Minor Rear End Bump - Need Advice!!

[TLC11]

So yesterday I was sitting in a huge que of traffic that seemed to go on for hours. I hadn't moved in a while so was sitting with my foot on the break and gazing out of the side window at a plane. I was nearly at the end of this jam.

Now during my gazing I head a bump which jolted me ever so slightly. I'm pregnant and didn't feel the belt dig into me so it was more of a noise than an impact. What I don't know is if I rolled forward slightly or the girl in front of me went to move and rolled back.

Anyway the two of us kind of looked at each other in the mirrors, and after a second she drove off as the traffic had cleared.

I pulled over when I got off the busy road but she was away, there is no damage to my car except one tiny paint chip on the front bumper, about the size of a pea. It's not dented, it's like a flake.

I never got her reg as it happened so fast and I honestly don't know who's to blame. I'm now panicking that she got my reg and will report me for a rear end hit and run or something!

I don't want to report to insurance and draw attention if there is no need as no damage observed ( her car 'looked' fine when she drove of) and nobody was hurt. As I said in pregnant and if I thought it was enough to cause any I jury I'd have been straight to hospital.

Any ideas on what to do?!! I'm scared and don't want to do the wrong thing!!!

[TLC11]

Sorry to hear that Methyl, but glad you won in the end! I'm so stressed because of this, and I figure it's not going to be a quick fix either. Rather a long drawn out lengthy process. Eugh!

Iv done some reading on this tonight and it seems these huge claims are on the up. I think I will take the bus to work from now on!

[TLC11]

A letter. I came home from work today to find it in the post.

[TLC11]

It came from a company who claims to be acting on behalf of my insurance company. I didn't phone my insurance to verify today, as I didn't want to jeopardise my position. I was crying and in a terrible state so thought I'd end up saying the wrong thing! The letter has all my details on it though.

[EDDIE51]

Can you post on here the name of the company that sent you the letter?
if this is a scam and it looks like it is, the name will be out there on the internet with information about past claims. If you tell us the name we can Google it and find out what is known about them.

[factor-fiction]

But it's not just a random scam in the sense of someone writing a speculative letter to a random person about a made up incident. This claim refers to the same incident that the OP know she had been involved in. The accident happened. The only issue is who was really at fault and whether the damage and injury claim is grossly inflated. If there is a claim it's up to the insurer to sort it

[EDDIE51]

^^This entire event is just far too fast , I am sure TLC has been'set up'

[DTCwordfan]

I thought that this thread would have crashed by now.

[joko]

cars are fitted with bumpers for this reason... so you can just touch other cars without ruining the car - no need to report the 'damage' as you are not going to claim and it doesnt affect the car

[joko]

i expect the letter came from a fake company, hoping you will just send a cheque etc

they dont even have any proof you were even in that jam on that day - because they didnt even speak to you

[TWR]

I would take a pic of the damage, time / date / day / weather conditions, the road, town for reference, any witnesses, and log it all. I doubt you will hear anything.

[Baldric]

Twr see page 2, she's already heard

Question Author
So an update. I came in today and the driver of the other car has made an insurance claim against me for 'whiplash'
My question now is where do I stand in the sense that she drove off and didn't leave me details?
Bloody nightmare...
18:22 Thu 05th Jun 2014

[SirOracle]

Joko You seem to be missing the point here. The concern is NOT the damage (very slight) to the OP's car,but to the possibility of a claim for damage to the TP's vehicle and for personal injuries.

The insurance company are the proper people to handle this,rather than the OP on her own.

Please refrain from giving totally wrong advice on this matter contradicting the sound advice already given by Methyl and seconded by myself.

[EDDIE51]

The name of the company that sent the letter would be a major help. We could Google it and see if it has a history of bogus claims or scams.

[joko]

Sir Oracle - i was responding to the info given in the tiginal post. She asked if SHE should report the accident, even though there was no need for her to claim, as she didnt want to draw attention = see second to last paragraph= and i said no.
at that time she had not had the claim letter, and i was answering purely on her question

also where have i given 'wrong advice'?
i said she does not need to tell insurers about a minor almost non existant bump ... and certainly not before she knows if the letter is genuine

please refrain from issuing pompous orders without actually checking properly what has been said and why

[SpikeyBush]

I urge everyone to get a windscreen mounted camera. You can pick them up for as little as £10 but they are rubbish, complicated and unreliable. For between £80 - £100 you can get a really good, simple to use reliable unit. I bought one after a woman switched lanes while I was alongside her and her rear offside wheel arch hit my front nearside wing. She subsequently arranged for someone to drive a car into the back of hers and is now claiming that I crashed into the back of her. The damage to my car does not match her claims and my solicitor says she hasn't a leg to stand on but it is a hassle I could do without.

[SirOracle]

Sorry if I came across as pompous,but I cannot think of any worse advice that could have been given than yours.

There is a very good chance that a TP claim is being made here. If this incident is not reported timely to her Insurer,then the Insurer can "wash their hands"on handling the claim. This leaves the OP in the position of handling the claim herself ,and paying any solicitors costs,and paying for any personal injury claims.

She is insured and would be well advised to let her Insurer handle matters. Something that Insurers do not like is for an insured person to try to settle themselves,then find that they have got in over their head,then belatedly try to pass matters on to their insurer. This puts the insurer in an invidious position and they can refuse the claim on "late notification"grounds.

Perhaps you now understand why I take the position that I do on the wrongful advice you have given.

[joko]

really not sure what you are so bothered about here. and not sure of this terrible advice i have supposedly given - my advice basically amounted to 'wait and see'... same as many others here.
as i said - i responded to the OP, which does not mention the whiplash claim, and i like others, would not have expected a claim letter so soon, so i advised her not to notify them just based on a 'maybe', when her own vehicle is barely scratched, because you dont have to tell your ensurers of every time you barely touch a bumper - as they are designed to able to take a minor tap.

now shes had the letter, she must find out if its real or not, and if so then obviously she must speak to her solicitors, but thats a given i would have thought ... and wasnt what she was asking - she was asking if she should notify them on a 'just in case' - and i said no - and i stand by that.