Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

I crashed my son's car. Which insurance should I claim on?

68 replies

WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 19:52

We were both at fault in the crash so that will be for the insurance companies to fight over.
I am insured fully comp as a named driver on his policy and I have third party cover on my policy.
I gave my policy number at the scene.
My son's policy is new - he only just passed his test. His car would likely be a write off but it's drivable and we could probably fix it up.
I can't get my head round which policy we should claim on given that his insurance is already high whilst I have protected no claims. I also don't know if somehow the insurance companies will know anyway and it will effect both policies.

OP posts:
Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 20:52

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 09/12/2022 20:39

Pretty sure your policy will only cover you if you are not a named driver on your sons policy.

Good point...not sure I have a policy booklet. It must be online. I will have to check thanks.

OP posts:
Blowthemandown · 09/12/2022 20:54

Testina · 09/12/2022 20:13

Are you sure you have Third Party included on your own policy? It used to be standard - but it’s not now. So firstly I’d check that. Hope that’s not patronising - I only found out a couple of years back that it wasn’t automatic these days.

If you do have it, read the details. It’s usually intended for occasional / emergency use. So an insurer would say that you have no business claiming that you had to drive his car under your own fully comp insurance as an emergency, because you had perfectly good fully comp cover on his policy as a named driver.

@WheatShreds I also think the ‘you as named’ takes priority

jevoudrais · 09/12/2022 20:55

DH crashed my car and insurance made us claim on my policy for which he was a named driver and not on his own insurance on which he was insured to drive other cars fully comp. It fucked my insurance and not his Sad

Ilikewinter · 09/12/2022 20:57

Ooh this is interesting. Me and DH are named on each others insurance as it brought the cost down but I assumed ( wrongly as it seems), that if I had an accident then it would be a claim on my insurance regardless of the car I was in. Might have to stop DH driving my car just incase 🤣

Testina · 09/12/2022 21:00

I would just call one of the insurance companies.

  • if you have a choice, all good
  • if there’s a rule for one, you’ll find out
  • if it’s not the one you wanted but now you’ve “dropped yourself in it” you’d shouldn’t be scamming anyway!
curiousbanana · 09/12/2022 21:06

Argh.

What were the circumstances of the accident? Are you likely to be held partly liable?

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 09/12/2022 21:09

To clarify a few points
You will have to claim on his policy. Whilst you have DOC on yours it will also state that it won't apply if you are a named driver on thar policy.
More likely than not, if your sons car is written off, they will deduct any outstanding premiums before paying but should allow him to add another car to the policy for the rest of the year.

Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:11

Thanks for your input everyone.
As many of you have said, we have now looked at the policy and you were right and we have to claim on his policy.
Poor DS - he barely scraped together the money for his insurance. I feel awful and haven't told him yet as I don't want to spoil his weekend away. Looks like the damage to his insurance will cost much more than the damage to his car.
We will help him but we don't have much ourselves.😢

OP posts:
ArcticSkewer · 09/12/2022 21:14

aren't you planning on making sure this doesn't leave him out of pocket, seeing as it was you who crashed his car?

Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:15

Testina · 09/12/2022 21:00

I would just call one of the insurance companies.

  • if you have a choice, all good
  • if there’s a rule for one, you’ll find out
  • if it’s not the one you wanted but now you’ve “dropped yourself in it” you’d shouldn’t be scamming anyway!

Scamming?
No just two possible options - both legitimately paid for.
But thanks to Mumsnet I now know one of the options didn't exist after all. Job done.

OP posts:
OnTheBoardwalk · 09/12/2022 21:18

Where you down on your sons insurance to bring the premiums down?

although if you were, your choice, it does seem strange you were actually driving his car with 2 other cars at home

Fantina · 09/12/2022 21:19

If you have the contact details for the driver of the other car can you agree to repair your own cars to avoid the hike in premiums? You said upthread it was fault on both sides

Calmdown14 · 09/12/2022 21:26

Is it a case that the car is badly damaged or that it's a low value car and so likely to be an insurance write off because repairs exceed the value of the car?

It is worth asking the other party if they want to look into the costs of repairs if you are sure it is a 50/50 claim.

And I think people are being unnecessarily harsh. You hardly did it on purpose and are trying to do your best for him. Accidents can happen to any of us.

Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:26

Yes - don't worry, he won't be out of pocket.

I was accidentally found myself in a bus lane. A truck then crossed a white line and moved into the bus lane where he also shouldn't be hitting me. We both did something wrong. He told me it was my fault for being in the bus lane but it is only as I set off again I wondered why then he was moving into the bus lane...

OP posts:
Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:35

OnTheBoardwalk · 09/12/2022 21:18

Where you down on your sons insurance to bring the premiums down?

although if you were, your choice, it does seem strange you were actually driving his car with 2 other cars at home

Yes - to bring cost down it made a big difference - bad call as it turns out.

Next statement is a bit mean but I'll play. My husband had gone to work in his car. My car wouldn't start this morning. The battery was dead. DS wanted a lift to the station so he drove and I drove back.

Yes it's a low value car so we could patch up the rear wing or even replace it and fix the bumper back on for less than this is going to cost insurance wise.
The truck was Highways agency. I don't suppose much damage was done to it. They filled in a fairly official form. I feel like that might make it harder to negotiate.

OP posts:
UsingChangeofName · 09/12/2022 21:37

My understanding is, even if you have 3rd party cover to drive another car on your own policy, that doesn't apply to another car registered at your address. So if you weren't on his policy, you wouldn't be covered through your own insurance.
I don't know if this is all insurance companies but this is what we were told when ds was looking at adding us on to his policy.

Yarnosaura · 09/12/2022 21:39

Aah, thanks for clarifying third car thing!

justgettingthroughtheday · 09/12/2022 21:46

WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:26

Yes - don't worry, he won't be out of pocket.

I was accidentally found myself in a bus lane. A truck then crossed a white line and moved into the bus lane where he also shouldn't be hitting me. We both did something wrong. He told me it was my fault for being in the bus lane but it is only as I set off again I wondered why then he was moving into the bus lane...

Did the police come? Who told you to was 50/50. Sounds like the truck drivers fault to me?!!!

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 09/12/2022 21:47

If it was a highways agency vehicle it might well have dash cam to help sort out liability.

OnTheBoardwalk · 09/12/2022 21:50

@WheatShreds ah sorry wasn’t meant to be mean just curious

I've added my mums car a couple of times and have felt so paranoid driving it for fear of a crash or bump I would only do it if absolutely no other choice

highways agency make it more complicated for you. Hope you get it sorted

Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:51

No police. The driver told me I was wrong and I believed him. Its true that I was in the wrong lane. It was only afterwards that I realised he had no more business being in a bus lane than me.

OP posts:
Original poster
WheatShreds · 09/12/2022 21:53

Not sure about dash cam but they took loads of photos.
I took a couple but I was really upset. Wouldn't have minded so much if it was my car.

OP posts:
Onnabugeisha · 09/12/2022 22:02

I’m sorry OP, my DH recently crunched a parked car and it’s an awful feeling isn’t it? I’m glad to see you intend to ensure your DS isn’t out of pocket for your mistake.

If the highways vehicle was within 100m of a loading zone or a turn, he had every right to turn into it. But you being in the bus lane doesn’t automatically make the accident your fault as he still should have checked before changing lanes.

caringcarer · 09/12/2022 22:07

Your poor son. He will be devistated when he finds out. You will have to compensate him fully for car and excess insurance that will impact him for 5 years, meaning for the next 5 years his premium will be very high instead of having a year no claims discounts.

WeepingSomnambulist · 09/12/2022 22:13

It doesnt matter if you shouldn't have been in the bus lane. You were. He drove into you. It is his fault.

A pedestrian shouldn't sit in the middle of the road, but if there is one sitting there and you go ahead and drive over them, you're at fault.

He was chaning lanes. The lane was not clean but he changed anyway and drove into you. Whether or not it was a bus lane doesnt matter. You dont change lanes unless it is clear to do so.

How long have you been driving? Why would you believe him? Just coz he was a man and he told you?