Hi All
The collective wisdom of the STW community is requested to help resolve an issue I have following a recent accident when a car drove into the back of me.
Request for Advice
The three points I’d like you help on are:
1. Ahead of obtaining a 2nd repair quote to validate the first, do you think the repair prices listed below are over inflated?
2. Do you think I should instruct the driver to claim for this on their insurance policy if they do not wish pay out the validated repair costs in full?
3. what other relevant advice can you offer?
Background: The Crash
A couple of weeks ago, I was commuting back home on my Brompton. I had stopped at a roundabout waiting for a car on the roundabout to pass, when a lady drove into the back of me. Fortunately, I was not injured. When I asked the LBS to assess the accident damage, they said:
The rear swing arm is bent out of alignment, rear wheel collapsed, smashed front and rear mudguard and chain ring on the front is bent.
The estimate to repair the damage came in at around £500. Bill of materials for the repair:
Parts and work Required (Cost)
• Rear wheel – Brompton BWR 3spd (£152.25)
• Rear brake calliper (£32.00)
• Rear swing arm unit – Matt black (£125.50)
• Chain set (£50.50)
• Front and Rear mudguard set (£48.00)
• Crash report (£10.00)
• Brake cable inner (£3.99)
• Workshop Labour (£80.00)
The Problem: Her Counter-Proposal
The girl who was driving the car who hit me accepted liability. She wished to settle the claim without notifying or involving the insurance company. Out of goodwill, perhaps naively, I accepted. Having sent the drive the estimate from a LBS, they have declined to pay the full £500 on the grounds:
1. it would be cheaper to perform the repair with “unbranded parts”.
2. As a student, she has pleaded poverty and says claiming on her insurance policy would cause her to lose her no-claims discount and cause her further poverty.
Having spoken to her father, she proposed paying me off with £250. I have not responded to the counter-offer just yet, but needless to say, I won’t be accepting it.