# Advice with damage to my car



## jane1604 (Feb 7, 2005)

My car was parked in car park at work. A colleague came in and admitted she'd reversed into my car. On first inspection when she was there I didnt see damage. She had managed to bump my car up onto the kerb behind.
When I later inspected car I found a crack on the bumper and headlight had moved. I phoned her and told her this we discussed in might be cheaper to go to a garage rather than claiming on insurance.

 I took it to a garage and they advised crack could be glued and painted and the clips holding headlight had broken as its a whole unite whole headlight needing replaced so would need replaced. Quote came to about £300.

 I gave her a copy of the quote and she said she'd discuss it with her husband and let me know how she wanted to proceed.

 A few days later she asked to see the damage. She started back tracking saying that she did not hit the car at the corner that she couldnt have made the damage to my car and so wouldnt pay for the repair. She gave me her insurance details and said she would tell them she reversed straight back not near the corner so if I try to make a claim her insurance would not pay up.

 Unfortunately there are no witnesses or cctv and as I wasnt there I only have her word of the events.

 Is she right if I try to claim her insurance wont pay out because she says the damage is not where her car hit? or is the fact she admitted hitting my car enough?

 I dont really want to end up claiming for it to come back not her fault (even though it must be) and paying excess I cant afford and affecting my no claims.
Its awkward because I have to work with her too. Lesson learned though even if you know the person go straight to your insurance


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## Dee.Dee.32 (Dec 6, 2008)

You don't have to make a claim through your own insurers so won't lose your no claims but can approach her insurers direct to make the claim. If I were you I'd approach them, tell them full story about how she told you she was changing her account in an attempt to avoid them paying and give them opportunity to pay advising if they don't you will have to pay yourself or use your insurers and thereafter issue to recover the sums. Stress that you are convinced a court will find in your favor as your car was parked, stationary and unattended with no damage prior to their idiot insured hitting it. 


As for her I wouldn't care about making the claim as she's obviously a lowlife that's shown her true colors and doesn't care about what's she done to you.


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## hoping :) (Feb 3, 2010)

I have just had the exact same thing happen only the guy drove off and someone took their reg, not being in the situation before I didn't take the witness's name! 


But being fully comp my insurance company went rushing me thru fixing it, hire car etc, then my db advised to wait until the guy accepted liability as I could poss loose my no claims, and either way I'd have to pay my excess! 


I reported it to the police, but I am just going to fix the damage myself (annoying!) as it won't cost as much as my excess/ or make my insurance go up! 


My insurance said "no it won't effect ur no claims as u wasn't in the car" the failed to tell me it would if the driver didm't accept liabilty! 


I would poss see a claims firm who can advise u, and do the work for u. They can argue ur case, but that woman would have to pay her excess too, and her insurance will go up, so don't see why she just wouldn't pay u to fix ur car! 


Hope u get it sorted  xx


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## Dee.Dee.32 (Dec 6, 2008)

Hoping - your insurers definitely gave you the wrong advice - if you make a claim on your own insurance (whether they pay out a penny or million pounds) your no claims bonus will be affected unless you have protected no claims or until such point they make a full recovery (at which point you can ask for it to be reinstated - and you should always make sure you ask as they don't always automatically do it).


As for those claims companies it is unlikely they would be willing to take on a claim worth only a few hundred pounds as they make their money by taking on personal injury claims or claims for damage for much greater amounts whereby they can issue and claim costs. Beware if you do use one of those that will try and get you in a credit hire vehicle and eek out the repair period to run up the hire because they rarely tell you you are ultimately responsible for that hire amount if they then fail to recover it from the other party.


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## jane1604 (Feb 7, 2005)

Argh it is so annoying. She had the cheek to say she hopes things wont be awkward between us now 

Im swaying towards not involving my insurance as dont want to bump my insurance up for future years. DH is going to try another garage see if they can repair the light. My excess is £200 so if we can repair instead of replace might make the repair about the same cost.


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## Dee.Dee.32 (Dec 6, 2008)

Even if you repair yourself you may aswell try and recover from her insurers - you've got nothing to lose and why should you lose out financially - all you did was park your car when some idiot hit it


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## Dee.Dee.32 (Dec 6, 2008)

As for your colleague I'd say that I too hope it won't be awkward especially if she does lie to her insurers and they refuse to pay out because then you will have to issue small claims proceedings against her


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## jane1604 (Feb 7, 2005)

Do I not have to go through my insurance to make a claim on hers? and then having to pay my excess and if the claim fails it goes against my insurance?


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## Dee.Dee.32 (Dec 6, 2008)

No there's no duty to use your own insurance at all. You are free to make a claim direct against her insurers. If they fail to pay up you could then issue small claims proceedings against her which she will no doubt then refer to her insurers rather than paying up herself which they will no doubt settle for her so she's just time wasting and increasing costs by lying to them


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## jane1604 (Feb 7, 2005)

Its tricky. It does look to me like the damage is from the corner as if reversing round to get into the space next to me. She said she reversed straight back and hit in the centre of my bumper so you wouldnt expect the damage to be towards the corner. But it seems too much of a coincidence. 

DH wants me to decide as I have to work with her. I've known her for a couple of years and thought her to be honest. She is in a group of people I would go to social events with. We do chat about outside work as have kids the same age and are friends on ********. So if I make a claim its going to become really awkward.

Im rubbish at making decisions and hate conflict.


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Do you know for sure that she's not lying about where she hit your car in the first place and didn't, in fact, directly do the damage by hitting it there? 

Just asking because, to me, it seems unlikely that she could bump your car and leave no damage to the point of impact at all, no matter how slow she was going. There would at least ve scuff marks? 
I think you might have to tell her that either she pays up (you can be reasonable and offer her to pay half if you like) or you will involve insurers. If she does lie to them about it and you can't claim that way, then you will issue court proceedings against her in small claims court to recover the money... essentially, she'd be better off taking the hit on her insurance for it. 

It is your word against her but the fact there is damage to your car and you can document when and where the conversation took place will count for your credibility bit, ultimately, if it went to court, the argument would be why would you randomly make that up!  

C~x


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