Smash Repair Lawyers?

Just wondering if anyone has been a not at fault driver then gone to a local smash repairer and had lawyers involved in trying to have the at fault parties insurance company pay for the repairs?

Comments

  • Lawyers are expensive. Go see your local community legal centre and get their advice. I have had an insurance company pay me out, but ignored several correspondence emails until I wrote a letter of demand.

  • +2

    why would you have smash repair lawyers involved when your insurance is there to sort this stuff out (and the insurance company's legal team).

    this is double dipping/ unnecessary.

  • +1

    if anyone has been a not at fault driver then gone to a local smash repairer and had lawyers involved in trying to have the at fault parties insurance company pay

    Why would you bother? Just get you're own insurance company to deal with it.

  • +2

    My advice is to get a sahms repair lawyer that has flexible payment options like this guy.

  • Na I've got full comp but thought I could just go get my car fixed using the other parties claim number. Now the other parties insurance co are disputing the cost of the repair and the lawyer engaged by the repairer are saying they have to go to court to get the cost if repair and are asking me to sign on for legal proceedings. I'm kind of stuck in the middle. I know I should've just claimed on my policy in hindsight.

    • +3

      Why? You weren't at fault, no excess, you wouldn't lose your NCB or anything…

      Call your insurance company tomorrow, tell them you would like to make a not at fault claim. Tell them everything and ask what the next steps are…

    • +2

      Let you insurance company deal with it, that's what you're paying them for

    • +1

      You've comprehensive insurance but didn't inform your insurer that you were involved in a collision?

  • +1

    Hey OP,

    I have gone through that route but did not require lawyers thankfully.

    My car was brand new with comprehensive insurance.

    I was involved in an accident - I was in the moving lane, the lane to the kerb was for parking. A parked car moved from their lane and into my lane, I could not stop, nor did my autonomous emergency braking aids activate.

    My insurer does not allow me to select my own repairer.

    I spoke to a very reputable repair workshop, which has won awards, and specialises in my car type - and he explained the process on how to claim upon the car at fault - by myself.

    So before you know it, my car workshop sent up the repair bill to the person at fault's insurer.

    Their insurer reviewed the quote, after a bit of negotiating I assume, the person at fault's insurer paid up the money and I got my car repaired.

    It helped that my situation, I was clearly not at fault.

    The other driver said "I was speeding" to the police and I told the police "assuming I was speeding which I deny, that driver saw me coming yet he decided to drive from parked and into my moving lane".

    Anyway, it's possible, hopefully your situation is clear cut as mine.

  • I was parked and the driver left a note.

  • I was the same wanting a repairer close by.

  • If you are a busy professional and cannot sit on the phone all day in the insurance claims line, then the smash repair lawyer will take the issue out of your hands and get the most they can from the at-fault insurance party. But remember whilst they say they are acting in your best interests they are in reality acting in the smash repairs best interests.

  • and in the event that the full amount is not recovered from the insurer, guess who the repairer will be coming after for the difference.

  • Hi there,

    The reason some smash repairers use a law firm to recover the costs from the at fault party is because by doing this it ensure that your cars gets repaired properly.

    In a world where insurance companies are trying to minimise their costs of repairs there "preferred repairers" usually have a budget they need to maintain whilst repairing your vehicle. Therefore not enabling them to use genuine parts or expensive repair methods.

    Don't worry though or think to much into it. repairers using a recovery agent to recover your car repairs are common and they usually do a hell lot of better jobs then the insurance preferred one imo.

    Regards,

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