Opinions wanted - should I claim?

aw

Morning all.

I was involved in a collision and must decide whether to pay for repairs myself or claim from my insurance.

Details: 11 year old car, market value €2000-2500.
Fully comprehensive policy with protected no claims bonus.
Damage all along drivers side - wing, 2 doors, wing mirrors need replacing. Sills, rear quarter panel would need panel beating, spraying, etc.
If put through insurance, I expect it will be an economic write off.
Would be able to get it repaired for €1200. I have owned the car for 9 years and kept it well.
Rough patch up job would be €350. (new mirror, indicator and buff/polish scratches)

Accident was the fault of the other party - foreign driver, driving left hand car, over the centre line of a narrow bridge. Barely any damage on their car however. Frustratingly, they will not admit liability and there were no witnesses.
Guards were involved and my insurance company is aware of the incident.

I'd expect any claim to be settled 50/50. Whichever way I go, I am going to be out of pocket. Since it was not my fault, I do feel the other person should contribute to costs. But I may only be costing myself money in the long run.

I would like to hear some opinions on whether I should put the claim through or pay to repair the damage myself.

Henry Ford III

What's the value of your ncb?

Sue Pa Key Pa

aw wrote: »

I'd expect any claim to be settled 50/50. Whichever way I go, I am going to be out of pocket. Since it was not my fault, I do feel the other person should contribute to costs. But I may only be costing myself money in the long run..

Just so you are clear. Settling a claim 50/50 does not mean you each look after your own loss. You will pay half of his costs and he will pay half of yours. These figures can be disproportionate, but that's the way it is. If you don't submit a claim against the 3rd party, you would end up getting half of nothing.

Claim under your own insurance and have them pursue the 3rd party for recovery. They might get better than 50/50

aw

Henry Ford III wrote: »

What's the value of your ncb?

52% discount

aw

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

Just so you are clear. Settling a claim 50/50 does not mean you each look after your own loss. You will pay half of his costs and he will pay half of yours. These figures can be disproportionate, but that's the way it is. If you don't submit a claim against the 3rd party, you would end up getting half of nothing.

Claim under your own insurance and have them pursue the 3rd party for recovery. They might get better than 50/50

Thanks for that info.

NUTLEY BOY

It will probably be a condition of your policy that you must report the accident.
Policy wordings vary as to what they stipulate for reporting purposes.
Generally, you would be expected to report something like this.

There is a similar requirement under the RTA 1961 to notify your insurers.

It will also be a condition of your policy not to negotiate with the other side, without consent, as regards any claim against you by them.

If you do not notify your insurers and renew the policy, or take out a new one with them or another insurer, without advising them of the accident that would be misrepresentation / non-disclosure and that creates a whole world of technical difficulty.

Even if your car is an economic write-off it may be possible to have it repaired and insured. You would need to check with your insurers as to their attitude towards this before you would spend money from your own pocket on repairing the car.

Did the Gardaí attend the scene ? If so, did they observe the vehicles in their immediate post crash positions ? Was there any debris on your side of the white line ? If there was, it would support your account.

There is always a possibility that the other side will cave in if the driver is living abroad as they may well decide, on economic grounds, not to contest what would be a District Court claim.

In short, work with your insurers.

Henry Ford III

aw wrote: »

52% discount

Of what premium?

TheShow

talk to the insurers first. can they get him to admit liability. there must be evidence from the scene to support your version of events.

aw

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Of what premium?

Ah sorry.
1265.72 less discount = premium of 708.36

Just to clarify, I have been speaking with my insurers. Hard to prove definite liability.
The question I have is do I claim a relatively small amount (Maybe €2k) for my car and whatever else, or take the hit and pay to repair myself.

Sue Pa Key Pa

aw wrote: »

Ah sorry.
1265.72 less discount = premium of 708.36

Just to clarify, I have been speaking with my insurers. Hard to prove definite liability.
The question I have is do I claim a relatively small amount (Maybe €2k) for my car and whatever else, or take the hit and pay to repair myself.

You can always process the claim and repay them at renewal date to reinstate your NCB if it has a serious effect on the premium. You do not have to repay them their claim processing costs.

Don't forget, it is likely the 3rd party will lodge a claim against you anyway, so you might as well. The other driver is currently telling their insurer that you drove at them like a mad yoke and that is what they will rely on to pursue you for their loss. At the end of the day, it will probably end 50/50

NUTLEY BOY

Sue Pa Key Pa wrote: »

You can always process the claim and repay them at renewal date to reinstate your NCB if it has a serious effect on the premium. You do not have to repay them their claim processing costs. SNIP SNIP

For information, would you need to get insurer's agreement first to reserve the option to repay their outlay to reinstate NCB. I ask because I envisage a situation where insurers might turn around and refuse if it suited them better.

Sue Pa Key Pa

NUTLEY BOY wrote: »

For information, would you need to get insurer's agreement first to reserve the option to repay their outlay to reinstate NCB. I ask because I envisage a situation where insurers might turn around and refuse if it suited them better.

Probably advisable, but I've never had an insurer refuse a refund