Legal Advice Needed...

[Clique]

Basically my mum's (Nissan Primera) and my car (Nissan Micra ) was parked out on the street last night. Some idiot hit both of them on the driver side causing about £200 damage on each of the two cars. The person did a 'runner' so we dont know who it was.

What do you lot think is the best course of action? As in shall i report it to the Police and then hopefully the insurance company will cough up or shall i leave it because we are likely to be replacing both of the cars in the summer?

Any advice would be greatly appericiated. Thank you in advance...

[drakkie]

I'd definately try to get the money from insurance. Even though you will trade it in,you will get a rdeuced price on it because of the damage.

I'd surely give it a go man

[IBrake4Rainbows]

this is what insurance is for - as long as they're covered for it (and the damage to the cars is worth less than the premium rise your parents will recieve for claiming) then it's worth it.

[Clique]

Quick reply lads... Will i be able to claim considering that i havent got any witnesses plus i am 17 so my insurance is already expensive and i dont want it to go up??

[Rockefella]

It's probably best to contact the police, in hope that they track down the car with insurance covering the damage, but considering you're in London, that's probably damn near impossible.

Knowing insurance prices for people our age, I would just let it go if it's an insignificant amount of damage, just so insurance wouldn't go up. (Since you can't necessarily prove the party at fault)

[IBrake4Rainbows]

if you have any no claims bonus - and claiming the cost of the repair will cost more than the repair itself - don't bother. if this is your first year of paying insurance you have no no-claims bonus, and so it won't matter as much.

regardless, the cars need fixing if your looking for an upgrade.

[Clique]

thanks for the replies.. i think i am going to report it to the police if they find the idiots then i will claim if they dont then i just leave the cars the way they are and just accept that their trade in values will be a bit lower...

[drakkie]

Knowing insurance prices for people our age.

I heard what my dad pays extra for his inurance,since he assigned me as a 2nd driver. It raised by 120%

Considering that, i'd indeed have a look if the police find anyone. Dont expect it,but you never know...

[Rockefella]

I heard what my dad pays extra for his inurance,since he assigned me as a 2nd driver. It raised by 120%

Considering that, i'd indeed have a look if the police find anyone. Dont expect it,but you never know...

I know, it sucks.

Luckily, I haven't had an accident in my driving career, which is about a year and a half, so my rates will progressively drop. (The ice+bumper incident was dealt w/out police/insurance knowledge or interaction)

[Viper007]

Quick reply lads... Will i be able to claim considering that i havent got any witnesses plus i am 17 so my insurance is already expensive and i dont want it to go up??

Your insurance will not go up as the insurance company has no reason to punish you. Call the police and the insurance company and they should cover the charges.

[scottie300z]

since both of your cars were hit on the same side id bet you need no witness. it should be obvious to the cops, just have them write a report and then give that to the insurance peoples.


same thing happened to me a few years back, except the guy was so drunk he couldnt run away.

[nota]

Commiserations

Since you're 17 that makes me wonder if your insurance premiums can go up? As in, wouldn't you currently be on 0% no-claim bonus?

Btw my insurance policy stipulates that the car is "usually garaged" and thus not regularly parked on-street overnight - does yours? If you continue to insure the cars I suspect you will have to get them repaired, as insurance companies in Oz won't (comprehensively) insure vehicles which already have any significant pre-existing damage

If you do lose any no-claim bonus, then of course you have to weigh up the repair cost (and loss of value) against the excess plus the increased premiums

But sure as hell I'd at least be notifying the cops of the incident asap, as should your Mum

[henk4]

If this would have happened in Holland and it was perfectly clear that the damage had been done by a vehicle, you could invoke the "guarantee fund" which is set up by all insurance companies, and where you can claim damage from on "unknown" culprit or somebody who has no proper insurance. It will not affect your no-claim rebate. The down side is that in principle everybody pays for this fund through a slightly increased premium, but I have used it once, when a 17 year old, with no license hit a car parked next to mine, which then was put sideways into my B-pillar.

[Clique]

i went to the police station to file the report they were complete n00bs. the receptionist was on her personal phone for about 2 mintues then while she was chatting to me it rang again then she asked me to wait and recieved it..as i was chatting to her outside a 2006 Range Rover ploughed in to a old VW Polo so she went outside and attended to that...finally about 30 mintues after i waited she gave me a 'producer' instead of filing a report.. i told her that i cant produce the vehicle documents as my dad has got them and he is currently out of the country...she goes to me you have to produce in 7 days or you be in trouble...
once i sort this accident stuff out then i am definitly going to complain againest her...
but anyways thanks for the help much apperciated...i will update you lot on happens next.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

The police are useless buffoons.

What I did was just pay for the repairs to my car without touching the insurance. Much easier that way- £200 isn't that bad.