Fault car accident....bill way too high?

[cheeryble]

Hi

 

Was going to put this in motoring but guess general gets a way bigger audience.

Yes yes it was my fault I was swotting a mosquito and somehow ran into an empty parked car.

The Honda probably came off worst., however the wheel arches weren't bent down, the rear side panels look ok,  and the car could be driven away no problem. In fact if the boot (trunk)lid was replaced as a part there might not be that much difference in repair work, mine was not so dented but a tricky one especially a nasty dent in the front steel sub-bumper.

 

My wife phoned the owner and asked if she could take it ....not to a cheap repair shop.....but to a reputable shop the insurers use a lot.

She refused and said it's going to a main dealer. She also said she wanted a rental car.

My guess is she wouldn't have done this had it been a Thai but it's just a guess.

Fact is although she had a right to be cross it had happened, it happens to everyone once in a lifetime, but she still had attitude.

Her insurance guy came and didn't like her either......told my Thai friend he'd try to keep her bill down ASAP......had mentioned 100k to us but later said he thought 70k should do it.

 

Well many months have passed with no contact then yesterday we got a letter with 127,800 baht written on it.

In the meantime I've had my car fixed......five panels plus an old dent in the back.........8000 for parts, 5000 for labour = 13k total lovely job done in three days.

 

Fact is I self insure apart from the statutory insurance. I would normally hand her the cash and say sorry again........but and her bill seems out of sight.

Ain't part of life that we try to make life easy as possible for others when a bit of bad luck like this happens.

 

Has anyone had this experience and do I have any possible courses of action?

I don't see the age of her car on the letter........would that be relevant to the appropriate amount to spend on repair?

(It looked like a young car but I guess could also have been a clean 5-10 year old) 

 

Thoughts?

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by Rimmer
Photos removed

[taninthai]

If you self insure ,,,bit the bullet and pay the bill....I would be absolutely fuming if you done that much damage to my car,I would also want it repaired at the main dealer.

and no it doesn’t really happen to everyone in there lifetime...driving into parked cars....tut tut.

maybe you should opt for insurance 

[BEVUP]

First of all get 1 st class insurance, because you know they will max you out - lucky people weren't involved, the 120,000 may have been small change

Second of all I would go down to Honda by the looks of it (not the one where she went ) & just pretend it's your car & ask for a quote (this may be rough due to not inspecting vehicle )

? Did you get her the Hire Car - Seems strange it took that long as I'm sure Honda would of just taken it to their preferred repairer 

Was this just the car repair bill ? Quote " A Letter " - I would want to see an itemised official Honda receipt &/or any other ones & pay directly 

 

 

[cheeryble]

5 minutes ago, taninthai said:

If you self insure ,,,bit the bullet and pay the bill....I would be absolutely fuming if you done that much damage to my car,I would also want it repaired at the main dealer.

and no it doesn’t really happen to everyone in there lifetime...driving into parked cars....tut tut.

maybe you should opt for insurance 

Happily in 50 years daily driving I've never been involved in an injury accident so can''t grumble.

I just wonder.....suppose like many I was fully insured and the bill was sent to my insurance company. 

Would they be OK with it or would they consider main dealers over priced and over willing to do more work than necessary when there are alternatives who will give exactly the same quality of work. I know for a fact they send a lot of work to a Vietnamese repair shop here.

 

If someone else hit me in a 25 yo Vitara would they or their insurance company be OK for me to use a main dealer and pay more than the car is worth? 

 

Just asking.

[cheeryble]

7 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

First of all get 1 st class insurance, because you know they will max you out - lucky people weren't involved, the 120,000 may have been small change

Second of all I would go down to Honda by the looks of it (not the one where she went ) & just pretend it's your car & ask for a quote (this may be rough due to not inspecting vehicle )

? Did you get her the Hire Car - Seems strange it took that long as I'm sure Honda would of just taken it to their preferred repairer 

Was this just the car repair bill ? Quote " A Letter " - I would want to see an itemised official Honda receipt &/or any other ones & pay directly 

 

 

I may have an insurance that covers injury my wife has got a couple of things for me. But point taken, will check.

For what it's worth Ive done an advanced driving course many moons ago.

 

The Honda idea is interesting maybe they'd give a ballpark figure in fact I could ask a mechanic I know what the dealer would be likely to charge.

I must say I'm surprised the insurance company didn't get the OK from us which I would normally give no questions asked.

 

Apparently the letter does not include details the wife is going to chase them.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by cheeryble

[stevenl]

You're way too late in the process.

 

You should have received an estimate from the dealer, at which point you would have known how much it would be, or could have checked for an alternative. There is no rule/law the repair has to be done at the dealer, who most likely will have taken it to a repair shop.

 

All you can do now is ask for a detailed invoice, but basically you're screwed because you have been to lax here.

[canthai55]

Self insure !!! 555 Got $50,000,000 bucks in the bank ?

What will you do if you injure, or kill someone ?

Foolish does not begin to describe your actions.

I would be mad also, and would want it repaired with genuine Honda parts.

And a rental car. Why should I be out of pocket - and carless - because of your lack of responsibility. Happens to everyone ?  Not hardly.

 

[cheeryble]

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

You're way too late in the process.

 

You should have received an estimate from the dealer, at which point you would have known how much it would be, or could have checked for an alternative. There is no rule/law the repair has to be done at the dealer, who most likely will have taken it to a repair shop.

 

All you can do now is ask for a detailed invoice, but basically you're screwed because you have been to lax here.

Are you saying the missus should have chased them or rather their insurance co.?

I would have thought they'd make her aware of any actions to be taken or estimates. Many people simply wouldn't be able to pay, or I may have been leaving the country, in which case the plaintiffs may have a taken the car to a regular priced reputable shop.

 

ps No objection to Honda parts being used even if they didn't stand up very well in the bump.

[BEVUP]

The reason I ask about the rental car is it seemed a long time to repair car & she may have given the use of such car to a friend 

Also seems you are both from different provinces 

[cheeryble]

10 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Self insure !!! 555 Got $50,000,000 bucks in the bank ?

What will you do if you injure, or kill someone ?

Foolish does not begin to describe your actions.

I would be mad also, and would want it repaired with genuine Honda parts.

And a rental car. Why should I be out of pocket - and carless - because of your lack of responsibility. Happens to everyone ?  Not hardly.

 

For what it's worth I agree about the rental car for the time for the repair.

Edited April 29, 2018 by cheeryble

[wgdanson]

36 minutes ago, taninthai said:

If you self insure ,,,bit the bullet and pay the bill....I would be absolutely fuming if you done that much damage to my car,I would also want it repaired at the main dealer.

and no it doesn’t really happen to everyone in there lifetime...driving into parked cars....tut tut.

maybe you should opt for insurance 

And mosquito spray!

[canthai55]

25 minutes ago, cheeryble said:

Happily in 50 years daily driving I've never been involved in an injury accident so can''t grumble.

Just asking.

Do you know how odds work ? Every time you drive, and have no accident, the odds go up that you will.

50 years - you been lucky.

Do not expect this luck to continue. Use this 130K bill as the cost of your education and go buy some insurance. From the foto of your vehicle it is too old to get first class, but second plus might be doable. Possibly 1980' s/90' s vintage so maybe just second class available.

Then the Insurance company pays for the other vehicle, and property, and people, and you pay to have your vehicle repaired yourself.

[wgdanson]

1 hour ago, cheeryble said:

Fact is I self insure apart from the statutory insurance

Real insurance too expensive? Isn't that what most Thais do?

Edited April 29, 2018 by wgdanson

[stevenl]

28 minutes ago, cheeryble said:

Are you saying the missus should have chased them or rather their insurance co.?

I would have thought they'd make her aware of any actions to be taken or estimates. Many people simply wouldn't be able to pay, or I may have been leaving the country, in which case the plaintiffs may have a taken the car to a regular priced reputable shop.

 

ps No objection to Honda parts being used even if they didn't stand up very well in the bump.

Yes. Normally their insurance company would have contacted your insurance company, and there could have been negotiations. Now your wife is apparently acting as the insurance company, so she should have been contacted, and if not, she should have chased them.

[stevenl]

15 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Do you know how odds work ? Every time you drive, and have no accident, the odds go up that you will.

50 years - you been lucky.

Do not expect this luck to continue. Use this 130K bill as the cost of your education and go buy some insurance. From the foto of your vehicle it is too old to get first class, but second plus might be doable. Possibly 1980' s/90' s vintage so maybe just second class available.

Then the Insurance company pays for the other vehicle, and property, and people, and you pay to have your vehicle repaired yourself.

I agree with you that it is not very smart what he is doing, but no, that is not how odds work.

Every time he drives the odds are independent of the previous drives. And for a good driver they will be better than for a poor driver.

 

For damage to other vehicles, a good 3rd class insurance would be required.

[Airalee]

I was an insurance adjuster for 7 years.  I was the guy who wrote the estimates for repair.  You got off lightly even with the low cost of labor.  There is definitely hidden damage there.

 

The claimant can choose what shop they want to go to.  You have no say in it.

 

You do owe for a rental.  It can take time for a shop to order parts.  Her car was not driveable while waiting for parts.

 

Chalk it up to experience and get insured.

 

 

[canthai55]

17 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I agree with you that it is not very smart what he is doing, but no, that is not how odds work.

Every time he drives the odds are independent of the previous drives. And for a good driver they will be better than for a poor driver.

 

For damage to other vehicles, a good 3rd class insurance would be required.

Here is an example using skydiving - any activity is the same ...

Suppose the chances you die from a skydive are 0.1.

If you repeat this 10 times, the chances you die from any one of the dives is

1−(0.9)10=0.6513...

So even though the probability of dying on a specific dive does not change, by repeatedly skydiving you are increasing your overall chances of dying.

[wgdanson]

5 minutes ago, canthai55 said:

Here is an example using skydiving - any activity is the same ...

Suppose the chances you die from a skydive are 0.1.

If you repeat this 10 times, the chances you die from any one of the dives is

1−(0.9)10=0.6513...

So even though the probability of dying on a specific dive does not change, by repeatedly skydiving you are increasing your overall chances of dying.

And if at first you don't succeed...................give it up.

[Samuel Smith]

How do you know they didn't get it fixed using their own insurance?  

[HAKAPALITA]

You been conned on all fronts.

[sweatalot]

19 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

How do you know they didn't get it fixed using their own insurance?  

good question. He (his wife) should try to contact their insurance and find out

[Samuel Smith]

1 minute ago, sweatalot said:

good question. He (his wife) should try to contact their insurance and find out

If it was my car, with first class insurance, there is no way I would have had the work done & then hoped the guilty party would pay up!  Especially a foreigner who could've left the country by the time the work was finished.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, canthai55 said:

Here is an example using skydiving - any activity is the same ...

Suppose the chances you die from a skydive are 0.1.

If you repeat this 10 times, the chances you die from any one of the dives is

1−(0.9)10=0.6513...

So even though the probability of dying on a specific dive does not change, by repeatedly skydiving you are increasing your overall chances of dying.

Yes, you are increasing your chances, but every next one is an independent risk. previous skydives don't influence the chance of an accident on the next one.

[stevenl]

15 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

good question. He (his wife) should try to contact their insurance and find out

Doesn't matter. If that is the case the insurance company can go to OP to collect the damage.

[naboo]

You're being robbed. Did the police attend? If not, cut off contact with the woman and wait for her insurance to contact you.

[BEVUP]

40 minutes ago, HAKAPALITA said:

You been conned on all fronts.

Yes no doubt

That's why I would only be paying for Letter Head ( company ) invoices & verified by yourself's ringing the companies 

Or as mentioned wait for them to contact you not just some figure from a letter sent to you by the owner. 

Edited April 29, 2018 by BEVUP

[cheeryble]

37 minutes ago, Samuel Smith said:

If it was my car, with first class insurance, there is no way I would have had the work done & then hoped the guilty party would pay up!  Especially a foreigner who could've left the country by the time the work was finished.

Good point Sam

Therefore I think they got the OK from their insurance company who should cover them regardless.

(The letter came from the insurance co.)

But surprised the insurance co didn't make sure I would be around.

[jenny2017]

In the meantime I've had my car fixed......five panels plus an old dent in the back.........8000 for parts, 5000 for labour = 13k total lovely job done in three days.

 

    Old dent in the back? I thought that you never had an accident before?

 

   Did the damn mosquito survive the accident? 

  

[cheeryble]

9 minutes ago, jenny2017 said:

In the meantime I've had my car fixed......five panels plus an old dent in the back.........8000 for parts, 5000 for labour = 13k total lovely job done in three days.

 

    Old dent in the back? I thought that you never had an accident before?

 

   Did the damn mosquito survive the accident? 

  

dent from rhino

 

still hunting down the damn mosquito

[BEVUP]

34 minutes ago, cheeryble said:

Therefore I think they got the OK from their insurance company who should cover them regardless.

(The letter came from the insurance co.)

But surprised the insurance co didn't make sure I would be around.

Now were getting to the nitty gritty 

 

Of course they were covered by the Ins.

She has identified the person in the wrong to the Ins company & as a result will be forwarding the bill to you so Her premium wont go up & not to lose No Claim bonuses 

 

Certainly must of bee some hidden damage or did the Ins company give her a rental car as well (  it may be part of her Ins. )