Mother as Learner rammed into her friend's car. Advice what to do?

arleitiss

Hey, my mother who is learner and drives on her own - rammed into her friends car while reversing.

Parents car is 2008 Corsa, friends car is 2003 Diesel 5 Series.

What would be better option? Go through insurance? (Excess is 350 Euro) or just go to mechanic (if anyone knows decent mechanic around Dublin - please let me know) and get it fixed by them?


What would estimated costs be to replace front passengers door and front wing on 03 BMW?

Also how much can she expect insurance to go up?

uck51js9zml2yt

As she was on her own she wasn't insured.

Supergurrier

If they are friends fix it and don't claim on insurance or she will be priced out of the insurance market aswell as possible implications legally of driving unaccompanied.

Repair shouldn't be more than 500e over the excess.

ironclaw

Nevaeh Greasy Commando wrote: »

As she was on her own she wasn't insured.

To be clear, she is insured but only third party. Legally, an insurance company cannot refuse to pay out to the third parties. That's not to say they cannot come after you for the bill at a later date for breach of the conditions of insurance i.e. Driving unaccompanied.

OP, you'd be insane to get involved with the insurance company if its a friend. Let them go to a garage and get an estimate, then cut a cheque for the amount. By the time you pay the excess and the insurance company load you to the hilt for a claim, you'd be far better off even if the repair bill was in the thousands.

J.pilkington

Nevaeh Greasy Commando wrote: »

As she was on her own she wasn't insured.

Partially Incorrect

Insurer will always pay the 3rd party then may initiate a claim against the insured if policy rules broken

arleitiss

So just to be clear: if you have fully comp insurance and you drive alone as learner and cause damage.
Insurance will cover most/all third party damage but not your own?

savagethegoat

She may as well pay for her friends car to be repaired or replaced. She wont get anything from the Insurance for her own car, except a bigger premium next year!

TheChizler

arleitiss wrote: »

So just to be clear: if you have fully comp insurance and you drive alone as learner and cause damage.
Insurance will cover most/all third party damage but not your own?

The only definite answer to that is in your policy document. They have to at least cover the third party.

Big Nasty

What's that rumble?

Oh, it's the sound of high horses galloping towards this thread.

If they're friends get it fixed privately.

slimjimmc

Nevaeh Greasy Commando wrote: »

As she was on her own she wasn't insured.

That depends entirely on the policy terms.
There was a case of an unaccompanied learner who was convicted in the District Court for driving uninsured despite having a policy. However on appeal to the High Court the court overturned the conviction purely because his policy did not have a clause excluding cover while breaching your learner permit conditions. It was the High Court's opinion that had his policy contained this exclusion clause the driver would have been uninsured and conviction would have stood.

Many policies now have such an exclusion clause and I expect that an insurer could legally refuse a claim and the victim would have to claim compensation through the MIBI uninsured driver scheme.

Voodoomelon

Paint job alone for a front wing and door is easily €600+ at a good panel beaters. Plus the actual damage repair, you're looking around €1000. If new wing/door is needed, you could double it.

ezra_

As high as the cost will be 1-2k, it will be cheaper than your mothers next renewal if she claims. And that cost won't be getting much better for a few years.

JohnBoy26

arleitiss wrote: »

Hey, my mother who is learner and drives on her own - rammed into her friends car while reversing.

Parents car is 2008 Corsa, friends car is 2003 Diesel 5 Series.

What would be better option? Go through insurance? (Excess is 350 Euro) or just go to mechanic (if anyone knows decent mechanic around Dublin - please let me know) and get it fixed by them?


What would estimated costs be to replace front passengers door and front wing on 03 BMW?

Also how much can she expect insurance to go up?

As it will likely need to be painted It will have to go to a body shop.

arleitiss

It's a grey color, I've seen many cars for sale online for breaking.
Found out more about friends car:

It's a 2003 E46 3 Series 320d sedan, grey color.

Friend is okay with any option other than straightening out current dents/parts.

arleitiss

It's a grey color, I've seen many cars for sale online for breaking.
Found out more about friends car:

It's a 2003 E46 3 Series 320d sedan, grey color.

Friend is okay with any option other than straightening out current dents/parts.

DakarVert

Find a car for breaking, Same colour buy the complete door (Glass, Reg/Motor) and wing.

Should be €100 for a door and about €50 for a wing, Get a decent panel beater to fit them.

Very easy to change panels on an E46.

endacl

ironclaw wrote: »

OP, you'd be insane to get involved with the insurance company if its a friend. Let them go to a garage and get an estimate, then cut a cheque for the amount. By the time you pay the excess and the insurance company load you to the hilt for a claim, you'd be far better off even if the repair bill was in the thousands.

If it's in the thousands, it'd be cheaper to replace the friend's car for a newer model with less mileage, and sell/scrap the damaged one.

JIdontknow

DakarVert wrote: »

Find a car for breaking, Same colour buy the complete door (Glass, Reg/Motor) and wing.

Should be €100 for a door and about €50 for a wing, Get a decent panel beater to fit them.

Very easy to change panels on an E46.

I agree go price the door and wing off a breaker, but mightn't be easy to get one for that year model and colour. I don't see you getting a full door kit for €100. Problem too is often a 12 year old door will have scratches dints etc in it so wing and door will probably still need to be sprayed and worked on, even things like lining up hinges so door is fitted properly, etc. Then will the door and wing colour properly match the other body paint as it has aged, make sure you go to a decent panel beater - if the friends are decent enough to allow the car be fixed up outside insurance make sure quality of the work is decent otherwise there could be a falling out between everyone. Not trying to talk you out of it just highlighting what could be involved. Personally I'd get a quote and get it fixed out of your pocket and not go through insurance, talk to your friends or even bring them with you as you talk to panel beater and make sure they're happy with it all, keeping them involved means they know you're not trying to cut corners etc and everyone is happy in the end. Realistically I'd be saying could cost 500-600 at a very minimum but I'm not a panel beater!

Del2005

The best thing to do is get the person to fix their own car and send you the bill, otherwise if anything is wrong there is a risk of losing the friends and they can still claim from your insurance.

You crash into someone you don't get to pick the cheapest option you pay who they choose or take the insurance hit.

arleitiss

Friend settled for 500 Euro and no questions asked.

Del2005

arleitiss wrote: »

Friend settled for 500 Euro and no questions asked.

You got a bargain.

arleitiss

Del2005 wrote: »

You got a bargain.

Indeed as it seems.

MrMaki

arleitiss wrote: »

Friend settled for 500 Euro and no questions asked.

For that quote your parents should give their friends a good bottle too... ( or a crate of bottles)

A small tiny dent and scratch on a wing panel of my car was quoted €800 by insurance company approved garage.

arleitiss

Update:
Ended up contacting insurance.
The so called "friend" started doing something shady business, such as asking to borrow car for 3 days because it's our fault so we should give them car because their car will be at mechanic for 3 days. Also found out friends mechanic is one of those mechanics of shady network in blanch like gypsies (don't mean it in offensive way, just not sure of proper word/term).

Also more details got revealed to me - mother had her friend in passenger seat who as turns out - holds full Irish license for past few years.

arleitiss

Update:
Ended up contacting insurance.
The so called "friend" started doing something shady business, such as asking to borrow car for 3 days because it's our fault so we should give them car because their car will be at mechanic for 3 days. Also found out friends mechanic is one of those mechanics of shady network in blanch like gypsies (don't mean it in offensive way, just not sure of proper word/term).

Also more details got revealed to me - mother had her friend in passenger seat who as turns out - holds full Irish license for past few years.

MarkAnthony

arleitiss wrote: »

Also more details got revealed to me - mother had her friend in passenger seat who as turns out - holds full Irish license for past few years.

Revealed eh? :rolleyes:

ezra_

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Revealed eh? :rolleyes:

I guess the first rule of dodgy insurance business is not to post about it on the internet.

arleitiss

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Revealed eh? :rolleyes:

And you are suggesting I am getting involved in insurance fraud based on what?


P.S - Why do people have such trust issues on this forum? :pac:

Squidgy Black

How is it shady business to ask a friend for a lend of their car while your own is in the garage being repaired because they damaged it?

I think you've gone about it the wrong way, your mother now has no no claims bonus and an open claim on a learners permit, if she can find someone to insure her at her renewal time she'll be paying several thousand.

ezra_

_Tyrrell_ wrote: »

How is it shady business to ask a friend for a lend of their car while your own is in the garage being repaired because they damaged it?

I think you've gone about it the wrong way, your mother now has no no claims bonus and an open claim on a learners permit, if she can find someone to insure her at her renewal time she'll be paying several thousand.

and don't forget that she will be paying the cost of this for many years (up to five) if she does managed to find insurance.

arleitiss

You are saying you would give your car to someone who will drive uninsured for 3 days?
What if they crash it or total it - who will pay everything back? Not to mention what if they cause collateral damage then just flee scene, you're kind of screwed as owner of car.

arleitiss

You are saying you would give your car to someone who will drive uninsured for 3 days?
What if they crash it or total it - who will pay everything back? Not to mention what if they cause collateral damage then just flee scene, you're kind of screwed as owner of car.

ezra_

arleitiss wrote: »

You are saying you would give your car to someone who will drive uninsured for 3 days?
What if they crash it or total it - who will pay everything back? Not to mention what if they cause collateral damage then just flee scene, you're kind of screwed as owner of car.

There is such a thing as temporary insurance.
There is also such as thing as other car cover, which most drivers have by default.

I could drive your mother's car under my policy, as could most people who post on here I'm sure.

It really sounds like you and your mother took a pretty bad (but solvable) situation and then threw it off a cliff for no other reason then not doing your homework or working through it properly.

An expensive lesson to learn, and I love the way you write this up as the other person's fault.

MarkAnthony

arleitiss wrote: »

And you are suggesting I am getting involved in insurance fraud based on what?


P.S - Why do people have such trust issues on this forum? :pac:

To Elland Back

arleitiss wrote: »

Update:
Ended up contacting insurance.
The so called "friend" started doing something shady business, such as asking to borrow car for 3 days because it's our fault so we should give them car because their car will be at mechanic for 3 days. Also found out friends mechanic is one of those mechanics of shady network in blanch like gypsies (don't mean it in offensive way, just not sure of proper word/term).

Also more details got revealed to me - mother had her friend in passenger seat who as turns out - holds full Irish license for past few years.

Your mother's insurance company will be talking to your friend (whom you seem to have fallen out with). Will your friend 'remember' that your mother had someone in the passenger seat during this discussion?

Pugzilla

Hopefully you'll be found out and get raped by the insurance company for trying to commit fraud.

arleitiss

Pugzilla wrote: »

Hopefully you'll be found out and get raped by the insurance company for trying to commit fraud.

What the **** is wrong with you?
I am not involved in any god damn insurance fraud, if you could take your head out of your ass and stop jumping to conclusions that would be great.

Greyfoot

(makes popcorn)

Sam Kade

arleitiss wrote: »

What the **** is wrong with you?
I am not involved in any god damn insurance fraud, if you could take your head out of your ass and stop jumping to conclusions that would be great.

It's arse not ass

savagethegoat

arleitiss wrote: »

You are saying you would give your car to someone who will drive uninsured for 3 days?
What if they crash it or total it - who will pay everything back? Not to mention what if they cause collateral damage then just flee scene, you're kind of screwed as owner of car.

I assumed that they would be insured....no one would suggest them driving uninsured.... it really was your choice, lend them a car or pay for car hire.

Squidgy Black

You'd managed to salvage a brutal situation, and then make into a worse case scenario.

Your mother's friend probably has drive other cars extension. Even hiring a car for them would be cheap enough. 500 + maybe 100 euro for a car hire and you'd have been laughing.

Now you're looking at 350 excess plus massively inflated insurance costs for 5 years. And we're talking several thousand a year for the 5 years.

Arbiter of Good Taste

So you were happy for the friend to go with the cheapy option as long as it didn't impinge on you.

What the friend should have done was to go to the nearest BMW dealer to make sure they got the best possible service for the repair, and would have had a temporary car thrown in. Of course, then your mother would have been liable for a lot more than €500. The friend was doing your mother a favour and you are throwing it back in their face?

Incredible

Arbiter of Good Taste

.

biko