Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Commuting, Day rides, Audax, Incidents, etc.
rmurphy195
Posts: 2199
Joined: 20 May 2011, 11:23am
Location: South Birmingham

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by rmurphy195 »

Whenever I've been involved in a accident (and over the years I've been involved in no less than 8 of them resulting in a claim from me against the other party, being the "victim" of someone else's accident in each case) I've made sure I have the number plate of the other car involved. If the driver does not give me his/her details I always say something like "Look, I've got your number, either you can give me your details or I'll let the police sort it out". This does the trick _ I even do it if there's obviously no damage, just in case. I'm happy to let him/her sweat until they realise I'm not going to take any action.

The camera on my mobile phone helps too, 'cos I can take piccies of the car, it's driver, and any damage on the spot. Oh, and don't write the details down yourself, get the other person to do it and hand it to you, that way it cannot be claimed that you made a mistake.

But I've never asked for insurance details, nor have I given them. Your claim is against the driver, and it is his/her details you give to your insurance company. He/she then passes any letters from you or your insurer to his/her insurer.

Quite often these days you don't actually get a paper certificate from the insurer of your car, you get an online confirmation where you can download and print them. I don't bother with a printout unlessI'm traveling abroad, if I need the policy number it's with my documents at home, and if there is a legal requirement to disclose then this will happen later.

So what I'm saying is - don't worry about not seeing insurance details, if need be the DVLA can link the car reg and the insurance (at least as far as knowing the car is insured) - this is how car taxing now works.

If the car driver is not insured that's his/her hard luck, it comes out of thier own pocket instead of an insurance companies pocket. And you can have him/her done for driving while not insured. And if you are insured and your insurer pays you, then the insurer will claim off the offending driver. Which is a good reason to carry your own insurance!
Brompton, Condor Heritage, creaky joints and thinning white (formerly grey) hair
""You know you're getting old when it's easier to ride a bike than to get on and off it" - quote from observant jogger !
puffin
Posts: 559
Joined: 15 Aug 2010, 3:29pm
Location: Bicester / Aylesbury

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by puffin »

This might sound too good to be true... but if you have his car index number (registration) I reckon your problems might be over.....

Go to this link (its a link from the DVLA site to the Motor Insurance Bureau site) and you can get all that you need

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
Tonyf33
Posts: 3926
Joined: 17 Nov 2007, 3:31pm
Location: Letchworth N.Herts

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Tonyf33 »

puffin wrote:This might sound too good to be true... but if you have his car index number (registration) I reckon your problems might be over.....

Go to this link (its a link from the DVLA site to the Motor Insurance Bureau site) and you can get all that you need

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

All well and good until it turns out to be a cloned number plate which are on the rise and will be even more difficult to spot once we no longer have VED discs come the end of this month..
Ayesha
Posts: 4192
Joined: 30 Jan 2010, 9:54am

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Ayesha »

Give it a year or so, and then send the boys round.
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Cunobelin
Posts: 10801
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 7:22pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Cunobelin »

Nimitta wrote:
Cunobelin wrote:Does the business card have the company details?
Approach his managers


He is one of the company's directors. :(



What type of company?

Write a polite letter copied to ALL the directors explaining the facts and asking if this is the standard of honesty, and integrity that the Company endorses, especially if it is a market where these are key to its operation
karlt
Posts: 2244
Joined: 15 Jul 2011, 2:07pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by karlt »

Send him a letter detailing your claim and requesting either his proposals for paying compensation or his insurance details. Give him 28 days to respond in a satisfactory manner. If he doesn't, go to the small claims court. It's not his insurers you're claiming against, it's him, and if he doesn't want to involve them he'll have to pay up himself.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Psamathe »

karlt wrote:Send him a letter detailing your claim and requesting either his proposals for paying compensation or his insurance details. Give him 28 days to respond in a satisfactory manner. ...

A few years ago I had to take legal action against somebody (not vehicle nor accident related). My solicitor always gave the other party 7 days to respond. Initially I said I felt this a bit short but he said it was fine. So my comment, 28 days is a long time to give somebody to respond. Long enough for them to put it to one side and forget about it.

I'd say send correspondence signed for delivery and then give a shorter time from receipt of letter; basically short enough that they have to get on and do it rather than leave and forget.

I never used them but you used to be able to have a chat/appointment with a solicitor through the Citizens Advice Bureau. You have to call for an appointment and I suspect they are busy and have constraints. And the solicitor will not act for you (for free), just give advice. That is if they still offer the service.

Ian
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by thirdcrank »

I'd say never threaten anything you don't intend to go through with. The only realistic and lawful threat you have here is to proceed with a claim, going to court if necessary. Don't huff and puff because it's unlikely to frighten anybody who is being evasive. Either walk away and move on, or get on with it.

There's info here on the govt www

https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/overview

Note that item 4 says allow 14 days for a response to your claim.

There's also this from Citizens Advice:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/law ... claims.htm
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db8000
Posts: 22
Joined: 9 Sep 2013, 7:20pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by db8000 »

Tonyf33 wrote:
puffin wrote:This might sound too good to be true... but if you have his car index number (registration) I reckon your problems might be over.....

Go to this link (its a link from the DVLA site to the Motor Insurance Bureau site) and you can get all that you need

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

All well and good until it turns out to be a cloned number plate which are on the rise and will be even more difficult to spot once we no longer have VED discs come the end of this month..


If they have a cloned number plate, they probably haven't bothered with insurance!

Out of interest, from earlier in the thread it was stated that the following is an either/or: if there is a personal injury at an accident to another person, then the driver must either notify the police or produce his insurance certificate to a person with reasonable interest. The production of the insurance certificate is only necessary if it is actually requested by the other party. This does mean that if the driver stops at the scene and is there for a reasonable period then if he/she is not asked to produce his/her insurance certificate then it is not an offence not to report it to the police subsequently.

As a driver, I personally would always report an accident other than the very minor (and event then, perhaps) to prevent the situation where the other party makes up an injury subsequently leaving one potentially being questioned about a possible offence of non-reporting.
Penfolds11
Posts: 127
Joined: 9 Jan 2013, 12:08pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Penfolds11 »

Presuming the OP is a CTC member, then surely a call to the Accident Claims Line on 0844 736 8452 is the first port of call.

"The CTC Legal Advice Scheme is totally free to CTC members. If you are not a CTC member, CTC may still be able to help you in certain circumstances. Call our Accident Claims Line on 0844 736 8452 for advice if you have been involved in an incident while riding your bike."
https://www.ctc.org.uk/insurance

They will presumably advise on what steps can and should be taken next.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Psamathe »

I'd also include in any correspondence to the driver something along the lines of: Should it become necessary for me to involve solicitors to resolve this issue, then I will be looking to recover my legal expenses in addition to other damage and compensation payments.

People know how expensive solicitors are so indicating that you will use them and then the bill increases might prompt the driver to move to sorting things out.

Ian
The Mechanic
Posts: 1922
Joined: 23 Jul 2010, 1:38pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by The Mechanic »

gaz wrote:As he is the Director of a Limited Company his home address is a matter of public record.

Go to Companies House website and sign up to WebCHeck. You'll need to ask for a "current appointments report" which is free.



Not quite so. It is common for Directors to give the Company address on their registration. I am a Director if 5 companies and most of my co-Directors use the Company address.
Cancer changes your outlook on life. Change yours before it changes you.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Psamathe »

The Mechanic wrote:
gaz wrote:As he is the Director of a Limited Company his home address is a matter of public record.

Go to Companies House website and sign up to WebCHeck. You'll need to ask for a "current appointments report" which is free.



Not quite so. It is common for Directors to give the Company address on their registration. I am a Director if 5 companies and most of my co-Directors use the Company address.

Me too. Not a good idea to make your home address publicly available on the internet. Particularly when there are so many sites that publish the info (in addition to Companies House) e.g. http://companycheck.co.uk (again, all immediately available online to everybody).

Ian
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by thirdcrank »

I'm not clear what point is being made here. :? All that's needed is a postal address. If somebody gives an address where they don't actually live, that doesn't vitiate posting stuff to them there. Tactics which might reasonably be used to guard against the attentions of nutters can't be used to avoid lawful mail.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Knocked off bicycle. Driver won't give insurance details

Post by Psamathe »

thirdcrank wrote:I'm not clear what point is being made here. :? All that's needed is a postal address. If somebody gives an address where they don't actually live, that doesn't vitiate posting stuff to them there. Tactics which might reasonably be used to guard against the attentions of nutters can't be used to avoid lawful mail.

The driver gave the victim their business card - so they already have full details of the company (address, etc.). So they already have a decent address to send correspondence to. I thought the suggestion about Director Registrations was originally about finding the driver's home address - but as pointed out, often directory do not publish their home addresses but use the companies or company registered address (which would probably/often be the same as the address on the business card).

Ian
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