The Lemon Fool

I'd appreciate some advice on how to go about an insurance claim for the following circumstances.

I backed my car into someone's opened door in a parking space, and bent the bottom corner of their door out of shape. 100% my fault.
Surprisingly, it will need a new car door (I confirmed this with a bodyshop expert when I showed him the picture of the damage) which will cost around £3,000 from Audi.

My question is about ensuring I don't inadvertently invalidate my own insurance. The accident happened on the day before I changed the insurance policy to cover a new car I bought the next day. It's been 8 days since the accident happened (I'd been hoping it could be settled by knocking out the dent). My car had a personalised number plate that we've now got a retention certificate to be able to put the plate on our new car.

Because of the above factors, my insurance claim might be more complicated than normal. The bodyshop guy said I should just give the other driver my insurer's details, and then the other driver would deal directly with my insurance company. Does that sound right, or do I also need to contact my insurance company? (I'd assumed I'd need to do this anyway if a claim was being made)

I can't comment on much of this, but I would definitely inform my insurers. It is a policy condition, and I suspect it wouldn't go down too well with them if they heard it first from the third party.

Edited to add: Do you mean you changed insurers or simply changed vehicle with your existing insurer. Clarification might aid others to answer fully

Just to clarify, I've kept the same insurers, but changed the insurance to our new car the day after the accident. (Insurers are Saga)

Yes, you would need to notify your own insurers.

Apart from anything else, if you don't advise the extent of the damage, the claimant could exaggerate it.

V8

zico wrote:Surprisingly, it will need a new car door (I confirmed this with a bodyshop expert when I showed him the picture of the damage) which will cost around £3,000 from Audi.

Good grief, that is more than I have ever paid for a car!

I do not tell my insurer about minor bumps and scratches, as long as no other person or vehicle is involved. But I would tell them about this for sure.

Hopefully your insurers won't be funny about the delay in telling them. In your policy there will be a note on the time limit for informing them of an accident.

redsturgeon wrote:In your policy there will be a note on the time limit for informing them of an accident.

Really? There isn’t in mine and I don’t recall ever seeing one aside from the generic ‘as soon as possible’.