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I have identified someone who hit my parked car and drove off - what should I do next?

My parked car was reversed into while in a private car park. The other party did not stop and drove off. I have the details of the other party's car from CCTV, as well as clear proof that the accident was their fault. I have reported the incident to the police and also obtained the details of their insurance from AskMID.

I have today made a claim directly with their insurer, sending evidence of the incident. Is there anything else that I need to do, for example, tell my insurers? I would also like to choose the garage that does the repairs - is this acceptable?

Asked on 7 January 2020 by phs3272

Answered by Honest John
You have the right to chose whomever you wish to repair your car - "your car, your choice" and do not let anyone tell you differently. You only need to notify your insurer when they hold a liability i.e, under the Road Traffic Act 1988 when a third party seeks to rise to a claim, though you will need to notify them that you have been involved in an incident when requoting at renewal.

I would suggest not dealing directly with the at-fault insurer, it is the worse way to claim. Use a claims/accident management company. Should anything go wrong dealing directly with the at-fault insurer, you have no rights of recourse via the Financial Ombudsman Service.

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