Insurance question (sorry!)

[ratchart]

Hoping the Retro Rides hive mind can advise me here.

So, in May I was rear-ended by another driver, I gave their details and all the relevant info to my insurer (More Than) and let everything take it's natural course. The car wasn't too badly damaged -just the back bumper and tailgate, but otherwise drivable. Eventually at the end of June my car was booked in to be fixed and I got a letter from More Than to say the third party insurer (hereafter TPI) agreed liability.

The repair job took 2 and a half weeks whilst waiting for parts during which I had a hire car at the TPI's expense (so I was assured) 

At the end of last month I got another letter to say that More Than had contacted the TPI to recover the losses.

Today 17th August I've had another letter saying that they've tried contacting TPI several times with no response and are now referring the matter to their solicitors.

Question 1 - Are the a legit insurance company (the third party) allowed to not respond to a claim after having accepted liability? Is that even legal?
 
Question2 - Am I going to end up paying for this, losing my no-claims etc? 

Anyone else had experience of this situation?

[fulvia1436]

Speak to Tim Kelly at www.motorclaimguru.co.uk/

He has all the answers you want, and if you're lucky, he'll get it sorted for you

[jimi]

It's not your problem, your insurance company will deal with it, it's their problem, that's one of the reasons you pay for insurance. A "no fault" claim shouldn't affect your "no claims" bonus, however don't be surprised if your premium goes up a bit next year.
Linky

[ratchart]

That's a bit more reassuring. This is the first time I've had to make any sort of claim in 26 years of driving so I had no idea what to expect. It seems to have taken a long time to sort out - 3 months plus - compared to other friends and family experience.

[kevins]

You shouldn't lose your no claims etc but some do load the policy even if it's a no fault / no claim accident. (they claim statistically you are more likely to have an accident), happened after someone drove into my wife's parked car.

[Dez]

It’s quite common for third party insurers to do absolutely nothing until your insurer literally files to take them to court to recoup expenses, even after they’ve admitted liability. After all, it’s not costing them anything until they’re forced to pay up.

I’ve had some pretty bad ones over the years. Two years ago some blind old b@st@rd who shouldn’t have been driving (he failed a sight test at the side of the road) drove right into the front of my falcon at a priority control in my favour. Pretty cut and dried you’d think, with the police attendance and all? Nope.

The 3rd party insurer spent a year trying to get me to go 50/50, which I refused to do every time given the attending officer refused to let him drive home. My insurer asked me repeatedly what I wanted to do, every time the answer was ‘go to court’. It went to the point they filed and got a court date (18 months after it happened) before the third party admitted liability and paid up. I saw 6 grand out of it, so god knows what it actually cost them by the time all involved had added their commission. . But the point is it didn’t cost them a penny until 18 months after it happened and they were legally forced to capitulate. I have a very good insurer who paid me out within a few weeks, and they saddled the cost for that entire period without loading my pricing.
But such behaviour is entirely normal in insurance world.

[igor]

Realistically insurance is betting that a particular event will occur and hoping you lose. Compulsory insurance is the second biggest scam ever, right after the cult of anthropogenic global warming.

[rapidyellow]

Aug 18, 2023 8:09:50 GMT jimi said:

It's not your problem, your insurance company will deal with it, it's their problem, that's one of the reasons you pay for insurance. A "no fault" claim shouldn't affect your "no claims" bonus, however don't be surprised if your premium goes up a bit next year.
Linky

I have had a no fault claim, and if on the insurance form when buying or renewing it asks if you have had any claims in the past I tick NO, otherwise they will load you.

Message to the OP: my claim was a fairly simple one, I too was rear ended [fnarr fnarr] and it took over a year to get a payout/settlement, I went via an accident management company and not via my insurance, if I had another non fault claim I would do the same thing again, it keeps my own insurance company "out of it". And therefore it looks like you have never made a claim.

[colnerov]

Aug 21, 2023 15:38:45 GMT rapidyellow said:

Aug 18, 2023 8:09:50 GMT jimi said:

It's not your problem, your insurance company will deal with it, it's their problem, that's one of the reasons you pay for insurance. A "no fault" claim shouldn't affect your "no claims" bonus, however don't be surprised if your premium goes up a bit next year.
Linky

I have had a no fault claim, and if on the insurance form when buying or renewing it asks if you have had any claims in the past I tick NO, otherwise they will load you.

Message to the OP: my claim was a fairly simple one, I too was rear ended [fnarr fnarr] and it took over a year to get a payout/settlement, I went via an accident management company and not via my insurance, if I had another non fault claim I would do the same thing again, it keeps my own insurance company "out of it". And therefore it looks like you have never made a claim.

Hi, It depends, did they claim off of the individual or their insurance company? If it was the individual, then it might work. If it was against the ins co then it would go on the MID as a claim. They won't necessarily challenge it, but they will factor it in the event of a subsequent claim in the future and say it was undisclosed information and may refuse to pay out. Don't say or deny anything that they could find out through other means.

Colin

[jimi]

rapidyellow
Failing to disclose any accident you are involved in is not a good idea, in effect you are lying to your insurance company, could invalidate your insurance.
Linky

[slater]

If its a no fault situation then you haven't had any claim on your insurance. The claim was on their insurance, that's different. They get round this by asking 'have you been involved in an accident' instead. Obviously the answer there is different so be careful, it also covers the situation of you settling outside insurance which is perfectly fine legally but my invalidate your policy.

[75swb]

Aug 22, 2023 7:27:25 GMT slater said:

They get round this by asking 'have you been involved in an accident' instead. Obviously the answer there is different so be careful,

This is a question I rely on at the minute. A friend wrote off 2 vehicles I insured, and i was the passenger when we were previously rear ended by a "wasted as f&£k" driver whilst the ex was driving another vehicle I insured (actually the same vehicle as one of the ones written off but...). 3 write offs on my insurance in 2 years. But if the phrasing of the question is "have you been involved in an accident?" I can honestly answer no (after checking the fineprint carefully)