Accidental damage to car - question

[alicat]

I wonder if those who feel I should pay up have money to spare each month. I don't. I couldn't find 250 even if I wanted to.
It was an accident, and that is, imo, why you have insurance.
If my daughter had kicked his parked car or chucked stones at it it would be a different matter.
I also don't think you can make an agreement and then expect someone else to pay.
As it is As parents have paid and as far as I'm concerned it's done with.

It wasn't an accident; it was carelessness that could have turned out much worse. It's a pity you/B weren't consulted when the agreement was reached and that you don't have £250 spare. Sometimes the cards fall like that..

But thank you for your interesting opinions

You're welcome.

 

[Milkfloat]

Just curious, how much money would you pay out before money trumps your morals? £500, £1000, ?

What about if you feel £250 is too much, similar to your feelings that £10,000 is too much. Both instances are down to money not morals.

I honestly don't understand you - I would pay out the cost to fix the problem. If it is cheaper to go through insurance (excess and future premium rises) then I would do that, if it is cheaper to do it outside of insurance then I would do that. If the cost of repair is £250 I have to suck it up, if it is 10K then clearly the insurance route is the way to go.

 

[Milkfloat]

#


What would you do if £250 was a very large amount to you and you didn't have it?

Arrange a repayment plan with A.

 

[Drago]

What would you do if £250 was a very large amount to you and you didn't have it?

Be more careful.

 

[midlife]

I honestly don't understand you - I would pay out the cost to fix the problem. If it is cheaper to go through insurance (excess and future premium rises) then I would do that, if it is cheaper to do it outside of insurance then I would do that. If the cost of repair is £250 I have to suck it up, if it is 10K then clearly the insurance route is the way to go.

I was just curious as you said your morals would kick in and you would pay the bill whatever. I just wondered at what monetary level your morals would give way to money.

£250 buys you a lot of dents fixed at autoworkers in Carlisle at mates rates.

 

[Milkfloat]

I was just curious as you said your morals would kick in and you would pay the bill whatever. I just wondered at what monetary level your morals would give way to money.

£250 buys you a lot of dents fixed at autoworkers in Carlisle at mates rates.

Paying an insurance bill or a cash bill is immaterial - it is still a bill that needs paying.

We have not seen a photo of the damage maybe £250 is at mates rates.

 

[midlife]

Paying an insurance bill or a cash bill is immaterial - it is still a bill that needs paying.

We have not seen a photo of the damage maybe £250 is at mates rates.

I agree, the repair needed paying for. I just wondered how much you would pay for a repair that was foisted on you out of the blue before you started questioning your moral duty to pay it.

 

[classic33]

If people are going to sort things out like this, can we just get rid of insurance. Sounds so much cheaper, especially if you play the blame game.

The driver, under their insurance, is liable, like it or not, for those in the car.

 

[toffee]

I also assume that A and C have informed their insurance companies about the incident as they should do, even though they have sorted it out between themselves.

 

[classic33]

I also assume that A and C have informed their insurance companies about the incident as they should do, even though they have sorted it out between themselves.

Couldn't that push their premium up?

 

[Ozzie770]

Would be interested to know what the mother of B would think if it was her daughter in A's position? Would she have gone down the insurance route and then found the extra money for future higher car insurance, or settled away from insurance and hope to get some money off B

 

[Ozzie770]

Couldn't that push their premium up?

yes it would... but you do not legally have to make claims for damage through the insurance companies

 

[bozmandb9]

What this thread says to me is: there are a large number of people on this forum I would refuse to do any business with if this is the morals you have.

I totally agree, very disappointing lack of morals and judgement, preferring to quibble over details. As I posted initially, as father of a 15 year old child, there is no question whatsoever in my mind that I would take full responsibility, and just feel thankful that there was no more expensive damage or personal injury. Lack of funds is not relevant, and disagreeing with the process is not either. Frankly, A and C should revoke their agreement, claim through insurance, and the insurers can then go after B directly. That would be the most legally correct course of action. Since B is a minor, it would end up as a claim against Sandra, or her household insurance (if applicable).

 

[bozmandb9]

If people are going to sort things out like this, can we just get rid of insurance. Sounds so much cheaper, especially if you play the blame game.

The driver, under their insurance, is liable, like it or not, for those in the car.

I'm pretty certain that you're wrong, can you provide any evidence to back up this assertion?

 

[mjr]

We don't actually have the full story, has B said to A/C that they will pay, did B tell her Mum right away what she had done etc?

I acknowledge that. There is some uncertainty.

A was doing B a favour, B made a mistake and is expecting A to pay for it- sound fair to you? If so, you are a very different person than I thought.

But that's a different story to the one here, where A, B and C all seem to have made mistakes and now are expecting B's family to pay a sum agreed between A and C.

As you well know, often it is impossible not to drive in the door zone, especially on narrow roads - still C's fault?

Partly, yes! You are meant to drive very slowly on such roads (I've lived on a few like that), check the cabs for occupants as you pass and scan the car sides for opening doors (they generally open in two stages, pulling the handle and then pushing it open) and stop if you see one even start to open: "if in doubt, both feet out [onto the brake+clutch]" as my instructor used to say. Do you really think in that situation that it's not their fault at all? If so, that's a sad comment on the fall in motoring standards.

A and C should have arranged with B's Mum before repairs were undertaken, but we don't actually know what B did or did not said to A, C or Mum.

As parent of B I would still be paying up.

The full sum? I'd probably be looking to pay some contribution that reflected that all three made mistakes, plus A+C's additional mistake in agreeing an amount without me.

By the way, what would you be doing if you were somehow responsible for A or C instead?