Tone Loc

iTrader: (1)

Need a bit of advice following a little bump involving my wife. Basically she was at a T junction waiting to turn right onto the main road. A bus on her right stops and waves her out, she checks cars to the left and edges forward. At this point a car decides it's not going to wait behind the bus and overtakes it on the wrong side of the road and catches the front of the wifes car as she edges out of the junction. Police called and details swapped, cops say the insurance won't argue it's not my wifes fault. Our car (MY06 Scenic) basically has a scuffed bumper... so easy and cheap repair. His car has damge down the passenger side to the door and rear quarter so could cost a bit.

So the question is, given it's a non fault rather than have the accident against her name i'd rather just pay for the bumper to be resprayed and leave it at that (not evn fussed about him paying cause the damage is so minimal). But given his car has quiet a bit of damage i presume he will claim, so if he claims on his insurance and they find it's his fault would our insurance need to get involved. I'd rather not for the next 3 years explain the ins and outs of the accident at renewal time and her to get penialised when it wasn't her fault (presuming even for non fault accident the premium goes up).

Any advice on the best way to go... especially the insurance boys who look in on the forum (Gary etc).

Tony.

PS Renewal time for the Scenic and Impreza is in a months time.

Tony@Greenlight

Hi Tony,

Having just seen your post and that nobody has responded to date i'll attempt to do so.

Although the police advised that the incident will be non-fault, with the circumstances of the incident in mind you may find that the incident ends up with blame being apportioned upon a split liability basis.

This being due to your wife crossing give way lines and entering the main carriageway that the other driver was already on.

Granted the overtaking manoeuvre may assist your cause, but with the vehicle letting your wife go being a bus this may have led the other driver to believe the bus had stopped and in addition due to restricted visability will have afforded the other driver little or no chance to react/avoid the incident.

A point which unless the other driver admits full liability to his Insurer will lead to them arguing as to who is to blame.

With 2 impending renewals, both Insurers need to be made aware of the outstanding incident as this is material information which could effect their rating and unless bonus is protected under your wife's policy it is likely that your wife's NCB will be stepped back (as will the other drivers) until the claim has been settled in her favour.

Should the claim not be settled 100% in her favour this will result in either reduced NCB or a life lost under bonus protection.

Either way, whether this is fault or non-fault it is material information & will need to be disclosed to all prospective/future underwriters.

Kind regards

Tony