Sylvester3
Registered User
- Messages
- 300
Apologies if this has already been covered, but I couldn't find it in a quick search. Recently, I was the unlucky driver of a car at the front of a four car collision. My medium sized german car was struck by a SUV, which in turn was struck by a small car (crushed and undoubtedly written off) which was in turn hit by some other big car. This was on a dark wet stormy night on Sunday 2nd - I had to stop because of stopped traffic in front of me. I had room and time - they didn't, it seems.
details are hazy, to protect the guilty...
I waited with the others, gave statements and other personal details to the Gardai and then left an hour later. My personal statement has been from the start that I felt three thumps - i.e. each car struck in turn.
I took last monday off work (I was quite shaken up) and called both my insurer and the one who struck me. My insurer said to try and sort it out with the insurer of the party behind me, as otherwise I would have a €300 excess to pay. I did so and got a claim number and instructions to go to a local repair shop authorised by the insurance company. I took it to the repairer, had it assessed and photographed, and then left with the assurance that they would be taking it off my hands the following Monday (yesterday). Therefore on the day after the accident I had done everything I thought I had to do.
Throughout the week I got several calls from the insurers of the other parties, to each of whom I gave the same report and the details of the Gardai involved.
On Friday I called the repairer with the assurance that everything was good to go.
On Monday, I took my (not road worthy) vehicle to work on the assumption that it would be picked up and replaced with a courtesy car. None came. I called several times with no return calls, despite promises that someone would get back to me.
So today, smelling a rat, I recalled the insurance company and asked them about the insurance. They said they needed to get the engineers report first and they would call me back. Knowing full well that they must have this, I waited an hour and called again. The girl told me then, that they were trying to work out if they should pay or the
insurance company of the girl behind!
I called up the repairer and asked them straight out if the insurance company was holding up the repairs. He told me, off the record, that yes they were. They wanted him to determine how much of the damage was caused by each vehicle in the row of cars behind me... !? He said he didn't have a clue how to determine that, and he had my full sympathies.
Now, In order to speed things along and make things as financially painful as possible for the insurer, I have decided to act on my rights and demand a hire car until my vehicle is repaired. Its obvious in my view that this should be a simple "knock for knock" as each driver failed to stop in time (except smug little old me...) I am also going to call up the poor girl handling my case every day until somebody makes a decision.
Is there anything else I can do, or anyone I can complain to? I thought I might just do it all through my own insurer, but I just don't want to have to pay €300 just at the moment due to the numbskulls driving behind me.
Any advice appreciated!
Syl
details are hazy, to protect the guilty...
I waited with the others, gave statements and other personal details to the Gardai and then left an hour later. My personal statement has been from the start that I felt three thumps - i.e. each car struck in turn.
I took last monday off work (I was quite shaken up) and called both my insurer and the one who struck me. My insurer said to try and sort it out with the insurer of the party behind me, as otherwise I would have a €300 excess to pay. I did so and got a claim number and instructions to go to a local repair shop authorised by the insurance company. I took it to the repairer, had it assessed and photographed, and then left with the assurance that they would be taking it off my hands the following Monday (yesterday). Therefore on the day after the accident I had done everything I thought I had to do.
Throughout the week I got several calls from the insurers of the other parties, to each of whom I gave the same report and the details of the Gardai involved.
On Friday I called the repairer with the assurance that everything was good to go.
On Monday, I took my (not road worthy) vehicle to work on the assumption that it would be picked up and replaced with a courtesy car. None came. I called several times with no return calls, despite promises that someone would get back to me.
So today, smelling a rat, I recalled the insurance company and asked them about the insurance. They said they needed to get the engineers report first and they would call me back. Knowing full well that they must have this, I waited an hour and called again. The girl told me then, that they were trying to work out if they should pay or the
insurance company of the girl behind!
I called up the repairer and asked them straight out if the insurance company was holding up the repairs. He told me, off the record, that yes they were. They wanted him to determine how much of the damage was caused by each vehicle in the row of cars behind me... !? He said he didn't have a clue how to determine that, and he had my full sympathies.
Now, In order to speed things along and make things as financially painful as possible for the insurer, I have decided to act on my rights and demand a hire car until my vehicle is repaired. Its obvious in my view that this should be a simple "knock for knock" as each driver failed to stop in time (except smug little old me...) I am also going to call up the poor girl handling my case every day until somebody makes a decision.
Is there anything else I can do, or anyone I can complain to? I thought I might just do it all through my own insurer, but I just don't want to have to pay €300 just at the moment due to the numbskulls driving behind me.
Any advice appreciated!
Syl