..insurance claim question......

galwaytt

...so, just wondering at what point you wouldn't put a claim through your insurance ?

Long story short, I had a tip on Monday, and by all accounts others, ins assessor I know, it'd be very difficult for me to claim a good defense as I was on a minor road coming onto another road, so it looks like I'll get lumbered with the other party's bill.

Now, that bill has come in at €800 on a 00 reg Yaris. You can argue about whether that's even worth fixing, but the long and the short of it is I'm wondering what such a claim would have on my insurance, next year ? And no, I don't have step-back or NCB protection............sigh...........

The alternative is to leave the ins co's out of it - other party is equally happy to do that too.

Thoughts ?

CiniO

galwaytt wrote: »

...so, just wondering at what point you wouldn't put a claim through your insurance ?

Long story short, I had a tip on Monday, and by all accounts others, ins assessor I know, it'd be very difficult for me to claim a good defense as I was on a minor road coming onto another road, so it looks like I'll get lumbered with the other party's bill.

Now, that bill has come in at €800 on a 00 reg Yaris. You can argue about whether that's even worth fixing, but the long and the short of it is I'm wondering what such a claim would have on my insurance, next year ? And no, I don't have step-back or NCB protection............sigh...........

The alternative is to leave the ins co's out of it - other party is equally happy to do that too.

Thoughts ?

You have to calculate it yourself.
If you don't claim you will have to fix other party car from your own pocket (800) + your car as well (how much??)...

If you claim, and assuming you have fully comp policy, they will cover those costs, but there still will be excess on whatever is paid towards your car.


I would count it like that f.e. if I had 5 years NCB, and my premium was 500.
Lost NCB, so next premium 1000. year after 900, then 800, then 700, then 600 and finally after 5 years back to 500.
So in the next 5 years I'm paying 1500 extra towards my premium.
Plus when claiming you have to add excess to it.

If this is more than fixing the cars will cost from your own pocket, it's probably not worth claiming.

galwaytt

Tks Cinio, your last point is the most salient.

My excess is more than the repairs to mine, so no point in claiming anything for my damage, only the 3rd party's.

I wouldn't mind but I only renewed last week and DIDN'T buy NCB protection. Duh !!

bazz26

I'd imagine your insurance company would deem €800 for repairs on a 13 year old Yaris an economical write off if you went through them. How many years NCB would you end up loosing if you claimed?

galwaytt

bazz26 wrote: »

How many years NCB would you end up loosing if you claimed?

...that's what I don't know......I assume in the absence of step-back or other NCB protection, all of it..........

bazz26

I'd imagine it would depend on your insurance company. I'd ring them and just ask them for advice on the matter.

R.O.R

galwaytt wrote: »

I wouldn't mind but I only renewed last week and DIDN'T buy NCB protection. Duh !!

Do you still have the bits and pieces the insurance company sent to you? I'm sure that last time I bothered to actually read the docs sent (rather than just chuckling to myself at how cheap it's getting) it had the policy cost before the NCB was applied.

If this is on the docs, it will tell you roughly how much insurance should be next year if you do lose all your NCB.

djimi

galwaytt wrote: »

...that's what I don't know......I assume in the absence of step-back or other NCB protection, all of it..........

Step back is pretty standard nowadays isnt it? Im pretty sure every policy Ive had, bar maybe my very first one, had it as standard.

dj1980

Isn't there a caveat with step back that some company's require you to wait with them for a number of years after the protected claim?
I know I read a comment from someone involved in insurance that said as much on here a few months back

djimi

dj1980 wrote: »

Isn't there a caveat with step back that some company's require you to wait with them for a number of years after the protected claim?
I know I read a comment from someone involved in insurance that said as much on here a few months back

Its quite likely that any NCB protection will only apply to the company who issued it. As far as Im aware there is no obligation on another insurer to offer you a no claims discount if you have a claim on your policy, even if your current insurer has protected your NCB.

Anan1

It's pretty much impossible to know what you'll be paying a couple of years hence either with or without a claim, which makes it very hard to advise you in a marginal case such as this. Is there any possibility of the other party coming back with a personal injury claim? If so, run it through your insurance.

galwaytt

Update to all, and thanks for your comments.

First off, it was confirmed I'd lose all my NCB, which atmo is €322-worth per annum. Using Cinio's formula it's a no-brainer for me to NOT let the this go through the insurance.

I told my insurer I was not admitting liability pending clarification on all costs, and they told me for a claim this size I can 'buy' the claim and it won't affect my NCB. I can reimburse the insurer, or I can pay the garage direct.

So, having agreed that, and got a detailed breakdown of the repairs from the garage doing it, I rang the owner, and she agreed to get a 2nd quote for comparison, and we'd pick one, and I'd pay. She agreed.

Then she jumps in looking for 3 x days car hire, as she needs a car for work. When I point out my machine being off the road as well due to the damage she caused it, she loses the plot and hung up the phone saying she'd pursue it through the insurance as it was 'my fault'. I have a witness and his info passed to AGS since Monday that says at best it was a 50/50, and possibly a 60 her fault/40 mine.

This is all very well - in theory. But win/lose/draw - I lose - because the kicker is........despite she saying on Monday she'd avoid insurers.........it turns out she works for them and logged it. AND, I'm insured with them as well.

So, right now, I dunno where I stand, she hung up in a temper, and I've rang her back and left a message to call me again.

Moral of the story: NCB protection - every time.

R.O.R

If it goes 50/50 then you can buy the claim off. If it goes 100% against you, with car hire etc. is it still going to work out cheaper to buy off the claim, or let it run through insurance?

peteb2

You hit her? You are pretty sure you are at fault. And then you get peeved when she asks about car rental?? I'd be looking for a car too.

galwaytt

peteb2 wrote: »

You hit her? You are pretty sure you are at fault. And then you get peeved when she asks about car rental?? I'd be looking for a car too.

I didn't say I hit her - where did I say that ? - imho I had possession of the road and was across the white line, and she hit the left side of my front wheel. The only witness I have thinks she was driving too fast as he says he had no sight of her when I crossed the road - and he was loooking directly in her direction.

Like I said, it's not straightforward.

peteb2

doesn't make a difference. you said it yourself - you were coming from a minor to major road. Balance of probability favours the other party.

ba_barabus

Surely she can't be involved in processing a claim she is involved in.

If they play hardball I'd be contacting the ombudsman.

ba_barabus

Surely she can't be involved in processing a claim she is involved in.

If they play hardball I'd be contacting the ombudsman.

ash23

I doubt she is processing it. If someone hits you and you get their insurance details you can contact the insurer and log the claim.

OP, because she was on the main road and you were crossing, you are at fault. Even if she was going too fast, you are still deemed to be at fault. There is no 60/40 or 50/50 about it as far as the insurer would be concerned.
Also, it wouldn't (for your insurer) be worth the costs involved of trying to appropriate blame to her insurers via a legal team based on the fees involved especially when your claiming that she was going too fast but the damage isn't major. If she were speeding the impact would have been greater, no?

Anyway, imo you're fighting a losing battle. You are at fault technically so she is entitled to claim for car replacement while hers is off the road. If I were you, I'd be putting it through the insurance and seeing how much it all costs and then weighing up my options in terms of deciding whether to pay back the insurer or not.

giant_midget

galwaytt wrote: »

...so, just wondering at what point you wouldn't put a claim through your insurance ?

Long story short, I had a tip on Monday, and by all accounts others, ins assessor I know, it'd be very difficult for me to claim a good defense as I was on a minor road coming onto another road, so it looks like I'll get lumbered with the other party's bill.

Now, that bill has come in at €800 on a 00 reg Yaris. You can argue about whether that's even worth fixing, but the long and the short of it is I'm wondering what such a claim would have on my insurance, next year ? And no, I don't have step-back or NCB protection............sigh...........

The alternative is to leave the ins co's out of it - other party is equally happy to do that too.

Thoughts ?

galwaytt wrote: »

Update to all, and thanks for your comments.

First off, it was confirmed I'd lose all my NCB, which atmo is €322-worth per annum. Using Cinio's formula it's a no-brainer for me to NOT let the this go through the insurance.

I told my insurer I was not admitting liability pending clarification on all costs, and they told me for a claim this size I can 'buy' the claim and it won't affect my NCB. I can reimburse the insurer, or I can pay the garage direct.

So, having agreed that, and got a detailed breakdown of the repairs from the garage doing it, I rang the owner, and she agreed to get a 2nd quote for comparison, and we'd pick one, and I'd pay. She agreed.

Then she jumps in looking for 3 x days car hire, as she needs a car for work. When I point out my machine being off the road as well due to the damage she caused it, she loses the plot and hung up the phone saying she'd pursue it through the insurance as it was 'my fault'. I have a witness and his info passed to AGS since Monday that says at best it was a 50/50, and possibly a 60 her fault/40 mine.

This is all very well - in theory. But win/lose/draw - I lose - because the kicker is........despite she saying on Monday she'd avoid insurers.........it turns out she works for them and logged it. AND, I'm insured with them as well.

So, right now, I dunno where I stand, she hung up in a temper, and I've rang her back and left a message to call me again.

Moral of the story: NCB protection - every time.

You have a hard neck pal, I was in a very sililar situtation a few weeks ago to the woman in question. She needs a car for work , you damaged her car..