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Original poster

Just reversed in to a parked car

25 replies

doc123 · 02/12/2013 20:16

Hi I just revised into a parked car, just didn't see it as gaps between bays so small. Driving really slowly, so shocked that I smashed his front light and dented the front. Waited for him to come out of the shops as didn't know whose car it was, and apologised and exchanged numbers. He wanted my address but I just gave him my mobile and he questioned my honesty in giving him the correct number- that's after I had waited 15 mins for the owner to come to his car and tell him that i a had damaged it!,,I suggested to have his car repaired rather than go through insurance, an dye is saying it will cost £500! His car is an old model Toyota carolaA- is this right? Or is he trying it. Also he said that the indicators don't work now (-afterwards on the phone) not sure what to do, please advise,thanks

OP posts:

ssd · 02/12/2013 20:23

hi doc123, this happened to me recently. I cant see how he'll know already how much the repair will cost, it sounds like he's at it a bit. I know it affects your no claims but in this instance I'd go through the insurers, that way his car will be repaired by an authorised dealership and you'll just pay your excess. If you go privately he could come up with a bill of hundreds and make you pay for every little thing he thinks he can get away with.

sorry! I know this is a pain before Xmas x

fluffaduck · 02/12/2013 20:23

I would go through the insurance if you don't trust his quotes or what damage was done by your car. Either that or choose a generic garage to take it to that way you can be sure he hasn't got a mate to bump up the price.

caroldecker · 02/12/2013 20:28

careful though, your insurance will increase next year and for the next few years.
It is also fraud not to report an accident to the insurance company when you renew, whether you claim or not - therefore, if you are to be honest in the future just go through the insurance

specialsubject · 02/12/2013 21:23

you've written his car off.

go through your insurance, that's why you have it. What else would you do after an accident?

breatheslowly · 02/12/2013 21:51

If you don't go through insurers then ask him to get a couple of quotes.

If you do go through insurance, it is worth being aware that his insurance may go up, even as the "innocent" party. As if your car is hit, it is statistically more likely that you will make another claim compared to someone with no claims.

It might be worth looking up his car on a valuation site as you might well have written it off if it is only worth a few hundred.

Fixing cars often costs more than you might imagine. It sounds like you have damaged more than one part of the car (headlight, bodywork, potentially bumper), these all add up.

If he looks like he will be a pain in the arse then I'd just go through your insurance.

ivykaty44 · 02/12/2013 22:40

your insurance company would find out any way that you have hit another car - as the other owner will need to tell his insurance company about the smash, therefore they will have details of your number plate, name and vehicle etc. He has to tell his insurance even if you pay for the repairs as it is invalidating your insurance not to tell them about a smash

breatheslowly · 02/12/2013 23:02

Whilst theoretically true ivykaty, I think that when people agree not to go through insurers, neither party informs their insurers as the point is not to lose no claims discounts. I'm not advocating it as it does invalidate your insurance, but that is how I understand it to work.

specialsubject · 03/12/2013 10:52

if it invalidates insurance it is a no-go. Driving without insurance will cost a lot more than this claim.

call the insurers. you HAVE written off his car.

ivykaty44 · 03/12/2013 13:45

breathless, I hadn't thought of that! I would always inform my insurance anyway even if the other party wanted to pay - as you don't lose no claim if the accident isn't your fault. I have had two drivers go into the back of me in the last 12/13 years and I have full no claims - I queried this due to the two prangs -the insurance told me I still had full no claims as neither accident was my fault

breatheslowly · 03/12/2013 17:27

You don't lose your no claims, but your insurance premium may rise as you are statistically a worse risk for the insurers if someone has damaged your car in the past. It is the base premium that is effected, not the NCD.

JumpingJackSprat · 03/12/2013 17:35

There's a few little details on this thread that aren't technically correct but never mind. Op report to your insurers and let them sort it out. Usually no excess to pay unless you claim for your own damage.

onedogandababy · 03/12/2013 17:44

specialsubject how are you so sure she's written his car off?

specialsubject · 03/12/2013 19:21

because damage like this to a car over eight years old or so means a write off. The insurance companies will only do gold plated repairs, at a cost of hundreds per panel to do it to showroom standard. It will not be an economic repair.

what hopefully happens is that the other guy gets offered the value of the car, a few hundred quid. It is then registered as a cat C or D write off. He gets it back, buys the replacement parts from a scrappie, fits them or gets a non-branded garage to do it, deals with his insurers to see what they want done to get it road legal (poss new MoT and VOSA inspection), pays increased insurance and it is now worth nothing for resale.

of course if it is hit hard enough to make it unsafe, that's different and he will lose it - but a parking bump isn't normally that hard. But if the OP has knackered up the bonnet, bumper and lights, it is a write off.

how do I know? Someone reversed into mine while it was parked. Shedloads of hassle.

Oblomov · 03/12/2013 19:37

I agree. What looks like a minor prang, to an older is just a money pit.
Dh comes from a car background and knows tonnes of people who do repairs.
I am always staggered as to how much my minor prangs cost. And that's dh getting the repair done, at cost, from a friend.

specialsubject · 03/12/2013 19:43

I hope there aren't too many minor prangs, Oblomov :-)

onedogandababy · 03/12/2013 19:45

specialsubject fair do's. But someone ploughed into the back of my 7 yr old car with over 100k on the clock at 40mph. Shunted all the rear side panels out by over a cm, bent the steel bar in the back of the boot, took off front and back bumpers (shunted me forward into a van). Smashed lights yadda yadda yadda. Took them a month, but it was repaired and all paintwork polished up so all panels matched.

So never say never though I'm happy to believe this is rare, as the RAC man ripped off my front bumper and pulled the wheel arch out so I could drive home, he also voiced the opinion it'd be written off.

onedogandababy · 03/12/2013 19:48

Oblomov it's the cost aspect that really made me wonder why they fixed mine. Still intrigued when I think about it 10 years on...

onedogandababy · 03/12/2013 19:51

Sorry op for banging on about my car incident . My advice would be to go thru the insurers. Tis all official and unable to be argued with then.

specialsubject · 03/12/2013 21:12

situation has changed, I think, if this was 10 years ago. As has car design - I know someone with a newish car and you have to disassemble it hugely to change a headlight bulb.

with the boot crumpled (and by the sound of it the subframe) it is a BIG job.

gaelicsheep · 03/12/2013 21:19

God if it's £500 count yourself lucky! DH reversed into a stationary car at about 5 mph. Left a v small scrape on that car and a v small scrape on our car (to add to the several others we've sustained at the hands of other parties in the school car park who haven't owned up). It had to be a bloody BMW didn't it? They claim "repairs" will be over £300 . We're thinking we might insist it goes through insurance in the hope he might decide it isn't that important after all.

hannibalismisunderstood · 14/12/2013 07:49

Someone reversed into the side of my car, I had bought it for £700 and as it needed a new door I thought they would write it off but no, the Insurance company authorised the repairs which are coming in at around £1400! I get it back next week but have been driving a brand new fiesta sport as a courtesy Car for a month!

AnotherWorld · 17/12/2013 19:00

Might this be why insurance is getting to be ridiculously expensive maybe?

mum2kiss · 17/12/2013 19:49

ridiculously expensive is an understatement. I moved house 3 miles down the road and my insurance went up £2,400 to just under £3k! daylight robbery! I have been driving for 13yrs.

having had a couple of minor scrapes recently I would advise to just go through insurance. the first. one decided it was too much hassle for a scrape to the bumper and the second refused to hand over their details so no pay out was made! if they put your premium up next year just switch to another insurer. Also if you have quite a few years no claims you wont lose all of it...just a few :)

hopeonhorizon · 18/12/2013 11:52

That's a shame but just go through your insurance company. I reversed into a parked car in the school playground and left a tiny dent in other car. The lady was v civil but when I phoned her to offer just to settle damage myself she said it was in the hands of her solicitors.
I then get a quote for price of courtesy car, solicitors fees and damage which came to nearly £2000 so I went through insurance company! Still to hear how much my premiums will increase. Total waste of money all round. I could have had it sorted for about £150!

shoom · 30/12/2013 19:22

You don't know this person, so can't trust them. Don't risk your own insurance, inform them of the potential claim. If it is sorted through an insurance company you only pay out your excess if your own car is being repaired, you don't pay an excess when someone else is claiming for their car to be repaired on your policy.

Your insurance t&c will mention that you have to help them minimise the cost of a claim, so don't agree to anything with this guy (apart from considering to look at quotes if you want.) Your worst case scenario here is that you pay him £500 or whatever without informing your insurance, company. He later decides the damage is more extensive and it becomes an insurance job. Your insurance company are not impressed that you admitted their liability by paying out without allowing them to get involved, investigate, assess the damage etc at the early stage. They could cancel your policy and refuse to insure you, which you'd have to disclose to future insurers, who may decide not to offer you a policy at any price.

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