CAR Insurance claim query (suggestions please)

Giuseppe1

Hi, if any one can advise on how best to proceed please? I currently will not name the insurance company involved.

I was side swiped by a commercial vehicle resulting in damage to the rear of the car. The insurance assessor acknowledges "damage from the rear to the front" of the car. On the day a garda took details. The commercial vehicle driver admitted liability to both of us. I contacted my insurance company with all of the details prior to having my car repaired. I have full comprehensive insurance; now that I have had the car repaired my insurance company is telling me that the commercial vehicles insurer is denying liability. I contacted the other insurance company and they said the driver is now denying liability.

My own insurance company now say that I should claim the accident repair from my own insurance and they may or may not get something back from the commercial vehicles insurance company. I will of course be penalised on my no claims bonus if I claim off my own insurance. I contacted the garda who said it was a “civil matter” and was not very helpful. The ironic thing is that the commercial vehicle is also insured with the UK branch of the same insurance company that I am with! I am not happy being compelled to claim off my own company but I do have a body shop bill to pay. Do any posters have suggestions on how best to proceed with the claim as I do not want to lose my ncb.

If my insurance company continue with their poor customer service, hostile attitude ,general lack of assistance, I will of course be happy to highlight their name and advise all and sundry against using them on every associated forum and by word of mouth to warn consumers. If any one has any suggestion to make or if they had a similar incident I would like to hear from them.

Thanks in advance

coylemj

Giuseppe1 wrote: »

If my insurance company continue with their poor customer service, hostile attitude ,general lack of assistance, I will of course be happy to highlight their name and advise all and sundry against using them on every associated forum and by word of mouth to warn consumers.

So you've told them that you're going to go on a crusade on public forums to blacken their name i.e. you're a person with an axe to grind and we're your audience.

They are doing what every other insurance company would do in the same circumstances. The fact that the other guy is insured with the UK equivalent of your company is neither here nor there, they are separate companies at the end of the day, even if they have the same parent.

I couldn't care less if you name them or not but I can't see them losing a single customer as a result of your experience, what are you expecting them to do differently?

Your gripe is with the other driver, not your insurance company.

Giuseppe1

Thank you for your post coylemj

I havn't told anyone that I am going on a "crusade":rolleyes:

You say "They are doing what every other insurance company would do in the same circumstances."". Apparently it appears you are content to be treated badly by car insurance companies if you accept that.

As a paying consumer I expect better treatment. I have had good experiences before with insurers. As a consumer I am happy to highlight "poor customer service, hostile attitude ,general lack of assistance," of any company to fellow consumers.

To answer your question what I am expecting them to do differently?... As a paying customer I am expecting them to give a good customer service, have a helpful attitude and be of assistence in resolving the issue in my favour.

Now if anyone has any helpful suggestions I will be happy to hear them

thebiglad

You say you were sideswiped - we will need more detail to give you a frank view on liability.

Whether or not he admitted liability at the scene is irrelevant to his insurance company - if you could prove it then it can be used to push the point but you cannot so probably let that one go, it will drive you loopy.

Can you describe what happened, presume somehow you were side by side for the accident to occur -

Were you struck on driver or passenger side?

What was the lorry - rigid body or articulated?

Did you come up from behind the lorry or, did the lorry pass you before it made the manoeuvre which brought the vehicles into contact?

If you could attach a link to google maps with the location and description of your lane and intentions...

Bottom line though, without a witness or some damning evidence - ie post accident photos of the other vehicle in your lane or the debris on the road (entirely in your lane) it is going to be difficult.

You can engage a Solicitor and pursue the other driver in the courts - if you can sue for your out of pocket expenses and win then your insurer will reinstate your no claim bonus - this may not be a quick process however and you do risk having a legal bill if you lose.

On the positive - if this is a UK registered vehicle with a UK Insurer then there is a chance the other driver or his employer will want anything to do with the defence of a claim here (in the courts) and you can get a win by default - however you will have to go down the solicitor route to find out - it is a bit of a poker game.

MugMugs

They're telling you the truth. It's a Liability dispute. You can claim from your own policy but may risk them not recovering if the other side don't concede and your insurer can't prove liability. There's nothing wrong with what your insurer have told you. It's all above board.

coylemj

Giuseppe1 wrote: »

To answer your question what I am expecting them to do differently?... As a paying customer I am expecting them to give a good customer service, have a helpful attitude and be of assistence in resolving the issue in my favour.

In other words, you want them to pay out and not have it affect your NCB. Sorry but they are not going to do this without an admission of liability on the part of the other driver which is not forthcoming.

You can whinge all you like about hostile attitude and poor customer service but what it boils do to is that you're not getting your way and it's all their fault.

Giuseppe1

thebiglad & MugMugs

Thank you both for your helpful and intelligent replies, I was ahead of the commercial vehicle at the time and the driver misjudged a turn and swung over into the lane that I was in, initially hitting the rear end of the car. I have good photos of the incident backed up by an insurance assessor who noted "damage from the rear to the front" i.e. having looked at the report again; the assessor noted the damage began at the rear of my car continuing along the side. I will be in contact with my insurance company soon and will update how I get on.