car accident/insurance

[nervousal]

DP wsa in a minor car accident last week - he bumped car in front, racked her bumper, cracked his number plate - nothing too serious. She took his details and said she'd e-mail him re qoute for damage. Anyway - he's just received a letter from a solicitors saying that he needs to contact his insurance and theyll be in touch re her claim - and that we'll be liable for their costs. Think that the car may have been a work car - is this normal???

Never been involved in anything like this so bit worried

yes, it's normal. he ran into her, so yes, you';ll be liable for the costs

seems a bit daft to increase the costs by getting solicitors involved when he would have been happy to sort out privately. How much does a bumper for a fiesta cost???

Someone hit my car last week, insurance dealing with hit, looked like only bumper damage but some metal plate underneath needs to be replaced as buckled. I have citreon xsara picasso and quote for repairs over £600!!

noooooooooooooooooooo don't tell me things like that!!!!!! But then again that's what we have insurance for I guess.

Your car wouldn't look like a fiesta to a car-ignorant man would it?????

If it is a company car that may be the normal procedure and he should notify insurers anyway. Watch out for any personal injury claims too.

if she puts in a claim for personal damages etc etc and it does turn out to be a big claim (and not just the couple of hundred we were thinking) would that have a bigger affect on our future insurance costs?

(you're meant to be reassuring me - not scaring the life out of me!!!!)

if she puts in a claim for personal damages etc etc and it does turn out to be a big claim (and not just the couple of hundred we were thinking) would that have a bigger affect on our future insurance costs?

(you're meant to be reassuring me - not scaring the life out of me!!!!)

no my car doesnt look anything like a fiesta and we didnt swap email addresses, although I am claiming for 2 new car seats, insurance company claiming for the cost of the hire car (got it for 5 days rather than 2 weeks they wanted to keep the car as I took the car in to be assessed then took it back when parts in)

I am also making a claim for dd2 as she received injuries in teh accident, however, thats what insurance is for and your legal cover pays for any of that costs.

Have you got protected no claims (I paid £40 for mine but means in theory I can have 2 accidents in 3 years that are my fault and still keep my full no claims bonus)

If it was bumper damage and metal plate - how did it damage your car seats???

Don't have protected no claims unfortunately - one of those things I always meant to do.

was advised by my insurance to get new seats as any impact can weaken them especially dd2's as sh is still in 5point harness (plus we were stationary and he was travelling at speed and actually moved us around 5metres into a main road and I had the handbrake on so was a hard 'whack' to the rear of the car!)

If you have insurance they will pay for damage, and PI claim and the solicitor's costs, if there are any. May lose NCB but that's about all. You aren't going to be left with a bill unless you have no insurance, and in that case unless you are worth suing, the other party would be better off going through the MIB.

If he's heard from a solicitors, its either in connection with the policy excess or injury claim. Pass it onto your insurers asap so they can reply in the time limits and fill a claim form in. Your insurers will handle the rest.

thanks all - just one thing. I'm the policy holder for his cars insurance - with him as a named driver, and think its the other way round for the car I drive (can't remember why it worked out thatway!) If we claim off one policy will we lose the no-claims on the linked policy?

No, you only lose the ncb on the policy you claim from.