Safe Speed Forums

im haveing a major problems after a accident, its quite long/complex
so will try and highlight the main problem areas
was involved in a accident, basically tart, sorry young lady, decided to change lanes
without looking and hit my car front-right wing, pushing me left with my front left wheel on
grass verge (she drives-off, but i catch her up and persuade her to stop)
swap details, i phone my (insurance broker) he puts me intouch with a "accident manegment company"
and this is where it all goes wrong
basically they have had the car for 2 months, without anybody decideing to repair-it
(im fully comprehensive) so assumed the car would get done and then chase the other party?
they aslo told me unless i get my insurance company to authorise the work
they cant do anything with-it WTF
i did this 3 weeks ago and still no replies to call backs
can i complain/ombusman?
whats the point in fully comp insurance and "accident management" "one call sorts-it out"

nordik

Sorry this had slipped my notice.
This has obviously all be terribly stressful and worrying for you.
Sorry that you are having such a difficult time.

There are many questions within what you have and have not stated.
since you say that you have authorised the work but then question the Insurance Company it is hard to know what has gone wrong with the communications to have got this broken down ?
Try to reach a senior manager within your insurance company and explain all the problems that have unfolded. Explain your frustration and concerns about their ability and inability to perform effectively.

By all means tell us in more detail about what has occurred! I try to always talk directly to those that have the authority to truly help you so ask before you explain what their position is and briefly question what help they can offer you when things have gone wrong. That will tell them that you are efficiently trying to deal with an involved issue that they may not want to get involved with and rapidly pass you up the chain of command and so onto someone who can authorise genuine help.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

That sounds like the other insurance company/party is disputing the claim. In clear cut cases you shouldn't have this issue at all. You need to be chasing your accident management company to get repairs authorised from the third party's insurer. You don't want yours doing it as if it turns sour then you could lose your no claims. Ring them every other day until they start doing something. No point waiting for them to call you back as they never do.

Not AI is it?? Dealt with them recently and they're completely useless.

Next time you ring them ask to whom to address a formal complaint. Might get them going a bit.

When you say 'had your car' do you mean they've physically got it and left you without a car for two months??? They either need to repair or write off the vehicle and while it is out of action, unless you have access to another suitable vehicle, need to provide you with a vehicle to use.

thanks for the replys and advise so far
bit of an up date over the last few weeks
ive have done as surrgested all-ready and made a unofficiall complaint, to get the things moveing quicker
(thats a joke in the upmost)this was done about 3 weeks ago,
and the head of the department was handleing things
any how ive had to use my insurance (i had to phone them direct myself to authorise the work)
as i was basically told by the accident management firm if i did not authorise the work
the car wouldbe left until someone admitted liability, so theyve given me no choice really
but it gets better, get the car back from the accident firms body shop
now my cars matalic silver, but the colour match is not very good to say the least (its wing damage)
(have since taken the car to 2 local insurance bodyshops to get theyer opinion)
and both confirm that not much effort has been taken to get a better match
both have said they can do a better job of-it (this is where the car should have been taken
had the assessor had come to look at the car), ive only found out that this later stage
that because they took the car away, that they "assumed" it would be a right-off
and thats why it wasnt bothered with for 3-4 weeks, also it has 2 deep chips out of the drivers door
and the alloy wheel should have been re-furbed replaced (it wasnt touched) and the brakes
are/were binding where the pads had binded onto the discs, it also came back filth dirty
im at a loss on what to do, as there is no way they are haveing it back to correct the problems
also its been 3 weeks since ive heard from theyer approved solicitor

it seem

continued
it seems apparent that because the 3rd party and theyer insurance have been slow at getting
back to my insurance/accident management, that they dont see-it fit to chase them
also just to confirm im "supposed to be" full comp with 8 years no claims (protected)
but it seems like im third-party, fighting for liability??
to say im pised-off is an understatement, but id be greatfull for any help or advise

Hi Nordik,
You don't seem to be having much luck with this shower do you?

You now have two problems.

The first is with your insurers/body shop. Firstly you must get on to them and complain that the work has not been carried out to a satisfactory condition...you have the right to do this whether your insurance or the third party are paying for it.
I'm assuming they want you to pay an excess, have you done this yet?

Secondly you must chase the third party herself for your excess back, threaten her with a court summons (do you have witnesses that it was her fault?) once you claim the excess back from her you should not lose your protected no
claims life.

I've had a few experiences like this over the years, twice with people running into the back of me and once a similar situation where someone changed lanes on a roundabout and side swiped me. In all cases they were "ladies" and in all cases they denied responsibility but a threat of small claims got them thinking twice in every case. In the roundabout case the girl in question said that she was in the right lane to start with (still no reason to veer into my lane though) but when she admitted where she was heading, it was obvious that she was in the wrong lane to start with (the roundabout lanes were clearly marked in this instance). In your case, if she pushed you onto the grass verge,it doesn't sound like has has much of a case for saying that you strayed into her lane. I presume you filled in a claim form with a diagram of the roundabout and showing where you were heading for?

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

thanks for the reply and advise
i have made a complaint with the work done in the bodyshop and im phoneing tommorow (again)
but as said, from my point of view, the very best they can do is have the car back and re-do the work
but, there is no way the car is leaving me possesion, so i guess ive boxed myself into a corner with this
"as" if they offer me to re-do the car again (which im not goeing to do) then they have full theyer commitment
as for the lady driver, im under the impression her/insurance have not/yet admitted/denied liability
basically i think they are waiting for the full bill for all the damages before fighting they corner
or just paying-up
thing is, ive had 5 weeks of work due to being injured, and another 2-3 weeks off makeing/reciving calls
(which i shouldnt have to do) so my phone time is now limited (not that it matterers as nobody seems interested)
ive come very close to looseing my job over the ammount of time off ive needed off work, so its very frustrating
all this is made worse as it wasnt really an accident in a sence, as it was just down to her
not looking when she changed lanes (over a white line)

You don't say if you've paid an excess yet.

If so, I would send a letter direct to the woman involved, saying that you hold her responsible for the accident and give her 14 days to pay you the excess that you have lost. If nothing comes within the 14 days I would go to the small claims court. A claim up to £300 will only cost you £25 to start and a claim up to £500 is only £35 (if filed online). Normally the threat of court action will persuade her to pay, especially if she has no defence. lose the court case and you only lose your court fee. If you win the fee is claimed, along with your excess.

I'm no legal expert but this has always worked for me in the past.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.

thanks for the reply
as of yet ive not payed-out my £250 excess, it seems all involved, my side and hers
are waiting to see how things pan-out, which is goeing to be hard as nowone is doeing anything
as said, ive filed for damages due to being injured, but its been 3 week since ive heard from the "approved" solicitors
ive got tommorow off (again) to try and sort-out something
which is goeing to be hard as now-one seems interested
(only my broker who doesnt seem to have much weight/influence over the accident management company
and my insurance

still at a loss on what to do about this?
if i make an official complaint against the accident management company KINDERTONS
i dont know if they wouldbe interested in sorting the mess out
as they have showed no real interest in the matter from the start (except delivery of the courtesy car)
also the work done by there approved bodyshop UKCARBODYS bristol is truely shocking
but as said there is no way they are haveing possession of the car again
for me the best solution is haveing the work done local
(which it should have been in the first place had theyer assessor done his job and came to look at the car)
and then billing them for the work (very doubtfull theyd agree to this)
also havent heared anything for KINDERTONS approved solicitors, so any advise welcome

Have you thought about Citizens' Advice/trading standards? You say that you don't want the first bodyshop to look at your car again but you might be advised to give them another chance ( not by me but by one or both of the two aforementioned bodies). I would bypass the Accident "management" company and contact the insurance company direct and tell them either in writing or verbally, that you are disatisfied and will be taking your insurance elsewhere. There is also an insurance ombudsman who it may be worth contacting.

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My views do not represent Safespeed but those of a driver who has driven for 39 yrs, in all conditions, at all times of the day & night on every type of road and covered well over a million miles, so knows a bit about what makes for safety on the road,what is really dangerous and needs to be observed when driving and quite frankly, the speedo is way down on my list of things to observe to negotiate Britain's roads safely, but I don't expect some fool who sits behind a desk all day to appreciate that.