6 minutes ago, Sprawlsy said:

You are obliged to report all incidents/accidents to your insurer, given that you have dashcam footage why wouldn't you? The footage will show that the other driver is at fault and your son's insurer will be able to recover all costs from the third party's insurer. You will also be able to get them to cover any hire charges incurred so that your son can stay on the road whilst his car is off the road. As a non-fault claim it shouldn't be held against him when the policy renews & of course you can shop around. 

Hi Sprawlsy,

Unfortunately in the insurance world they bump your insurance up for non fault claims and even notification only.  If they did not, then things would be better.  Admiral claims it's because stats prove that if your involved in an accident you are more likely to be involved in another, not that I agree with that.

However in this case i have done the decent thing and the son has reported it to the police and the insurance, 'notification only' as the excess is nearly the cost of repair.  You could argue you will get the excess back but I am hoping that notification only has a smaller hit on premium next year than non fault.

The police actually was onto this within the Hr of being reported online and have already taken the footage, maybe because it's clear evidence, etc.

I am still trying to find a way of uploading video to forum without it being traceable as you cannot upload video file to the forum, so it would have to be link and even though the links do not give identification details if you look at modified details, you find them 🙂

 

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Sprawlsy said:

You are obliged to report all incidents/accidents to your insurer...

3 years ago, a lady 'bumped' my car as I was sat in it stationary in a shopping center car park. As there were no witnesses, my insurer at the time persuaded me to accept b50% of the blame to prevent an elongated case and just get it over with. I did. It came back to haunt me as 2 months ago with a new insurer, they had on record that I had an 'incident' on record and it directly forced me to pay an additional £70 in premium, despite it not being 'my fault'. I hate insurance companies...

18 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

3 years ago, a lady 'bumped' my car as I was sat in it stationary in a shopping center car park. As there were no witnesses, my insurer at the time persuaded me to accept b50% of the blame to prevent an elongated case and just get it over with. I did. It came back to haunt me as 2 months ago with a new insurer, they had on record that I had an 'incident' on record and it directly forced me to pay an additional £70 in premium, despite it not being 'my fault'. I hate insurance companies...

I presume the person who hit you denied it, so it became a he said, she said scenario. So if no liability is accepted it could have gone down the route of litigation, which is obviously expensive & there would have been no guarantee of success. Unfortunately for you it was decided to go for the lesser of 2 evils and accept it in a 50/50 basis based on the cost of damages. That would gave been better than running up legal costs. Don't blame the insurer, blame the lack of honesty from the person who hit you.

I presume you negotiated away the increase or moved to a cheaper insurer?

The chap on this thread has rock solid evidence that his insurer will love.

30 minutes ago, Nightowl1 said:

Hi Sprawlsy,

Unfortunately in the insurance world they bump your insurance up for non fault claims and even notification only.  If they did not, then things would be better.  Admiral claims it's because stats prove that if your involved in an accident you are more likely to be involved in another, not that I agree with that.

However in this case i have done the decent thing and the son has reported it to the police and the insurance, 'notification only' as the excess is nearly the cost of repair.  You could argue you will get the excess back but I am hoping that notification only has a smaller hit on premium next year than non fault.

The police actually was onto this within the Hr of being reported online and have already taken the footage, maybe because it's clear evidence, etc.

I am still trying to find a way of uploading video to forum without it being traceable as you cannot upload video file to the forum, so it would have to be link and even though the links do not give identification details if you look at modified details, you find them 🙂

 

 

 

 

They really don't. Notify your insurer, let them sort it all out & they can make a recovery from the third party insurer. Your lad's excess will be recovered too. You really are doing yourselves a disservice by trying to sort it all out yourselves. You've bought a service, an expensive one at that, use it.The claims team will be able to cite case law etc. in defending your position.

If come renewal you don't like the terms on offer, negotiate or shop around. A non-fault claim will not reduce your NCD. Of course who your lad is insured with will make a difference as no 2 policy wordings are the same.

Video on way...

Video below..

https://youtu.be/lxv46owcnF0

 

 

Nightowl, I know exactly how you feel and rage is not a strong enough word, so I really hope the police are convinced that they can identify the reg plate as being ENJ 1N and pursue it.  Long story short, I had a hit and run which wrote the car off (now back on the road as an N class write off).

A witness saw the incident, then, the vehicle returned 10 mins later when the witness recorded its reg number.  Because of this 10 minute delay, the police said that they couldn’t present it to the CPS due to “lack of continuity”.  So, I entered the reg number into askMID (https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx) and found its insurance company and the name of its owner (in this case it was owned by a hire car firm).  I phoned my insurance company and asked them make an allegation it had hit me, to the vehicles insurance company to see if an accident had been reported - they said it hadn’t been.  I eventually got to talk to the hire firm who let me know they had put the (offending) damaged vehicle in for repair around that date.  They also told me the garage that repaired it.

I visited the garage, told them the situation and the vehicle’s reg number and the owner showed me the broken bumper INCLUDING THE NUMBERPLATE (same as witness reported) they’d taken off the vehicle which had my scraped off green paint all over it.  So, I took the bumper home on my roof rack to take photos of it and submitted them to the police along with the other things I had now discovered from the witness.  I also had a piece of his bumper that I had picked up at the scene that fitted the scrap bumper like a jigsaw.

I’ll cut to the chase, the police still didn’t want to know about pursuing a hit and run, but said they would try and get him for failing to report, which they did, although the driver didn’t show at the magistrates court hearing, which attended FYI.

Salient points:

- Unless there’s injury, you’ve got to be really lucky if the police are interested even if you have a “smoking gun”

-  Is it worth requesting toot sweet, that your ins company alleges to the offending vehicle’s driver’s insurance company that he hit you, so as to get the ball rolling?  These people take a flipping eternity to communicate with each other.

- askMID is a blinding resource if you have the criteria to use it (which you do).  It’s good for geeing up the insurance companies up into doing some proper admin, although even then it’s like trying to herd cats.

- Anger drove me to persist with the above, so it took far too much of my time for it to be financially beneficial.  Do I regret doing it?  No, because the bar steward who hit my car and gave me and my wife whiplash at least got done for 3 points and a fine, although it should have been much, much, more.  Totally agree with you regarding not letting this scum carry on driving how they like with no comebacks.

Best of luck with it mate and please keep us updated with the outcome.  Feel free to PM me in case there’s something I can think of that will help.

11 minutes ago, Marineboy said:

Nightowl, I know exactly how you feel and rage is not a strong enough word, so I really hope the police are convinced that they can identify the reg plate as being ENJ 1N and pursue it.  Long story short, I had a hit and run which wrote the car off (now back on the road as an N class write off).

 

A witness saw the incident, then, the vehicle returned 10 mins later when the witness recorded its reg number.  Because of this 10 minute delay, the police said that they couldn’t present it to the CPS due to “lack of continuity”.  So, I entered the reg number into askMID (https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx) and found its insurance company and the name of its owner (in this case it was owned by a hire car firm).  I phoned my insurance company and asked them make an allegation it had hit me, to the vehicles insurance company to see if an accident had been reported - they said it hadn’t been.  I eventually got to talk to the hire firm who let me know they had put the (offending) damaged vehicle in for repair around that date.  They also told me the garage that repaired it.

 

I visited the garage, told them the situation and the vehicle’s reg number and the owner showed me the broken bumper INCLUDING THE NUMBERPLATE (same as witness reported) they’d taken off the vehicle which had my scraped off green paint all over it.  So, I took the bumper home on my roof rack to take photos of it and submitted them to the police along with the other things I had now discovered from the witness.  I also had a piece of his bumper that I had picked up at the scene that fitted the scrap bumper like a jigsaw.

 

I’ll cut to the chase, the police still didn’t want to know about pursuing a hit and run, but said they would try and get him for failing to report, which they did, although the driver didn’t show at the magistrates court hearing, which attended FYI.

 

Salient points:

 

- Unless there’s injury, you’ve got to be really lucky if the police are interested even if you have a “smoking gun”

 

-  Is it worth requesting toot sweet, that your ins company alleges to the offending vehicle’s driver’s insurance company that he hit you, so as to get the ball rolling?  These people take a flipping eternity to communicate with each other.

 

- askMID is a blinding resource if you have the criteria to use it (which you do).  It’s good for geeing up the insurance companies up into doing some proper admin, although even then it’s like trying to herd cats.

 

- Anger drove me to persist with the above, so it took far too much of my time for it to be financially beneficial.  Do I regret doing it?  No, because the bar steward who hit my car and gave me and my wife whiplash at least got done for 3 points and a fine, although it should have been much, much, more.  Totally agree with you regarding not letting this scum carry on driving how they like with no comebacks.

 

Best of luck with it mate and please keep us updated with the outcome.  Feel free to PM me in case there’s something I can think of that will help.

 

Thank you Marineboy, appreciate your message.

Saw the video, got no words, took off like a bat out of hell.  There was a KLT Utilities (https://www.kltutilities.com) van to the left of the car behind the a**hole's one.  Long shot, but if he got the number it would help corroberate if the police kick up about the clarity of the reg plate image.

7 minutes ago, Marineboy said:

Saw the video, got no words, took off like a bat out of hell.  There was a KLT Utilities (https://www.kltutilities.com) van to the left of the car behind the a**hole's one.  Long shot, but if he got the number it would help corroberate if the police kick up about the clarity of the reg plate image.

Thanks Marineboy, the video quality uploaded is about 1/4 of the original due to upload constraints etc, so that does not help.  I was surprised though that no one seeing this pulled over and checked Son was OK, I am thinking maybe it was the car involved, as another member said, does not like an old lady's car.  Time will tell and good spot.  Maybe they will be nice person, apologise for the error in judgement and pay for the damage, who knows.

Firstly, you and your son have my sympathy!

Secondly, you say that

"You could argue you will get the excess back but I am hoping that notification only has a smaller hit on premium next year than non fault" (claim) - I'm afraid I don't share your optimism. (But you could always ask them that very question).  On that basis, I would put it through insurance and let them deal with it all. Also, if the garage says " It was a more difficult job than we thought because it had also broken the plastic brackets and wheel arch liner etc etc etc", you won't have to worry about anything like that.

Do you have legal expenses cover? Maybe time to call on that if you do. Get them to chase the other driver for recovery of excess etc. (although I have successfully claimed back my excess myself from the other party's insurer, admittedly where they admitted liability). 

Or , dare I say it, contact an ambulance chasing No win No fee claims management company, though I have no experience of going down that route.

32 minutes ago, alanfp said:

Firstly, you and your son have my sympathy!

Secondly, you say that

"You could argue you will get the excess back but I am hoping that notification only has a smaller hit on premium next year than non fault" (claim) - I'm afraid I don't share your optimism. (But you could always ask them that very question).  On that basis, I would put it through insurance and let them deal with it all. Also, if the garage says " It was a more difficult job than we thought because it had also broken the plastic brackets and wheel arch liner etc etc etc", you won't have to worry about anything like that.

Do you have legal expenses cover? Maybe time to call on that if you do. Get them to chase the other driver for recovery of excess etc. (although I have successfully claimed back my excess myself from the other party's insurer, admittedly where they admitted liability). 

Or , dare I say it, contact an ambulance chasing No win No fee claims management company, though I have no experience of going down that route.

OMG alanfp, I was just discussing with the wife that one garage spotted the wheel liner was split away from some bracket near the bumper but did not say if that was something serious or not.  I am hoping not as the garage that has the job now for end of week (fit new aftermarket wing, paint wing, corner of bumper and blend into door ) has had its deposit etc.  You sound like you know something about this, if the car was to come back, without that part fixed, is that something expensive or something to sort ?.

In the end I have had experience with insurance also and generally it's not good.  Asked one insurance if I was covered for keys lost a few years back, they said I was not but put it down as notification of incident which I paid for in premiums for next 5 years :(.  

When your dealing with insurance at my age, it's a few hundred pounds and if might go up £30 or something but when the insurance for your Son is 2k already with 0 accidents etc and 1 years NCB, I am expecting this whole thing is going to cost hundreds a year more just for notification.  I am not in insurance but experience tells me, this won't turn out well.

Nightowl1, obviously it's entirely up to you guys how you proceed, but I think not using your insurer is a mistake. Once liability is admitted by the third party insurer your insurer will be working on your behalf to get the best outcome for you. Otherwise you have no one in your corner. What happens if you're not satisfied with the repair, they can assist you etc. If liability is accepted by them (how can it not be given the video), your son will make a full recovery of the excess, indeed he may not have to pay it out initially either.

As for future premiums, negotiate & shop around. I had a claim 7 years ago after being hit in a car park whilst at work, no idea who did it & no witnesses or video. I had to have a new drivers door, total cost circa £1k. My premiums have remained fairly static since, I'm paying about £20 more than 5 years ago.

 

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

10 minutes ago, Sprawlsy said:

...it's entirely up to you guys how you proceed, but I think not using your insurer is a mistake.

 

@Nightowl1    and therein now lies the futility of this thread. Many think you should ignore the insurance option, the rest think you should take it up! You may as well be discussing should you buy Goodyear tires, or Michellin ones, everyone has their own opinion. If I were you (!), I would de-subscribe from this thread now, and just follow through whatever you have decided. Otherwise, we'll all do your head in!!

Our insurance didn't increase after a non fault incident. 

Thanks all, I have actually enjoyed reading the posts, shows theirs still some decent people out their.  I took a look this morning and the bumper undersheild is cracked / snapped.  So more cost but they are not super expensive.  In the end I found a garage with good feedback that will do the repairs this week for me so son can get back to uni and at a cost just over the excess, yes, that's going to cost me money that I would not have to pay if went through insurance as would have got excess back but as the insurance company was unable to give answer as to non fault Vs notification only I had to think to myself if either would cost less in long run, I am thinking insurance is about risk / cost and if someone is likely to pay damage out themselves with just notification that may mean lower premium than non fault, I simply don't know.  Either way he gets to keep his NCB.  The garage will give me receipt so if third party insurance does contact me, perhaps I will get my money back.

All I can say, is the only positive is I had a dash cam, no one can say this was my son's fault, say the registration no. he took down was wrong, say witnesses eyes were bad or anything, it's clear anough footage to make this a simple case if anyone challenges me in future 

May the good people in the world outway the bad for as long as possible.....

 

Thank you all

Hello All, I am back and car is back from repair shop, repair looks good, I have a small issue though.  The front bumper undertray was snapped in corner so I bought another new one, not a ford original part though but says it was insurance approved.  Anyway I passed it to the body shop and thought no more, when I picked it up they said holes in new part did not line up but sorted with a few screws, anyway, I cannot be having that and had a look myself.  The front bumper undertray I accessed by taking engine undertray off, below it I see 3 torx holding it to metal plate and 2 torx each side near wheel are plus 2 push type things holding part to bumper in centre.  Nothing else, they had put screws in the other holes where bumper meets undertray at the front with the 2 push fit rivets in centre, can anyone tell me if it's supposed to have like 6 push fit rivots holding undertray to bumper at front and perhaps they snapped them and used screws or something.  Just want to order what I need and fit but cannot see a diagram to know what is supposed to be holding tray to bumper lip, part no's would be great :).  

Thank you

Pleased you've got it sorted so quickly. I'm sorry I can't answer your question, but if the garage has fixed it and it's secure, I'd just leave it as it is.  

As above, as long as it's secure I wouldn't worry about it.  If the car is ever in a position where you can see the undertray, you've got bigger issues to worry about! 

There's a difference between the standard bumper and the sports bumper, which might explain the differences in the front undertray.  On the standard bumper, it's 2 Torx screws on each of the front arch liners, then 3 Torx screws along the front lip of the bumper.

Thank you TomsFocus and alanfp, guess you have a point LOL.

Now for something that I am hoping you will say is super simply.  The front wheel arch liner meets the what I can only call bumper spolier / valance and is held together by one torx screw.  That valance has snapped and hence I need to replace it.  Do I have to take, the bumper undertray off in order to get to some bolts or something to replace that ?.  I am thinking of buying from below, as I think that's the correct part, it's not colour codes or anything on son's which is Titanium X though thank you

https://tradevehicleparts.co.uk/products/ford-focus-2011-2014-front-bumper-spoiler-driver-side?variant=39348239990847&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAiAxJSPBhAoEiwAeO_fP1wpMIOSgOzkaj-k2kQHrn3vLHJTrzJWf-ExP1fWf6PDzQQ5FIJF6BoCvGEQAvD_BwE

 

The lower bumper trim is push-fitted with plastic mounts at the factory.

Easy to assemble, not quite so easy to remove!  Basically you have to push each mount out through it's bumper slot individually, taking care not to snap anything.  You'll probably need to remove either the front undertray or the bumper for access.

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

The lower bumper trim is push-fitted with plastic mounts at the factory.

Easy to assemble, not quite so easy to remove!  Basically you have to push each mount out through it's bumper slot individually, taking care not to snap anything.  You'll probably need to remove either the front undertray or the bumper for access.

Thank you TomsFocus, appreciated.