Accident in snow

Pin this post for all those people who can't see why a car needs to be insured to be on a public road ?

She should tell her insurer that there will be a claim, and pass on the full details, and they will sort it out. (Clearly she has no liability to admit, so usual warnings not to do that are not relevant here).

Go through her own insurance is possibly better

If it's not her fault she shouldn't involve her insurers. Some stupid old lady ran into the back of my car in 2002. Because I told my insurers it still shows as a no fault claim on my record.

You are obliged under the terms of your cover to inform you insurer, whether you claim or not.

Client reversed into my car on her drive while I was in her house doing some work. Informed my insurance company and it all got sorted with no comebacks on my policy.

They're extremely stupid about this. They tell you that if you're involved in an accident you should tell them, even if it isn't your fault, but then they give you significant direct and indirect incentives not to do so. It's ridiculous.

Do you get a reduction for proving you're a good driver?

First time I ever contacted my car insurer was when someone delivering pizzas on a snowy night slithered into my (properly parked) car on an icy road. I happened to be walking away from the (empty) car at the time, so I witnessed the accident myself. I knew no better, so I contacted my insurer and did everything `properly'. Next time a renewal notice arrived, my NCD was zero, and the premium had more or less doubled. I shouted at them down the phone for a few minutes, and they gave me my NCD back.

If the friend's car insurer is notified, and, assuming the other cars have insurers at all, the friend needs to make it abundantly clear to their insurer that this is a notification, not a claim, and that unjustified drops in NCD, or mentions on record, etc., will be met with extreme ill-will.

The driver is obliged to tell their insurers. Failure to do so will enable the insurers to invalidate the policy in future.

Peter Crosland

IME, your friend would be very silly not to go through her own insurers.

We've had 2 "no fault" claims in the last few years, and both times our insurers not only got repairs sorted, but they recovered all other costs (relief car, reimburse phone calls etc).

There should be no problem re. NCD - but bear in mind it is the total recovery of all her costs, not "no fault" status, which secures her clean record.

It was not on the public road, it was on a driveway:

"A friend's car is parked on her drive"

But a no fault claim does not harm your ability to be insured.

which driver?

Every driver. Misses the point though, doesn't it?

We are asked to advise the owner of a parked car which was damaged whilst it was in a driveway. The advice that any lawyer will give you is: if you are insured comprehensively, claim off your own insurance and let your own insurer pursue a recovery against the guilty parties. Here, the guilty parties are either or both of the drivers of the two other cars. If a successful recovery is made by your insurers the normal rule is that your NCD is restored.

If you don't report it to your own insurers, you risk being out of pocket. It isn't worth it.

Maybe so, but the discount you get is a "No claim" bonus, not a "No blame" bonus. ;-)

Nope, for you are not claiming against your isnurance but against the other person and therefore do not loose any No Claim Bonus.

So you are suggesting that if it wasn't her fault, she should commit fraud.

nice.