Hypothetical car park bump.

[Roverageous]

Hypothetically, if I were to have had a slight bump in a car park with another vehicle is there a time limit in which I need to inform my insurance company (if i'm going to claim through them)? I have 48 hours in my head - but can find nothing to back that up online.

 

Other party hasn't got back to me yet with what route he'd like to take (pending washing his car to see if there *actually* is any damage - there's none to mine that I can see.

 

Just don't want to end up in hot water with my insurance co if I put the claim through a week later than when the accident happened... on the flip side I don't want to tell them if I don't 'need' to.

 

Thoughts?

[JohnK]

I'm not sure if there's actually a limit with respect to insurance companies. I know with the police the Road Traffic Act states you must report within 24 hours (ie if you had he bump but couldn't locate the owner of the other vehicle, but that's not the case here anyway).

[New POD]

If you have exchanged details, and you failed to tell your insurance company, and eventually out of the blue some months later your insurance company contacted you to say they had a claim against you, it would not matter in the slightest. You did not tell them because there was no damage at the time, and therefore it was not actually an accident, and he must be trying it on having had a larger accident.

[michael1703]

As the car park isn't her majesty's highway, does traffic law/insurance apply?

[Roverageous]

Yes it applies - it's a shared works car park (between 3 companies) but is not gated etc...

 

I'm happy to admit that I should have taken a bit more care - but on the flip side he drove forward into the space I was actively reversing into (while keeping an eye on my front nearside due to a Micra that was parked outside of a bay. I just didn't observe enough to my rear.

 

I was decent with him, and he was decent with me and we shook hands over it. He knows I'm not going to be difficult but like I said, just don't want any come back as he hasn't come back to me yet with what route he wants to take. I do think he'll want to settle outside of insurance, but just covering myself having never been in a potential claim situation before!

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My piss taking Private Hire policy has an excess of £250 which increases to £400 if you don't notify them of an accident within 24 hours.

I might have managed to have two cars written off in the last 6 years without even telling them- Accident Management companies ( Ambulance chasing/ credit hire scum) FTW!

 

A few weeks back one of my daughters was driving the e34 when some knob hit it and tried to blame her, she exchanged details but 2 days later I got a call from my Traders Policy saying one of my cars had been involved in an accident, I put them straight about who's cover she was driving on and they were fine about it.

We've since had a £ 400 full and final settlement from the 3rd party for damaged bumper. They never even wanted a picture of it much less a quote- just seemed grateful there was no whiplash* injury( sub 5 mph impact) !

[Mally]

As far as you know there is no damage to car or person. Therefore no claim, therefore nothing to report. As soon as something different occurs report it.

 

Having said that, it happened to me once, not my fault and no claims as far as I knew, but whiplash and god knows what developed on his side, he didn't tell me but my insurance did!

Anyway if he was pinching your space I'd have blamed him!

[beko1987]

I've told this before, but in our old flat, the parking space was in a hotel car park. The meriva got biffed one night on the side of the rear bumper, and upon enquiring about it to the hotel manager, some calls were made and it turns out it was one of the taxi guys they use.

 

Some phone calls between them later we got £100 cash and I drank 8 pints and amy had 2 bottles of wine one Friday night in the bar...

 

The scuff on the bumper is still there, I just colour it in in magic marker every so often when I clean it! And we had an extra ton for our next holiday!

[Faker]

Some car parks (not all) do not fall within road traffic legislation. There have also been occasions when insurance hasn't paid out for a car park ding as it's location wasn't on the public highway, and not covered under ROAD RISK. Ends up being a civil matter. Just saying..

[Tamworthbay]

Some car parks (not all) do not fall within road traffic legislation. There have also been occasions when insurance hasn't paid out for a car park ding as it's location wasn't on the public highway, and not covered under ROAD RISK. Ends up being a civil matter. Just saying..

It comes down to whether it's a place that members of the public have regular access to and that will cover the vast majority of car parks. A mate had a bump in a car park at Lydd ranges when we were shooting down there and the bloke tried it on saying that as it was in a military base the public didn't have access, the insurance pointed out that as both people were members of the public it was horseshit. Where a lot of people get mistaken is that they assume the term members of public means it's an open access car park that anyone can go in, that is not the case at all. And those signs that say the owners take no responsibility for damage, however caused, are also crap. If it's their fault it's their fault sign or no sign.

[UmBongo]

[Roverageous]

I've told this before, but in our old flat, the parking space was in a hotel car park. The meriva got biffed one night on the side of the rear bumper, and upon enquiring about it to the hotel manager, some calls were made and it turns out it was one of the taxi guys they use.

 

Some phone calls between them later we got £100 cash and I drank 8 pints and amy had 2 bottles of wine one Friday night in the bar...

 

The scuff on the bumper is still there, I just colour it in in magic marker every so often when I clean it! And we had an extra ton for our next holiday!

This is the resolution I'm sincerely hoping for. I think & hope we'll resolve this out of insurance with a bit of cash his way

 

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[Faker]

It comes down to whether it's a place that members of the public have regular access to and that will cover the vast majority of car parks. A mate had a bump in a car park at Lydd ranges when we were shooting down there and the bloke tried it on saying that as it was in a military base the public didn't have access, the insurance pointed out that as both people were members of the public it was horseshit. Where a lot of people get mistaken is that they assume the term members of public means it's an open access car park that anyone can go in, that is not the case at all. And those signs that say the owners take no responsibility for damage, however caused, are also crap. If it's their fault it's their fault sign or no sign.

Not so sure any more. From personal experience.. Lots of changes going at the moment regarding legislation and offences. House of lords have deemed a car park and spaces as not being a road, but an access road through a car park is. Multi story car parks are open to public (payment or otherwise) but will never be classed as a road.

[Faker]

Some car parks (not all) do not fall within road traffic legislation. There have also been occasions when insurance hasn't paid out for a car park ding as it's location wasn't on the public highway, and not covered under ROAD RISK. Ends up being a civil matter. Just saying..

My bad! Typing bollox apparently! Spoke with an expert and insurance will always be covered for damage (unless 3rd party fire and theft and claiming against yourself). Traffic offences are a different matter though