At Fault accident with unlisted under 25 driver - Private pay vs. RACV insurance claim?
Hi everyone, seeking some advice on an insurance/liability dilemma.
A family member was driving my car and was involved in a minor at fault accident. The family member is under 25 and is not a listed driver on my RACV policy.
The Situation:
The damage to the other party's car appears to be purely cosmetic/body damage. No mechanical issues were apparent, and they were able to drive the car away from the scene.
Our plan is to wait for the other party’s insurer to assess the damage and send us a demand for payment. If the figure is reasonable, we’ll pay it privately. If it’s a "decent chunk," we’ll have to go through RACV.
My questions are:
1.Since the car is drivable and there’s no immediate rush for repairs, can we wait for their insurer's final figure before deciding to lodge a claim with RACV?
2.Does RACV have a specific timeframe/cutoff for when a claim must be lodged?
3.Are there risks to waiting for the final bill if the other party is already back on the road?
Trying to avoid the massive stacked excesses (Standard + Age + Unlisted), but I want to make sure I don't accidentally void my right to claim if the bodywork ends up being more expensive than it looks.
Thanks for any advice.