Ouch, wifes car got hit

[QldKev]

I've been driving for many years, but I'm not sure what is the best way forward with insurance.

My wifes car (in my name), a zre152 corolla was hit in a carpark whilst we were away in the shops. Both the drivers door and slightly into the rear door were hit. The driver of the other vehicle left a note saying they hit it with their trailer and a name / phone number. So we have someone who is at least decent :goodjob:.


I gave them a call and over the phone they admitted to it, they did not want to give me any more details. No drivers license number, surname, rego, type of car/trailer, insurer, etc. They did say sorry for it and they do have insurance, although they made mention of a big excess. They said they will call their insurance Monday morning and then call me. I also have full comprehensive insurance. Should I put a claim in with my insurer, or should I await them saying to get it to some panel beaters for quotes? Does it go against me having a not at fault claim? Is it better to go through my insurance to protect me incase something weird happens?


http://i988.photobucket.com/albums/af3/QldKev/Crashes/J_car_zpsddcba2ab.jpg

[Radikl]

My thoughts are to contact your insurance to let them know what has happened.

Indicate to them that you do not want to proceed with the claim as yet, pending discussions etc with the other party.

That is what i would do.

Interesting to see what other parties here will say.

Good luck either way, at least they left a note.....positive signs

[Evman]

Contact your insurance straight away so they have the accident on record and pass on the other driver's details in case they end up stuffing you around. Nothing will be against your name if you make a claim but the at fault driver is accounted for. If they have insurance theirs will pay for it, if they don't have insurance yours should pay for it and get the money out of them

[Drizt]

Call your insurance and let them do all the work. That is what you pay for.

[edelbrock1]

Because your car was stationary. You are 100% not at fault. So it will not affect your claim bonus at all.

[Micks]

Kev for an insurance claim you must have the offenders Rego no @ least, name or phone no only won't cut it.

[Devil CV8]

AS others have said. Lodge a claim with your insurer. I'd also suggest reporting to police as the other party, while they left a note with a contact number, they have refused to provide their details.

[D_BLOCK]

Def let your insurance know. We went through something similar and once the dust started to settle, the other driver started to change
their admission of guilt.You need to give them the guys number and any other details you may have, because as we found out
regardless of not being at fault, if the insurance has no one else to pin it on you will cop the brunt of it.
Good luck.

[Toddler78]

First and for most head down to your local cop shop and report it for your own piece of mind. give the police their phone number and name (if you have that). At least they were decent enough to leave a note, but they may quickly chance once they realize how much they have to pay. That damage might not be as cheap as it looks if it has messed with the geometry of the door V the locking mech against the frame. Give them a chance to do the right thing but if they dont at lease you have a police report to help your claim.

I was in a very simular situation. A customer reversed straight into my monaro and took the front end out (only had it back 2 days after another idiot failed to check his blind side and changed lanes ). They admitted fault, pretty hard to do otherwise as I pretty much watched it happen. They told me they would handle it with their insurance. I still reported it to police, as I didnt trust them, but gave them the oportunity to do the right thing, sure enough their insurer rang me the next day admited liability and told me to go get a quote from my preferred repairer to repair and if it was one of their approved repairers they would authorize it instantly, So I took it back to the same bloke and all was fixed no fuss.

[Micks]

AS others have said. Lodge a claim with your insurer. I'd also suggest reporting to police as the other party, while they left a note with a contact number, they have refused to provide their details.
Sorry it aint a Police issue, noone was hurt!

[BigAnt]

Sorry it aint a Police issue, noone was hurt!
And the damage is less than $2500. Hopefully.

Call your insurance agency and let them know. They will be able to answer your questions.

[CLUBRED]

Trailer probably isn't registered, or wasn't theirs - or they are moving away and the phone number they gave is temporary.. Aren't insurance companies contactable 24/7?

[Devil CV8]

Sorry it aint a Police issue, noone was hurt!
Failing to provide your details after an accident is an offence, at least in nsw it is.

[Micks]

Failing to provide your details after an accident is an offence, at least in nsw it is.

That's correct it is an "offence" but not a Police issue, you can certainly waste your time reporting it but it won't resolve the issue!
As I said the other party's Rego No or No's in this case & contact details is all that's required. Kevs Ins Co. will do the rest.

[VRIIClubby]

That's correct it is an "offence" but not a Police issue, you can certainly waste your time reporting it but it won't resolve the issue!
As I said the other party's Rego No or No's in this case & contact details is all that's required. Kevs Ins Co. will do the rest.

So who chases up said compliance and enforces it? The Parking Rangers?

I would be lodging an Event with the Police Assistance line (NSW) and forwarding all those details through to your insurance company (im in the process of this as we speak).

[Radikl]

Reading through the thread, im thinking we are a bit too quick to go to the police.

By ringing the insurance company and providing the information that you have received, they will direct you with what the process needs to be.

It cannot be that hard :) Police only involved, in my opinion, if the insurance company says to do so. By making contact insurer ASAP is the real trigger point here, pardon the pun!

[Toddler78]

So who chases up said compliance and enforces it? The Parking Rangers?

I would be lodging an Event with the Police Assistance line (NSW) and forwarding all those details through to your insurance company (im in the process of this as we speak).

Exactly, I probably should have been more clearer, My motive for recommendeing Police was not to try and get the other party in trouble but purely as a note taking exercise and incident report, It keeps you in the clear if said other party decides to turn out like a scum bag. I had a claim many years ago that the the insurance delayed paying out on because there was no police report( there was but they were too tight to pay the sum to get a copy of it)

[Micks]

So who chases up said compliance and enforces it? The Parking Rangers?

I would be lodging an Event with the Police Assistance line (NSW) and forwarding all those details through to your insurance company (im in the process of this as we speak).

By your response you obviously Don't know the Law!! Sure ring up the "Assistance line" & please post back what advise they give???
Unless there is:
1. Someone Injured
2. Significant "Public Damage" eg Power Pole, Bus Stop, Taxi Rank, Domestic or Commercial Building damage there is No valid requirement of Police involvement!

I know cause have been there done that @ least here in NSW.

[Micks]

Exactly, I probably should have been more clearer, My motive for recommendeing Police was not to try and get the other party in trouble but purely as a note taking exercise and incident report, It keeps you in the clear if said other party decides to turn out like a scum bag. I had a claim many years ago that the the insurance delayed paying out on because there was no police report( there was but they were too tight to pay the sum to get a copy of it)

It might make you feel better but the "Insurer" will get the final say.
BTW whilst your holding up the assistance line with your Minor Car Acc damage etc someone else with a greater "Life Threatening Condition" maybe suffering! Just think about that one!

[mummbles]

It might make you feel better but the "Insurer" will get the final say.
BTW whilst your holding up the assistance line with your Minor Car Acc damage etc someone else with a greater "Life Threatening Condition" maybe suffering! Just think about that one!

Yes, because they are much more likely to dial 131444 than 000.

[QldKev]

I called my insurer this morning for a chat. They said if the other party is happy to put a claim in with their insurer from their side that I don't need to lodge it with them (my insurer). This afternoon the people who hit my car called and have given me the claim number for their insurance provider and provided me with all their details. So it's great there are still some genuine people out there. They mentioned I will only need to get one quote from my preferred repairer. Anyone who a good repairer in Bundaberg?

[Toddler78]

It might make you feel better but the "Insurer" will get the final say.
BTW whilst your holding up the assistance line with your Minor Car Acc damage etc someone else with a greater "Life Threatening Condition" maybe suffering! Just think about that one!

Sure thing mick :good job: cause they are not going to ring 000 :weirdo: obviously it needs to be spelled out go into your local station and make a report. More then Likely you will be dealing with a duty clerk who is actually not a sworn member. So no police resources are used if that makes you sleep better tonight. As has been mentioned damage over $2500 can be reported to police. Who's to say that that's not that amount there? The hole point to the task is to get it on public record incase it gets nasty. It's the police's job to determine whether a crime has taken place not yours they are public servants, there to serve the public even the meaningless tasks

[Toddler78]

I called my insurer this morning for a chat. They said if the other party is happy to put a claim in with their insurer from their side that I don't need to lodge it with them (my insurer). This afternoon the people who hit my car called and have given me the claim number for their insurance provider and provided me with all their details. So it's great there are still some genuine people out there. They mentioned I will only need to get one quote from my preferred repairer. Anyone who a good repairer in Bundaberg?

Great outcome kev you must have found one of the very few honest people out there

[Micks]

Sure thing mick :good job: cause they are not going to ring 000 :weirdo: obviously it needs to be spelled out go into your local station and make a report. More then Likely you will be dealing with a duty clerk who is actually not a sworn member. So no police resources are used if that makes you sleep better tonight. As has been mentioned damage over $2500 can be reported to police. Who's to say that that's not that amount there? The hole point to the task is to get it on public record incase it gets nasty. It's the police's job to determine whether a crime has taken place not yours they are public servants, there to serve the public even the meaningless tasks
I didn't suggest the minor vehicle accident as the Op's a "Crime"? I'm not into Law but just pointing out your rights & as it has been explained to me prior
you are not required to report these type of "minor" incidents to Police!
Good to see a great outcome

[VRIIClubby]

By your response you obviously Don't know the Law!! Sure ring up the "Assistance line" & please post back what advise they give???
Unless there is:
1. Someone Injured
2. Significant "Public Damage" eg Power Pole, Bus Stop, Taxi Rank, Domestic or Commercial Building damage there is No valid requirement of Police involvement!

I know cause have been there done that @ least here in NSW.

As a matter of fact Mr smarty pants, I was going through the exact problems at the time, 1. I wasnt injured, 2. NO public damage.

As I said, WHO? is going to chase up those things if the the Police do not?

All accidents need to be reported to the police if someone is hurt or value of repairs is deemed to be more than $2.5k (was only $500 for ages wasnt it?). (unless your driving a shitbox ths=is amount is easy to exceed)

Anyway, no matter what your position may or may not be, its the Police's job to take said report down, dont cry when u get a neg driving charge from doing it though ;))

As for your comment about the Police Assistance Line, thier advice was unless there was significant damage to your vehicle there isnt a need to make one, however, in saying that, Insurance is easier to deal with if their is an event number provided.

[Micks]

As a matter of fact Mr smarty pants, I was going through the exact problems at the time, 1. I wasnt injured, 2. NO public damage.

As I said, WHO? is going to chase up those things if the the Police do not?

All accidents need to be reported to the police if someone is hurt or value of repairs is deemed to be more than $2.5k (was only $500 for ages wasnt it?). (unless your driving a shitbox ths=is amount is easy to exceed)

Anyway, no matter what your position may or may not be, its the Police's job to take said report down, dont cry when u get a neg driving charge from doing it though ;))

As for your comment about the Police Assistance Line, thier advice was unless there was significant damage to your vehicle there isnt a need to make one, however, in saying that, Insurance is easier to deal with if their is an event number provided.

I told you so!;)

[QldKev]

Time to start taking guesses on the repair bill. I honesty don't have a clue what it will be.

QldKev $800

[Radikl]

Time to start taking guesses on the repair bill. I honesty don't have a clue what it will be.

QldKev $800

Well done, looks like it is in motion now :)

My guess, being done by a prof beater/painter....as 2 doors are hit and need to colour match blend etc....$1350 (give or take $10) See how far out i will be....

[jimmyd17]

it is good that the person was honest enough to leave a note. looks like more damage than the cost of excess anyway. from their perspective, they will be hoping they are better off just paying for the damage without having to claim on their insurance. looks like $2000 damage would be my guess. best way to handle it would be to go through your comprehensive insurance and pass on the number, etc. not your fault, so there will be no excess etc. if it were really minor, then depending, it might be OK to deal with the person direct as long as you choose the repairer rather than them offering to get their mates friends cousin to patch it up lol.