I am settling a motor accident without going through the insurance. I was the victim! Help!?

Question

I was involved in a motor accident where the other person crashed into the back of my car.

We talked and exchanged details and he takes responsibility for the accident. He didnt want to go through insurance companies, so i decided on going to my local dealer where i bought my car( its only 2 months old)

The dealer said it would cost around 1000 pounds to fix, but the other party involved in the accident wouldnt be able to pay it all up front.

What could i do to allow him to pay me in installments but still have a legal say if he did any trickery or deception. Or paid me only half and not the full amount.

Thanks for your help.

Also the repair centre said i could go through a system of theirs, which made the other partys insurance pay out for the repairs of my car. I am more afraid of my insurance going up than anything else.

Answer 1

the police will rite up a non reportable accident form for you and that will give you everything you need if he turns into a dead beat also most insurance company's wont count against you for minor stuff under $1000 and your insurance will never soak you for someones else hitting you

Answer 2

Well, this is really a sticky situation. YOu should have contacted not only his insurance, but more importantly, YOURS. Depending on how long ago it was, I would still talk to you insurance company. You rates shouldn't go up at all. You were a victim and you were not at fault. Secondly, if you still do not want to get the comps involved, that is fine. Email me and I have a file that I can send you. It is a promissary note that states that he is liable for the whole repair. Just pay for what he can not pay for, get the car fixed, take pictures of before and after, and then give him a certain amount of time, say 30 days, to pay up or you will talk to his insurance company and show them the promissary note. They will take it from there. There is nothing against the law about what he has done. People do that all the time.

Answer 3

Let the insurance deal with it, you have to notify them of an accident anyway even if you don't claim.

What about whiplash injury to you? Have you had a stiff neck at all since the crash? That alone can be worth several thousand let alone the cost of the repairs to your vehicle.

The only thing you have to make sure is that you claim all of your uninsured losses back from the other driver, then your insurance will not go up.

Answer 4

Do not let this guy make payments to you. How do you know he isn't going to make a couple of payments and then stop. It's not your fault he hit you and you are being too nice. Call his insurance company immediately and turn in a claim for the damages to your vehicle. They will let you know whether they will have someone take a look at it or whether they want you to get estimates.

If he does not have insurance and you have full coverage, claim it thru your own company.

I have seen people do this before and it NEVER works out. At least not in your favor. It is not your responsibility to be nice to the person that caused damage to your property.

Answer 5

You were wrong. In trying to be a nice guy, you are taking all the risks. What if he just tells you where to go, what proof do you have that he was involved at all? I can't say what your laws state, but here in the U.S., without a police report taken at the time & site of the accident, you can open a real can of worms.

For example, could you NOW prove that you didn't put your car in reverse by accident, and backed into him? What if he shows up with the neck brace and says he's going to sue you since you backed into his car and injured him!?!

You could sue him, but then you have legal costs and what if he still doesn't have the money to pay? Report what happened to your insurance company ASAP! Good luck.

Answer 6

First of all, get two other estimates on the damage to your car. How do you know the dealership gave an accurate assessment? My insurance company wanted 3 references the last time I was in an accident.

Secondly, you are not a bank - you are the victim. If the person can't or won't pay up front - go through the insurance company.

Answer 7

The other party is not going to pay out £1000, in any accident always go through the insurance.

Answer 8

Tell him he either has to pay up front the full £1000 or go through his insurance.

The end of the day your the victim so you just want you car fixed. By not going through the insurance you are doing him a favour, but he is not returning the favour by not paying for the repairs of your vehicle.

Go through his insurance, you are safer and also rest assured it wont affect your insurance premium.

Good luck

Answer 9

If you are not at fault then your insurance will not go up as a result of this accident. You are being exceedingly naive if you believe that the other driver will pay all of your repair costs - and I believe that it is a condition of your insurance policy that you notify your insurers of anything that happens to your vehicle.
Ring your insurance company - give them the details of what has happened - and let them deal with it.

Answer 10

if he is insured use his policy and let the company pay...HE can pay HIS insurers the cost over installments if he wants.
if he is not insured then you either trust him or take a hit on your no claims bonus...do not pay any of your own money except your policy excess.
ring your insurers and ask them if your policy was due today what would be the new premium with reduced bonus this will give you a guideline of what to expect when the true renewal date falls due..realistically the INCREASE in premium @ renewal is likely to be less than £1000 as the maximum bonus you can lose is 40%(2yrs) **** ONLY UK ROAD TRAFFIC ACTS APPLY ****