Will mentioning an ...
 

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[Closed] Will mentioning an "incident" to company car insurers stay with me?

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for my own insurance premiums? You know, when i get made redundant again and need my own car?

My manager is dead set on reporting the incident to our insurers, even though there is zero damage. Past experience with my own previous insurers tells me this is a bad idea, since it went on my record even though no claim was made.

But then again i've never had company insurance before so not sure how it works. Will it come back to haunt me later on?


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:15 am
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Just tell him you don't want to waste there time as there is not going to be a claim and that you wouldn't want it to affect your or the companies insurance policies going forward.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:19 am
 cp
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So there's no reason to make an insurance claim yet your manager wants to inform the insurer? Why?

Was a third party involved? Or is there more to the story?


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:21 am
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Just tell him you don't want to waste there time as there is not going to be a claim and that you wouldn't want it to affect your or the companies insurance policies going forward.

But the policy probably requires that they're notified of any incident. If your boss doesn't notify them then it will (if they find out) "affect your or the companies insurance policies going forward." as they'd be invalid!


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:23 am
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tinas - not really thought of it that way... hum, got me thinking now.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:28 am
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I doubt it matter much to you as IIRC you just get a statement of number of years of no claims from the company insurer when you want to take out your own insurance again.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:31 am
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Will probably affect it reversing too


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:32 am
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It can affect your (EDIT) premium AFAIK.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:37 am
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You are legally obliged to tell them.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:40 am
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by "legally" you mean contractually, yes?

"legal", "illegal" etc are vague and unhelpful terms.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:41 am
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It will affect your policy as you will have to declare it for the next 3 or 5 years (depending on insurer). Even if there is no real claim made.

Tell us more about the incident, is there a chance of someone deciding to claim against you in future?


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:41 am
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Just tell him you don't want to waste there time as there is not going to be a claim and that you wouldn't want it to affect your or the companies insurance policies going forward.

This is my thinking.

But the policy probably requires that they're notified of any incident. If your boss doesn't notify them then it will (if they find out) "affect your or the companies insurance policies going forward." as they'd be invalid!

This is my manager's stance.

I doubt it matter much to you as IIRC you just get a statement of number of years of no claims from the company insurer when you want to take out your own insurance again.

Sounds good to me.

Other guy (polish driver in London) wanted my insurance details, wouldn't agree on the side of the road that there was no damage, insisted on taking photos of the front and the back of my car. So maybe he's going to try and claim. But there's not much more to it than that apart from he was a bit of a d*ck about it.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:42 am
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A friend who works in motor insurance told us: "NEVER report small incidents to your insurers because they will put you down as an accident magnet. I never said that though."


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:49 am
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If you're really unlucky a claim will come through for a major crash with four occupants all suffering whiplash....

There are plenty of crooked no win no fee firms who just make up claims for their clients...


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 11:50 am
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A friend who works in motor insurance told us: "NEVER report small incidents to your insurers because they will put you down as an accident magnet. I never said that though."

That is pretty much what i thought, i had it with my own personal policy about 5 years back when a new driver crashed into me denting my right wing. I never made a claim because it was an old car and not really noticeable but she claimed for all sorts including whiplash (unsuccessfully). But even though i never made a claim the accident stayed with me and my premiums went up slightly. I've only just recently had it erased from my record.

But this, this is just a complete non-incident. And i'm gutted that my general manager wants to report it to the insurance company. I say wait for him to claim first but she insists on doing everything by the book, even if it might have a negative affect on my premiums, which i suspect it will.

I just wondered if the company insurance would soak it up or if it will stay against my name when i change insurers?


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:13 pm
 br
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It's a company car. Your Manager is no doubt just quoting the company car policy. Therefore they/you should report it.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:19 pm
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footflaps - Member
If you're really unlucky a claim will come through for a major crash with four occupants all suffering whiplash....

There are plenty of crooked no win no fee firms who just make up claims for their clients...

The other way to view your manager's attitude is as trying to protect both you and the company by getting everything in and on record just in case the above happens...


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:22 pm
 irc
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Manager following company policy? What next?


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:34 pm
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so you had an incident then witheld insurance details .

no wonder your manager wants to report it.

world of backlash if the polish guy takes it any further.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:37 pm
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so you had an incident then witheld insurance details .

no wonder your manager wants to report it.

world of backlash if the polish guy takes it any further.

Not quite. Didn't withold anything, i didn't have the policy to hand so i gave him my contact details. Not quite the same as witholding insurance details.

But i can see how it could pan out if the other guy goes to town on me. I have a photo of the back of his car. People are cheeses aren't they? Just born to make life as difficult as possible.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:47 pm
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that wasnt how it read

but anyway

if you mention it to your insurance through the company it will become reportable in future for the "have you had an accident in the last 5 years" question.

If no one knows it didnt happen. Ie - you drive into a post and fix the car your self - all is good.

soon as theirs a third party involved it all gets a little more complex.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 12:50 pm
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if you mention it to your insurance through the company it will become reportable in future for the "have you had an accident in the last 5 years" question.

So i will just check the box which says no, sorted. Thanks for your help.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 1:09 pm
 sbob
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But there's not much more to it than that apart from he was a bit of a d*ck about it.

In the future, you can avoid having to deal with such people by not crashing into their cars.
HTH.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 3:24 pm
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Whatever happened, yes you should an yes it will cost you. My car got hit in a supeemarket car park, there was no one in it and other drivers insurers coughed up quickly and decently, but that "accident magnet" notion still meant it put £30/10% or so on following years premiums (i did quotes on the internet with and without mentioning it as I was curious). And yes my insurers do know! 👿


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 3:43 pm
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Oh, by the way - you sure you actually hit the other vehicle and he's not just trying it on?

About 18 months ago I had some tool white van driver claim I hit his parked van in an m'way services car park, whilst I was driving a works car. I disputed it with him and he claimed that the marks already on the car bumper, that roughly correlated with the (VERY minor) scratch in a plastic trim on his van, was the proof I'd hit him. Given that all our cars are pool cars, when you take one all pre-existing damage is recorded on signing out so I had proof that his story couldn't be true. Given the organisation I work for is self-insuring, and that I'd be open to significant disciplinary action if I didn't, I gave him all the relevant details. He submitted a claim through his insurers, who were told to sling their hooks as it was a vexatious claim and we could prove it. They did. But because a 3rd party had made a claim and it/my name was therefore recorded on the Motor Insurers' Bureau database, the only real option was for me to tell my own insurers - remember, they'll try and find any way to weasel out of paying up if you have to make a claim and not having told them something like this may give them grounds to invalidate your personal insurance.

Best thing to do is bite the bullet and tell them before they discover it another way (if he does make a claim), you might be surprised how little it affects your premium - mine didn't change at all on renewal. I'd argue better to be whiter than white in this kind of situation...


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 3:53 pm
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I think it will if my experience is anything to go by, it was many years ago but even though I didn't make a claim they tried to cancel my NCB.
I had to fight to get it reinstated, but I managed to.


 
Posted : 20/02/2014 8:38 pm

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