Auto and Car Insurance

I was a passenger in a car accident on Saturday in Bolton, Lancs.?

The driver was a young girl prob 20ish. She was reversing out of a parking space in a store carpark. It was pouring with rain. We were on the road exiting the carpark and she hit us in the driver's door. The door is not closing properly and there are dints to the door and right front wing. The girl admitted that she never looked because she could not see through the back window. She had no documents on her but said she was insured with Tesco. We took reg number and an address. Tesco insurance said the car is insured but her name is not on it. Our insurance have been difficult and said they will write to the person who is insured asking to give details of girl driving. they said it will take 3 weeks, can you believe that? This looks dodgy to me, what now? No one will tell us if the person is insured, she has no phone number and gave the name Smith and lives 200 miles away from us.

Public Comments

1. the best thing you can do is go to the police who can do more checks and even instigate criminal proceedings if they find that the owner loaned the car to an uninsured or non licenced driver and even the driver prosecuted for failing to provide documents
2. If you have collision coverage, pay the deductible if any and get your car fixed. Then your insurance will attempt to collect their losses (and your deductible) back from the other company. If you don't, your only option is to wait for your insurance company to get the information needed to collect from the other company.
3. As you were in a car park at the time technicaly insurance is not required, it is only needed on a public road. The police will not get involved for the same reason. Your best recourse would be to get estimates ask her to pay for the damage and if she refuses sue in the county court under the small claims procedure provided the claim is less than £5000.
4. Postie has given you the correct answer. Good luck.
5. Try interstate bankers. They can help you find info about your accident. Department of transportation can do an investigation on the person and find out their insurance info!!!!!!
6. I guess things work differently where you live. In the USA, liability coverage follows the vehicle, not the driver. If a person is using a vehicle with the owner's permission, then the owner's liability coverage would pay for any damage the driver was legally liable for. You can be a licensed driver, but have no vehicle, therefore no insurance.