"Knock for Knock" = I don't think so!

[Al115]

So here's the skinny - narrow lane near my house, dad driving the 960 uphill, car oncoming, he pulls in to a side turning and stops, chap coming down the hill in the MPV locks up his brakes and skids into the side of the Ovlov.

Chappy jumps out and tries the "well, we were both at fault" line, my dad says "Nope, don't think so, I wasn't moving". Exchange details and drive off.

Damage to 960 is front bumper, offside wing, driver's door, plus tracking, at a minimum. Car is an N-reg 960 in otherwise lovely shape.

We phoned the chap up tonight to get his insurance details, and now he's saying that the accident is my dad's fault (somehow). Any advice from our friendly community? I'm worried that my folks might have to stump up their excess to have the car repaired even though it's clearly a no-fault accident - or worse, get "50/50"d as there were no witnesses...

Hum.


Alastair

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Get photos of the scene of the accident.
Are there still skid marks present. Get photos of them.
Photos of the side turning/wide space..

Get the car in as close to the position as possible as was when the accident took place. Photograph it both looking up the hill (your fathers direction of movement and from up the road towards the car (the mpv drivers view of where he was going)...
From the mpv drivers direction take a set of photos approaching the Volvo.
Make sure the width of the road is obvious.

Then get photos of the car and damage....
Get your dad to clearly write a narrative of the events as they took place.
Get/draw a good plan of the area/road where this took place showing the courses both cars took..
Get solicitor or the insurrance to appoint one..

Get quote for the work x 2.

No further contact with you knob of a mpv driver either... Tell him to get in touch with his solicitor should he wish to communicate with you further.

Good luck...

Des. . .

[quattrothedog]

i'm having similar difficulties with my insurance company.

last october, while turning right at a roundabout, checked mirrors & signalled before i exited to the left. when i looked back at the road, some idiot in a new mg had pulled out in front of me !

if he'd been taking the same exit as me on to the dual carriageway, i could have driven round the outside of him, drawn him my best "paddington hard stare" and off we both would have gone.

oh no, not this guy, he was going straight on. despite my best efforts, i smacked him in the rear quarter.
my car was written off, which i'm not unhappy about, it was a total shed anyway !
but the guy is disputing liability ! i don't know how, read the highway code, and it plainly says "give way to traffic from the right ", and, for some reason, my insurance company (nig) appear to be doing nothing about it ?
the mind boggles sometimes !!!

[CTCNetwork]

Hi,

Originally Posted by quattrothedog

i'm having similar difficulties with my insurance company.

last october, while turning right at a roundabout, checked mirrors & signalled before i exited to the left. when i looked back at the road, some idiot in a new mg had pulled out in front of me !

if he'd been taking the same exit as me on to the dual carriageway, i could have driven round the outside of him, drawn him my best "paddington hard stare" and off we both would have gone.

oh no, not this guy, he was going straight on. despite my best efforts, i smacked him in the rear quarter.
my car was written off, which i'm not unhappy about, it was a total shed anyway !
but the guy is disputing liability ! i don't know how, read the highway code, and it plainly says "give way to traffic from the right ", and, for some reason, my insurance company (nig) appear to be doing nothing about it ?
the mind boggles sometimes !!!

So he entered the roundabout when he did not have the right to do so..
You have precidence while on the roundabout and he has to wait and whistle dixxy until you've gone..
Just the same as if you were driving past a junction and he pulled out on you.

He is at fault. A plan of the roundabout, photos of the site and a description of the events.
Let him dispute it until he is blue in the face - all the way to court.
There is only one roundabout in the world, that I know of, where people on the roundabout have to give precedence to people joining the roundabout.
And that is in Paris...

Des. . .

EDIT: This must the Legal Aid week, yes?

[adamsky01]

ok give these guys a call they wont touch ur insurance and all it will cost is £10
they will basically fight ur corner if they cant claim back the cash from the third party that is what the £10 covers they are called help hire i cant recommend them enough and yes in my opinion the other driver is at fault if u really want to make the other guys day call the police on him and tell them what hapend if necessary they can do a accident assessment and deter men what hapend but u will have to speak to ur local traffic office for that

[DSK]

HelpHire UK 0500 224455 - brilliant!!!! I have used them on 4 occasions previously and when it comes to non fault accidents they shine bright! They are very quick and efficient too. I was initially told to use this company by my exisitng insurance companies accident damage assessor!

You ring up, state whats happened to expain how you are not at fault. Give them your details along with the details of the third party, pay £10 (like an admin fee) sit back and relax whilst they send you a curteosy car and get cracking with your case. I always got my courteosy cars the same day as well, well chuffed. They liase with all the insurance companies as required, the thrid parties as well as provide you with their own legal team if required.

[AlanH]

Yep, Help Hire were fantastic for us. Me and the wife were sitting on a motorcycle at a red traffic light when we were shunted from behind by a couple of Mormon missionaries in a red Nissan Micra. They failed to see the lights and failed to see a massive trail bike with brake light on in front of them.

Help Hire got me a Honda Hornet hire bike while mine was off the road and everything was sorted out really quickly. It's amazing how the incentive of spiralling hire costs speeds up an insurer. They even sorted out compensation for the broken bone in my hand. Flawless!

[V70 driver]

Agree with all this des, I seem to recall when I took my test many years, the law was one decending a hill in single lane traffic gave way to ascending traffic, or has this changed?
V70 driver

Originally Posted by CTCNetwork

Hi,

Get photos of the scene of the accident.
Are there still skid marks present. Get photos of them.
Photos of the side turning/wide space..

Get the car in as close to the position as possible as was when the accident took place. Photograph it both looking up the hill (your fathers direction of movement and from up the road towards the car (the mpv drivers view of where he was going)...
From the mpv drivers direction take a set of photos approaching the Volvo.
Make sure the width of the road is obvious.

Then get photos of the car and damage....
Get your dad to clearly write a narrative of the events as they took place.
Get/draw a good plan of the area/road where this took place showing the courses both cars took..
Get solicitor or the insurrance to appoint one..

Get quote for the work x 2.

No further contact with you knob of a mpv driver either... Tell him to get in touch with his solicitor should he wish to communicate with you further.

Good luck...

Des. . .

[V70 driver]

Only a suggestion, the reason why your insurance company appear to be doing nothing is, you have made contact with his "rear quarter". If there were no witnesses for you or the other party, then the other party's insurance is probably going to say you hit his rear end.
Only a thought on the matter , you are at fault.
My thoughts based on what you have written/description.
V70 driver

Originally Posted by quattrothedog

i'm having similar difficulties with my insurance company.


oh no, not this guy, he was going straight on. despite my best efforts, i smacked him in the rear quarter.
the guy is disputing liability ! i don't know how, read the highway code, and it plainly says "give way to traffic from the right ", and, for some reason, my insurance company (nig) appear to be doing nothing about it ?
the mind boggles sometimes !!!

[bobcat]

Most insurance companys will allways try deny responsibility initially to try and get a 50/50 or the other owner to admit responsibility.

as mentioned, take lots of photos with you car in the shot, and show things like how 2 cars couldnt fit down the road so one of you must have been in a layby, and if your dad was pulling out the angle of contact would have changed etc etc etc. also look a the damage and use that to prove what happened.

build up the evidence, then you insurance company will have enough ammo to proceed.