Minor Accident Big Expense

[RexinaTrophy]

Dear All,

Travelling down the A40 towards Monmouth on Monday and a pipe was in the left hand lane which I couldn't avoid due to traffic on my right and behind (I figured a 70mph accident is less than advisable). So I concluded, "that doesn't look too big, I'll drive straight over it."

Oh how I was wrong. The pipe clipped the NSF alloy and scored the underneath of my car and set off the pretensioners. And it also bent the rear axel and split the splitter.

The damage done is:

1) Front splitter to be replaced
2) NSF alloy to be replaced
3) Rear Axel replaced
4) Underside coating repaired
5) Seatbelt and pretentioner replaced
6) ECU reset

Cost is £2,300.

(NOT!!)

Unfortunately because I couldn't find the pipe after the event I couldn't take a photo. This will be a claim on my insurance and it is NOT MY FAULT!!!

I am going to write a scathing and strident letter to the Highways agency. It'll get me nowhere but I'll feel better.

My excess is £500.

 

[Daniel]

By the sounds of it, it was a big heavy pipe so I reckon you got away quite well!!

Still bad news though!

 

[RexinaTrophy]

You're absolutely right. It was a heavy duty thing that probably fell off the back of a lorry.

I am currently driving around in a 2.0d Passat (one of the pool cars from work) which is less than exciting.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

That is a kick in the stones that is, dare i say, pics

 

[realnumber 1]

Gutted!

 

[SBV116]

Bugger!!!

 

[RexinaTrophy]

I pressed the engineers to check over the Sachs once again since any damage will write the car off - the biggest problem with Trophies. Apparently they are fine.

Come renewal my 2yrs NCB will be gone and I'll be back to ZERO. At least I'll be 30 so I may not be penalised too much, but I will be livid if my insurance hits the dizzy heights of last year - £1600 fully comp.

I have argued with Direct Line (my insurers) about this three times now. I was not at fault. The damage on the car and the RAC report clearly show I was on the A40 going over an object that should not have been there.

I was not rallying or bouncing on rocks for the hell of it. But the insurers being the retarded, autistic tick-boxers they are will simply put me at fault, bend me over and extract money from my duodenum come renewal time.

 

[jayxx83]

total shitter mate.. feel for you. dont think you should have to pay over 1k to insure a trophy at 30 though.

 

[RexinaTrophy]

If it were wrote-off I'd be in a bit of a quandry. I wouldn't want a Megane R26 neither would I want a Clio 200; it looks likes an elderly woman suffering from a stroke.

A VXR Corsa is out of the question because I don't hang around McDonalds' car parks and a Mini Cooper S would make me Gok's best 'friend'.

I'd have to have an 08, 58 or 09 plate 197 with Cup suspension.

 

[Luke.]

gutted for you mate!! specially when you cant prove it!

I was not rallying or bouncing on rocks for the hell of it. But the insurers being the retarded, autistic tick-boxers they are will simply put me at fault, bend me over and extract money from my duodenum come renewal time.

i had to LOL at that!

 

[b1lly]

might be worth a look on motor insurers bureau ............have read about bikers who have fallen off due to diesel spills being able to make a claim with them

 

[RexinaTrophy]

might be worth a look on motor insurers bureau ............have read about bikers who have fallen off due to diesel spills being able to make a claim with them

AH HA!! Thank you. I'll look into that post haste.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

£1600 F/C at 30 for a trophy?!?!?

Jesus H Christ!

 

[Dip]

Thats a kick in the nans. I hate it when roads aren't clean and clear of rubbish. I remember when I had to swerve down the M4 Corridor as a bumper had fallen off a scrap lorry. Clipped it - cost 500 in damage.
I didn't claim, wrote an email and have had nothing back since. Bare in mind this was 2 years ago.

Your insurance is mental...Why so High?

 

[oz_clio]

Why so expensive for you at 30 on a trophy?!

Do you live in Brixton innit?!

 

[RexinaTrophy]

I was £1600 when I was 28/29. Some of you may know: I put a 182 in a river and wrote it off. As far as the actuaries are concerned I am a risk loving individual who only drives performance cars. They make me pay.

 

[The Chubby Pirate]

I was £1600 when I was 28/29. Some of you may know: I put a 182 in a river and wrote it off. As far as the actuaries are concerned I am a risk loving individual who only drives performance cars. They make me pay.

lol, atleast your sense of humor survived that accident haha

 

[oz_clio]

ahh have i seen a pic of that accident, a 182 hanging off a ledge into a river? Seen something like it on here before.

 

[Henry]

the point about damage to the front dampers leading to a write-off is one of the things i'd wondered about running a Trophy - not good

have you looked into sorting it out away from the insurance? seems unlikely you'd be able to sort it all for less than £500, but sounds as though it could be costing you in others ways ontop?

i ran over a rock in mine when we had the snow - set off two of the pre-tensioners, buckled a wheel, and (i think) bent a damper rod. Renault wanted £700 to sort the pre-tensioners alone - managed to sort those for about £150

 

[RexinaTrophy]

the point about damage to the front dampers leading to a write-off is one of the things i'd wondered about running a Trophy - not good

have you looked into sorting it out away from the insurance? seems unlikely you'd be able to sort it all for less than £500, but sounds as though it could be costing you in others ways ontop?

i ran over a rock in mine when we had the snow - set off two of the pre-tensioners, buckled a wheel, and (i think) bent a damper rod. Renault wanted £700 to sort the pre-tensioners alone - managed to sort those for about £150

You're looking at £4,000 to replace the dampers (inc VAT and labour) and since most insurers will write off when repair costs are greater than or equal to 60% of the book value minimum then any frontal damage to the Trophy is likely to lead to a write off.

 

[Josh@Renparts]

writing a letter to the highways agency is pointless really, it probably fell off a truck seconds before. Hardly possible for them to sort that is it?

 

[RexinaTrophy]

writing a letter to the highways agency is pointless really, it probably fell off a truck seconds before. Hardly possible for them to sort that is it?

I repeat:

I am going to write a scathing and strident letter to the Highways agency. It'll get me nowhere but I'll feel better.

 

[planetx]

^^^^^ classic example of -

If you had hit a 3rd party - there would of been a camera to spot you, record you in HD - ANPR your car and you would received a knock at the door, within the hour!!!

But........


Sorry sir the camera was not working that day, it had a malfunction only minutes before you passed underneath it!!!

Glad your not hurt (physically)

 

[kenny172]

I pressed the engineers to check over the Sachs once again since any damage will write the car off - the biggest problem with Trophies. Apparently they are fine.

Come renewal my 2yrs NCB will be gone and I'll be back to ZERO. At least I'll be 30 so I may not be penalised too much, but I will be livid if my insurance hits the dizzy heights of last year - £1600 fully comp.

I have argued with Direct Line (my insurers) about this three times now. I was not at fault. The damage on the car and the RAC report clearly show I was on the A40 going over an object that should not have been there.

I was not rallying or bouncing on rocks for the hell of it. But the insurers being the retarded, autistic tick-boxers they are will simply put me at fault, bend me over and extract money from my duodenum come renewal time.

Why should the insurer not put you at fault? in the eyes of your insurer your at faiult until they get their money back from another party.

Very good chance that aint gonna happen here iknow if we insured the highways agency a would be knocking the claim back.

 

[RexinaTrophy]

It will be a claim yes, but I am concerned about the perceived risk which will determine my premium.

I am convinced that very little consideration goes into the context of a claim. Insurers are more interested in the pattern of claims.

For instance: if you make 10 small claims in a year you are deemed a higher risk than a person who makes one big claim.

Where the probabilty of a claim is high (regardless of cost) there is a higher chance the person will claim in the future. Therefore they pay a higher premium to reflect expected future payouts.

I have made two claims in two years, both whilst driving Renaultsport Clios. It concerns me that the underwriters will punish me for something I could not avoid and in a court of law would be deemed not my fault. Res ipsa loquitor (the thing speaks for itself). The pipe was in the road and caused the damage not me.

Anyway, what's the point of me moaning. I'll just have to pay the insurance because there is no way I am driving a Vectra.

 

[RexinaTrophy]

^^^^^ classic example of -

If you had hit a 3rd party - there would of been a camera to spot you, record you in HD - ANPR your car and you would received a knock at the door, within the hour!!!

But........


Sorry sir the camera was not working that day, it had a malfunction only minutes before you passed underneath it!!!

Glad your not hurt (physically)

The pretensioners firing was a little unnerving and very tight!

 

[minismithy90]

its a shame such a great car could get wrote off..insurers dont no feck all about cars that are special.

 

[Lagerlout]

its a shame such a great car could get wrote off..insurers dont no feck all about cars that are special.

As far as insurers are concerned it's a £6.5k Renault Clio.

 

[Chili Red]

That's such bad luck maybe you should have swerved onto the hard shoulder, but I guess you didn't have much time to think!

 

[RexinaTrophy]

That's such bad luck maybe you should have swerved onto the hard shoulder, but I guess you didn't have much time to think!

There was no hard shoulder; this further compounded the problem and the incident's inevitability.

 

[Josh@Renparts]

I repeat:

I am going to write a scathing and strident letter to the Highways agency. It'll get me nowhere but I'll feel better.

Excellent news.

 

[Ad]

^ lol.

Bizarre thread. At the end of the day, if you claim on your insurance and the costs arent recovered you lose your NCB. Otherwise people would be coming up with alsorts of wonderful stories to why they were not a fault.

s**t happens and you have to get on with it. The issue here is that if you had a clean past, then insurers wouldnt be bothered by this incidence, infact you would probably have protected NCB, but mutiple claims breeds more claims in the view of risk assors.

 

[ForceIndia]

Sorry to ask a dense question, but did it fall off from the vehicle directly in front? Just wondering why you didn't have time to slow/avoid?

 

[Mostro]

Insurance is there to cover you when sh!t happens. It doesn't really matter whether you caused the sh!t or whether it just fell on you from a great height.

Or jumped up at you in this case....

 

[Glenn182Trophy]

thats a proper downer and ive seen the pigs just drive past crap like this on the road its a disgrace

 

[Brett]

Sorry to hear bout that mate. I'd hate to lose my ncb for something like that. Could you not have stood on the brakes to atleast try and limit the damage caused by reducing your speed.