Rear-ended someone Friday - but he has'nt phoned me yet !

[paulfoel]

Rear-ended someone on Friday morning coming off the M5 near Cheltenham. Totally my fault but there wasn't a huge amount of damage. Gave the fella my business card with home no and mobile no on the back.

Thing is he has'nt phoned me yet to get insurance details off me. What do you reckon? Shall I ring him or just hope he does'nt call me ?

 

[GrahamC230K]

I think I would wait!

 

[pammy]

I'd wait. He might not be insured!

 

[Mambo]

DEFINATELY wait

 

[glojo]

I would definitely inform the local Police if you have not fully complied with the terms and conditions of your insurance and the law. No need to involve your insurance company unless you want to, although usually they will thank you and NOT take action on what you have said, they are wise to drivers who are uninsured and will now be ready to ask the necessary questions. Explain to the Police you were in shock and could not remember your insurance details, and you only took the car registration details of the other vehicle. This is a common event and I cannot recall anyone being prosecuted, so have no worries in that regard.

It is possible the other driver is not insured and they might decide to insure the car tomorrow (or on the Internet today) then claim off of your insurance!! By informing everyone of the time and date of the incident plus whether anyone was injured (think whiplash compensation injuries), you are simply covering yourself. I would not however chase up the other driver.

Good luck,
John

 

[robert.saunders]

Good advice John, spot on

 

[Bugblatter]

I would definitely inform the local Police if you have not fully complied with the terms and conditions of your insurance and the law. No need to involve your insurance company unless you want to, although usually they will thank you and NOT take action on what you have said, they are wise to drivers who are uninsured and will now be ready to ask the necessary questions. Explain to the Police you were in shock and could not remember your insurance details, and you only took the car registration details of the other vehicle. This is a common event and I cannot recall anyone being prosecuted, so have no worries in that regard.

It is possible the other driver is not insured and they might decide to insure the car tomorrow (or on the Internet today) then claim off of your insurance!! By informing everyone of the time and date of the incident plus whether anyone was injured (think whiplash compensation injuries), you are simply covering yourself. I would not however chase up the other driver.

Good luck,
John

I'm pretty sure that if you give your name and address to the other guy, that is all that is required by law. I think it is section 7 of the Road Traffic Acts. It is very common for people not to carry their insurance details around. If you contact the police, they will want to check you out and will require you to produce your documents at the local station. However, as you will obviously have all required documents that should not be a problem.

 

[Bugblatter]

Sorry, that's section 170. I knew there was a seven in it!

You only have to produce your insurance certificate if you did not give your name and address at the time of the accident.

170.—(1) This section applies in a case where, owing to the presence of a motor vehicle on a road, an accident occurs by which—
(a) personal injury is caused to a person other than the driver of that motor vehicle, or
(b) damage is caused—
(i) to a vehicle other than that motor vehicle or a trailer drawn by that motor vehicle, or
(ii) to an animal other than an animal in or on that motor vehicle or a trailer drawn by that motor vehicle, or
(iii) to any other property constructed on, fixed to, growing in or otherwise forming part of the land on which the road in question is situated or land adjacent to such land.
(2) The driver of the motor vehicle must stop and, if required to do so by any person having reasonable grounds for so requiring, give his name and address and also the name and address of the owner and the identification marks of the vehicle.

(3) If for any reason the driver of the motor vehicle does not give his name and address under subsection (2) above, he must report the accident.

(4) A person who fails to comply with subsection (2) or (3) above is guilty of an offence.

(5) If, in a case where this section applies by virtue of subsection (1)(a) above, the driver of the vehicle does not at the time of the accident produce such a certificate of insurance or security, or other evidence, as is mentioned in section 165(2)(a) of this Act—
(a) to a constable, or
(b) to some person who, having reasonable grounds for so doing, has required him to produce it,
the driver must report the accident and produce such a certificate or other evidence.
This subsection does not apply to the driver of an invalid carriage.


(6) To comply with a duty under this section to report an accident or to produce such a certificate of insurance or security, or other evidence, as is mentioned in section 165(2)(a) of this Act, the driver—
(a) must do so at a police station or to a constable, and
(b) must do so as soon as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, within twenty-four hours of the occurrence of the accident.
(7) A person who fails to comply with a duty under subsection (5) above is guilty of an offence, but he shall not be convicted by reason only of a failure to produce a certificate or other evidence if, within five days after the occurrence of the accident, the certificate or other evidence is produced at a police station that was specified by him at the time when the accident was reported.

(8) In this section "animal" means horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog.

N.B. there is a difference between injury and damage only incidents. If there was an injury you must report the matter to the police and produce your insurance and other relevant documents.

 

[blicky_1]

I had a problem the same as this a few years back, a woman reversed into me at a car park, she gave me her number/address and said she would call me with the insurance details however 3-4 days went past with no call so I called her and she was never available (allways out!)

I went to my local Police station after many attempts and they said as i did not report the incident within 24hrs then it is out of their hands!! Insurance company also did not want to know!

Did eventually get through to the woman who said it was a company car and she had been sacked from her job now and was not interested in it anymore!!

 

[glojo]

Sorry, that's section 170. I knew there was a seven in it!

You only have to produce your insurance certificate if you did not give your name and address at the time of the accident.

N.B. there is a difference between injury and damage only incidents. If there was an injury you must report the matter to the police and produce your insurance and other relevant documents.

I think you are misinterpreting my suggestion.

When you have an accident that is your fault, then the victim usually is very interested in seeking recompense. I am being tactful here, but whiplash injuries, old car damage comes to mind.

When this does not happen it is unusual and this is where I am coming from.

I personally would be concerned as to the reasons behind this and I would cover all my options just in case the other party tries something underhand (more tact). You must exchange names, addresses and insurance details. Clearly we all accept that swapping names and addresses, and telephone numbers is the norm. I believe this did not fully happen. The other party can go to the Police with countless witnesses claiming Joe Bloggs stuffed a business card in their hand and drove off. They could make all sorts of allegations and by merely going to a Police Station you are covering yourself.

My sister-in-law was involved in a similar incident, she had an accident that was entirely her fault, she gave the other person her particulars but forgot to obtain the other parties. She reported the accident to the Police and her insurance company. A week went by and the insurance company contacted her and stated the other party had tried to claim against my sister-in-law, but when the insurance company asked for their own insurance details they simply got a mouthful of abuse and the caller hung up.

It is all about peace of mind. Do everything that is right and you can sleep easy.

Regards,
John

 

[Bugblatter]

I think you are misinterpreting my suggestion.

When you have an accident that is your fault, then the victim usually is very interested in seeking recompense. I am being tactful here, but whiplash injuries, old car damage comes to mind.

When this does not happen it is unusual and this is where I am coming from.

I personally would be concerned as to the reasons behind this and I would cover all my options just in case the other party tries something underhand (more tact). You must exchange names, addresses and insurance details. Clearly we all accept that swapping names and addresses, and telephone numbers is the norm. I believe this did not fully happen. The other party can go to the Police with countless witnesses claiming Joe Bloggs stuffed a business card in their hand and drove off. They could make all sorts of allegations and by merely going to a Police Station you are covering yourself.

My sister-in-law was involved in a similar incident, she had an accident that was entirely her fault, she gave the other person her particulars but forgot to obtain the other parties. She reported the accident to the Police and her insurance company. A week went by and the insurance company contacted her and stated the other party had tried to claim against my sister-in-law, but when the insurance company asked for their own insurance details they simply got a mouthful of abuse and the caller hung up.

It is all about peace of mind. Do everything that is right and you can sleep easy.

Regards,
John

No problem. You are talking about what one ought to do to cover all bases. I was just quoting what was required by law.