• Welcome to the new B.I.R.D. Forum. Please be sure to read the "New Member / New Registered ? Please Read" thread in the Coffee Shop. This contains some important information. To become a full member ( £5.90 a year ) simply click on your user name near the top on the right I hope you enjoy the new site ................ Jaws ( John )

Insurance

derek kelly

The Deli lama
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Bev has just received a letter from her car insurance, they are claiming another £15 because of the incident where she was run off the road by a lunatic in a BMW, despite the guy admitting deliberately running her off the road & receiving a conviction they are stating that Bev is a higher risk.
 

Jaws

Corporal CockUp
Staff member
Moderator
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The thing is the policy hasn’t run out so they’ve just added this mid term, I didn’t think they could do this.
They can but it is virtually unheard of.
Fire a letter off asking why she as the injured party of a convicted felon is a greater risk ?
By their own logic, every time a customer of theirs has a claim that makes the company a bigger risk to deal with
 

Minkey

Ok it was me
Club Sponsor
insurance companies are a law unto themselves I would cancel and shop around
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
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Bev has just received a letter from her car insurance, they are claiming another £15 because of the incident where she was run off the road by a lunatic in a BMW, despite the guy admitting deliberately running her off the road & receiving a conviction they are stating that Bev is a higher risk.
I had this when I reported being knocked off by a blind van driver who ignored a 'no right turn' sign in front of loads of witnesses - despite no need for insurance companies being involved (we sorted it out amicably between us) my renewal premium went up significantly simply as I had been involved in an accident, the fact it was no fault of mine was irrelevant.
 

Malone

Been there, and had one
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When I was rammed from behind I had a call from my insurers saying they were calling it knock for knock - we were both the same insurance company I reckon.

I asked for the decision to be sent to me in written format not a phone call, and that I would be reporting them to the ombudsman as I was not at fault.

They phoned back later and said it was a clerical error. Bollocks!
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
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I had similar last week.

My car was parked outside my front door.

Mid afternoon there is a knock on the door and this chap said I am sorry, I have hit your car whilst I was parking.

Expecting the worst, I went outside and in reversing into the hole, he had misjudged the gap and his front offside wing had hit the rear nearside corner of the bumber of my car.

At worst, the damage to mine was a bit of touch up paint, but in reality, I am pretty sure that a coat of T cut will get rid of the marks. He had significantly more damage to his Dagenham Dustbin.

Anyway, after calling him a few choice words for his clumsinessm I obtained his details and told him that I was pretty sure that I would not be claiming and that in future he should be a bit more carefull.

It transpired that the neighbours had seen what he had done and said clown was going to drive off until the neighbour pointed out my background which prompted him to come and knock on my door.

Anyway, about 90 minutes later I get an email from my insurers regarding the accident I had been involved in earlier that day. I sais to my Mrs that I thought I had a scam email and these scammers worked quickly these days, but 5 minutes after reading the email I get a phone call from my insurance company.

Apparently it seems that said tosser had gone home and panicked about being revented from leaving without stopping and so to cver his arse, he contacted his insurance company who happen to be owned by my insurers. They looked up the details of my car saw that I was insured with then and called me.

So I had to go through chapter and verse about how my car came to be damaged even though I ade it clear that it was parked and stationary outside my house.

They wnated to know when last drove the car and for what purpose (I have business cover anyway)

And then he went on about crashes and how they investigate at which point I suggested that he looked at my details in respect of what I did for a living which was a good idea as he shut up very quickly for fear that I might catch him out with hs lacl of knowledge.

So it went on with a load more anal questions with the punchline being him asking f I intended to make any claim which I had already told him was not my intention.

This call took about 45 minutes by which time I was losing the will to live, so he said is there anything else I can do for you?

I said you have not done anything for me other than annoy me, but et me add (which is in keeping with the thread) if I get hit with an increase in my premiums because I am deemed a higher risk when I was not even in my car and the tosser who hit me panicked, then I will claim and sue for the 5 years of increased premiums and the fact that I have to declare the collision.

He said "You can't do that" I said "Really?" "You clearly do not know what area of law I work in do you"

The phone went down very quickly after that.

I will be interested to see if there is a a premium increase in August when the policy is due for renewal.
 
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Lee337

Confused Poster
Club Sponsor
I ran into the back of a car at a roundabout while on my bike. No damage to either my bike or the car I hit. I had the sense to take photo's and after a brief discussion with the car owner (not the driver as it was a driving school car)) and we agreed to leave it at that.

When I got to work, I also typed up a written report, just in case.

3 weeks later I get a letter from my insurers stating I had been in an accident & failed to notify them. Apparently the driver of the car was trying to claim for whiplash injuries as apparently I ran into them at speed. On the back of this, the car owner was claiming for a new bumper, tailgate, broken brake light and significant injuries. There was also a suggestion that I could be prosecuted for failing to report an accident where someone sustained an injury.

A quick phone call & I provided my insurers of photographs and the written report & heard no more. My insurance renewal went up a lot but then it was MCE. I just changed insurers & reduced my premium by £15.
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
Club Sponsor
I ran into the back of a car at a roundabout while on my bike. No damage to either my bike or the car I hit.

For future reference if the insurers pull that stunt again of threatening you with the law, tell them to make sure they know what the law says in respect of reportable accidents.

An accident is defined as "Owing to the presence of a motor vehicle on a road, injury or damage is caused to a third party!"

Your insurance company are wrong on all counts and the Ombudsman would have a filed day with a jumped up little shit like that (y)

Unles that criteria is satisfied then no accident has occured and it is not reportable even if it transpires that a crash for cash scammer states otherwise. :)

Hope that clears that matter up?
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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I witnessed an accident years ago, taxi driver did a u turn out of a layby and got t boned by a car being driven by a very heavily pregnant lady (that was a shock when I opened the car door!!)

Some months later I got a letter from a solicitor (probably a 'no win no fee' outfit. In line with TVs post below this amendment in red added...'a no win no fee outfit from the bottom of the legal firms barrel') ) demanding information from me (no idea how they got my contact details, I only gave them to plod).......I though, fair enough' it wasn't her fault (although in my statement I did say that in my opinion she was speeding, as indeed was everybody else) and the driver of the taxi was really arsey at the time, go for it, take him for what you can get.

Then I realised the solicitor was acting for the taxi driver rather than the innocent party. Unbelievable.
 
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T.C

Been there, and had one
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[QUOTE="andyBeaker, post: 846460, member: 19760

Some months later I got a letter from a solicitor (probably a 'no win no fee' outfit) .[/QUOTE]

Could you do me a favour and get rid of the comment about no win no fee outfit.

Every law firm worth their salt offers a no win no fee and it allows access to justice for all unlike back in 2000 when only legal aid was available and that was means tested and so 90% were denied legal representation in personal injury cases.

Any legal outfit whether claims management or a law firm can pay the £60 disbursement and obtain a certified extract of the Police file.

I appreciate that it is a generalisation, but there are some law firms that do nt offer a no win no fee (or conditional fee agreement to give it its proper title) and they are the ones deemed as dodgy.

Now claims management firms are a completely different matter.

But No win no fee is not a statement that a firm is dodgy. Don't tar them all with the same brush otherwise one day when you might need theor assistance they might just tell you to go somewhere unpleasant.
 

Duck n Dive

Rebel without a clue ...
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My car insurance was increased by £10.00 at renewal following an accident when someone in a motorhome hit my car in a supermarket car park. I was shopping at the time. Claimed directly from the other driver's insurance who paid for everything without quibbling.

I also had an increase years ago following an accident where the other driver was held responsible and prosecuted.
On that one some ten months or so later I had a letter advising me that proceedings would be started as my insurer was not cooperating with an attempt to claim against me for the accident. When I let my insurer know they told me it was the fourth or fifth attempt by the other driver to make a claim.

On the bike I've found insurers trying to increase third party only insurance because of a hugger fitted, when I asked them how that increased the risk they didn't know!
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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[QUOTE="andyBeaker, post: 846460, member: 19760

Some months later I got a letter from a solicitor (probably a 'no win no fee' outfit) .

Could you do me a favour and get rid of the comment about no win no fee outfit.

Every law firm worth their salt offers a no win no fee and it allows access to justice for all unlike back in 2000 when only legal aid was available and that was means tested and so 90% were denied legal representation in personal injury cases.

Any legal outfit whether claims management or a law firm can pay the £60 disbursement and obtain a certified extract of the Police file.

I appreciate that it is a generalisation, but there are some law firms that do nt offer a no win no fee (or conditional fee agreement to give it its proper title) and they are the ones deemed as dodgy.

Now claims management firms are a completely different matter.

But No win no fee is not a statement that a firm is dodgy. Don't tar them all with the same brush otherwise one day when you might need theor assistance they might just tell you to go somewhere unpleasant.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for that information.

I have made an addition to my post in red.

I think everyone will understand the underlying sentiment.
 

T.C

Been there, and had one
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Thank you for that information.

I have made an addition to my post in red.

I think everyone will understand the underlying sentiment.

Actually following on from that, the worst offenders are usually the law firms who are owned by the insurance companies of which there is an increasing number especially with the impending changes to the personal injury rule changes and who often work in conjunction with the claims management firms and ignore carying out proper risk assessments.

Give it maybe 5 years, and there will probably be less than a dozen personal injury law firms nationally plus the insurance owned firms.

Then we will really be screwed.
 

andyBeaker

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
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Actually following on from that, the worst offenders are usually the law firms who are owned by the insurance companies of which there is an increasing number especially with the impending changes to the personal injury rule changes and who often work in conjunction with the claims management firms and ignore carying out proper risk assessments.

Give it maybe 5 years, and there will probably be less than a dozen personal injury law firms nationally plus the insurance owned firms.

Then we will really be screwed.

Would that be revolution or natural evolution? If there is demand and opportunity then will new solutions appear?

In the 'banking world' (in the loosest possible sense) many of the bottom feeders like Wonga have happily been wiped off the face of the earth despite the fact that there was, and indeed still is, a demand for their 'services'.

More professional and morally responsible firms are beginning to Appear as a result of the resulting gaps in the market. In the long term better for everybody.
 
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