Can backed into my front bumper. Repair Vs Insurance job?

[hewittinspain]

This morning a scrap man reversed into my bumper, I managed to get his registration and he gave me some details but I think they are false. I asked him to pull over to get more details but he put his foot down and drove off. My insurance company says that he does have insurance and the vehicle looks to have valid tax and MOT but he clearly panicked and left at the scene.
If he doesn't accept liability then my excess is £550. The bumper had a dent but I managed to push it out easily. There are some clips broken so I can't fully attach the bumper back on. The grill looks to have some clips broken too.
If It has to go through my insurance (if theirs won't pay out) then I'm guessing my insurance will go up next year. I currently have 9 years NCB and I paid to protect it.

Would it still be worth paying my excess if I have to? How much roughly would it cost for me to have it repaired and sprayed privately (ballpark figure)? I've attached two pics, one when it happened and the other one when I've managed to bodge it up. I can't get it flush though. Not sure if it can be repaired and filled in. There are no cracks on the outside but there are some cracks on the underside of the bumper.
The lights work and the engine seems fine and it drives fine too so it looks like there was no other damage.

 

[black_sheep]

The first error is informing your insurance company. Even if you don't claim, they have it logged on your file and you will be classed as a higher risk. Same with NCD - you'll retain NCD even if you don't claim, but premium will go up, because as above you will be considered a higher risk. It is one scam after another I'm afraid.

In terms of the repair, it depends what secondary damage has been done behind the bumper cover. The fact it has been detached in various locations where it is fastened to the car is worrying, with plastic clips likely to have been damaged/threads stripped, plastic tabs on grilles/light surrounds damaged.

 

[hewittinspain]

@black_sheep I realised I made that mistake but I just guessed at the time that they should be sorting it out with the third party seeing as I'm paying them.
I'm now going through the third party insurance but as you say I've already told mine so premiums will rise. I had a look on the comparison websites incorporating the fact I had a claim (just to actually see how much more it would be on average next year when I renew) and it seems about a £30 difference in price compared to not having registered a claim at all.
Does that sound about right in general?

 

[Alex667]

First thing I'd be doing is reporting it as a hit and run to the cops. It'll help your case massively if you can show a reference number from the fuzz. I'll be more obvious to the insurance companies if he's been pegged with a hit and run that he'll say "it wasn't my fault" even though it obviously was.

Don't worry too much about claiming - I had someone reverse into mine in april (only minor scratches but I think they replaced the entire front bumper anyway), and my current insurer tried to put my premiums up by about 50% (after a promise of "we don't put up your premiums if you're not fault"), but I did a meerkat comparision and ended up getting for about half my original premium cost somewhere else...

 

[hewittinspain]

First thing I'd be doing is reporting it as a hit and run to the cops. It'll help your case massively if you can show a reference number from the fuzz. I'll be more obvious to the insurance companies if he's been pegged with a hit and run that he'll say "it wasn't my fault" even though it obviously was.

Don't worry too much about claiming - I had someone reverse into mine in april (only minor scratches but I think they replaced the entire front bumper anyway), and my current insurer tried to put my premiums up by about 50% (after a promise of "we don't put up your premiums if you're not fault"), but I did a meerkat comparision and ended up getting for about half my original premium cost somewhere else...

I reported it to the police the same day and they gave me a crime number but 5hrs later I got a call back from them telling me just to go through the insurance (typical).
It's been patched up great (I've provided pics) although it will need new bits etc so I'm sticking with persuing with the 3rd party insurance because I shouldn't have to trigger my excess and it's very drivable and legal ATM. He is just not answering the calls from his insurance as he clearly thinks it will just "go away" so it could take a bit of time

 

[hewittinspain]

Here is the car temporarily back together

 

[SuperV8]

Scumbag! Our LED headlights are around £700 each - so hopefully these are both intact (including all their clips) Damage to change the bill a lot!
I would 'guess' that will cost more than your £550 excess in a body shop to repair - get a quote from a local body shop to confirm? How much claiming will effect your next few years premium though is anyone's guess.