Advice needed re insurance claim
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 39
Posts: 166
Advice needed re insurance claim
Looking for some advice regarding a vehicle that has struck and damaged one of my fence posts.
There is a lane running down the side of my house, the entire boundary which is fenced. Last weekend a young lady managed to hit a concrete fence post, cracking it in the process and also cracking 3 concrete gravel boards. The wooden panels themselves seem OK. Her car was rendered undriveable and subsequently removed on a recovery truck.
To the young lady's credit, she did knock immediately and inform me of what had happened, and we swapped details. She said that she intended to put the damage right, either paying for it herself or via her insurance. This was nearly a week ago and I've heard nothing since.
I do have home insurance which covers this type of damage, but I am unsure on whether to I need to contact my insurers? Would they deal with this sort of thing even if I am not making a claim myself? Or will it all need to be dealt with via the lady's insurance? (Assuming she's not coughing up herself)
There is a lane running down the side of my house, the entire boundary which is fenced. Last weekend a young lady managed to hit a concrete fence post, cracking it in the process and also cracking 3 concrete gravel boards. The wooden panels themselves seem OK. Her car was rendered undriveable and subsequently removed on a recovery truck.
To the young lady's credit, she did knock immediately and inform me of what had happened, and we swapped details. She said that she intended to put the damage right, either paying for it herself or via her insurance. This was nearly a week ago and I've heard nothing since.
I do have home insurance which covers this type of damage, but I am unsure on whether to I need to contact my insurers? Would they deal with this sort of thing even if I am not making a claim myself? Or will it all need to be dealt with via the lady's insurance? (Assuming she's not coughing up herself)
Join Date: Apr 1998
Location: Mesopotamos
Posts: 1,418
Contact your insurers and tell them that the lady has admitted full liability for the damage. Then give them her details - which you hopefully have taken.
Your insurance company should be able to deal with it from there at no cost to you.
Your insurance company should be able to deal with it from there at no cost to you.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Southwold
Age: 68
Posts: 58
Some years ago, while sitting watching TV, we were startled by a loud bang. A young man in a souped up and heavily spoilered Metro had succeeded in taking out my entire front fence that faced the road. This took a bit of doing, we were in a 30 limit and he appeared have spun through 180 degrees and travelled backwards for the full length, some twenty metres. Hs insurance just sent some men and we received free and gratis a new fence. Pretty good considering that the one we had, although sound, was probably quite old.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: England
Posts: 356
Originally Posted by cattletruck
Contact your insurers and tell them that the lady has admitted full liability for the damage. Then give them her details - which you hopefully have taken.
Your insurance company should be able to deal with it from there at no cost to you.
Your insurance company should be able to deal with it from there at no cost to you.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: London
Posts: 403
There is nothing stopping you contacting the insurance company that covers the vehicle concerned and making a claim directly with them.
Provided that you have the registration number of the car that did the damage then for a £4.50 fee, you can get the policy details here:
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
Provided that you have the registration number of the car that did the damage then for a £4.50 fee, you can get the policy details here:
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 18,648
Out of interest did you take any photographs, they are always handy to have if the other party plays up, it's pretty much cut and dry if you have photos of her car embedded in your fence.. When I got rear ended I took loads showing the damage, both vehicles and the traffic light / roundabout, which I emailed to the insurer when I informed them I had some.
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: No longer welcome status
Posts: 211
5-6 years ago when living in hilly area I forgot to put handbrake on car after a long days driving and massive traffic jams on M25.
Car rolled 50 metres across and down road and managed to kiss and crack a concrete fence post, 3 metres further it was in a garden and it would have landed onto a car. Knocked on door and told them what happened, they never heard anything and wouldn't have known.
They got couple of quotes around £550 and then a guy who said he would replace fence post, concrete it in for £100. He came did the job for £100 and got paid. No insurance spoken to or needed.
OP would suggest get a quote with fence post that needs replacing, if gravel boards really don't need replacing and the crack make really sod all difference then don't do them. If maybe that a local guy can do it for £150 so call up the lady concerned and tell her price and get her to pay for it upfront direct to him
You can try and do it all on insurance and it cost £750 after everybody rakes in their profit or get someone to have a look and do it and only do what is necessary. Lady lost her car and lets face it that is more of a concern to her than your fence, act reasonably and not only find it gets paid and done quickly.
Car rolled 50 metres across and down road and managed to kiss and crack a concrete fence post, 3 metres further it was in a garden and it would have landed onto a car. Knocked on door and told them what happened, they never heard anything and wouldn't have known.
They got couple of quotes around £550 and then a guy who said he would replace fence post, concrete it in for £100. He came did the job for £100 and got paid. No insurance spoken to or needed.
OP would suggest get a quote with fence post that needs replacing, if gravel boards really don't need replacing and the crack make really sod all difference then don't do them. If maybe that a local guy can do it for £150 so call up the lady concerned and tell her price and get her to pay for it upfront direct to him
You can try and do it all on insurance and it cost £750 after everybody rakes in their profit or get someone to have a look and do it and only do what is necessary. Lady lost her car and lets face it that is more of a concern to her than your fence, act reasonably and not only find it gets paid and done quickly.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Cambridge, England, EU
Posts: 3,431
Originally Posted by racedo
5-6 years ago when living in hilly area I forgot to put handbrake on car
That's a bit like shutting down an aircraft engine by turning off the ignition, then turning it back on again, then getting out and leaving the aircraft, so that the slightest breath of wind will start it up again, no?
Making one of those errors should hardly ever happen, making both at once should be pretty well impossible?
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: No longer welcome status
Posts: 211
Originally Posted by Gertrude the Wombat
And forgot to leave it in gear?
That's a bit like shutting down an aircraft engine by turning off the ignition, then turning it back on again, then getting out and leaving the aircraft, so that the slightest breath of wind will start it up again, no?
Making one of those errors should hardly ever happen, making both at once should be pretty well impossible?
That's a bit like shutting down an aircraft engine by turning off the ignition, then turning it back on again, then getting out and leaving the aircraft, so that the slightest breath of wind will start it up again, no?
Making one of those errors should hardly ever happen, making both at once should be pretty well impossible?
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Out in the sticks in DE56
Age: 82
Posts: 553
I loved my GT Citroen back in the day. But the one thing that caught me out was that when the suspension sank down over a few hours, it let the handbrake cable slack just enough for it to drift off downhill. Caught me once, which I put down to my carelessness, but the penny dropped after the second time. No damage either time, as I turn the wheels slightly curb-wise. But could have been expensive for someone.
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Cambridge, England, EU
Posts: 3,431
OK, let's be honest now, I did once leave my car parked with the handbrake on but (for some reason I don't recall) not in gear. And the handbrake was sufficiently ******** that the car rolled backwards a couple of feet.
Over a row of nails in the tarmac designating the boundary between private land and the public highway.
So I got a parking ticket, despite the fact that when I'd left the car it had been entirely on private land.
So I had a choice: (a) pay the parking ticket, or (b) challenge it on the grounds that I didn't park the car where it was found, it only ended up there because of an unroadworthy handbrake.
I chose (a).
Over a row of nails in the tarmac designating the boundary between private land and the public highway.
So I got a parking ticket, despite the fact that when I'd left the car it had been entirely on private land.
So I had a choice: (a) pay the parking ticket, or (b) challenge it on the grounds that I didn't park the car where it was found, it only ended up there because of an unroadworthy handbrake.
I chose (a).
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Surrey
Age: 63
Posts: 109
Almost 30 years ago,just a few weeks after I moved to this house,I was awakened in the early hours of the morning by a bang/bump.Rolled over and went back to sleep,but when I went down the following morning,I found that my VW Golf,which had been parked since the previous afternoon,had rolled about 20-30 feet down the drive into the garage door,which was smashed.The door was in a bad state of repair,and was due for replacement anyway,so as there was no noticeable damage to the car,I think I claimed on the house-hold insurance for a new door to be fitted,and actually felt that I had benefited from this mishap.However,within only a couple of months,exactly the same thing happened again,though there was less damage to the now,new door,and I paid for the repair from my own pocket.I honestly can't remember what my practice was beforehand,but ever since,I have always left any car in-gear when parked.
Paid...Persona Grata
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Between BHX and EMA
Age: 75
Posts: 237
Handbrakes on discs - discs get hot and expand while driving, cool down when resting and shrink away from the pads. Always put them on extra hard. Handbrakes on drums, drums shrink as they cool and automatically come on harder.
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,266
The lady already has a claim with her insurer which will likely increase her premiums for some time.
Agree fully with contacting your home insurance company who will look after repairs and recover from her auto insurance company.
I buggered my then boss's garage door when it came down on a bin. His insurance contacted me for recovery and I supplied my insurance details.
Agree fully with contacting your home insurance company who will look after repairs and recover from her auto insurance company.
I buggered my then boss's garage door when it came down on a bin. His insurance contacted me for recovery and I supplied my insurance details.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 18,648
Originally Posted by UniFoxOs
Handbrakes on discs - discs get hot and expand while driving, cool down when resting and shrink away from the pads. Always put them on extra hard. Handbrakes on drums, drums shrink as they cool and automatically come on harder.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: UK
Age: 39
Posts: 166
Thanks for the advice all, the lady in question has since been in touch and advised that her insurer will be in touch soon to arrange repairs. Still unsure whether I need to bother contacting my insurer?
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lincolnshire
Age: 77
Posts: 16,734
Originally Posted by Stu666
Thanks for the advice all, the lady in question has since been in touch and advised that her insurer will be in touch soon to arrange repairs. Still unsure whether I need to bother contacting my insurer?
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
As for matching, when my gate post was knocked over I got my builder to give me a quote, their insurance company was happy and gave me the cash. Get your own quote too for like for like. If the insurers contractor does not do it to your satisfaction you can point out that your man could have done the job.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 18,648
Originally Posted by Stu666
Thanks for the advice all, the lady in question has since been in touch and advised that her insurer will be in touch soon to arrange repairs. Still unsure whether I need to bother contacting my insurer?
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
In answer to previous questions - the fencing was professionally installed less than a year ago, so I want to ensure the replacement materials and workmanship are of the same quality I paid for. I've had too many negative experiences in the past where the culprit has persuaded me to take the DIY option in order to save money (to their benefit, not mine).
Resident insomniac
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: N54 58 34 W02 01 21
Age: 76
Posts: 1,863
There was serious flooding here (at the same time as the Carlisle floods).
Those affected had widely differing results from their insurers - some were just dried out whilst others had all internal timbers renewed (all were affected to the same depth).
Those affected had widely differing results from their insurers - some were just dried out whilst others had all internal timbers renewed (all were affected to the same depth).
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: closer to hell
Age: 49
Posts: 907
Aahh...the old I have an insurance policy nugget. Yes you purchased a policy and paid money but that don't mean diddly without policy wording. They often don't match and that's when the fun begins.
