Bongo Fury

We have a 2003 2.0lt petrol in black and someone has just reversed their tow bar through the grille
The number plate is cracked and the paint on the bumper is scratched.
The police have contacted the woman responsible and she's admitted doing it and making off.
I've now got to contact her and discuss repairing the damage. I've never been in this position before and don't really have a clue how to proceed.
Would it be possible to replace the grille behind the number plate, or would we require a new front bumper?

Best is report it to your Insurance, and suggest a local body works for getting a quote, don't rely on the other parties insurers to do the right thing!

Make sure you get the I.D. of he copper who caught her and a crime reference number from them, then ring the insurance. Is she insured?

were you going to work, have you had any personal losses as a result? If they done off then it's time to pay the fiddler show no mercy!

Scott & Gillian wrote:We have a 2003 2.0lt petrol in black and someone has just reversed their tow bar through the grille
The number plate is cracked and the paint on the bumper is scratched.
The police have contacted the woman responsible and she's admitted doing it and making off.
I've now got to contact her and discuss repairing the damage. I've never been in this position before and don't really have a clue how to proceed.
Would it be possible to replace the grille behind the number plate, or would we require a new front bumper?

Make sure also that there's no damage to anything mechanical etc behind the grille (radiator, aircon pipes etc. etc.).

Norty driver making off like that and well done someone for getting registration number etc.

ELZE wrote:Make sure you get the I.D. of he copper who caught her and a crime reference number from them, then ring the insurance. Is she insured?

were you going to work, have you had any personal losses as a result? If they done off then it's time to pay the fiddler show no mercy!

You wont get a crime reference,as its not a crime. Depending on the forces procedures,you may or may not get an accident reference,dependant on how its recorded. The Pc`s collar number should suffice

Brian

Definitely get Bongy inspected by a savvy garage.

Often damage is much worse than it appears, and if it isn't so bad at least you have an independent report, some insurers will say months later that you are trying to claim for damage not done at the time, or the driver will claim they didn't do it.

Take photos and send all letters recorded delivery.

She has committed a criminal offence by driving off.

Assuming you are fully comp you could fill in a claim form and let your insurers sort it out with her.

Same thing happend to me nearly exactly a year ago , pushed my front bumper in.
Police caught them , after a nice couple got there reg plate
It wasn't there car , but was insured to drive it

Got a letter off the police after a few months , saying they were not going to proceed with the case.
It's now up to me to contact my insurance company
( sure it would end up with both insurance company sorting out there own customers vehicles )
So I left it , didn't want my insurance thinking where I park outside my house on the road is a high risk
And hitting me hard in the future

My advice would be to get the name of her insurer and contact them direct with ALL her details telling them that the Police have supplied the details to you following a "drive off" after a collision in which your vehicle was damaged.

Then write to your insurer enclosing a copy of that letter informing them that you are claiming direct from the other party's insurer and stating that you are informing them simply because you are required to do so.

Mark the letter across the top above the title line FOR INFORMATION ONLY - THIS IS NOT A CLAIM.

OR

If you have legal cover as part of your insurance (most insurers now include it as a matter of course) hand it all over to them and use what you have paid for.

The trouble with using the 3rd party insurers direct is that you have no contract with them. If the final repair job is not adequate for any reason they will say hard luck, and there is nothing you can do, you don't have a contract with them! There have been several cases highlighted about this on the TV programs lately. If you go via your insurers then you have a contract with them and they are legally bound by there contract with you. It certainly hasn't affected our insurance when doing this in the past.

Surely it's best to try the direct approach first. Get it checked out, get a quote and contact the woman. Worked for us when someone drove into the side of Debs Fiat Panda. Driver paid up £500 and my trusted local body shop did a great job.

Dave

notlob wrote:Surely it's best to try the direct approach first. Get it checked out, get a quote and contact the woman. Worked for us when someone drove into the side of Debs Fiat Panda. Driver paid up £500 and my trusted local body shop did a great job.

Dave

Good advice. Someone hit my Bongo offside wing (and would have driven off but were spotted) and it was all sorted without involving insurance so they didn't lose their no claims bonus. That's what I'd try first BUT make sure you know what the extent of the damage is before talking cash settlements.

Bongoplod wrote:

ELZE wrote:Make sure you get the I.D. of he copper who caught her and a crime reference number from them, then ring the insurance. Is she insured?

were you going to work, have you had any personal losses as a result? If they done off then it's time to pay the fiddler show no mercy!

You wont get a crime reference,as its not a crime. Depending on the forces procedures,you may or may not get an accident reference,dependant on how its recorded. The Pc`s collar number should suffice

Brian

That's why I said get the ID of the copper. I had been under the impression for most of my life that leaving the scene of an incident is an offence?

It seems you can go to prison for it so I would assume that makes it a criminal offence.

http://www.nopenaltypoints.co.uk/legal- ... ident.html

ELZE wrote:

Bongoplod wrote:

ELZE wrote:Make sure you get the I.D. of he copper who caught her and a crime reference number from them, then ring the insurance. Is she insured?

were you going to work, have you had any personal losses as a result? If they done off then it's time to pay the fiddler show no mercy!

You wont get a crime reference,as its not a crime. Depending on the forces procedures,you may or may not get an accident reference,dependant on how its recorded. The Pc`s collar number should suffice

Brian

That's why I said get the ID of the copper. I had been under the impression for most of my life that leaving the scene of an incident is an offence?

Correct,it is,under the Road Traffic Act

So if its a criminal offence then presumably the only reason there won't be a crime reference is if the person hasn't been charged because no-one chose to press charges? Does the injured party have any say in whether charges are pressed?