Company car claim: insurer offers immediate cash settlement for injury

I was recently involved in a rear-end shunt in my company car and suffered a slight neck injury. To my surprise, the other driver’s insurers rang me on my mobile the following day offering to repair the vehicle and provide with a very decent replacement until mine was on the road again. They then turned up at my house with a cheque for £1,000 to settle my injury claim there and then. This all sounded rather dubious so I declined the offer. Is this normal practice? TKM. Cardiff

The roadside lawyer writes:
MOST INSURERS operate in a reasonably reputable way and may try to “capture” the claim as they put it – that is to take control of the repairs, hire and treat any injury.  Subject to independent legal advice, there is nothing wrong with the concept.

However, whenever a direct approach is made to repair a vehicle which you don’t own, it is not usually up to you to make the decision and you should ask the owner or your company’s transport manager to liaise with the other driver’s insurers or speak to your legal adviser if you have one.

As to settling any injury claim without medical evidence, this is very unwise and you should always get legal advice first.  The insurer is simply attempting to buy off your claim cheaply.  Don’t be tempted!

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