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HELP Someone has driven into my car and I don't think they're insured!

6 replies

bluebear · 09/06/2006 14:48

A man has driven his car out of a side road and hit my (only bought last weekend) car at the rear passenger door. There seems to be only damage to the paintwork and sill but haven't had a mechanic look at it yet.
The man gave my nanny (who was driving our car), his first name and a phone number with a digit missing, but also said that he worked in a nearby shop. He said that it was his fault, he hadn't seen our car (a 6 foot high turquoise MiniMPV!) and that he would pay cash for the damage. Our nanny got the impression that he was'nt insured.
I tracked him down today - had to go to the shop he owns (car he has is an expensive one with a personalised numberplate) - I told him that he should have given his surname and the correct phone number.
He again said he would pay himself for the damage. I told him our insurance company would be in touch - he didn't offer any insurance details.

So, if he is uninsured and I give his name and address to our insurance company will it cause major problems for me (I have an unprotected no claims bonus)? Would it really be better to get cash from him for the repair and just inform our insurance that there was an incident but no claim?
Help - I have to make up my mind and ring insurance people soon and don't know what to do for the best.

Gut feeling is to ring and let them deal with it - if he's driving wieh no insurance he needs to be stopped.

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bluebear · 09/06/2006 19:43

I don't believe it - I have rung insurance people and reported the bash yesterday - went outside my house and found some other 'person' has scraped all along the other side of my car! Two accidents in 2 days and I've no idea who the second one was.
This car is doomed.

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SoupDragon · 09/06/2006 19:45

Get them both fixed withoug going through insurance and hand the man the bill for the whole lot??

bluebear · 09/06/2006 20:33

Hmm...soupdragon I like your style :)

Further complication is that the car was due to go back to the garage from where we bought it, for 'touching up scratches' and a few other minor repairs which they were meant to do before we picked it up, but didn't have the right colour paint, or some of the other spare parts.
Our nanny thinks I should just take it back to the garage and say that it was like that when we bought it - don't think i'll get away with that though.
Have told insurance about 'side road' guy - and they are chasing him for payment, but luckily I have some sort of insurance which pays out if he is uninsured - hurrah!
Not sure what to do about scratches on other side - guess will try to polish off the big black marks which are there at the moment and see how bad it is underneath.

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SoupDragon · 09/06/2006 21:41

T Cut it and see what the damage is. If you take the car to be fixed yourself, you might be able to get the garage to touch it up withouth the insurance co being any the wiser.

crunchie · 11/06/2006 11:05

He is probably insurred but thought with such minor damage a cash payment to you would keep his no claims etc, rather than faff with insurance co.

IMHO I would do that if I thought I had caused damage worth 200 or less as I wouldn't want my insurance to suffer over the next few years IYKWIM

bluebear · 11/06/2006 19:05

If he had given his surname and correct phone number I would have thought that too Crunchie.
The garage had the car back this weekend - didn't do all the bits that they were meant to do , but did T cut the second lot of scrapes and they are a lot better.
We managed to drive the car about this weekend and didn't have any accidents :o hurrah

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