No fault accident and telling insurance

[Tim Falce]

My daughter had an accident this morning, someone rear ended her car. Her car doesn't appear damaged but the car that hit her is fairly bad on the surface of it, bonnet and headlamp damage but it's an old Corsa and they seem to bend quite easily. Her car which is a Clio3 only appears to have a scratched rear bumper although I'm not sure there wont be damage underneath. The trouble is she lives 250 miles from me so I can't check it out.
She's worried about informing her insurance as although It's clearly not her fault she will no doubt be shafted at renewal as she doesn't have a protected bonus. So is it advisable to put it through insurance so they can check for any damage or leave it if the other party isn't going to claim off his. Will her insurance be affected at renewal as although it's no blame it could well be a claim?

[fourWheelDrift]

Personally I tell them everything, I'd rather they hiked my premiums than refused to pay out later because I'd withheld a material fact.

Having said that when I had an accident a few years ago the other driver's insurance company admitted liability the very same day. I rang my insurer and they said thanks for letting them know but as the other insurer was admitting liability it wouldn't even go on my record.

[Hubble]

When I had another car hit me a few years back my premium went up at renewal, so I called my insurer to ask why.

"You had an accident" was their response

"No I didn't", I replied, "someone else did, and chose to involve me in it..."

Received a new renewal quote days later with my NCD reinstated as it should have been...

If it wasn't her fault she should have nothing to fear

[GORDON STREETER]

Tim it all depends on what insurance company she is with.
Some of the cheapest one's are appalling when it comes to a claim as I have found in my line of work.
What I will say is although she may not think that there isn't much damage I have had cars in for servicing that the back panel is so bent in that I have had to let the spare wheel pressure down to get it out and yet the customer hadn't a clue about it as some of these deformable bumper covers with impact pads pop back into shape.
Funny thing is I had a KA in for a service and MOT yesterday and when I couldn't get the bonnet up I looked at it from underneath and found that it had been in a front ender with the front panel and rad touching the engine and the headlamps showing a beam about 3 feet in front of the car !
The front bumper was in the correct place and from a distance the car looked OK until you looked at the panel gaps, the young girl that it belongs to denied all knowledge of any car "accident" in front of her parents but of course someone could have hit it while parked !

[Tim Falce]

Gordon, it's with Churchill who are pretty good. She's sent me some pics and it all looks ok underneath and the tailgate opens and shuts ok plus she said the tool kit which is in a dished recess in the boot comes out ok so I don't think it's done any damage but without looking who knows?

[Tim 27]

Four years ago a van reversed into me towbar first, leaving the van undamaged but my car needing a wing and other trivial parts. The driver instantly admitted liability, but said it had to go through his insurance as he couldn't personally pay. Four years later, my no claims remain intact but each renewal lists this accident as being on their records.
My advice would be to get someone who knows what they are doing to inspect the Clio, as Gordon points out, modern car bumpers pop out leaving nothing wrong to the untrained eye, but untold damage behind.
Of course it would also depend on how quickly the offending vehicle was travelling to assess how much damage may of occured, but only your daughter will know that.
If all is well don't bother informing insurance, because somewhere down the line they will find todays incident a way to bump up your daughters premiums.
Hope she is ok and not too shaken up Tim.

[JasperClan]

Best to report to Insurance Company particularly even if other driver admits liability. Covers you then for the mysterious injury that suddenly appears at a later date. With liability admitted it will be recorded as an accident but no fault.

Worth mentioning that MoreThan record windscreen claims, even repairs, on your accident record an in my experience use as an excuse to increase premium.

Pete Richards