Insurance Claim Advice

Nightrider · Mar 24, 2023

I would be interested in thoughts and experiences please.

This evening a guy crashed into my wife’s car whilst it was parked outside a friend’s house. He hit hit after leaving his drive and went straight into it! It is now immovable.

We are insured with Admiral, who have given my wife two choices. She either go with a claims management company who will handle everything, including a replacement car, and she will not have to pay the excess. Alternatively, they keep it in house, Admiral will handle it and she has to pay the excess, which she can claim back later.

I am not fussed about the excess itself as it is only £150, but what I am concerned about is the car being properly repaired, somewhere I am happy with and not being at the mercy of a claims management company. I have heard some stories about them in the past although I do not recall why. Seems odd that Admiral will pass this to a separate entity. My instinct is to stay with Admiral. Anyone had any similar experiences please?

Thank you

Chris

tanneman · Mar 24, 2023

In house!

DJ123 · Mar 24, 2023

Deal with the 3rd party directly, much easier and no cost to you. Plus everything will be done with costs they'll definitely pay - when it comes to garage selection, hire cars, compensation etc.

A car will always be repaired properly with new parts by an insurance company as the work will be warranted/have a guarantee should there be any mechanical or paint defects.

jags · Mar 24, 2023

what dj123 said.

hops · Mar 24, 2023

Any replacement car from a third party claim company will be on a hire basis and you are ultimately responsible for the cost. You will be told the third party will pay, and they probably will but if they don't you may be liable.

Contact the third party insurers directly and tell them you have been advised to deal with a claim handling company but would like to give them a chance to 'mitigate their losses'. As long as their driver has accepted liability they should be happy to do so as it will save them 1000's.

russ996duke · Mar 24, 2023

Why are they talking about an excess?
Your wife claims off the guilty party it’s their insurance that pays out
Her insurance doesn’t come in to it
All costs are the other party including legal!
HTH
Ps assume third party was insured?

karlp · Mar 24, 2023

I would be letting my insurance company deal with it - that is why I get comprehensive insurance.
You are assuming g the 3rd party will admit liability and you are assuming their insurance company will pay up and get the job done quickly.

Any hire cat from the 3rd partly will be included in the repair cost and and said above you are responsible until the 3rd party insurance pays

Just let Admiral get on with it and it will probably get repaired quicker as they will just authorise the repair and then claim from the 3rd party

Nightrider · Mar 24, 2023

Thanks everyone and some good points. All noted. I think I will trust my instincts and go with Admiral.

Thanks again

Chris

Quattroformaggio · Mar 24, 2023

Put it in the fucking insurance forum, FFS.

uncle dick · Mar 24, 2023

A couple of points:

Avoid the claims handling company - they are notoriously crap.
Your wife's insurance will pay out because she is fully comp.. It is the excess which determines liability / future nab etc. You are free to choose any repairer you like.
Although dj123 said they use all new parts, that is not always the case. Plenty of examples on this very forum of repairers using s/h fairings on bikes amongst other things. Same with car bonnets/doors etc. Read the small print and never assume.
This could drag on. One of our company cars was written off 15 months ago. As of 9 months ago, the third party's insurers decided our driver was at fault - despite no photos/dashcams/witnesses. As it was 'in limbo' we had to pay the full premium which cost an extra £800. I asked our broker when the deadline is for them to provide proof and (unbelievable) there has to be a clear 12 months without any correspondence from the other insurers before the case can be closed.

Watty100 · Mar 25, 2023

If the claims management company are as crap as the loss adjusters appointed to sort our burst pipe claim by Admiral house insurance, don't touch them with a bargepole!

Neil W · Mar 25, 2023

In house , too many issues with claims companies ramping up huge hire car bills and then the punter being embroiled in arguments about who will pay the bill, after the offending cars insurer refuses to pay

Yakker · Mar 26, 2023

One of my cars was hit by a neighbour in a hire van.
Hire van insurance footed the bill - but I wanted to use my own repair garage - not theirs.

1. They made me jump through several hoops with paperwork
2. They did not pay the VAT by default - assuming I'd just pocket the cash (to the sum of the quote) and not get the work done
3. When they did eventually agree to pay the VAT, it was on production of the full invoice - so I was liable for paying the VAT and hoping they'd pay out....
4. When I next went to insure another of our cars, the premium went up on it because my other car had been involved in a no fault claim

Left a sour note overall as an experience

Insurance Claim Advice

Nightrider

Active member

tanneman

Incomplete Arse

DJ123

Well-known member

jags

feckin amatuer

hops

Well-known member

russ996duke

Well-known member

karlp

Well-known member

Nightrider

Active member

Quattroformaggio

Registered user

uncle dick

Well-known member

Watty100

Active member

Neil W

Well-known member

Yakker

Registered user

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