Thread: Minor Bingle - Insurance Claims

It's best to report it to the police just to get an incident number to give the insurer.

As far as I remember, an accident must be reported to the police within 24 hours if an estimate of the damage exceeds $3000, or if there is an injury to a person, or if the police did not attend the scene. Best to just report everything.

Aaron

Originally Posted by 101RRS

Ok I rang my insurer to submit a claim - they indicated that as the value of the damage to my car is marginal as far as the excess goes, I am better not submitting a claim just now and wait and see what happens with the other claimant. They indicated that if I do get a letter in the mail from the other insurance company and then decide to claim, I can submit it then.

They confirmed there is no issue with a delayed claim and they will have my record of conversation on file.

So do nothing for the moment.

Thanks for all the input.

Garry

Just as a follow up - I received a letter of demand from the other insurance company and my insurance company told them to deal directly with them and that was it.

I had the car repaired 4 weeks ago.
This was the damage - cracked tail light -$570 and the scuff on the bumper. I polished the white bits out completely just leaving the black mark which is where the paint was cut through to the black plastic. The bumper itself was not damaged.

IMG_20190403_182637.jpgIMG_20190403_182645.jpg

Now the costs of repair.
Tail Light - $570 ✓
Remove parts - $90 ✓
Repair the bumper - 12hours - $400 (the bumper was not damaged but the repair is to get it ready for repaint) ✓
Repaint the bumper - 28hours - $1700 (28 hours just to paint the bumper - not the whole car) ✘
Cost of paint - $40 ✓

So to do that whole job with GST - $2973.14

It is little wonder our premiums are so high with repairers charging the insurance companies so much - 28 hours to paint an already prepared bumper is nonsense. And they did not take the bumper back to bare plastic - there was a small scratch above the tow bar. It had new colour over it but it had not been filled so the paint job appears to have been a sand to roughen the old paint and colour over the top with no filler.

I had this all done 4 weeks ago - and tonight in a completely darkened car park I backed into a tradie ute with a steel tray and broke the brand new tail light . Like before when backing and turning the parking sensors only sound when you hit. They work great if just backing but if turning as well they are not any use.

I have got a lead on some cheap new tail lights .

Garry

I had this all done 4 weeks ago - and tonight in a completely darkened car park I backed into a tradie ute with a steel tray and broke the brand new tail light

. Like before when backing and turning the parking

sensors

only sound when you hit.

They work great if just backing but if turning as well they are not any use.

The best equipment to use when reversing is your mirrors and your eyeballs, Relying on electronic sensors is Lazy and Obviously ineffective.
Spend some time honing your reversing skills (Day AND Night), Your wallet (and other road users) will Love you for it

Originally Posted by trout1105

The best equipment to use when reversing is your mirrors and your eyeballs, Relying on electronic sensors is Lazy and Obviously ineffective.
Spend some time honing your reversing skills (Day AND Night), Your wallet (and other road users) will Love you for it

Not much use when it is pitch black when nothing is visible in the mirrors even with the reversing lights on - yes I should have checked what was around before I got into the car - and I do not rely on the parking sensors and use the mirrors - they are a backup but just highlighting that when the car is turning they are not as effective as they could be - the beam is obviously very narrow and pointed towards the ground as they pick up anything there.

They did not pick up the waist high (rear tail light high) over hanging steel tray and only sounded when the picked up the much lower chassis etc under the tray.

Garry

Bugger.

So to do that whole job with GST - $2973.14

Geez I wouldn't call that minor.
Imagine no claim and then you find out the cost.

If you have another minor one(which you have had)
Get a quote first before deciding what to do.
I had a similar situation where a young lady reversed into me as I was waiting for a spot. I got quotes of about $700 . I thought I would help her as it would cost her far more in loss of no claim bonus and excess.

I was abused roundly when I approached her to pay my repairs, even though her insurance company had told her it was her fault.
NEVER AGAIN will I try to be a good Samaritan.
Regards Philip A

Yes, get a private non-insurance quote. You may be surprised how much cheaper it is than an insurance job.