Accident

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 10:40

Hello people, woke up this morning to find this nice little mess….looks like someone was backing into a space in front of me at some speed, went along my drivers side wheel arch, caught the bumper and ripped it halfway off. Needless to say they left without leaving any details...lovely people. I really hope they did some damage to their motor as well.

Looks like a new bumper, new wing and other bits and bobs to hold them all together. Everything else looked ok but I'm not a mechanic so not totally sure. So anyway this is the first time something like this has happened, didn't want to drive it anywhere in case the insurance was funny about it. So rang them up and they came and picked it up and have taken it to their yard where someone will assess it. I'll have to pay a bit of excess but as I'm fully comp they should cover the rest. What would this cost to repair in a bodyshop? How much will my no claims be affected?

Sorry about iphone pictures and yes i can blow these photos up some more if they're not big enough already....

Probably won't get it back until the new year now but not too much of a problem as going away anyway. Such a pain, really not a happy boy, only had it a couple of months and have driven for almost 11 years with no other problems. :mad:

megakid · 12 Dec 2011 at 10:52

Haven't got any advice w.r.t. your repairs but it makes my blood boil seeing this sort of thing.

death_looms · 12 Dec 2011 at 10:57

Was your car parked where the pics show it when the accident happened? How did they manage to catch the drivers side against the kerb?! You have my sympathies though.

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:01

Yeah sorry, forgot to mention actually got in my car and turned round before i heard the bumper rubbing on the floor. Obviously parked it straight back where it was before just the other way around.

death_looms · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:04

I did wonder

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:09

The black things are meant to be car parking spaces and the red thing is meant to be my car, they went back into the gap to turn round or do something else like that I guess.

Dogbreath · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:09

Typically you will get 2 years NCB knocked off for a claim, though your insurers will be able to confirm this.

Scum bags

Draeger · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:15

Scum, yes. I know how you feel m8, came out of a hotel a few years ago and someone had hit my car at the front whilst it was parked in the hotel car park. Needed a bumper repaint and new fog light. Never found out who was responsible, hotel were not interested simply shrugging their shoulders and pointing to the disclaimer sign in the car park.

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 11:27

It would almost be worth catching the person doing it. So out of line, would this go down as a cat d?

Scythe · 12 Dec 2011 at 12:02

thumbitin said:
It would almost be worth catching the person doing it. So out of line, would this go down as a cat d?

Depends if it's not economically viable to repair the car.

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 12:07

Oh ok, yeah shouldn't be then, thanks.

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 13:26

Just spoken to the insurance and the car is being taken to an approved garage of which I have the details of.

Now its gone this far is it possible to have it repaired outside the insurance? Wouldn't think so? Just worried it will cost more with losing no claims and future insurance etc.

mrk · 12 Dec 2011 at 14:27

thumbitin said:
Just spoken to the insurance and the car is being taken to an approved garage of which I have the details of.

Now its gone this far is it possible to have it repaired outside the insurance? Wouldn't think so? Just worried it will cost more with losing no claims and future insurance etc.

Isn't that the point of getting an estimate though? When you get it you can say you will fit the bill instead?

I can't imagine it being a cheap though, may well be better to go through insurance!

Cosimo · 12 Dec 2011 at 14:35

Dogbreath said:
Scum bags

Makes my blood boil when I see things like this. Shame they can't be caught.

thumbitin · 12 Dec 2011 at 14:56

mrk said:
Isn't that the point of getting an estimate though? When you get it you can say you will fit the bill instead?

I can't imagine it being a cheap though, may well be better to go through insurance!

Hopefully will chat to them before the end of the day to see what the costs will be etc. Will keep the thread updated.

Myshra · 12 Dec 2011 at 15:25

"Approved garage" - For what it's worth you can legally take it to any garage I believe if you don't like the work of the one they suggested. I'm not sure if there is any penalty for doing so but I've done this before without incident, I just wanted it done by the official brands repair shop over an independent with a not so fantastic reputation.