# Minor accident want to settle privately



## Carzy (12 Feb 2007)

I rear-ended someone last Weds.  Obviously 100% my fault and I'm happy to cover the (in my opinion little) damage to rear bumper  of €480.

I didn't even inform my insurance company as i was always going to settle up myself. Her garage will have her car tomorrow and I am meeting her to give her the money.

A couple of questions if someone can help....

1. should I have informed my insurance regardless of intention  not claim?
2. can I get some kind of "receipt" from this person?
3. she mentioned she went to her doctor with a sore back the following day and got injections/cert for 2 days rest. - can she persue me for these costs - or further costs should her back be still troubling her...?

I'm a little worried this may escalate - though she seems nice and reasonable.  This is my very first time in a situation like like in my 10 years of driving so sorry if I'm being very naive...


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## Vanilla (12 Feb 2007)

1. Yes.
2. Yes, in full and final settlement.
3. Yes, and even a personal injury claim up to 3 years down the road- which is why you should inform your insurance company regardless as otherwise they will have grounds not to cover you.


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## Carzy (12 Feb 2007)

Is it too late for me to inform my insurance?


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## Vanilla (12 Feb 2007)

No. But do it straight away today, right?


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## Carzy (12 Feb 2007)

thank you


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## beldin (12 Feb 2007)

Also inform the guards about it. Saying who ,where and when etc. The insurance company may ask was it reported.


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## Daisybell (16 Feb 2007)

Having had a couple of minor car accidents and being the cause of them unfortunately  , I was very glad I went through my insurance for the last incident.  I rear ended a guy who genuinely had next to no damage and was all chirpy and glad we met and what-not on the day but he still has a personal injury claim pending after this little bump which happened 4 years ago next month.  He had no visible damage done to his car but he made great strides flaking the paint off his back bumper claiming it was nothing more than a paint job.  When the motor assessor from my 
Insurance Company went to assess his 4 year old car with 90,000 miles on the clock, he had the car stripped in the garage and put in a claim for over €2k!  The pain in his back developed a few weeks later.  As I know the Solicitor for the Insurance Company he told me that this guy had a sucessful personal injury claim the previous year for more or less the same type of accident.

As Vanilla pointed out, anyone can make a personal injury claim up to 3 years after the accident.  It's terrible to say but it has become a claiming culture lately and it only takes this girl to tell someone what happened and she could very well end up going down that road.  I would report it to the Insurance Company immediately regardless of whether she makes a claim or not.  Better to be safe than sorry.


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## Carzy (16 Feb 2007)

I phoned my insurance company to let them know; but guy I spoke with said as I settled privately there was no need to file a report... but that if this lady does want to persue a claim for injury in the future - they will still look into it then.  In his words "there would be no penalty for not having filled in an incident form".

Also, the lady reported at the nearest garda station on the day and they suggested that "we sort it between ourselves".

I've paid for the repairs to her bumper (€480 and presumably most of this was "labour" so you can imagine the amount of damage actually done!).

She did go to her GP with a sore back the following day - but didnt ask me for these costs as she was happy with my "honesty"....

I live in hope that its over with...


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## sheena1 (16 Feb 2007)

Carzy, even though the person you spoke with said there was no need to file a report could you get a letter from them confirming that you have reported the matter? If this surfaces in a few years/months you might need evidence that you did let the insurance co. know....


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