not sure whether to go through amc or tp

[fr0zenbutt3r]

Hiya guys

I recently had a car accident, in which my car was a write-off. I’m a bit confused about the accident management company (amc).



So essentially I don’t need a hire car from amc, as my insurance offers a hire car. Plus, I’ve read stories of where others have hired a car from amc and the third party's insurance (tpi) refused to pay out as they deemed the car hire as an ‘excessive cost’, resulting in the amc having to go to court in order to gain payment. So this would mean that there is a chance that I might become liable for the hire costs if tpi refuse to pay out.



The other driver has not reported the incident to tpi. I know this as I called tpi in order to explore my options, but tpi told me no such incident was recorded. Tpi tried to push for more info but I refused to give more information and stated that I would talk to my insurance first and then decide on what to do. Even though the other driver has not reported the incident to tpi, he has admitted liability over the phone to my amc.



I’ve read multiple forums that suggest the best route is to go through tpi but as the other driver has not reported it, I’m unsure on what to do.



Is it okay to use amc without requesting a car hire? As I know they make money mostly off of car hires, so I’m just a bit worried they might try to get me through hidden costs instead. Does anyone have any experience in doing so?



Sorry if it sounds a bit confusing etc. it’s my first car accident and so I’m confused on what to do.


im in england

 

[gc123]

well i would have thought alarm bells would be ringing if he hasnt said anything to his insurance. they will find out when amc try to claim from them anyway unless he is trying to delay and timewaste, seems a bit silly if he has admitted it to amc being at fault, seems very messy to me.

from a personal view the only time i used a amc i did opt for a hire vehicle, we had a automatic galaxy and was rear ended by a bus, they gave us a piccasso auto , which we had for 4 weeks before handing it back.

we heard nothing other than our car was repaired new box in the end and returned to us.....heres the rub...

12 months later i recieved a summons to go to court, apparently the insurance company refused to pay for the hire (excessive) and although they had offered to pay a proportion of it the hire company had refused or rather as we found out not returned the paperwork. it took a lot of phone calls and correspondence before we managed to get the costs adjusted to a point where we contributed some of the extra money and the hire company reduced there amount , eventually got settled the day before court so still hassle to keep checking court to make sure it had been stopped.
would never go through a claims company ever again , now im very much i pay my insurance so they can do the work...

just my two penneth worth.

 

[LeMson]

Try an actual Solicitors, on a no win no fee, I used one when a van drove into the side of me, was awesome

 

[dankeeys]

An old man in his 90's who clearly should not have been driving, just shy of 2 years ago crashed into the side of my car with my then three and a half year old daughter in the back. I was simply going straight across a roundabout from let's say my 6 o clock (UK roads), at his junction of his 9 o clock he should have waited and give way to his right. The reality was not only did he not see me as he said to me subsequent the the crash “I cannot see good in the dark and my Son has previously and frequently told me to quit driving” but he hit my car side on with so much power that it was obvious he did not even slow down at his junction. He hit my car hard enough to slam it across two lanes, into the central reservation and facing the wrong way. I understand what a difficult process a first accident is, I drove company cars from my early 20's until the aforementioned accident circa 2 years ago in my late 30's. Your first port of call should always be your insurer, they should organise any and all of your requirements, be it a courtesy car or minor ancillary financial recompense such as travel expenses etc. Never approach a third party, your insurer should and will deal with all aspects reasonably until it comes to them paying you a fair sum of money subject to your car being written off...thats another matter entirely.

 

[Abyss]

Never approach a third party, your insurer should and will deal with all aspects reasonably until it comes to them paying you a fair sum of money subject to your car being written off...thats another matter entirely.

I disagree, either route is perfectly appropriate to follow. Your insurance is primarily there to cover when you are at fault, however an insurance company will of course happily offer an accident management service and deal with other insurance claims as they make money from it.

If you are involved in an incident that is the other parties fault then it is there insurance dealing with the claim/repairs and all involving your own insurer does is add complexity to the process and risk your NCB being temporarily suspended and excess. I only have 2 experiences of claiming through car insurance and in both instances it was a breeze dealing directly with the third party insurer. They were keen to avoid accident managament company / other fees and were beyond helpful in oranising a courtesy car, getting the works done etc.

 

[dankeeys]

I disagree, either route is perfectly appropriate to follow. Your insurance is primarily there to cover when you are at fault, however an insurance company will of course happily offer an accident management service and deal with other insurance claims as they make money from it.

If you are involved in an incident that is the other parties fault then it is there insurance dealing with the claim/repairs and all involving your own insurer does is add complexity to the process and risk your NCB being temporarily suspended and excess. I only have 2 experiences of claiming through car insurance and in both instances it was a breeze dealing directly with the third party insurer. They were keen to avoid accident managament company / other fees and were beyond helpful in oranising a courtesy car, getting the works done etc.

Always contact your insurer when you have an accident, you pay them to deal with such things. Your policy will almost certainly require you to inform them of a claim or accident within just a few days. Contacting your insurer will not jeopardise your NCB, nor will it result in any detrimental financial impact. I have been driving for just over 21 years, circa the first decade me driving company cars, and the second decade me driving my own cars. I have had 6 not at fault accidents in those 21 years. I have rang my insurance company every time, and have 21 years no claims.

 

[Abyss]

Always contact your insurer when you have an accident, you pay them to deal with such things. Your policy will almost certainly require you to inform them of a claim or accident within just a few days. Contacting your insurer will not jeopardise your NCB, nor will it result in any detrimental financial impact. I have been driving for just over 21 years, circa the first decade me driving company cars, and the second decade me driving my own cars. I have had 6 not at fault accidents in those 21 years. I have rang my insurance company every time, and have 21 years no claims.

Agreed, making them aware of an accident is a standard requirement. Your post however related to "never approaching a third party" and "your own insurer should and will deal with all aspects"; this is what I was disagreeing with as it's perfectly reasonable to take either approach.

Contacting your insurer doesn't suspend your NCB but asking them to progress the claim can and has. It is common for an insurer to suspend your NCB until the claim is resolved, not really an issue if the whole thing is wrapped up before renewal but can be an issue if it isn't. As an example I just looked up a random insurance policy (Admiral in this instance):

• Claims that do not affect your bonus
  • claims which are not your fault where we have recovered our money in full

Cleverly worded but very clearly tells me your NCB is at risk until they successfully recover all the money they believe they are owned. If the two insurance companies end up in dispute over the hire car costs, value of works etc your renewal could easily be impacted.

 

[dankeeys]

Agreed, making them aware of an accident is a standard requirement. Your post however related to "never approaching a third party" and "your own insurer should and will deal with all aspects"; this is what I was disagreeing with as it's perfectly reasonable to take either approach.

Contacting your insurer doesn't suspend your NCB but asking them to progress the claim can and has. It is quite common for an insurer to suspend your NCB until the claim is resolved, not really an issue if the whole thing is wrapped up before renewal but can be an issue if it isn't. As an example I just looked up a random insurance policy (Admiral in this instance):

• Claims that do not affect your bonus
  • claims which are not your fault where we have recovered our money in full

Cleverly worded but very clearly tells me your NCB is at risk until they successfully recover all the money they believe they are owned. If the two insurance companies end up in dispute over the hire car costs, value of works etc your renewal could easily be impacted.

I had a crash in a company car in my mid 20's and argued to the hilt how it was not my fault with the company insurers, it factually was not my fault. A driver hit me side on leaving a junction on a dual carriageway. The argument ended with the insurers each accepting 50/50 liability and both drivers being at fault. The argument went on and on until my commercial director and mentor was made aware of the dispute. He, in simple terms told the company insurers they would not be covering the following years circa 50 company cars, a fleet of in excess of 100 vans nor hundreds of thousands of multiple plant vehicles. The following year I had a letter confirming my additional years no claims bonus...thats how insurance works.

 

[Haggisman]

Agreed, making them aware of an accident is a standard requirement. Your post however related to "never approaching a third party" and "your own insurer should and will deal with all aspects"; this is what I was disagreeing with as it's perfectly reasonable to take either approach.

Contacting your insurer doesn't suspend your NCB but asking them to progress the claim can and has. It is common for an insurer to suspend your NCB until the claim is resolved, not really an issue if the whole thing is wrapped up before renewal but can be an issue if it isn't. As an example I just looked up a random insurance policy (Admiral in this instance):

• Claims that do not affect your bonus
  • claims which are not your fault where we have recovered our money in full

Cleverly worded but very clearly tells me your NCB is at risk until they successfully recover all the money they believe they are owned. If the two insurance companies end up in dispute over the hire car costs, value of works etc your renewal could easily be impacted.

Yes, this is exactly what happens, I had an accident where liability was disputed for almost 18 months, during which time I was down my £500 excess and had to pay a significantly higher premium due to a "fault" claim. Eventually it was settled in my favour, and I got my excess back, along with a recalculated premium & refund, but it wasn't an easy process.

The argument went on and on until my commercial director and mentor was made aware of the dispute. He, in simple terms told the company insurers they would not be covering the following years circa 50 company cars, a fleet of in excess of 100 vans nor hundreds of thousands of multiple plant vehicles. The following year I had a letter confirming my additional years no claims bonus...thats how insurance works.

That has nothing to do with how insurance works, that's how money works. Your commercial director basically blackmailed the insurance company into restoring your NCB because that was a cheaper option than losing your employer's business.