Insurance claim - hit by foreign lorry driver

[Flash2008]

Morning,

 

I have been having some troubles with my car insurance company (Hastings Direct) since having an accident last week and was looking for some advice.

 

Travelling back from Heathrow Airport I was hit by a German lorry driver as we were coming off to a service station. The lorry driver accepted it was his fault and we exchanged details. The damage to the car means it will probably be a write off due the age and value of my car.

 

We managed to get to the safety of the service station where I began ringing my insurance company and I filed a 101 report with the local police force. 

 

From this stage my insurance company were absolutely shocking. It is the first time I have had to seek help from them and they were terrible. I went through the formalities of answering questions regarding the crash and was told that the repairs and courtesy car will be outsourced to Enterprise, so I should wait for a phone call. Hours passed and still no phone call from Enterprise. 

 

Long story short both Hastings and Enterprise shunned responsibility for getting me home safe. Me and my partner were left stranded for 8 hours at a service station without any help of getting home. My dad had to drive 200 miles there and back to come and get us because the service was so bad and we were not offered a courtesy car or any help with our onward travel. Had my dad been unable to get us, we would have been completely stranded. I must have rang them about 7-8 times to ask what was going on and they would not give me an answer and just left us wondering what was going on. I believe they completely neglected us after a serious crash and was looking for advice on whether I could lodge a formal complaint? Surely they have some sort of duty of care which they have completely neglected?

 

Also, Enterprise immediately gave up trying to find this German lorry company. They rang me once to tell me this however the line cut off straight away. I rang back the next day as I still hadn't heard from them and they told me I hung up on them so they didn't bother ringing back! That cannot be protocol... Anyway within 5 minutes of ringing the German company myself I managed to speak to the manager who accepted all responsibility and was going to put me in touch with his insurance company. Unfortunately the company would not speak to us because of data protection.

 

It's looking like I will have to pay the excess (£350) plus lose my no claims if I want my car repaired. So instead I think I will just scrap the car and keep my no claims which will be cheaper in the long run.

 

I just can't believe how bad the service was. To be left without any way of getting home (from Oxford to Newcastle!) and to have no support after an accident that was completely not my fault - I'm completely furious.

[BankFodder]

As soon as you say that you are with Hastings insurance company, none of this really comes as a surprise.

Have you been recording your calls? Have you read our customer services guide?

Have you checked your insurance policy to see that the things that they haven't done were in fact covered by the contract?

Somebody more experience than me will be along to give you better advice, but why do you think that if the car is scrapped you will keep your no claims bonus? How much do you think the car was worth?

What is the name of the German company whose lorry hit you? Also, be careful about signing anything with enterprise. We are hearing about Hastings getting people to sign up with other companies and it turns out to be credit agreements for the hire of "courtesy cars". Normally it is with Auxillis.

[unclebulgaria67]

The following link may be useful

 

https://www.mib.org.uk/making-a-claim/accidents-in-the-uk-involving-a-foreign-registered-vehicle/