[NSW] Carpark Accident - Haven't Got Contact Details for Insurance

nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 14:04
Last edited 22/04/2022 - 14:42 by 1 other user

Hi all, just want to gather some thoughts on my current situation.

So I had a prang in a car park 2 weeks ago (3rd party at fault). Exchanged details with the other driver and was on my merry way back home to lodge a claim. I started filling out the online form and got up to the stage where I had to provide 3rd party details. No problems there, fired up my phone to get the rego and license details. To my shock and horror the address of the 3rd party was covered up by a banner when I took a photo of their electronic licence (NSW).

Insurance company is saying I'm at fault and need to pay the excess as I can't provide an address. I called them up and explained the situation. Case manager said just pay the excess and we'll attempt to recover the costs from third party. If they identify the 3rd party at fault, they will reimburse the excess that I paid.

I'm reluctant to pay the excess first because I chose the highest excess to bring my premium down and wasn't expecting this to happen. I have full comprehensive insurance.

Few questions:

  1. Why can' they run the search now and gather the facts?
  2. What are the chances that I'll be out of pocket?
  3. What guarantees me that the insurance company will in fact run a check and not just pocket the excess and say goodbye?

Any questions for me, happy to answer…

Cheers!

Poll Options expired

  • 3
    Are you crazy?! Camp in the carpark and hunt the guy down and get his address.
  • 3
    Call bikies.
  • 6
    Create a police report and get them to find the address.
  • 27
    Just pay the excess and hope your insurance company does the right thing.
Automotive

Comments

  • GG57 on 22/04/2022 - 14:10
    +5

    I chose the highest excess to bring my premium down and wasn't expecting this to happen…

    Insurance is to cover unexpected events. How you structure your insurance is up to your own risk assessment.
    I'd pay the excess and keep on the insurance company to resolve it.
    I assume that the damage was sufficient to make the insurance claim.

    • nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 14:25

      I assume that the damage was sufficient to make the insurance claim.

      No it wasn't but how else am I supposed to get the damage repaired if not via insurance?

      • MrHyde on 22/04/2022 - 14:31
        +6

        1) Not claim and take the car to a repair shop and pay them to fix your car. The cost may be less than your excess.
        2) Not claim and you chase the third party or their insurance. In this scenario, you have to do all the chasing and follow up.

        • nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 16:09

          I get your point 1 but the thing is I'm not at fault so I don't think I should have to pay for someone else's fault and point 2, which is similar to point one - I didn't cause the accident and I believe I pay the insurance company premiums to do exactly that.

          N.B. Not having a go at you, just want to discuss and find out my options.

          • GG57 on 22/04/2022 - 16:18
            +2

            @nickxau: Your choice to engage your insurer or not. If not your fault, you will have to try and get the money from the other party.
            If you want to engage your insurer, you pay the excess until / if they resolve it. That's how it works. You chose the value of that excess.

  • Unorthodox on 22/04/2022 - 14:15
    +2

    Can't you call or message the third party and ask for their address?

    • nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 14:27

      They asked for my contact number (didn't realise you had to exchange that too) but I declined (didn't want them hassling me) so I didn't ask for theirs either.

      • kerfuffle on 22/04/2022 - 14:29
        +10

        Rookie error. ALWAYS exchange numbers. If they hassle you, just block their number.

        I guess this is your first car accident?

        • nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 16:11

          True… looking back I should've done that. Hindsight is a wonderful thing :(

          Not my first but my last was >10yrs+ ago when digital licenses weren't yet a thing

  • kerfuffle on 22/04/2022 - 14:18
    +2

    I also had to pay an excess after being T-boned recently (we're both alleging the other person ran the red light; he was turning right, I was going straight, and he turned into my car as I was crossing the intersection). All you can do if you want your car to be fixed or paid out if a total loss is pay the excess to begin the repair/settlement process and hope insurance will find you not at fault and refund your excess.

    To NRMA's credit, they were able to rescue the car from the smash repairers it got towed to, wrote it off within 48 hours of the accident, and paid my settlement within a fortnight of the accident (accounting for the Easter public holidays). Now for them to determine who was actually at fault and hope I get my excess back …

    • Broke-Ken on 22/04/2022 - 15:40
      +1

      Wait a sec, you got into another not at fault accident?

      That car must be cursed, glad it's out of your life now.

      • kerfuffle on 22/04/2022 - 15:42
        +1

        Possibly at fault this time, but that's up to insurance to decide. I maintain I was not at fault.

        And yeah, it's finally gone! It served me well and I was able to walk away without a scratch. But now I have no car and a six month wait at least for my new one …

  • Peter Enis on 22/04/2022 - 14:25
    +6

    A similar thing happened to my wife once, she forgot to photograph the back of the license (QLD) so didn't get the address. She popped into the local police station the next day and they provided it on the spot. Worth trying.

  • John Kimble on 22/04/2022 - 14:35
    +2

    Do you mean the "Give feedback" banner? That sucks

    • nickxau on 22/04/2022 - 16:04
      +2

      YES! That bloody one!!!

      • kerfuffle on 22/04/2022 - 16:10
        +1

        I took two photos of the digital licence. One of the top and one of the bottom to get the address (looking at the top and there's also the Give feedback banner).

  • Jameslane on 22/04/2022 - 15:22
    +1

    What guarantees me that the insurance company will in fact run a check and not just pocket the excess and say goodbye?

    No guarantee but it's in the insurers best interest to recover the money, i.e the full recovery is worth more to them than just your excess. Unless your excess is that amazingly high its like 90% of the value of the repairs or something.

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