How long do insurance companies have to respond to a claim?

[Nutsinatin]

Just after a bit of org advice. After my accident on December 10th I called my insurer to let them know I had been involved in an accident (called on December 11th) and they emailed and called the other parties insurance that day. So far the other parties insurer has failed to respond to notification of my claim, and all my insurer says is that 'third party claims tend to drag their feet'. So my question is, is there a legal limit to how long a company can take to respond to a claim, or can they drag this out indefinitely? I am bugging my company daily and they are bugging the other company daily but so far we have had no response, it will have been a month at the end of the week and I would have thought that long enough to at least acknowledge my claim, even if not to confirm liability.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[DJ123]

Have you called the 3rd party directly?

[Nutsinatin]

Originally Posted by daddyjob

Have you called the 3rd party directly?

I have called the third parties insurer directly, they can't comment as it does not follow their procedure, data protection etc.

[PyroUK]

Who's liability was it? Yours or theirs?

Is there any dispute in this? The 3p insurer may be trying to get evidence, statements etc to try and avoid liability.

Are you fully comp?

[Nutsinatin]

Originally Posted by PyroUK

Who's liability was it? Yours or theirs?

Is there any dispute in this? The 3p insurer may be trying to get evidence, statements etc to try and avoid liability.

Are you fully comp?

My insurer, the Police and I all believe it is 100% the other drivers liability, and she has been charged with careless driving. The quick version is traveling down a straight road the driver in the other car made a turn to their right onto a side road across my path, and admitted (under caution) to not seeing me or being able to see due to removing her driving glasses.

The problem is that the other insurer has still not confirmed that it has received notification of my claim, let alone even discussed liability. Tomorrow it will have been 28 days since they were informed and they are yet to acknowledge that they are aware of the claim. I am wondering if there is a time frame in which they must reply or if they can ignore this as long as they like.

I am TPF&T, and with this on my record will not be able to afford fully comp any time soon

[PyroUK]

Ahhhhh didn't realise that one was you! I remember the other thread.

Not sure on time frames to be honest. It seems clear BUT from a insurers perspective, (IIRC it was an uninsured learner?) the insured drivers insurers are probably looking to avoid all liability.

Whilst in the eyes of the law they should be liable, they are probably hunting through every line of their terms and conditions to find a loop hole. Such as "we won't pay out for anything that results from use in or related to the commission of a crime" or some such BS. That would be their get out clause.

Best bet, for your piece of mind, get the address of the insurer, send them a letter recorded delivery to "claims department" at that address. Someone will have to sign for it, even if it's the reception. Take a copy of the letter too and keep the receipt etc (claim the cost back from them for being d cks.

Send copies to your insurers so they have a note of it as well.

The only potentially saving grace is you may, if your insurers play ball, submit a claim in to the uninsured drivers fund thingy if you don't get anywhere.

Also, may be worth looking in to contact details for your local rag, I'm sure they wouldn't mind a story on how the insurer is not playing nice?

[Nutsinatin]

Originally Posted by PyroUK

Ahhhhh didn't realise that one was you! I remember the other thread.

Not sure on time frames to be honest. It seems clear BUT from a insurers perspective, (IIRC it was an uninsured learner?) the insured drivers insurers are probably looking to avoid all liability.

Whilst in the eyes of the law they should be liable, they are probably hunting through every line of their terms and conditions to find a loop hole. Such as "we won't pay out for anything that results from use in or related to the commission of a crime" or some such BS. That would be their get out clause.

Best bet, for your piece of mind, get the address of the insurer, send them a letter recorded delivery to "claims department" at that address. Someone will have to sign for it, even if it's the reception. Take a copy of the letter too and keep the receipt etc (claim the cost back from them for being d cks.

Send copies to your insurers so they have a note of it as well.

The only potentially saving grace is you may, if your insurers play ball, submit a claim in to the uninsured drivers fund thingy if you don't get anywhere.

Also, may be worth looking in to contact details for your local rag, I'm sure they wouldn't mind a story on how the insurer is not playing nice?

The recorded delivery letter idea is ace, I'll write that tomorrow, should at least force them to admit they are aware.

You're thinking of the right thread and I suspect they are trying their best to get out of it. Still admitting they are aware of the claim doesn't concede liability so I don't know why they are being so slow saying that I have informed them, I guess buying time hoping it goes away.

The uninsured drivers fund is a backup if this falls through, but this is my best option of getting the most money right now.