5 Jun 2013

Mother chased for payment after son hit by car

2:37 pm on 5 June 2013

The mother of a 12-year-old-boy hit by a car is astounded she is being chased for damages by the driver's insurance company.

Melony Lowe's son was struck on 15 April when he was pushing his scooter across the road on the corner of Bucklands Beach Road and Loloma Drive in east Auckland on his way home from school.

Ms Lowe says her son was relatively unscathed and ended up with just bruises to his knees.

She said he accepts blame for the accident because he didn't see the car coming, but she was surprised when the driver's insurance company contacted her a few days later to pay more than $1500 for damage to the car.

Ms Lowe said she is being held liable, though she was not present, and asks whether she would still have been pursued for damages if her son had been seriously hurt.

Insurance council chief executive Tim Grafton says these kinds of claims are unusual, but the home and contents insurance of a child's guardian covers the damage.

"You can put all sorts of emotion around this, but its a basic protection that people have. I think most people would be glad of having that kind of protection."

Ms Lowe says her insurance company is dealing with the claim, and she's awaiting an outcome.