Damage to zed, advice required

[Stretch]

Sitting in a supermarket car park waiting for my woman to pick up a few bits and pieces when a fiat punto rolls out of its space colliding straight into my drivers door. Door severely creased and dented and will definitely need a new skin and more than likely a frame. Taking it to a mate who's in the trade this morning so he can assess if anything else is damaged such as hinges etc. The idiot responsible was a nineteen year old lad who'd parked and not applied the handbrake. He was very remorseful and compliant with details etc but wants the repair done via his dad who runs a car restoration business and not through insurance for obvious reasons. Not really sure what to do, don't really want to see the lad clobbered by his insurance company which are without doubt already stinging him royally, but on the other hand could be leaving myself vulnerable to allsorts by going through his dad. His dad's coming round tomorrow evening to have a chat so I'll see what he can offer. Head says insurance, what do you think?

[Almeida1234]

Any pics?

Obviously it is cheaper then going through the insurance for the young lad.

See what he says and come to a some sort of agreement, or cash your way. Also get a second opinion with a different body shop.

There are few zeds breaking so if might be worth a punt just changing the door if that's the case

 

[Paddy78]

You should be getting the work done by whoever you want. Don't feel guilty, it wasn't you who left your handbrake off. If it's serious, then you have to go through insurance or be prepared for a job you're unhappy with and no recourse...

 

Have a chat with the dad, maybe he'd be prepared to pay for it doing where you want. It's a resonable compromise and if he's not agreeable, then go through insurance.

[HAMLNJ]

Go outside the insurance, see his dad and check out this other work. Ask how he will repair it and look for tell tell signs of doing it on the cheap. If he sounds like he will do a good job book it in! I have just gone through the same thing but less damage. I found even though a claim applied on the insurance that wasn't your fault still raises it the following year on your own policy. Just adds another statistic.

 

Only risk is if you late decide to go through the insurance and that car is repaired but a lower standard you won't be able to do much.

[ZMANALEX]

Check out the restoration business and then make an informed decision keeping in mind that the insurance recommended garages more often than not carry out quite poor work.

If you decide on the restoration option then you can always pop in on a daily basis to check on the progress being made.

 

Alex.

[WhackyWill]

Also ask his Dad if you can hire a car at his expense while he's repairing yours, that will give

 

him incentive to do it quicker and do it right as he don't want you bringing it back, also draw up

 

an agreement to do the works to a standard acceptable to you. and both sign it and maybe

 

the son also who caused the damage. Then if you have an agreement and it goes pear shaped

 

you have some come back through the Court.

[Stretch]

Thanks for the advice chaps, I'll see what his dad can offer and if I go down that route I've got a little bit of rust appearing on the offside rear arch so will negotiate that to be chucked in as a goodwill gesture for the inconvenience caused. Really pi**ed off with it already and can do without the grief, plus it pains me every time I look at my car

[Darren350]

Not to be a skeptic but the more time that passes the more chance you have of never hearing from them again.

 

Have you asked the supermarket to see if they have any footage of the accident at all? Would make a nice fall back just in case.

 

Also once your car is in his dads shop I highly doubt your insurance will help you out if it all goes to crap.

 

 

 

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[KUGT4]

iirc supermarkets based claims always go 50/50 blame - so you'd end up shelling out anyway

 

personally hate supermarket car parks - nightmare to have to strategically park the Z every time I drive into them

 

so many variables to account for - having to 'think' for others incompetence/indifference...

[WhackyWill]

I got hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise I

 

stopped at the exit and drove into the back of me, not much damage, but he was

 

driving a shed and he said if he reported it to his insurance company due to his age

 

he would probably have to give up driving, so I repaired it out of my own pocket.

[KUGT4]

hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise

 

he would probably have to give up driving

 

no comment...

[KyleR]

Safe option is always to go with the insurance, that way you're guaranteed to have the work done to an acceptable standard, providing the insurance company allows you to choose where to have the job done.

 

However, as you mention, you don't want to screw the young fella up for the next few years. If the dad seems sound and runs a good restoration business, then that seems like a good option to me, so long as he doesn't just basically flip write offs on the cheap.

 

Decemeber 2012 my partner was rear ended (Yeroo) by a young driver. Her dad came down to see the damage the next day after we had a quote at a shop that I was happy with. I'd previously googled him and found he was a school principal, so that filled me wilt confidence that he'd do the right thing. We agreed to leave the car in at my body shop and once it was finished, he'd call over to pay for it and we'll all be done with it.

 

Everything went off without a hitch and the car was looking better than ever. 3 weeks later we traded in it for a 1 series, but thats besides the point

 

 

Personally, i'd give the dad a chance, but as mentioned earlier, check out his business and see if it's the kind of place you can trust to do the work to your standard. I'd also consider bringing the car to another shop to get an idea of whats needed. They may be able to tell you if the hinges are damaged or the frame. Then you can agree to source the parts that are required and he can pay for them, that way they'll have already paid for the part and can't pretend to have replaced it, when they just bent it back.

[Stretch]

Not to be a skeptic but the more time that passes the more chance you have of never hearing from them again.

 

Have you asked the supermarket to see if they have any footage of the accident at all? Would make a nice fall back just in case.

 

Also once your car is in his dads shop I highly doubt your insurance will help you out if it all goes to crap.

 

It happened yesterday and his old mans away for the weekend so he's coming round tomorrow after work. I've checked his credibility with mates I've got in the trade and they reckon he's straight and will sort it out properly. No video footage as I've already checked that, all the cameras are facing the wrong direction, got an independent witness though. Got no doubt that the dad will sort things out, just concerned that it won't be an acceptable stand, that's why I was considering the insurance option. Will wait to see what his dad says tomorrow, what he proposes to do and where he intends to send it

 

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[nowhereboy]

I got hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise I

 

stopped at the exit and drove into the back of me, not much damage, but he was

 

driving a shed and he said if he reported it to his insurance company due to his age

 

he would probably have to give up driving, so I repaired it out of my own pocket.

 

And tommorow it's an actual person he runs into.....

 

Nice gesture but you should have claimed

[WhackyWill]

I got hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise I

 

stopped at the exit and drove into the back of me, not much damage, but he was

 

driving a shed and he said if he reported it to his insurance company due to his age

 

he would probably have to give up driving, so I repaired it out of my own pocket.

 

And tommorow it's an actual person he runs into.....

 

Nice gesture but you should have claimed

 

Looked like it was his only way of getting about, I wouldn't want to

 

be responsible for the old boy not been able to do his shopping

 

or relying on bus's. It was only a bit of paint after all.

[Ekona]

Insurance. NOW.

 

What happens when the repair that gets done isn't good enough? Do you think he'll take it back and re-do it for you? No chance, and then you've zero proof anything happened and it's a month down the line. You pay insurance for a very good reason, so use it! Even if your premium goes up next year by £59, it'll be well worth it.

[stuarty]

I'd get 2 quotes and ask him to pay in advance (probably less than his excess) then I would go and get the repair done at a good body shop with his money.

That way as soon as he gives you the price of the repairs you don't have to see him again and you can always take it back to the body shop under warranty if your not happy with the repair!

 

[The Trouser]

I'd go the insurance route just for the peace of mind of knowing it will be done properly.

 

Not your fault a nineteen year old ran into you - consider it his introduction into the school of hard knocks.

Today's lesson - actions have consequences.

Edited April 27, 2014 by The Trouser

[glrnet]

I got hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise I

 

stopped at the exit and drove into the back of me, not much damage, but he was

 

driving a shed and he said if he reported it to his insurance company due to his age

 

he would probably have to give up driving, so I repaired it out of my own pocket.

 

And tommorow it's an actual person he runs into.....

 

Nice gesture but you should have claimed

 

Looked like it was his only way of getting about, I wouldn't want to

 

be responsible for the old boy not been able to do his shopping

 

or relying on bus's. It was only a bit of paint after all.

You wouldn't have been, he would have been, harsh i know but agree with what nowhereboy said, what's better the old boy struggling to get to the shops or actually ruining someone else's life?

[WhackyWill]

I got hit from behind by a very old gentleman exiting Tesco, he didn't realise I

 

stopped at the exit and drove into the back of me, not much damage, but he was

 

driving a shed and he said if he reported it to his insurance company due to his age

 

he would probably have to give up driving, so I repaired it out of my own pocket.

 

And tommorow it's an actual person he runs into.....

 

Nice gesture but you should have claimed

 

Looked like it was his only way of getting about, I wouldn't want to

 

be responsible for the old boy not been able to do his shopping

 

or relying on bus's. It was only a bit of paint after all.

You wouldn't have been, he would have been, harsh i know but agree with what nowhereboy said, what's better the old boy struggling to get to the shops or actually ruining someone else's life?

 

He was a nice old boy and somebody's Grandad,

 

He was very sorry and didn't realise I stopped.

[Mopedmark]

Give the dad a chance as it will be a pain as a non fault accident

[The Bounty Bar Kid]

Never will I ever go outside the insurance company. Done it before twice and both bad experiences.

[cs2000]

Id also have gone via the insurance route. Don't care what anyones sob story is, if im paying insurance every month (as were all legally obliged to do) then il claim on it, exspecially if its going on the other persons policy.

 

Had a rear end shunt of my celica, woman drove into the back of me when I was waiting for a space on a roundabout. I didn't budge, even a MM but she thought id gone and didn't stop. Anyway, car cost 1k to be repaired as it needed a new rear bumper from Toyota, then paint obviously, then I put in a compensation claim due to genuine whiplash (I don't advocate claiming when you aren't injured) and then it turned out that insurers has inspected her car and for some reason declared her insurance void, leaving her personally responsible for probably somewhere in the region of 3k worth of expenses when you add legal fees etc.

 

I don't regret what I did and id do it again. She would have done the same had the roles have been reversed.

[Stretch]

The dad came to look at the car yesterday evening and is ordering a door from Nissan which will be put on by the local Vauxhall dealership. Might sound strange but the fella used to work for Vauxhall and knows they'll do a top job which I can verify as the bodyshop manager once sorted a spray job on my old 200SX and it was spot on. I know he priced a door up yesterday as I spoke to the Nissan parts manager who happens to be a friend of mine plus, without sounding cynical, I'll check later to day to make sure it's been ordered. Also the job is going through the books at Vauxhall (not a cash favour) so I'll get a full guarantee and it won't be accepted if I'm not fully satisfied with the repair. So all in all happy with the arrangement so far

[WhackyWill]

All sounds positive so far. What about a hire car while yours is off the road. ?.