Had an Accident

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ajayjain

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Jul 31, 2013
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c class
Hi Guys,

I am looking for some advise
I had an accident 2 weeks back (first time in my life)
I was driving straight with my family and suddenly a van came in front of me. he was trying to cross me to another road (image attached)
I called the police 999, they said there is no injury so we do not need to come.
the other guy was ok, we exchanged details we were they around 30 mins.
he did not discuss much so I thought he accepted his fault.
I came back after 30 mins. with my car as there was no point to stay.
car was quite damaged but I managed to drive to home
Police came after 1 hr. of my call and I was not there
I called insurance company car gone to garage etc.
Now he is not accepting his fault and today I got a letter from his solicitor
that he got neck injury, loss of work etc. etc. so he claimed £10K
while he was perfectly fine there, he took lots of pictures.
Don't know what to do

Any advice please.
 

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Sounds pretty normal. Did you take any pictures of the scene? If not, if you have this again do the same. If you can, take them whilst the vehicles are collided if it is safe to do so. It will help your case when the insurance companies sort it out. If not, just the scene will do and damage of both vehicles.

First off, forward all correspondence from anyone regarding this matter to your insurance company and do not respond to anything.

As you have contacted your insurance company, you will have the opportunity to provide your account of the accident - they should have or will send you a form to fill in - stick to the facts of what happened and avoid any emotion.

Then sit tight (by all means chase the insurance company).

The third party will have done the same and the two insurance companies will apportion blame based on the accounts and then that will determine the outcome.

They are claiming for personal injury because people with no morals try it on as well as those genuinely injured. I suspect it will be obvious which category the third party is. There is a possibility he was genuinely injured and pain doesn't always present itself straight away (adrenalin will be running through your veins then!).

These things can take ages to resolve.

What insurance do you have (fully comprehensive, third party etc.)?

This is relevant because if you are third party and insurance companies agree it is totally the van driver's fault, and I can't see it being your fault with what you have stated already, then you will need to use an uninsured loss recovery service to claim back your losses (so damage to your car, personal injury etc.).

If fully comprehensive, the insurance companies should deal with all of it and your claim should come out of the third party's insurance.
 
Good advise above.
If the guy pulled across you on a major road,I would say he is at fault unless you were driving excessively fast.
Write down, as clearly as you can remember exactly what happened. Your insurance company will want to know full details. A pity you had no witness and the guy is trying to scam you. Again, don't correspond with any party except your own insurance company and pass on any letters you may receive from the other party's company or solicitor. (Photocopy before sending off)
 
This thread makes an excellent case for buying a dashboard camera : having a video recording of the event would put an end to any dispute .
 
^ +1
Worth their weight in gold
 
What insurance do you have (fully comprehensive, third party etc.)?

These days it's highly unusual for people not have fully comp.

Third Party Only / Third Party Fire and Theft is almost unheard of.
 
These days it's highly unusual for people not have fully comp.

Third Party Only / Third Party Fire and Theft is almost unheard of.

No it's not - it remains common amongst owners of low-value bangers who could end up paying more for fully comprehensive insurance than the cost of the car.
 
Just out of curiosity I got quotes for TPFT and Fully Comp on my car.

TPFT was more expensive by ~£50.....
 
Just out of curiosity I got quotes for TPFT and Fully Comp on my car.

TPFT was more expensive by ~£50.....

same for me, and my other half, full Comp is cheaper.
 
No it's not - it remains common amongst owners of low-value bangers who could end up paying more for fully comprehensive insurance than the cost of the car.

As indicated by other posters - it's not necessarily economic these days as TPFT and TPO can end up costing more than fully comp.

And how many bangers are there about these days?

I suspect that the MOT, changes to DVLA rules and enforcement, + insurance enforcement are having an attrition effect on the number of vehcles >10 years old.
 
Based on similar experiences having been hit on 3 separate occasions whilst stationary you need to draw an accurate plan as part of your claim documentation. This should show accurately road dimensions, signs, markings, direction of travel and where both vehicles were at point of impact. Revisit site if unclear and recheck for skid marks too.
Good luck but do not expect a speedy resolution.
 
Is it worth contacting the Council or any other authority who may have CCTV cameras covering that spot?

And knock on a few doors nearby to see if anyone has it and would they view it for you?

Just a thought.

Stuart
 
As indicated by other posters - it's not necessarily economic these days as TPFT and TPO can end up costing more than fully comp.

And how many bangers are there about these days?

I suspect that the MOT, changes to DVLA rules and enforcement, + insurance enforcement are having an attrition effect on the number of vehcles >10 years old.

Insurance costs can be somewhat counterintuitive but that doesn't mean every fully comprehensive quote will be cheaper than a third party one.

There are plenty of bangers about and plenty of drivers with a less-than-perfect driving record for whom third party insurance is the only affordable option.
 
I called the police 999, they said there is no injury so we do not need to come.

First they're not interested.....

Police came after 1 hr. of my call and I was not there

....then they are.
I'd contact them and gently enquire what they found on turning up. And mention....
.
Now he is not accepting his fault and today I got a letter from his solicitor
that he got neck injury, loss of work etc. etc. so he claimed £10K
while he was perfectly fine there,

....the possibility of fraud....

he took lots of pictures.

....and ask the police if they might access said pictures.
 
In the past these types of claims would end up as being 50:50 liability.

Things might have changed.
 
Yes, I had similar, although strangely my insurer paid out for the passenger's personal injury but wanted 50:50 for the car damage and the drivers personal jury claim. He tried 3 solicitors but all would only agree to 50:50 and I guess he wanted more, he dropped the claim. Still I was annoyed his passenger claimed for bruising from the seatbelt when he side-swiped me and sped off.
 
I know you can't shut the gate after the horse has bolted. However £60 well spent could have saved a lot of hassle and made the claim very straight forward.

Get yourself a dash cam. I have the E-prance 801 mini. Full 1080 hd recording. Cracking quality and its small and sits nicely behind the rear view mirror.
 
Just remember, though, that a dashcam produces impartial evidence. If YOU are at fault, it will show that too.
 

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