Victim of chain collision... how to claim insurance?

[1fast1]

I have firend who is also like you involved in a chain collision.

 

His premium and his NCD was affected because he was told that he did not keep a safe distance from the car in front. After being hit by a car from behind, if you keep a safe distance from the car in front, you should not be able to hit the car in front.

 

Previously I always tell my wife I have enough skills to stop in time to avoid hitting the car in front even if I am close to the car in front. But now I realized keeping a safe distance is also equally important because of what had happened to my friend.

 

I'm sure they would be using the same excuse if a QQ driver were to be rammed from behind and pushed along by a trailer truck. Physically, there is almost no realistic way for the QQ driver to have stopped, unless he was maintaining an almost unrealistic gap to the car in front.

 

Of course, the driver would be a dead Chapati if he gets into a sandwich in this situation, but my point is, is it even fair for the QQ driver to have *any* liability in this case? Do the insurance companies have a practical understanding of the laws of physics, for instance, the law of conservation of momentum?

 

Anyway, if this were true, it would be another good reason to have a big heavy car with very good brakes and tyres *and* keep a large distance from the car in front. Might minimise this sort of push-along cases (still might not help much with a trailer truck colliding with you from behind, but it'd be better than if you were driving a tin-can).

[Samshio]

Exactly. So now driving, not just must keep safe distance for your speed, (which highway code teach), but also must "predict" and add on another save distance in case get collided from behind ???

 

You leave so much space, either you get horn from cars behind, or cars will keep filtering into your lane, so you have to brake and slow down to keep giving safe distance.

 

Bumper to bumper traffic how ?? leave how big a space ???? !!!

Edited April 14, 2010 by Samshio

[Samshio]

Thanks.

 

Car now at workshop. Workshop will help me claim car behind.

 

Dunno wat will happen though.

 

Guess NCD gone liao.

 

 

[Fooblack]

Thanks.

 

Car now at workshop. Workshop will help me claim car behind.

 

Dunno wat will happen though.

 

Guess NCD gone liao.

 

I'm not giving up. the so-called industry practice is their own agreement under their GIA. It makes sense only for the insurance companies as they are in a win-win situation. Both insurance companies can up their premiums and remove NCD.

 

Heard of cases whereby the industry agreement was not followed. I warn my insurance tat they cannot suka suka just remove my NCD. If not, I may insist of fighting the case.

[Fooblack]

I'm not giving up. the so-called industry practice is their own agreement under their GIA. It makes sense only for the insurance companies as they are in a win-win situation. Both insurance companies can up their premiums and remove NCD.

 

Heard of cases whereby the industry agreement was not followed. I warn my insurance tat they cannot suka suka just remove my NCD. If not, I may insist of fighting the case.

 

Just an update.. my insurer today updated me on the claims of the van infront on me.. $5k plus...

 

the insurer confirmed me in email that they wont be affect my NCD... this is gd news cos my NCD will be 40% this sept...

 

do this mean that i can still change my insurance if i choose to? or must I continue with them for another 1year?

[Fooblack]

Just an update.. my insurer today updated me on the claims of the van infront on me.. $5k plus...

 

the insurer confirmed me in email that they wont be affect my NCD... this is gd news cos my NCD will be 40% this sept...

 

do this mean that i can still change my insurance if i choose to? or must I continue with them for another 1year?

 

Update. My insurance is agreeable to return the NCD to me if I give them an undertaking that no further claims be made to them relating to this chain collision. In the event of further claims, I have to return the NCD to them.

 

According to them, the damage to the van in front has been fully claimed and settled.

 

So, the claims staff say that for bodily injury, there is a 3 year window period for them to come back and claim. Therefore, this undertaking is to protect the insurance company in the event of such claims.

 

First time I hear of such undertaking requirement... should i sign?

 

thanks.............

[TVaddict]

Hi bro regarding your chain collision, just want to check with you did you claim own damage (OD) or third party when you filed the accident report because I was involved in a chain collision similar to yours yesterday.

 

I was the middle car in a 5 cars collision. The front two cars collided, but I managed to stop in time without hitting. However the car behind me hit me and I banged into the car in front. Another taxi was involved also, and it was suspected it has hit me at the side as well judging from my damage and the taxi position.

 

Some people are telling me to claim OD, some are telling me to claim third party.

 

In my accident report I claimed third party as I die die don't want to touch my own insurance or pay any money from my own pocket.

 

However when I called my insurance broker last night, he advised me to claim OD because if I claimed third party, my insurance won't get involved - I will need to claim against the car behind by myself.

 

Furthermore by claiming third party, whatever amount of liability I incurred from the car in front, I have to pay from my own pocket. My insurer will not pay since I chose to claim third party.

 

On the other hand if I claim OD, my insurer will pay whatever amount to the car in front and also help me to claim my excess + loss of use + injury, etc from the car behind.

 

My premium and NCD will not necessarily be affected if the total amount claimed against me doesn't exceed a certain limit. Even if my premium is affected, it will only be increased slightly.

 

I just want to double check whether this is true.

 

I only want my claims to be settled fairly and myself not to be taken advantage of. I'm having some neck sprain at the moment but if it doesn't get worse, I won't be claiming any medical against the behind car.

 

Hope you understand what I mean.