Low-speed crash - insurance question

[ChrisCurvyS]

Someone went in the back of me on the way home from work tonight - on the same stretch of road where my SV was written off last month.

It was a fair old whack but I was in my van and the damage appears to be limited to a cracked reflector - checked for any movement in the panels, bumper etc but can't see any.

The lad who hit me was watching an ambulance approaching from behind with blue lights on and then locked up when I had to stop for a car already on a roundabout. I know from experience that the road surface at that spot is very slippery too (the 1.3 Fiat Doblo has spun a wheel up there in third gear), so I've got some sympathy.

My recent dealings with insurance companies was enough to last a lifetime so I'm happy for him to give me a few quid for a new reflector and leave it at that, but does anyone know if I'm putting myself in a bad position by doing that?

All I can find online is advice geared around people not wanting to go through insurance when they're the ones at fault - consensus there seems to be you should send your insurers a letter saying what's happened but saying you're sorting it yourself.

[ChrisCurvyS]

Actually a tinkering of the search term brought this up, which pretty much answers my question:

http://www.confused.com/car-insurance/articles/car-insurance-is-claiming-always-a-good-idea

I suppose most people would go through insurance just to claim for whiplash but I'd feel a bit rubbish doing that. I'm soft I know.

[TamSV]

If you're sure that's the only damage, he's happy to pay for it and you're happy to let him, then crack on.

[Sir Trev]

The lad who hit me was watching an ambulance approaching from behind with blue lights on and then locked up when I had to stop for a car already on a roundabout.

You have just described the way my GSX250 met it's demise many moons ago... Good luck with whichever route you choose.

[TamSV]

I suppose most people would go through insurance just to claim for whiplash but I'd feel a bit rubbish doing that. I'm soft I know.

No you're not soft. It just proves that you're not a short-sighted, lying, greedy ****. That's something to feel good about. :D

[PyroUK]

No you're not soft. It just proves that you're not a short-sighted, lying, greedy ****. That's something to feel good about. :D


+1 on this.

Shysters who put in fake PI claims are the main reason for increased insurance premiums.

Crash for cash in its height would have inflated premiums all over the country even though it was done in pockets in specific age/gender and in some areas race.

Thankfully all this equality stuff means we can all pay higher premiums. :)

[Specialone]

I had a woman hit me up the back at low speed in my previous mk4 golf, it was only 2 months old, I bought it new, anyway, pulled off the road, bumper only had a scuff.
Her husband rang me and said he would pay cash rather than insurance, after being advised to go through insurance as it was a new car, I'm glad I did, beneath the plastic bumper cover, the metal impact bumper was proper dented.

So my point, be 100% certain everything is good beneath the surface before accepting a cash deal for repairs.

[timwilky]

I have to agree with the not so specialone, plastics can hid a lot of damage.make sure there is no damage of the underlying structural bumper, brackets, boot floor, rear chassis legs etc.

Years ago, the daughter back ended a car with a mismatched bumper, sympathetic woman she hit said, don't worry, my husband only put this on last week from a scrapper, so I agreed to pay for damage. Next thing a main dealer estimate for colour matched bumper at £400 arrived. I paid but drove past their house 2 month later and the same slightly damaged non matching bumper was still there.

Good job I got them to sign that it was in full and final settlement as I would guess the shyster husband would have tried a subsequent whiplash pi on her as well.

[Grant66]

As you effectively own the bumper you paid to have replaced, go and ask for it :-D

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk

[ChrisCurvyS]

I had a woman hit me up the back at low speed in my previous mk4 golf, it was only 2 months old, I bought it new, anyway, pulled off the road, bumper only had a scuff.
Her husband rang me and said he would pay cash rather than insurance, after being advised to go through insurance as it was a new car, I'm glad I did, beneath the plastic bumper cover, the metal impact bumper was proper dented.

So my point, be 100% certain everything is good beneath the surface before accepting a cash deal for repairs.
Thanks for the advice all - yeah I was worried about hidden damage but looked underneath and can't see anything. The impact was right above the exhaust which is obv pretty delicate but it doesn't seem to have moved. Surprisingly for a Fiat the rear bumper is very solid - prob to take weight - so i can only presume his bumper took the impact.
Could just do without the hassle of dealing with insurance again - plus having another crash to declare.