Idiot damaged my Polo gti

[TurboPolo]

On friday 16th some idiot on a KTM motorbike decided to throw gravel from his back tire you know holding front brake on while gravel is flying out 10m across the road and my black Polo gti just happen to be there the moment he started. I was driving along my street that I also live on and he was on the council land in front of his home.Any way the Police are useless and I spoke to a lawyer who said go to your Insurance company which I did NRMA.Also I was told there will be a $500 excess if I do have his full name.I gave his home Address and I have a few photos that where taken just seconds after he damage my Polo.And my 1 year old Polo that was as new is now scratched and stone chiped all over the front and left side.Phoned the Police numerous times the female Police officer is never at work apparently.Anyway does any one know of the process that NRMA is using currently and if you use there pefered smash repairers do they send you a check or pay the smash repairers.Enough complaining from me for now?I am from wollongong too.

[PeterHBne]

That's bad luck. If you were in Brisbane I could get my G/F to follow up for you - she's a cop.

You need to check that with NRMA but usually you lodge a claim with them, get a quote or two quotes, an NRMA assessor looks at the car and the quotes, approves it, you get it fixed, pick up the car and pay the excess ($500) to the repairer, NRMA pays the rest of the bill.

If you know who the person was who damaged your car, pursue it with the police and/or insurance company otherwise your insurance rating will be affected next year if you can't identify the other party. Don't let it slide because it's hard.

[SoVeReIgN]

The worst thing is not the $500 excess but the black mark you'll have for now having what is essentially an at fault accident.

Watch out for NRMA too, they like to do things on the cheap - Make sure you find a repairer you can trust - Don't just expect them to do a good job.

[Lukev85]

from my experience you make the claim to NRMA and take it to get assessed at ur nearst NRMA assesing office. They will look at it and recommend a panel beater. You will have to pay a $500 execess

[PeterHBne]

"The worst thing is not the $500 excess but the black mark you'll have for now having what is essentially an at fault accident."

It will be if you don't identify the other party - thats why if you know who it is, pursue it. Go into a police station and lodge an official report. You can then tell the insurance company you have identified the pther party and reported it to police. Don't do it over the phone - you are wasting your time - the police will tell you you have to come into their station anyway.

[TurboPolo]

update

I have the persons name now.I went to the Police 15 minutes after the damage was done and also I have an event number and the Police useless.I had a bad connection on the phone to NRMA I think she said more mumbled something about I have to still pay the excess $500 and that it is not a normal claim.Looking at my contract shortly NRMA does not want to try me I am one angry man.Can you have the money as the damage has devalued my car and I do not like to leave my car at a smash repairs as the last time I left my car at a smash repairs 7 or 8 years ago I receive a bodgey job and a blown headgasket.

[Tim]

if you can name the party that damaged your car then you shouldnt have to pay!
i would be pushing the issue with your insurer. get them to show you the part of the policy that says you have to pay even though u know who did the damage.

[99gti]

Just keeping pushing them. Sucks to hear bad news like that...

[The_Hawk]

I say you have two options.

1. Go through NRMA, get the work done, then fight to have the costs past onto the dude on the bike.

2. Get a couple of quotes and then sue the guy responsible for the damage and costs to sue him. In the first instance you can just go to the court and get a letter of demand done up. It can be a damn long process, but it will eventually get a result one way or the other and it forces the other person to respond.

*up to you if you want to pay to have the repairs done first or after it's settled.


If you go with option 1, NRMA are supposed to do something along the lines of option 2 anyway to recover their money since they (you) were not at fault and when/if that happens you should then get your $500 and no claim bonus back. How hard they want to push that is a big question because at the end of the day you will have paid the fees and it will most likely cost them more in legal to chase than not to.

Whats it worth to have the car repaired anyway? How far off the $500 excess??

[GT3]

All of the above comments makes sense, but, why didn't you just make a direct approach to this guy, pointing out the damage he did to your car and seeing how he responded? For instance, he might have offered to pay the cost of repairs (without going through insurance). His response would have then informed your plan of action. When damage to cars is, say, under $1500, it becomes tricky bc insurance companies/legal avenues can be more burdensome and costly than its worth, eg excess, rating. If a direct approach fails, then you have little choice other than go through your insurance. If you have his name (and rego no) then the onus is on your insurance company to recover costs, not you.

[dodgeGTI]

My neighbour crashed into my Polo earlier in the year and denied it. I went to the cops with pictures and they paid my neighbour a visit. In the end they filed a report putting them at fault. My insurance company then had access to that report, inspected my car and paid the repairer. I didn't have to pay a cent, and my neighbour hasn't mentioned it (not that I talk to him anymore) but I assume they had to bank roll it.

[The_Hawk]

If you have his name (and rego no) then the onus is on your insurance company to recover costs, not you.

In a normal case when person A hits person B info is exchanged and the insurers work things out things are easy. Sadly when you say "it was him" and point at a random person, it's not enough unless there is a police report that lays fault with that person.

I have seen insurers that have said in clear cases of "not at fault" that YOU still must pay the excess, which is then credited back when (and if) they get the money out of the 3rd party. Now in most normal cases that happens because the other party is insured, but not always. I have even heard someone say that the insurer was hitting them up for the excess but were "waiving" the NCB increase because they were not at fault. (then returning the excess if it was ever recovered).

... but I assume they had to bank roll it.

Them or their insurer. Who depends on how much they claimed.


My understanding is that most of the big insurance companies have a deal where they don't actually pay each other money until "once a year settlement". The idea being that there is so many inter company claims it's easier to keep a running tally, then pay the difference once a year rather than do thousands of small transactions. That and the total at the end of the year may be close to $0 once all is said and done.