If you've been vaccinated, then there should be full GPS positioning on your whereabouts since the second jab, including audio. Not sure how you retrieve it though.
PS: Good luck, I hope you sort it! Nightmare!
I wouldn't ignore the insurance company, as they will be forced to accept liability if you do not engage. I'd simply write or email them stating that you were not in Glasgow on the given date and nor was your vehicle.
As others have said, 10 months to make a claim is sketchy. Assuming it is a fraudulent claim I wonder how the claimant worked out who your car, or at least it's registration number, was insured with.
Odd.
They will have given it to their insurers who would then liaise with the op’s insurers.
I’d definitely be on to customer services and potentially the ombudsman with the concerns that this is a fraudulent claim and ask how they or you could raise this with police Scotland, as if they move this from civil to criminal it’ll favour you more!
I wouldn't get too upset - honestly, it happens all the time.
Well, occasionally. And for every 10 times it happens, less than one out of ten is suspicious suchg as cloned plates - its usually misidentification. -
I did get a rash claims involving cloned plates a couple of years ago, and was lucky that I had 2 claims, one for a collisons on the on a Chichester bypass during lockdown, where the insured lived in Paisley and handn't left Scotland in several years, and one on the A13, that was captured by Traffic Cameras, the vehicle hitting several others whilst fleeing from Police. Both easily disproven, as the insureds were simply asked by me to go outside whilst on the phone, ask them to take photos of their undamaged vehicles, and send them in by email while I had them on the phone.
Burden of proof is on the claimant, not the defendant. An undamaged vehicle is good proof!
If a third party has a photo of the offending vehicle, you can usually tell a cloned vehicle by details - dealer stickers in windows, alloys fitted, (and omn one I had, the number of doors!- being both otherwise white Renaults) that sort of thing. In my exciting A13 collision, our insureds vehicle was actually in a garage having tyres fitted and couldnt have physically been in the area at the time of the collision, without use of a time machine.
Usually, some idiots just written down the number wrong. - especially if its a year after the accident. I bet the claim against you has come from a solicitor making an injury claim, not from another insurer, who would have been chasing you from the off.
All you need to do is take the other vehicle reg, run it through the MID, find out where it was insured at the time, and ring the third party insurer. Ask them to confirm the details you hold, (they wont give you much info - GDPR rules ect) and you'll find the discrepancy straight away. They'll tell you theyve been dealing with Mr X drtiving vehicle y, insured with Insurer X for a year. Then ring the solicitors chasing you, who were instructed a year late, and tell them have got all the details wrong. Make sure you're rude and belittle them for their lack of intelligence, professionalism, and hint that any genuine solicitor would ahve been mroe timely and accurate.
Given the type of solicitors who typically make a claim a year late, they've "bought" the claim, from some Accident Management Company, who have scavenged some "data" from somewhere off the net, from a repairer, recovery company, Police, from a hack/leak or dodgy insurance employee - to learn belatedly of a collision.
The solicitors probably from Bolton, Blackburn or some hole in the ground in Lancashire/Manchester suburbs.
I'd say this is someone trying it on. Of all the things you're likely to remember in a crash, the colour of the car is the one that stands out for me.
Similar thing happened to me a few years ago. On renewal, insurance company said there was someone making a claim. They said I'd moved lanes causing them to swerve and crash, on a road I rarely use (A1M). While it was physically possible, as it's not far from me, I knew I wasn't there. So I firmly denied any involvement.
Never heard about it again.
As mentioned earlier, check your Google location history, if you have a Google account - use the "snap to road" feature to get rid of any straight lines
Years back got a letter from the police saying our car had been reported as being in an accident in a pub car park many miles away from here.
Expected one hell of a time convincing the police it wasnt our car but a quick call and all cleared up.
"Happens all the time", plate cloning/ incorrect number plate given etc etc being the usual reasons I was told.
Good luck op, I reckon it'll be sorted out fine after a bit of chasing.
Bloke from my insurance was really bloody rude and basically insinuated I need to prove that I wasnt there not the other way round.
Surely the insurance company who insures your car works for you and the other party has to prove it was you? You pay them for a service, deny it was you and get the other insurer to prove it was unfact you.
I had a similar incident many years ago.. Erm, 35 years ago actually. The Police got involved they took a look around my car and could tell instantly that it hadn't been involved in an accident. Case closed. Apparently collisions leave damage to both cars that even the best repairs cannot totally mask.
Just checked my Google timeline, it's scary what data it keeps about your movements, but would be invaluable if this cropped up.
Not sure what to think about it now!
Another vote for google maps timeline !
Sometimes it's just incompetence. I was on the other end of a misdirected claim. My son was 17, passed his test a month previously and hadn't really understood that you need to look where you're going, resulting in a minor low speed bump, no injuries just bent wings and bonnets. He did all the right things, stopped, exchanged his details, and mine as the owner and policy holder. We heard nothing for three months, then I had a phone call from the other party's insurer asking when I was going to reply to their letters. What letters, I said, and he replied, never mind, now we've found you can we sort out the claim? It turned out they hadn't bothered to use the address given to them, but had found somebody with the same name as me, on the other side of town, and had been hassling him for 3 months, despite his denials that his son couldn't have been in an accident as he didn't have a son.
Is there anyone you worked with that day who can corroborate your story?
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/been-accused-of-a-car-crash-in-feb-this-year/page/2/#post-12162343
He doesn't need to.
If his car isn't damaged, it can't have happened. You can't ever repair a car so well that it will stand up to a forensic examination. Paint thicknesses, colours, plastic degredation under uv, part numbers, all manner of give aways. He doesnt need to prove he wasnt in the collisoin, the other side have to prove he did. His vehicle tells the story.
This is a mistaken id, from a lazy and probably dishonest ambulance chaser/solicitor who have had to "scam" some details of a "potential" accident, as they won't dare go near the claimants actual insurers, who hold the correct details.
The correct insurers would have referred the genuine claimant to a legitimate firm of solicitors if they'd reported injuries at the time. I can actually hazzard a guess which of a dozen firms of legal clowns are bothering the poster.
Who is offering to pay for a forensic examination of the car... The claim is a bump, not a hit and run fatality. Dated car parts that the OP had already photographed are good evidence (although not conclusive if you'd got them from a similar aged car.
How does that scam work? if I call you up claiming to be your insurer with details of an accident your weren’t involved in – most people will argue the toss, but even if they say – well we might have had a minor bump I didn’t notice (a car park bump much more likely that a junction) – so go ahead and settle it – how does a “not actually your insurer” get money from anyone?
We had one... Cold called months after a real non fault minor bump to inform us the other party had made a successful injury claim and that my wife must have had similar injuries and could claim. Had all the details when questioned so they must have bought the data either legit or dodgy. My wife is as honest as they come but even she found herself considering it briefly...it's a powerful thing to hear someone else has fraudulently benefited (we are sure they didn't claim as our renewal was prolonged until it was confirmed the claim was settled by the other insurer as non fault non injury)
Bloke from my insurance was really bloody rude
I had this - phone back, speak to someone else, you might even get someone helpful. Then put in a complaint about the other ****.
A bit like when I got a bus lane camera fine from Tottenham whilst the car was in Sheffield a few years back maybe. Wrote a letter back saying nope not us have another look at the photo. Never heard another thing.
If you tell them you weren’t there surely they then have to review the “evidence” that you were. This is their job and not your problem. I’d put it in writing though I think.
Thanks for all the replies so far.
Just to update... Ive been onto my insurance this morning after sending in lots of photos of my car to show the condition and also show its never been crashed.
I also catagorically denied being in any sort of accident and suggested the claim may be fraudulent.
The claimants people have laready phoned or emailed my insurance this morning trying to rush me into admitting liability.
My insurance have told them I dont accept liability and that they need to show evidence of my car being in the crash and witness statements etc.
Fingers crossed.
A mad old world.
Got luck op, hopefully the obvious fact you weren't even anywhere near where the crash happened will dawn on someone at some point.
My insurance have told them I dont accept liability and that they need to show evidence of my car being in the crash and witness statements etc.
That's key really, good to hear they now seem to be acting on your behalf. Going to assume you dont have a Glasgow accent either, which could even end up helping
There's legal precedence here.
Seriously though, why is your insurer even entertaining this as a claim when they've provided no evidence whatsoever aside from a car description from ten months ago that they could readily obtain from the Internet? A couple of weeks would be pushing things and some insurers ask for within 24 hours (which I think is a legal requirement if there's an injury?).
Tell them to prove it or sod off, it shouldn't be hard as I think Poly said for your insurer to request basic details like "was it a man or a woman driving?" or "what colour was the car?" in order to corroborate the story. Not that they'll likely care but as a victim of fraud I might be tempted to get the police involved.
Also, I'd be interested to know who your insurer is so that I never use them myself.
Well this is just getting weirder by the minute !!!
Just had an email from my insurer saying there has been a change to my policy and to log in to see the changes.
On logging in there is a letter saying due to the recent changes to my policy there is an increase of premium of £86. On looking at my policy they have already added this incident as an at fault claim !!!
How can they do that ????
Dodgy as a nine Bob note. Name and shame please. Got to be 9ne for the insurance ombudsman
Hastings direct
Yes complaint to Hastings Direct then if that fails (you have to try complaint first) Financial Services Ombudsman.
On looking at my policy they have already added this incident as an at fault claim !!!
The same happened to to revs1972, see about the 12th post on page 1. They refunded it when the found out it was their mistake.
They're just following their process, try not to let it stress you. Send them an email back repeating that you deny any involvement in the crash as you weren't there, and that you expect a refund of the extra premium once they have confirm that it's a case of mistaken identity.
On logging in there is a letter saying due to the recent changes to my policy there is an increase of premium of £86. On looking at my policy they have already added this incident as an at fault claim !!!How can they do that ????
Because they're an insurance company and even the slightest hint of a claim of any description is enough for "the system" to raise all sorts of reasons to charge you more money.
Get back to Hastings again stating that you're the victim of an insurance scam, were not involved in any alleged incident, nothing has changed on your policy and start the ball rolling on their internal complaints procedure.
On logging in there is a letter saying due to the recent changes to my policy there is an increase of premium of £86. On looking at my policy they have already added this incident as an at fault claim !!!
How can they do that ????
Many years ago (20?) we had Churchill put a claim against us - Sat in stationary traffic, a driver in the bus & tram lane next to us decided to reverse out before the camera saw him, and reversed into our car. The other driver gave correct details, including insurer and home address. Churchill tried to put it as our claim(!) then knock for knock as they couldn't 'get hold of the driver or insurer' - yet the driver (who lived down the road from us) had letters from both Churchill and his insurer.
We ended up issuing a notice to go to court to Churchill - who wrote back immediately and offered full refund of our years premium, refund of all costs, and £100 M&S voucher if we didn't take them to ombudsman and court...
Get things in writing from now on - line the evidence up - you may need to take this all the way.
Hastings direct
Colour me ****ing shocked.
They have form for this sort of nonsense, there's a reason they are cheap.
The claimants people have already phoned or emailed my insurance this morning trying to rush me into admitting liability.
10 months for a claim to come through and now desperate for you to admit liability, surely this is ringing 'fraudulent claims for beginners' alarms at your insurer!
It's a no claims bonus, not an I was innocent bonus. It's a claim that counts against you until they've closed it.
Insurance has worked this way since at least 1987 when I was a lowly claims administrator.
10 months for a claim to come through and now desperate for you to admit liability, surely this is ringing ‘fraudulent claims for beginners’ alarms at your insurer!
I once received a claim for a seriously injured pedestrian that our policyholder had not reported. A bit of digging turned up a record of a direct Autoglass invoice for a replacement windscreen that had been done for the same date.
Guess what had broken the windscreen? 🙄
Assume nothing was always a good starting point.....
Who is your insurance co? Name and shame the idiots.
Should have been shut down on the first call, obv scam from a mile off. Why do you have to waste time. Sure rich time poor folk have someone on hand to fire off counter claim at £x / hr for wasting their time when this kind of thing happens.
I phoned up HASTINGS DIRECT Customer service to find out what was going on. The lady sounded as shocked as me and promised to look into it and phone me back within the hour. That was at half two....... Still waiting.
But did the operative ask you ‘if there was anything else they could help you with today?’ 🤣
Nah - just the impending shit storm you’ve created is probably sufficient for now.
I N R A T S
but can you report claimant for fraud? Might put them off.
Had a similar thing many moons ago. My car had a wierd plate with only 2 digits after the main P reg. Actual car that was in the accident had the 3 regular digits but was noted down wrong by the attending police officer.
Good luck with getting it sorted. Knowing the truth should go a long way to you being able to prove it.
Just to catch up on this thread.
I've sent off all the information I had about my whereabouts and the condition of my car showing it hadn't been crashed to my insurance who passed it on to their fraud department.
They have going back to the solicitor of the people making the claim denying liability and have asked them now to prove evidence it was me and my car. They have strangely gone quiet despite pushing hard for me to accept liability early on.
Also, not sure how much difference it makes but the people making the claim actually sold the car I was meant to have hit in October last year. So why are they making a claim in December?
Because they're criminals?