[Closed] Non fault car bump.

I had our car hit from behind whilst we were stationary. A small scuff which didn't worry me at all... but I did the right thing and told my insurance.

No claim or anything made by me though. Just a call to the insurance to do the "right thing".

Next time insurance was due and I renewed with a new company.... I got a threatening letter through to say I hadn't declared an incident and to call them asap.

Basically had to declare that tap for the next 5 years even though no claim was even made.

Just saying...

That’s one of my fears. Can’t do right for wrong these days!

I reversed into my own garage wall once. I thought it was going to be an expensive fix, so started the claim on the insurance. When the bill came in it was surprisingly low so decided to pay direct. The insurance company still logged it though and the ‘incident’ followed me around for years through various insurers.

Hindsight, I wouldn’t have mentioned it to anyone. Insurance companies don’t deserve our honesty.

Put a claim in.
Even if he's a nice genuine bloke it's his fault cause he wasn't paying attention and caused the crash.
There might not be any visual damage but the bumper may have flexed in and there might be damage to the impact beam or rear panel etc.
You will have to declare you've had a claim but as it's non fault it shouldn't put the price up afaik.
He pays insurance and you pay insurance for the this sort of thing.
And ask for a like for like hire car. Don't get a range rover repaired and take a VW polo as a hire car.
That's my opinion anyway from working in an insurance bodyshop for 20 years

I'd let it go. More hassle than its worth. If you are worried then you could have a garage look at it before proceeding with a claim.

PUll the bumper off and check the impact structure (foam or compressible beam) behind it. Also check the boot floor under the carpet.

We had a rear impact from a car not paying attention in queuing traffic. It was quite slow but it squashed the impact beam and puckered the boot floor up...my wife didn't think it was too bad but the impact absorbing structure took the sting out of it.

Oh, and check the small fixings and clips around the bottom edge of the bumper and wheel arches, give it a good shove all along the back to show up anywhere they have broken off.

You will have to declare you’ve had a claim but as it’s non fault it shouldn’t put the price up afaik.

You'd be surprised.

Statustics say person involved in not fault it's more likely to make further claims apparently

Forget it, and definitely do not follow anyone's advice that works in an insurers bodyshop.

This

Forget it, and definitely do not follow anyone’s advice that works in an insurers bodyshop.

Someone reversed into my wife’s car recently. Smashed up the front bumper. We made a claim directly from his insurer (LV) and informed our own (Direct Line).

LV had the car fully repaired within two weeks and gave us a hire car for the duration. Not a penny was laid out by us apart from fuel for the hire car.

Direct Line noted it on our record and when the renewal came through a few weeks after the accident, it hadn’t made a blind bit of difference to the price. In fact, it came down by 10% over the previous year and was still the cheapest after a market search.

So it’s not always doom and gloom.

What would you want the other person to do if the roles were reversed?
Be that person.

Personally, if there's no visible damage if leave it.

Unfortunately not everyone is as honest/straight forward as I am.

It’s due back at the main dealer for some warranty work in a couple of days so I’m thinking of asking them to have a quick look, my only worry is the timeframe involved in notifying my insurers.

Is there a time period in which they have to be notified?

Insurance companies are a necessary evil and to be avoided like the plague where possible. My father in law was involved in a small bump (back of his car) lady admitted liability damage was barely noticeable. Got quotes to fix and was all going fine until the insurance company persuaded FIL to claim for whiplash... Had physio for nothing, teh "doctor" saying what to write on claim form as well.. The hassle he now has seeing various people, I told him don't do it, but they "pressured" him to claim, I said its immoral what they're all doing. Despicable behaviour.

Also said its wrong he is following it through as well..

You will have to declare you’ve had a claim but as it’s non fault it shouldn’t put the price up afaik.

You’d be surprised

Yep, someone reversed into me. I informed my insurers because I'd seen them do it but they drove off. Damage was minor but the person that did it was actually a neighbor and didn't realise they'd hit me. He happily paid for the repair, I cancelled the "claim" with my insurers, but the notification cost me £100 on my next renewal.

Personally, if there’s no visible damage if leave it.

Just like disability not all damage is visible .

trail_rat

Member
Personally, if there’s no visible damage if leave it.

Just like disability not all damage is visible .

whilst i do agree with this, there could be struts bent, snapped, cracked but on a bumper the deflection is unlikely to cause serious (if any further) damage if there is nothing visual. For the sake if sticking your head under the bumper and potentially saving yourself grief, leave the insurers out, they're parasites, and if they don't suck your life away, they will have sold your "claim" to a lawyer who will do verything to finish you off..

Yeah don't listen to the bloke who deals with cars that have been damaged. After 20 years what do I know.
What if the rear bumper has flexed in and damaged the rear impact beam that's designed to be hit once then replaced. Then the car is involved in another rear impact that's more serious and all the strength of that beam has gone due to it being bent.
If it was my cars and I had my child in the back I'd at least get this checked.

If no damage don't get your insurance company involved. Insurance is there to make claims not to log everything you do.

I had someone hit my car from behind years ago. It was hard enough to shatter his number plate and fold his bonnet but just a scuff on my bumper. I checked the next day and there was no damage so told him not to worry about it.

Yeah, similar “incident” to the one I had in July in my roadster..

So I too did this:

I had our car hit from behind whilst we were stationary. A small scuff which didn’t worry me at all… but I did the right thing and told my insurance.

No claim or anything made by me though. Just a call to the insurance to do the “right thing”.

And was told by the insurance company that it was the correct action to take, just in case the “bumpee” decides to claim on their insurance for the same incident.

Same thing happened with my last new car, with only a barely visible hairline crack to the bumper paint so I let it go. Two years later and the bumper was riddled with cracks and the result of that impact was now blindingly obvious. Make a claim and sort it now is my advice.

No visible damage is not the same as no damage, because

What if the rear bumper has flexed in and damaged the rear impact beam that’s designed to be hit once then replaced. Then the car is involved in another rear impact that’s more serious and all the strength of that beam has gone due to it being bent.

... this.

New car, too? I'm amazed this is even a question. Get it looked at.

I had a rear end at some lights. Broke two of the six bolts which held my bumper on, paintwork marks to both cars. Nothig serious so we just ignored it.
It was someone I knew, most embarrassed person I have ever seen. He was trying to pursuade me to let him get it fixed but there was so little damage it wasn't worth the hassle.
Give it a good check over OP and then ignore it if you don't find anything structural. Very unlikely at low speeds, that one of mine made a hell of noise but I think they sound a lot worse than they are.

Just like disability not all damage is visible

I agree.
But I wonder how many of us have bought a used car with damage under a bumper that we never knew about?

Thanks all.

Spoke to my insurers and it has been logged as an ‘incident’ and not a claim for the time being. It’s in at Merc on Friday for some warranty work, I’ll ask them to give it a quick once over. If they’re happy I’ll let it go. My main concern is leaving it and finding faults with the car in the coming months.

My insurers are adamant it won’t be logged as a claim unless I advise them I wish to make a claim. As mentioned above they recommended logging it as the other party may decide to make a claim on their insurance.

Can’t win either way.

But I wonder how many of us have bought a used car with damage under a bumper that we never knew about?

Perhaps you have.

I've not. I've bought cars with damage Ive found under the bumpers/trim and knocked the price down accordingly.

The sellers never seem shocked