A Car Crashed Through Our Fence

[Justonequestion]

A car crashed through our fence, destroying a lot of fence, gate and garden. Police were called to the scene and we have a crime reference. However the police would not give us the car insurance details of the person involved and said we would need to speak to our buildings insurer. I have done this however they have started a claim from their end. Will they recover all costs from his insurer and have no effect on our renewal when the time comes? Or should I now contact his insurer directly? I do not want to be penalised, and don't think I should be, for someone else's careless driving.

[factor-fiction]

Your buildings insurer should pursue the matter for you and seek to recover the costs. They will explain the process to you

[tonyav]

Did you take the registration number ?, it will make it easier for your buildings insurer if you did.

[Peter Pedant]

Yeah its a pity you didn't give the driver a cup a tea and say
" and who is er your insurer ? "

If your insurer is paying then they will recover from the car drivers insurance by a thingy called subrogation
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subrogation

This can turn into a horrific run-around - and the police should not have told you to contact your builders insurance - you could for example have sued the driver direct. Hence the cup of tea bit....

In my own case the employed driver gave me the address of his employer and we were officially told the firm was uninsured, so I started proceedings direct and the employer said I don't know why you are doing this I am insured....
and then my own insurance said hey ho your own car insurance in dicky so we are repudiating your insurance and I said - but that doesn't matter because the other guy had admitted liability, and they said ........

anyway good luck

[Justonequestion]

Yes we have the registration details etc. I have passed this info to our insurer.

No, we could not have offered him a 'cup of tea'. It's a property that we own, but is rented out. The tenants were asleep at the time and were unaware of the damage until the policeman knocked the door and the driver involved was no longer there.

And there is no denying liability on the drivers' part.

[boxtops]

It's far easier to let your buildings insurance people handle the third party claim rather than trying to do it yourselves - that's what you pay your premium for, for them to recover what they lay out to you in claim settlement.

The police were right not to give out the TP insurance details, that's not the way it should be done (although the driver should have given them to you). The driver reports the accident to his insurers so they get the heads-up that your insurers are going to get in touch with them.

Regarding no claims - it depends on the terms of your policy, but if any extra was charged at renewal because the claim is still in train, it should be refunded to you once they've made successful recovery.

Bear in mind also that you may have an excess on your policy, and it's your responsibility to claim the excess back from the driver - your insurers will only claim back the amount above the excess.

[Justonequestion]

Thank you boxtops, very helpful.

Re. The excess on the policy being our responsibility to claim back, am I right in assuming this can be done either by approaching the drivers insurer or the driver themself?

[twix123]

You claim your excess from the driver's insurer.

Don't get an 'inflated' invoice from a builder, this would be tantamount to fraud, which is one of the main reasons why insurance premiums for both household and car insurance are so high !