If your son collided with the side of the car then how is it her fault?

Was he on the road or was she on the pavement?

Agree it looks like your son rode into her.

Years ago a German Shepherd dog ran out of a gate and into the side of our car. Our insurance company went after the owner.

If she was driving straight and he drove into the side of her, I can't see how she is at fault.

I would suggest she goes through her insurers. Who may then come to you.

If someones child rode into my car and caused damage, then yes, I would expect them to pay.

I hope your son is ok.
maybe at 6 , he should still be supervised on a public road

If your son rode into the side of her why didn’t he try to stop?

She can’t collide with him if he hits her in the passenger door surely?

Am I picking this up wrong?

But if it is what I think, then yes, your son is at fault.

Yes you should pay. Your son collided with her.

Is this a reverse and you're actually the driver

Maybe as you had to take your son to hospital you should log it with the police and she should claim on her insurance?

Your son hit her. She did not hit your son. You are responsible for the damages.

So your six year old was playing unsupervised in the road and cycled side on into a car? She should have reported it to her insurance but I would expect her insurance to try and reclaim the money from you.

She should have also reported it to the police I think.

A diagram would be useful here!

If he went into the side of her, then it sounds like he was at fault and you should pay for her vehicle to be fixed.

She cannot make you pay and she cannot make your son pay as he is a minor child.
However if you are concerned you could check your house insurance for legal cover and if you’re covered you could take some legal advice.

@Howshouldibehave

A diagram would be useful here!

If he went into the side of her, then it sounds like he was at fault and you should pay for her vehicle to be fixed.

I agree with this. I'm struggling to see how the car driver is at fault here.

I don't get the dynamics either. The car was moving in a road and a bike went into the side of it. But where was the bike heading? Across the road? That the car was in? In front of the car? No, because he went into the side.
The way I understand it, she came into a cul de sac in which kids on bikes were playing, and upon leaving the cul de sac one of the kids went into her car?
If that's the case, then she's in the right.

She claims she didn't see him despite seeing him and his friend playing as she went into the cul de sac

Using that logic, then nobody would be able to drive in the cul-de-sac if the kids were out on their bikes.

She was driving slowly on the road and she did not hit your son, he was the one who hit her.

You should pay.