Hit and drive off help!

[Joffey]

Hi

On Thursday whilst we were at work someone has backed into out car on the drive and dented it quite badly. From the looks of it it was a white vehicle of some description. We have reported it to the police but as there is no CCTV in our road they won't / can't do anything.

Our neighbours were moving in on the same day. Now I don't know what van they were using but it seems a but of a coincidence that it was hit then. Our street is quiet and no need to visit unless you are delivering something or live here.

I'm not sure if I should phone the lettings company and see if they will tell me which van company they used etc to try and get to the bottom of it but I suppose they aren't really obliged to tell me anything, plus the van company won't be forthcoming I imagine.

Any ideas what I can do here, if anything?

Thanks

 

[TreeHuggery]

Sorry to hear that - and how rubbish. You'd think the one place that your car will be safe is on the drive.....
This will need a bit of research before you approach them - unless anyone on here can help out - but as far as I can remember there is a pot of money that insurance companies have, for "hit an run" incidents - that they like to keep quite about ..so you need to know what to ask for before you approach them.
Good luck

 

[Drago]

You're sunk I'm afraid. Without evidence to be got nothing to base a claim upon.

Try the MIB, who exist to cover losses caused by uninsured drivers or drivers who could not be identified. Reports vary wildly as to their effectiveness, but nothing ventured.

 

[jnrmczip]

I would approach the person who moved in explain to them you don't hold them accountable for it but would like to peruse the van company. If they want to start on good terms they should help. Having said this maybe it was them maybe enquire about how they moved their stuff first weather it was hire company or self hire. Good luck

 

[Billy Wizz]

Only yesterday the bin wagon caught my mates motor, creased the door and scuffed the paint, an expensive mess they left a note.
:Local council sorry:
He seems to think everything will be ok after talking to the insurance company.
Hope everything turns out for you.

 

[PeteXXX]

Good luck, but in my recent experience of similar accidents, give up now!! Don't bother. Even with witnesses, CCTV, Reg Number of vehicle, both Mrs Pete's car and mine have both been damaged by careless drivers. Mrs. was at Tesco, mine was outside my house. We had parts of the other drivers' vehicles as proof it was them as well.
I know the police have lots of more important things to do, but it's annoying when criminal damage is so low a priority.
If you have the audacity to inform your ins co, they will put your premiums up for daring to be 'high risk'

 

[classic33]

Vehicle owner has a legal obligation to name the driver at the time of the incident.
I'd be tempted to ask the new neighbours if they might have seen anything.

 

[PeteXXX]

Vehicle owner has a legal obligation to name the driver at the time of the incident.
I'd be tempted to ask the new neighbours if they might have seen anything.

Even furnished with these details, sadly pursuing anything is likely to be a waste of time. The police won't bother. The ins.co.will write to them, they will deny it, the ins co will reply to you that you need more proof. End of their collective interest.

 

[PeteXXX]

Report it to your insurers. They deal with the 'drive off' bit on your behalf. Depending on who you're with, your no claims may be unaffected.

Your no claims, if protected, will be unaffected. They will, however be likely to put your premiums up, even if you just phone them to enquire wht to do and not put a claim for damage in.

 

[ScotiaLass]

Good luck, but in my recent experience of similar accidents, give up now!! Don't bother. Even with witnesses, CCTV, Reg Number of vehicle, both Mrs Pete's car and mine have both been damaged by careless drivers. Mrs. was at Tesco, mine was outside my house. We had parts of the other drivers' vehicles as proof it was them as well.
I know the police have lots of more important things to do, but it's annoying when criminal damage is so low a priority.
If you have the audacity to inform your ins co, they will put your premiums up for daring to be 'high risk'

I had the opposite experience.
Our very large vehicle (camper van size!) was struck by another car, pulling in front of it (at speed) to park.
This happened at our front door, on the road.

The driver took off part of our bumper and left a lot of his paint behind....some of which we collected and gave to the Police.
They were very helpful.
We had a suspicion who it was and we tracked his car which he had tried to hide in the bottom of a supermarket carpark. The damage on his vehicle matched the damage done to ours and we took a video and photos and gave those to the Police too.

They took a statement from a witness who lives nearby, and was walking past. The chap kindly knocked on our door to tell us he had seen it, and left his details.
The driver got done for hit and run type charges (don't know what it was called exactly).

 

[PeteXXX]

Well done.. You had good luck then, I didn't!

 

[Dave7]

Your no claims, if protected, will be unaffected. They will, however be likely to put your premiums up, even if you just phone them to enquire wht to do and not put a claim for damage in.

Sadly true........my wife's car was involved in a "hit and run" in a hospital car park.
Contacted police........"sorry-private ground so can't help you"
Contacted Insurance for advice.......then decided not to pursue it...........only to find the premium went up as "we had been involved in an accident"