Insurance Claims

flyz

Is is my imagination or are people claiming more off insurance these days?

Would you be of the opinion that claiming off insurance is your chance to get some of the money that you've paid for your own insurance back off the company?

Personally I think making false claims is under the category of stealing.

mike65

Hmmmm, my own approach would be only to go through an insurance company for something big, anything that involves only two vehicles and a bit of bent bumper or similair, I'd pay for myself. But this assumes the other driver is willing to be reasonable and trusting.
Maybe part of the problem is that ppl dont trust the other party and so go through the insurance company as thats not going to "do a runner"

A false claim is theft no question about that, there is a hotline
run by the Irish Insurance Fed if you want to shop a crook...

Mike.

Chimaera

I'm assuming here that you're talking about cases in which a claim is going to be made anyway, or would be in normal circumstances.

I'd certainly only claim for the damage done - it's the attitude of grabbing as much as you can when you can that has caused a large amount of the problems with insurance in this country (and I'm referring to all forms of insurance here, not just motor). It needs to be stopped or we're going to end up staying in our homes the whole time cos we're afraid of being sued if we put a foot outside the door.

flyz

Aye, in the past few months I've experienced 3 incidents.

The one exception was the one I was involved in where I ran into the back of another car. Luckily yer man had a hitch so his car was grand and he didn't even take my number.

But 2 other friends of my had similar incidents and the other parties are clearly over claiming on the insurance.

One of them are claiming personal distress for a boy who was in the back of the van on impact. This boy wasn't seen by either my friend or the garda.

The other one then is claiming back injury and having to take time off work, which is another load of bull. This one only happened last friday so I can't wait to see what the final estimate will be.

I was trying to explain all to a Moroccon friend of mine and he couldn't understand it at all. His response to it all was "No wonder the insurance in this country is so expensive".

DMC

Hmmm. I'd consider shopping them to that confidential insurance fraud helpline. I heard some of the tall tales people were submitting, like adding in information after the event on Radio 1 on Monday. It made me chortle for a while, until you realise they are also trying to fleece you with higher insurance costs, and that makes me angry. :mad:

They are spongers, and you can do something about it.

As for the initial question, if the cost is not too high, I wouldn't involve the insurance. I'd perserve the no claims bonus for as long as possible.

Chimaera

One of them are claiming personal distress for a boy who was in the back of the van on impact.

You do realise carrying passengers in the load area of a comercial verhicle is illegal, and your man is on very shaky ground if he's claiming for injuries to someone travelling that way. I'd have a chat with the Gardaí and your insurance company on this one.

I'd imagine any claims on the boy's behalf for distress caused in the accident should be against the owner/driver of the van for letting him travel in the back in the first place.

flyz

Originally posted by Chimaera
You do realise carrying passengers in the load area of a comercial verhicle is illegal, and your man is on very shaky ground if he's claiming for injuries to someone travelling that way. I'd have a chat with the Gardaí and your insurance company on this one.

I'd imagine any claims on the boy's behalf for distress caused in the accident should be against the owner/driver of the van for letting him travel in the back in the first place.

Yeah I know, but they're chancing their arm.

They are also claiming extensive damage to the Van even though when my friends father went to see the Van in the Garage it had been taken out of the Garage to be driven to England!

There's two problems with the Insurance in this country:

1. People have the opinon that they have a right to over claim and that it's easy money to get. Plus if they pad the claim as much as possible they'll still get more than they're entitled to even if some of the claims are refused.


2. The insurance companies themselves prefer just to dish out the money rather than to contest it. It's too much hassle to them to contest is and also they charge us so much for insurance so that they can settle quickly.