had a bump - people claiming off me

[dan1.2]

I rang my insurance company today to find out what I need to do - they said I've lost my no claims as a result of someone making a claim against me. If I win the case (they said I won't) then it'll be up for review which could result me in not getting it back.

They're going to write to me and arrange a time for someone to inspect my car and check for damage. They've also requested I send them the photo I took of the car. Back to paying £3200 when renewal it seems.

I guess the only thing I can hope for is for darleks or some evil menace to attack where they're from and take them out.

 

[jesus]

Absolutely s**t news for you mate. Im really sorry to hear all that's gone on.

Who are your insurer by the way?

 

[McGherkin]

Ecar iirc.

 

[Jamie]

Sorry to hear this - I think it's totally unacceptable that they have robbed the system like this.

For lying on a legal form they should be prosecuted and have their insurance cancelled.

Haven't looked - pics of your car post bump in here?

 

[dan1.2]

eCar. I've got '£100,000 legal expenses' as well but they don't want to contact the company they use for this as it'll be costly. I don't think ill be renewing with them.

 

[jesus]

Ecar iirc.

I was going to say they don't sound very professional...

 

[dan1.2]

Ill post a pic later, I'm on my phone at the mo.

 

[@Spoonie]

Erm no.

So what are you saying, I think he should fight it yet you are saying they won't want to spend the legal costs fighting a whiplash claim. You also said whiplash could occur at any speed. Really? I am not a doctor but a shunt at 5mph surely isn't enough to snap someone's head forward/backward when you take into account most of that impact will be absorbed through the cars.

From OPs post it sounds like they are trying it on. Just because he hit them doesn't make it OK for them to claim.

 

[Jaff.]

He's right, if you were an insurer now would you spend £3k paying someone off or £10k+ fighting it?

if they went the more expensive option who do you think will pay for it?

baring in mind most insurance companies aren't even in the black these days why would they potentially waste more money than they have to.

im not saying its right, but it happens

 

[McGherkin]

So what are you saying, I think he should fight it yet you are saying they won't want to spend the legal costs fighting a whiplash claim. You also said whiplash could occur at any speed. Really? I am not a doctor but a shunt at 5mph surely isn't enough to snap someone's head forward/backward when you take into account most of that impact will be absorbed through the cars.

From OPs post it sounds like they are trying it on. Just because he hit them doesn't make it OK for them to claim.

Sadly, whilst you can't really get whiplash at 5mph, the insurers still have to pay out for it because the minimum threshold is something like 3mph.

And yes, they won't pay £10k if they only have a slim chance of winning, if at all. It's much cheaper and safer to pay out. If the OP demands that they fight it and they lost, they'll buttfuck him twice as hard at the next renewal.

 

[Jamie]

I bet insurance companies have sufficient capacity without incurring further costs to more appropriately and thoroughly review claims. (I.e. they wouldn't necessarily incur substantial future costs just by challenging claims more viciously)

Even big DC (David Cameron) was moaning about the claim culture and said something needs to be done about it.

Even with these massive volume of claims, insurance companies still make huge profits.

One loser every time - us.

 

[Jaff.]

I bet insurance companies have sufficient capacity without incurring further costs to more appropriately and thoroughly review claims. (I.e. they wouldn't necessarily incur substantial future costs just by challenging claims more viciously)

Even big DC (David Cameron) was moaning about the claim culture and said something needs to be done about it.

Even with these massive volume of claims, insurance companies still make huge profits.

One loser every time - us.

Where have you heard this? Last I heard they were nearly all making a loss

 

[@Spoonie]

Aren't the legal costs to them are basically nothing as legal cover is an insurance in itself? Sounds like its a cash cow as they probably discourage people from ever pursuing legal proceedings.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

Where have you heard this? Last I heard they were nearly all making a loss

because they keep paying out to these morons making false claims

 

[DrR]

On a side note I can't wait till my insurance claims comes

 

[Jaff.]

because they keep paying out to these morons making false claims

Theyd be even more out of pocket if it was £10k a time instead of £3k

 

[GiT]

I rang my insurance company today to find out what I need to do - they said I've lost my no claims as a result of someone making a claim against me. If I win the case (they said I won't) then it'll be up for review which could result me in not getting it back.

They're going to write to me and arrange a time for someone to inspect my car and check for damage. They've also requested I send them the photo I took of the car. Back to paying £3200 when renewal it seems.

I guess the only thing I can hope for is for darleks or some evil menace to attack where they're from and take them out.

I would ask them for a transcript of that call and write a good letter to the Financial Ombudsman. If that is what they have said, where is their support and alike? Dump off ecar and go to a broker who won't charge you the earth (Try CIS if they are still about).

You have been paying through the nose for insurance, you are insured to be protected and their "you won't win" attitude shows there is no protection.

So if your insurance jumps up - to £3200... That would be enough for me to "send the boys round". But also if you have to pay more - £2500 more, and the insurance company pay out, say £1000 - they have just made £1500 out of you! Pure theft.

 

[Tim.]

Apologies to the OP, I'm not doubting anything you've said is untrue and it's a terrible situation to be in, I do have huge sympathy for you, but I just want to play Devil's Advocate here a little bit.

Let's assume OP was doing a little more than 5mph (after all, was he looking at the speedo when he crashed?) and while there was no visible damage to either car, nor were there any injuries immediately obvious to the victims, what's to say when they got home they may have noticed a stiff neck & back, why shouldn't they claim, just in case the pain gets worse and has a considerable effect on their future quality of life?

Obviously if they're pulling a fast one then they should be prosecuted, but we'll never know whether they're telling the truth or not... As I said, I'm just trying to open it up to another viewpoint.

 

[Adam.]

"Just deny it" brilliant, absolutely brilliant. So you'll be in court and you'll still be minus your no claims! Some people would be better off saying nothing.

I'd also add whiplash can happen at any speed, the damage is irrelevant, i'm betting I could find something on their rear bumper that constitutes damage.

The fact is the accident was your fault. It's up to the doctors and your insurance to prove there was no damage and no personal injury. If they don't want to challenge then they believe you were in the wrong.

What would be the point in them spending 10k in legal costs to save themselves £1200 in personal injury payment. It is true that there is no investigation needed upon a doctors report, the book tells you the guidelines, £1200 is minimum payment, losing a finger etc is more. There are set prices as mental as it sounds.

Oh and whiplash truly can take time to settle in, ie the next day. I have no doubt they are at it but my above points stand.

I you had been paying attention this would have been avoidable. Probably too busy updating your Facebook status on the way for a mental Nandos.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

Theyd be even more out of pocket if it was £10k a time instead of £3k

Yeah but at least they would be helping to stop the UK's claim culture. If they keep letting them get away with it, it will never stop. However if the actually challenge and investigate the claim maybe it would make people think twice about putting in a false claim. They've got to start enforcing it somewhere

 

[Jamie]

Where have you heard this? Last I heard they were nearly all making a loss

The financial statements of said companies.

EUI Ltd
Net Profit: £189m
EBITDA: £257m

AVIVA
Net Profit: £756m [Does include significant fair value gains and other equity/comprehensive income movements].

Granted a large number of these companies may have complicated transactions and provisions for liabilities (Non cash flow, limited operational effect), but, the two biggest UK underwriters, at the bottom line are still posting what I'd call decent results. AVIVA's financial statements are much more complex (Than EUI) given their integration with FS (Financial Services) rather than just car insurance - but, still doing ok.

Those figures from latest published financial statements.

 

[ravydavygravy]

Let's assume OP was doing a little more than 5mph (after all, was he looking at the speedo when he crashed?) and while there was no visible damage to either car, nor were there any injuries immediately obvious to the victims, what's to say when they got home they may have noticed a stiff neck & back, why shouldn't they claim, just in case the pain gets worse and has a considerable effect on their future quality of life?

You can't claim for non-existant injuries. (well you obviously can)

I'd wager over half of whiplash claims are fraudulent. As soon as someone crashes they are thinking about how they can spend he money.

 

[Jaff.]

The financial statements of said companies.

EUI Ltd
Net Profit: £189m
EBITDA: £257m

AVIVA
Net Profit: £756m [Does include significant fair value gains and other equity/comprehensive income movements].

Granted a large number of these companies may have complicated transactions and provisions for liabilities (Non cash flow, limited operational effect), but, the two biggest UK underwriters, at the bottom line are still posting what I'd call decent results. AVIVA's financial statements are much more complex (Than EUI) given their integration with FS (Financial Services) rather than just car insurance - but, still doing ok.

Those figures from latest published financial statements.

i know eui are in profit but the vast majority of the others aren't making anything. This info is out of date mind you but I don't know if it would have changed by now

 

[Chris Lewis]

If you have pictures of no damage fight it, and deny you hit them, Say they reversed into you.

 

[Gally]

Flol! The above is future of Britain ladies and gentleman.

Spoonie again i'm not advocating fraud at all. In all the non fault claims I deal with about 98% aren't bothered about claiming but you don't hear about these people.

Fraudulent claimers are c***s plain and simple. The OP still hit them. The OP still doesn't know if they're genuinely or not.

Devils advocate of course.

 

[mitch1503]

my mates family are c***s for claiming, a royal mail van literally just rolled back around about a foot in to their pick up and they claimed whip lash, got a pay out aswel iirc my mate had 3/4 claims sat in his bank at one point

 

[jamievt]

At end of the day your not going to win the way the insurers look at it they pay £1500 to settle, Compared to them paying 10-15k in costs to prove your right which makes them looks like d**ks ect.

The post made by jamie sums it up 200 million plus profits whats 1500 to them and end of the day it all us that will stump up the cost of that claim and all the others in our next years quote which is why people put bogus claims in on the mind set of well i have to pay x amount extra for all these other people claiming why shouldnt i?

And all honesty i reckon at 90% of people in their posistion would do the same its just to easy these days i had a bump was fine told person not to worry no damage ect then my insurance rings me week later encouraging me to make a claim! :banghead:

 

[koi]

Hate the idiots and the whole claiming culture.

Scuffed my bumper reversing out a parking space a few years back on a rusty R reg Polo. Insurance paid out £6500 just like that, didn't even try and fight it as they had a 'doctors note'.

 

[DrR]

Thing is, I had a proper accident, got some nasty injuries etc, If it wasn't for all these claim adverts etc, I wouldn't even have known/thought about claiming for compensation.

 

[glowworm105]

You probably already know this but ecar are terrible in every way, I was with them for about a month and the whole experience was terrible and iirc to call them it was about £1 a minute, and Imo people claiming for whiplash etc is also down to the insurance companies, I've had 4 calls now from my insurers trying to get me to put a claim in even after me telling them I was fine and had no injuries

 

[_WILL_]

This sucks, but I am sure there is someone you know that witnessed it, and they can confirm they stopped for no reason and their brake lights didn't work. Or that you didn't actually hit them, or that they actually rolled into you. They are lying so you may as well do the same.

 

[bryanwalker]

Not read the whole thread but speak to a solicitor and see what they say you usually get free advice or if I was you go to the persons address with a friend or family member and confront them don't do it aggressively take a video camera and film the conversation and tell them it's for the purposes of taking them to court for a fraudulent claim, ask them what injuries they have suffered and how they have suffered them at such slow speeds and even say you have spoken to a doctor and bullshit them. Make sure you get across that you are more than happy to fight this all the way through court and you will pursue them for court costs etc and just put pressure on them to do the right thing and drop the case.

hope it works out for you.

 

[bryanwalker]

I was arse ended on the 22nd march 2012 by a pizza delivery driver who could hardly speak a work of English he admitted it was his fault and we exchanged details. Only now is it about to go to court, the guy who crashed into me has NEVER come forward and Tesco have refused to pay out for my car that was a write of and my injuries and that of my passengers. I had to sell a motorbike left to me by my dad when he passed away to fund a car as my girlfriend was pregnant with my 2nd child and I needed a car.

All because Tesco can't find the other driver it's dragged on this long, nearly 12 months.

Insurance companies will do anything to get away with paying out, there useless and not worth the money we pay them!!!

 

[Gally]

That's not technically true. Were you fully comp?

 

[DavidStrawhorn]

Very interesting read.

Same thing happened to my dad.

September 2009..

He was driving home from work in his 1.9tdi focus c-max, it was slightly foggy/hazey and raining like mad. The car in front hammered on the brakes as he had seen a police car parked in a lane on the opposite side of the road. My dad skidded and hit the rear right hand side of the bumper causing damage to the 3rd party and his car. The police car that had been sitting put on his red blinkers and pulled over beside my dad, got out and said 'is everyone okay?' everyone was so he said 'then if yous are happy, I'll let you two sort it out' so he left.

My dad and the 3rd party exchanged details and the guy couldn't have been friendlier. Got a claim through a few days later and everything was sorted. My dad had 15+ years protected ncb which was reduced to 13 years ncb and his premium went up by 150quid. The cost of the claim was in excess of 3k. As far as he was concerned this was the end.

LAST MONTH, esure phoned him up to let him know the 3rd party were now claiming whiplash injuries - 1 and a half years after the accident. He was concerned it would affect his ncb again however as esure are low risk insurers, as soon as the renewal came through and he declared his claim, they said they can't insure him. He ended up going with admiral multicar and it was because the personal injury was claimed when esure was no longer covering him that he didn't get f*cked for it. They basically told him that it would in no way affect his record etc and that the phone call was purely to let him know that they had tried to file a claim.

Esure told him that when you have an accident you have up to THREE years to claim a personal injury!!
Ridiculous if you ask me!
All the best with your fight, and remember - the s**t in an envelope is a great means of revenge...

 

[McGherkin]

I'm fairly sure that there needs to be evidence that he sought medical attention soon after the accident.

 

[Adamm.]

Hate the idiots and the whole claiming culture.

Scuffed my bumper reversing out a parking space a few years back on a rusty R reg Polo. Insurance paid out £6500 just like that, didn't even try and fight it as they had a 'doctors note'.

Makes me f**king sick most of us go out work hard and don't get a lot in life and then some scummy c**t uses a dirty tactic to get thousands paid into there bank for nothing.

 

[Neil@greenlight]

Its all going to change soon hopefully when the new personal injury reform changes. The government are going to limit the amount solicitors can charge for whiplash/injury claims. The solitors would normally make a large sum (in some cases more than the claimant) for whiplash claims. This pushed the cost of what could of been a £1200 payout to the injured party up to £7k.

If this reform is successful it should really help keep the industry and in turn keep premiums lower for the consumer.

If someone is genuinley injured they do deserve compensation but these TV ad campaigns make it look like an easy windful.

We can only hope

Best Regards
Neil
Greenlight
01277 376000

 

[James28]

Thing is why would people change?
The amount of times I've had discussion with people who've claimed, about this claim culture and how wrong it is, and the answer always is, "well everyone does it, so why shouldn't I, its not going to make a difference if I didn't?"

 

[McGherkin]

I didn't do it.