Insurance claim without my knowledge

Builderfromhell

I just got my car insurance renewal details and found that someone was awarded damages against my insurance without my knowledge.

The 'no claims discounts' page of my renewal notice shows that I had an accident and someone was awarded 700 euro for damages.
I rang the insurance company who told me the claimants name and I confirmed I never heard of him and had no knowledge of an accident.
The insurance company is looking into it and will phone me back.

I would be amazed to find that someone can claim you hit them and successfully make a claim without me getting an opportunity to defend myself.

Milk & Honey

Have you got an insurance broker? Have you checked with the guards?

Yep. Happened to my husband after a really really horrendous crash (fatalities). Happened in August, got his renewal early October (he wasn't long out of hospital and hadn't yet given a statement to the guards). His insurance had shot through the roof and when he queried it, he was told they had paid out to the other driver - this was an ongoing investigation and they just decided to admit liability which caused us awful trouble. It's a clause in a lot of insurance policies (apparently) that they do not have to notify you in the event of a claim.

Builderfromhell

Milk & Honey wrote: »

Have you got an insurance broker? Have you checked with the guards?

I should have said my insurance broker will ring me back.
Think I'll wait for her to report on circumstances of claim. When I have more details I might ask Local Gardai for accident reports.

The main query going through my mind is; can an insurance company pay out on a claim without the insured knowing anything about it.
Thanks

The Guvnor

I am not a lawyer nor solicitor but this is apparently common.

The Dundalk man in that robbery case realised the insurance company paid out €175k to the burgular only 4 weeks before the trial commenced and this was 3-4 years after the event.

He was angry at not being consulted on the matter and also that their payment could be viewed as admitting his liability in the incident which was ongoing.

How the OP's company could pay out when no accident or incident actually happened is beyond belief and one wonders what the legal status is here - have you any recourse?

seamus

My wife was the person on the opposite side of this coin last year. A very minor tip from someone else in a car park, just some cosmetic damage, not even any dents. Waited around to see if the other driver would turn up, nothing. So took a few photos, took the name of a security guy as a witness, and the insurance details from the windscreen.

Rang their insurance company, sent on the details & photos she had. They told her to get an estimate. She did, they confirmed it was about the same as their assessor reckoned, and she had a cheque from the insurance co a week later. About 3 weeks between the incident and having the cheque in her hand - no quibble or contest from them.

The speed it was dealt with had me convinced that they didn't bother talking to the other driver, but everyone told me I was mad, they had to.

Clearly they don't

monkeypants

How did they confirm that an accident even happened?

seamus

seamus wrote: »

My wife was the person on the opposite side of this coin last year. A very minor tip from someone else in a car park, just some cosmetic damage, not even any dents. Waited around to see if the other driver would turn up, nothing. So took a few photos, took the name of a security guy as a witness, and the insurance details from the windscreen.

So was it the security guy who had seen the accident occur?

seamus

Deleted User wrote: »

So was it the security guy who had seen the accident occur?

I think so, I don't really remember the specifics. I doubt anyone had actually seen it - it was a case that the other car basically made contact with my wife's, scuffing it. Even the driver may not have noticed she did it.

The security guy noted that the space was covered by CCTV, but it could only be looked at if a request was made for it.

seamus

seamus wrote: »

I think so, I don't really remember the specifics. I doubt anyone had actually seen it - it was a case that the other car basically made contact with my wife's, scuffing it. Even the driver may not have noticed she did it.

The security guy noted that the space was covered by CCTV, but it could only be looked at if a request was made for it.

So did the scuffs on the other car match the ones on your wife's car? Just wondering how she knew who caused the damage!

seamus

Deleted User wrote: »

So did the scuffs on the other car match the ones on your wife's car? Just wondering how she knew who caused the damage!

When she came out the other car was actually in contact with hers (nose-to-nose). The other car was much bigger than hers (a BMW 4x4 or something), so when she pulled back, the scuffing on her car exactly matched the bottom of the other car's number plate. It was very minor, but enough to be irritating.

MagicSean

Builderfromhell wrote: »

I should have said my insurance broker will ring me back.
Think I'll wait for her to report on circumstances of claim. When I have more details I might ask Local Gardai for accident reports.

The main query going through my mind is; can an insurance company pay out on a claim without the insured knowing anything about it.
Thanks

Where you in an accident?

seamus

seamus wrote: »

When she came out the other car was actually in contact with hers (nose-to-nose). The other car was much bigger than hers (a BMW 4x4 or something), so when she pulled back, the scuffing on her car exactly matched the bottom of the other car's number plate. It was very minor, but enough to be irritating.

How do you not know you've hit a car? especially if you've actually caused damage!! Glad your wife got sorted. Still though, it's crazy to think that the other driver may not even know about the pay out until renewal!

After we were screwed around with the insurance company and told by the girl on the other end of the phone that our assessor "is a retired guard and is a friend of the guard in wexford, and he said, that it was your husband's fault" (I am not even kidding). So I sued them as a third party (I was in the car and the fatalities were also in our car) and I got a heftyish sum from them - they still never informed my husband that there was a claim against him and for all they knew, we had seperated so knew nothing of the claim.

Builderfromhell

MagicSean wrote: »

Where you in an accident?

I have no recollection of even hitting someone's bumper while trying to exit a parking space. I concede I may have tipped someone's bumper while parking but have no recollection of causing 700 euro worth of damage.

RangeR

Builderfromhell wrote: »

I have no recollection of even hitting someone's bumper while trying to exit a parking space. I concede I may have tipped someone's bumper while parking but have no recollection of causing 700 euro worth of damage.

Put a "tip" into context.

If I went out and purchased a brand new 2012 car and someone "tipped it", slightly scratching it. I would DEMAND that the bumper, wing, door, whatever, be fully replaced. I would not make do with a touch up.

If my car was a few years old, I may put up with a touch up.

Now, that's an example of a tip causing a lot of money.