I was first most concerned about his dog that leapt out of his car and was running around in the road on a bend and I was also worried about the old guy too. He was as old as god and he spoke in a rasping whisper, which threw me a bit. Being in shock I didn’t think to get his details straightaway.
His car only had a scratched bumper and dislodged number plate, but when I went up to examine mine closely it looked bad, especially the bottom of the pillar between the doors. I looked up to talk to the guy but he was disappearing round the corner and I only got half his number plate. I was gutted, felt very stupid, and spent weeks looking for his car locally, to no avail. Anyway, the main point of this post is to say don’t give up on insurance when they want to write it off although I expect you are all more savvy than me and know this. I have never had an accident with another vehicle (3 cars smashed when they were parked up, but none when I was driving). I had no idea what to expect from the insurance but fortunately when telling a friend about the accident they told me that you don’t have to accept what the insurer says straightaway.
I did battle on the phone with the insurance assessor who didn’t come to look at it, and who was quite rude. Damage estimate £2800 – needing new passenger and side doors and pillar in between. The assessor’s valuation of my Bongo was laughable - less than 1/6th of the value that both I and the guy at the body shop said. I’m not convinced that the insurance assessor even knew what a Bongo was and I suggested that if a decent one with low mileage and sound bodywork was so easy to get for about a grand perhaps he could tell me where from - I'd buy 6 and make some dosh! I stuck to my guns (politely) and even amazed myself at my assertiveness. Eventually he said that he couldn't continue having a prolonged argument with me and agreed to the repair. I found out later that the body shop guy (good on him) had also told the assessor on the phone that the vehicle was worth a lot more and was worth repairing before the assessor phoned me. I suppose the assessor hoped I would just give in to it being written off.
It’s been a long wait. The side door arrived from Japan within 2-3 weeks, but the passenger door took 4 months to get here after several 'due' dates came and went. It should be finished by next Friday so all has ended happily, apart from the large excess I have to pay. I also learned the hard way that although it is nice to be concerned about people, if they are not injured get their details ASAP. There would have been no argument about who's fault it was from the location of the damage.
) and on both occasions it wasn't my fault and the other person agreed while at the side of the road. Of course as soon as the insurance people got involved the story changed and all of a sudden it was my fault. In one of them someone drove at right angles into the side of me, as they pulled out of a junction and I was on the main road. This would ended up being put down as 50/50 fault!!!! Still have no idea how that can be justified but that was as good as my insurance company could do apparently! 
