Car crash, my fault - should I use insurance?

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Bogzilla

Registered User
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So I was in a car crash, it was my fault.

Quote to fix my car is 800 euro, quote for other car is also 800. Both approx.

I am 40 years old and have no claims history, NCB of 7 years. Car is Octavia, worth about 16k.

My policy excess is 375 euro and I have 3 year step back protection. The premium on the car was 350.

Not sure if it would be better to use insurance for both claims (his and mine) or better to just pay up and get both fixed.

Thanks
 
Be careful here, you may assume that it's all just damage related, what happens in two weeks if other driver tells you they've whiplash or such like.

If I were you I'd notify your insurer to cover yourself, if you decide to pay it yourself then you're covered and won't affect your no claims bonus....as far as I recall from a previous accident a few years ago
 
I agree things often take a different turn than they started out. If it stays as is I would pay for the repairs myself but if it changes and the other persons costs increase then it may become an insurance claim. You are obliged to let your insurance company know hopefully you can just pay and get this sorted quickly enough.
 
After the crash happened a guard was driving past and stopped, we went through all the details, no issue, I asked him if I am obliged to notify my insurer, he said no and his advice was to resolve it without insurance.
 
Interesting I was not aware I thought it was obligatory I had a nosy on my policy there with Aviva they say “it is crucial that you contact Aviva immediately” but that may be open for interpretation. I think I would be having a look at my policy.

They also say “Even if you plan on paying for the damage yourself, it’s vital to inform your insurer immediately; this is because the other driver may bring a claim in the future.” A recommendation and requirement are different but this is unclear which this is.
 
You can generally call up your insurer and they will tell you what impact it would have on your policy.

This is what I did after a break-in and it wasn’t worth my while making a claim
 
There is no logical reason not to tell your insurance. You will need to mention it on your next renewal anyway .
 
Bogzilla said:
After the crash happened a guard was driving past and stopped, we went through all the details, no issue, I asked him if I am obliged to notify my insurer, he said no
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I'm not sure that that's correct. Check your policy booklet/terms and conditions.
 
As above, the Garda was almost certainly incorrect. Any policy I have seen over the years always included a stipulation that the insurer must be alerted at the earliest opportunity of any potential claim. The risk you run here is that you pay the other party, then they come back to you in a month's time complaining about neck or other soft tissue injuries and seeking thousands in compensation. At that point your insurer will most likely refuse cover and you will end up having to fork out having already admitted liability.

You must inform the insurer, it may even be possible have them handle the other party's claim to then repay them to lessen the impact on your renewal.
 
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1. Most motor insurance policies will have a condition obliging the policyholder to notify an accident.
2. Most motor insurance policies will have a condition prohibiting direct negotiations and or the making of admissions of liability.
3. If the accident happens in a public place the accident must be reported to the motor insurers under the RTA 1961 (S 71 & S 72.)
4. Even if you settle privately you will probably have to disclose the accident at renewal anyway. Whilst much depends on the wording of the renewal notice terms/wording it will probably constitute a misrepresentation to renew without declaring the accident.
5. Misrepresentation initially, or at renewal, is an offence under RTA 1961 (S 64.)

Private negotiated settlements can turn sour very quickly. Generally, I regard them as a bad idea.

However, there may be circumstances where a reasonable negotiated settlement is possible. Suppose you damaged a friend's car in their driveway and they are looking for repair costs only. What you would do there is ask your insurers for permission first before proceeding to settle.
 
Reactions: Leo
DirectDevil said:
What you would do there is ask your insurers for permission first before proceeding to settle.
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Interesting.. Would the insurance company still note that incident on your record, which may affect your premium at renewal?
 
I would expect the insurers to note the incident on your record and to record it as settled at nil cost [to them].

Increases in premium on the basis of the incident would have to be justified by the insurers.

That said, insurers are good at deflection so any challenge would probably be swallowed up in a global waffle about rate increases generally for any given class of business. Put another way, you can't win. I find this particularly annoying when you consider that motor insurance is mandatory under statute i.e. we all have to have it !

P.S. sidebar question - how do get to quote someone else's post in a reply ? That function seems to have disappeared or have I set a preference wrongly ?
 
DirectDevil said:
P.S. sidebar question - how do get to quote someone else's post in a reply ? That function seems to have disappeared or have I set a preference wrongly ?
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How to reply to a post.

To reply to a post, you just start typing in box below the post and then press Post Reply.
www.askaboutmoney.com

We have got rid of the "Reply" and "Quote" buttons

2. Selectively quoting is better than quoting the entire post in the reply, especially if you only want to say "Thanks" Makes much more sense.
www.askaboutmoney.com
 
I think no claims bonus protection doesn’t do much. Couple of years ago somebody ran into the side of our car which was parked outside our house; damaged 3 panels and drove off. We claimed off our insurance and it cost 4K to fix. Our insurance went from €350 to €800 even with the no claims protection, went gradually down after that but we were stuck with that insurance company for 5 years.
I would notify the insurance company but try and settle privately with the other party.
 
argentina said:
Our insurance went from €350 to €800 even with the no claims protection, went gradually down after that but we were stuck with that insurance company for 5 years.
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It's generally a discount of the base term which still reduces that element, but they often apply a loading after a claim and that isn't reduced by the NCB.
 
Following a claim, if you have NCB protection your premium next year will be cheaper than if you didn't have NCB protection. It doesn't mean your premium won't go up compared to last year, as a lot of people think.

For example, without NCB protection your premium might have gone from €350 to €1,200 rather than €350 to €800.
 
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