Would like to delete last 24 hours

[Natalie]

Do you ever get that feeling where you want to delete the last few hours of your life, or have the ability to turn the clock back so that things can be different?

Yesterday, I was parked outside a school in Bedworth in a formal parking layby, along with half a dozen other parked cars whiling away an hour inbetween coaching sessions, when a 52 seater coach pulled up alongside and remained on the road ahead of me, waiting for kids for a swimming trip. About 5 minutes later, the driver switched on his engine and proceeded to reverse, turning the wheel and reversed his nearside bumper onto the offside bumper of my car. (Well, actually Mattc's car ). Jumping out, I ran to his window and asked him to stop. He denied it, until I showed him that his coach was parked on the front bumper! More damage done to his vehicle (good old 124s ). We exchanged details, but whilst I am fully comp on my insurance, I am 3rd party on any other vehicle. Clearly, being parked safely and him reversing it is the fault of the other party here.

Not so today though! Having been out and about this morning, I had a bump (and yes, again in Mattc's). This time it is my fault, I pulled out of a junction in Selly Oak (Birmingham). Not great vision and I knew I had looked twice and sadly collided with a BMW (for god's sake) X5. They are big aren't they. Just damage to his offside alloy, Beryl blue on his wheel, but considerably more damage to the nearside this time of the coupe. I am so annoyed and upset that I this happened. Especially as Matt is overseas, although I have his permission to use the car. Given that I am 3rd party I will have to stump up the cost for repairs for both.

Now here's the question - take the first bump, do I tell my insurance or Matt's or do I talk with the coach company and see if they just want to settle it without going through insurance?

Today's faux pas, the guy said he will probably just get the alloy done, have the tracking checked and let me know the cost. Therefore, given I am only 3rd party I will pay for the damage to the coupe.

What a c*** start to the weekend Hope things don't really happen in 3s.

And.....if you read this post to here, thank you for reading it.

 

[Soltan]

We all get days like that, fortunately they are few and far between. Write it off as one of life experiences, no point dwelling on it. Hope the rest of the weekend gets better for you.

 

[pammy]

Sorry to hear of your woes Nat. You need to give you a big hug

 

[Natalie]

Sorry to hear of your woes Nat. You need to give you a big hug

Big thank you - it's all happening at the wrong time, too much else going on . I feel more awful as it's Matt's car and not mine, which wouldn't have felt quite so bad as I know how he feels about the coupe. He's been admiral though, saying it is only metal etc, but it still doesn't make it better

But.....these things happen, don't they. I have to pick myself back up, dust myself down and wash the car before Matt gets back on Tuesday. It won't look so bad if the car is gleamingly clean and shiney!

 

[jaymanek]

well these things happen... (especially in bedworth)...

remember you were going to get the wings done anyway, now you have an excuse!!

 

[purplegoddess]

the main thing is you are ok nat,the car can be repaired you cant,give yourself a big hug and have a cup of tea,being british ,tea cures everything

 

[Rory]

We exchanged details, but whilst I am fully comp on my insurance, I am 3rd party on any other vehicle.

So are you driving Mattc's car on your Driving Other Cars cover on your own policy?

You're not strictly doing anything wrong, but your not supposed to routinely do this - it's really only meant for occasional or emergency use. There was talk of it being dropped but that doesn't seem to have widely happened.

You'll have to report both incidents to your own insurance company anyway.

 

[Soltan]

Just thought, you've probably used up all your bad luck for the next six months
Might be a good time to buy a lottery ticket
Or to put it another way, birds will sing and flowers bloom where ever you walk (for about six months anyway).

 

[Natalie]

the main thing is you are ok nat,the car can be repaired you cant,give yourself a big hug and have a cup of tea,being british ,tea cures everything

LOL! I did have a cup of tea, after being a little bit sick! (I know TMI!).

Now I am looking forward to dining out with my parents this evening and NO I AM NOT DRIVING!!!!

 

[Natalie]

So are you driving Mattc's car on your Driving Other Cars cover on your own policy?

You're not strictly doing anything wrong, but your not supposed to routinely do this - it's really only meant for occasional or emergency use. There was talk of it being dropped but that doesn't seem to have widely happened.

You'll have to report both incidents to your own insurance company anyway.

Driving on my policy on Driving Other Cars. Didn't realise I wasn't supposed to routinely do this

Thank you for your advice. Matt and I did talk about adding me to his policy as a named driver couple of weeks ago. But of course it's one of those things that gets put aside when other stuff crops up and then gets forgotton rather stupidly. We live and learn.

 

[Natalie]

Just thought, you've probably used up all your bad luck for the next six months
Might be a good time to buy a lottery ticket
Or to put it another way, birds will sing and flowers bloom where ever you walk (for about six months anyway).

Thanks Soltan - let's hope so eh! Be nice to flowers and birds in Bham!

 

[LastMinute]

Hi Nat,

Sorry to hear about your accidents - but as has been said, stuff happens. At least you're OK, and it is only a car...

your not supposed to routinely do this

I wasn't aware of that, either. What's your source for that statement?

 

[Rory]

Driving on my policy on Driving Other Cars. Didn't realise I wasn't supposed to routinely do this

It's a point some people strongly disagree with - they say if the policy allows it then you can do it.

However insurance operates on the basis of "full disclosure". You should tell the insurance company of anything that might affect their risk. If mattc is overseas and you're using his car quite a bit then you become the main user of the vehicle.

I don't see any way your insurance company could evade their 3rd party obligations, but they probably wouldn't be very happy if both of your bumps had resulted in claims being made against you.

 

[Natalie]

Hi Nat,

Sorry to hear about your accidents - but as has been said, stuff happens. At least you're OK, and it is only a car...

Yes, you are right. As Matt said it is only metal and can be repaired. I think it will need a new nearside wing and bumper, and the tracking naturally checked out too. I've been out to look at it a couple of times and each time I do it doesn't look as bad. Still gutted though, and worried about the insurance issue. But I will call them.

 

[Rory]

I wasn't aware of that, either. What's your source for that statement?

It's more of a moral thing, than a legal one - you are legally covered if you have DOC, but this article has some background:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/insurance/car-insurance/article.html?in_article_id=404166&in_page_id=35

I don't know if NU carried through the removal of DOC, but it was said that all insurers were going to drop it. However it's certainly still on my LV policy.

 

[Rory]

Duplicated post.

 

[Natalie]

Mmmmmm, well if they don't cover - I shall pay for the damage to the other party's alloy etc (hoping the etc isn't huge) and fully expect to pay for the damage to Matt's car anyway. But useful link, thank you Rory.

 

[LastMinute]

Thanks for that link - I see what they're getting at.

But in this instance, I think it's safe to assume that the accidents would have happened just the same had Natalie been driving her own car. So she's actually reduced the insurance company's exposure by limiting their costs to the third party. Doubt her premium will drop as a result, though...

 

[Rory]

Mmmmmm, well if they don't cover - I shall pay for the damage to the other party's alloy etc (hoping the etc isn't huge) and fully expect to pay for the damage to Matt's car anyway. But useful link, thank you Rory.

Don't worry about them not covering you - they cannot avoid their liability to 3rd parties.

 

[Rory]

Thanks for that link - I see what they're getting at.

But in this instance, I think it's safe to assume that the accidents would have happened just the same had Natalie been driving her own car. So she's actually reduced the insurance company's exposure by limiting their costs to the third party. Doubt her premium will drop as a result, though...

Well, who knows? Maybe Natalie's car is lower rated, perhaps in an unfamiliar car you're more like to crash (but you could argue that you would be more careful in an unfamiliar car).

I guess the point is that the ins co covers a particular car, and then they find themselves having to pay out when their policy was being used to protect the driver in another car - ie, it's a different deal from the one they signed up to.