Many years ago I had an incident where a car turned across the front of me, no way of avoiding it. Plenty of witnesses and the driver agreed to pay. So I went along with it but no money. Chased up for several weeks but no still no money. Then the local free paper dropped on the doorstep, reading through it I immediately spotted the persons name in one of the headlines. They had been jailed the day before for several offences.

I presume that they had no insurance and clearly had no intention of paying. Just strung me along to avoid another charge in court.

By this time it was probably 2 months after the initial incident and my insurers did not want to know.

Would I do the same good turn again, no way. Get all the other parties details and get a claim put in. Let the insurers sort it. That is what you pay them for.

In about 1983 I was hit at a junction from behind. Minimal damage. Chap was local and keen to sort without insurance. I got a price to fix it from a local garage, think it was about £70 for a new bumper and a bit of metal bashing and paint. Phoned him and the following day he dropped the cash off.

Move onto about 1998. Wife had just received a call saying her mother was in hospital with a suspected heart attack. At some temporary lights the van in front decided to reverse back since he had overshot the sign, He apologised saying he was "sorry luv, on the f***ing phone" he had never looked if anyone was behind. Car needed new bumper, paint and number plate. His employers were keen to settle without insurance (no damage to van) but it took 6 months of phone calls, letters etc.

Would I do it again, no way.