Help Car Insurance - Liability Claims

[Vladamir]

I need your help freddies

Had a prang last week, and at the scene the other driver pretty much admitted liability with "I was driving straight ahead and didn't see you pulling out"

However after speaking with my insurance, their series of questions seem to suggest I'm the one at fault, to which I contested, and it's now been passed onto the liability department who'll be phoning me in the next few days to sort it out.

Anyone been in this situation before? I'm wondering what sort of thing they'll be asking me and/if they'll try and catch me out with any questions - this is my insurer calling me BTW, not the other party's.

Cheers

 

[Ch3tan]

You pulled out infront of a moving vehicle, them not seeing you does not make them liable - they had right of way I am assuming?

I'd say you were at fault based on the limited info you've given so far.

edit:// By the way, was it serious enough to report to the insurance company? Bad for you and the other driver in the long run, if it was just a "prang" surely it could have been dealt with between yourselves?

 

[Vladamir]

I was in a congested left hand lane and went to go into the right (empty) lane for a turning further down the road, signal right, check wing mirror, blindspot, clear, begin to pull out (<10mph) and he's come from behind at 20-30mph - impact of my front right wheelarch and his rear left door.

I'm not sure whether it'll definitely go through the insurance, my excess is £500 because I'm under 25, but I don't know how much damage there is, I've got a dent in said wheelarch and the headlight's not working (not sure if it's blown or the electrics) and his left rear door was dented.

I'd want to avoid going through the insurance ideally, but I don't really know it all works. I'm also struggling to see how I pulled out in front of a moving vehicle when there was nothing behind me as i pulled out, i'm trying not to be stubborn or big-headed, but there genuinly wasn't!

 

[Ch3tan]

Sounds like it depends on what the other guy says now.

Also once you've involved the insurance company, you've involved them. Even if you don't make a claim, or he doesn't. The fact you've been involved in an accident that they ahve logged WILL affect your premiums.

 

[Vladamir]

I'm guessing if it comes down to my word vs his I won't have much luck, unless the damage on either car sheds a bit more light on it, I don't know. I won't be surprised if he refutes previously mentioned quote.

 

[Ezteq]

stop driving and get back in your tank; bad hypnotoad!!

 

[Zenith.UK]

I had a multi-car prang in August and this is what I did.

Check everyone's okay (even the people at fault).
Swap insurance details, but don't try to explain yourself.
Take pics with your mobile of any damage to any vehicle involved, and definitely get images of their number plate.
As soon as you get home, write up a narrative of what led up to, during and after the accident. Try and get down as much information and detail as you can (those mobile phone pics should help).
Now you've got the info in front of you, call up your insurance and go through the claim. Stick to the information you've written down. Don't try and drift away from the facts you've written down and try not to speculate.

In my particular case I was plain about what led to my accident, what I did during it and what happened after. My insurers later told me that I was the only one who actually provided info about all 4 parties and that my narrative was the only statement to actually give the sequence of who hit who.

In your case, just tell it like it was. Even if it was your fault, or their fault, just state the facts and what you did. It's not up to you to apportion blame even though they ask the question on the form. It's up to the insurance companies to battle it out between themselves to decide who was to blame.

 

[Garaen]

If you can avoid the insurance then i would, it's clear you were at fault for pulling out into moving traffic without it being clear, everyone has a lapse of concentration Do you have the guy's details to see whether you could sort it off the insurance?

 

[eksdee]

sounds like the front of his car hit the rear of yours in so many words? i would say liability-wise you're 90% in the clear - even if you pulled out when you shouldn't have, if he has hit your rear end it's his fault pretty much. similar thing happened to my mum a few years ago but the reverse - though in her case the driver in front of her stalled and it was 100% the other driver's fault, however due to the fact my mum went into her back, she was deemed to be at fault.

 

[Vladamir]

If you can avoid the insurance then i would, it's clear you were at fault for pulling out into moving traffic without it being clear, everyone has a lapse of concentration Do you have the guy's details to see whether you could sort it off the insurance?

This is what's confusing me though, because at the time I looked it was clear and literally seconds later he's collided with me, as far as I can tell i've checked to see if it was clear, it was, and then whether he's coming in too fast and not seen me, I don't know.

sounds like the front of his car hit the rear of yours in so many words? i would say liability-wise you're 90% in the clear - even if you pulled out when you shouldn't have, if he has hit your rear end it's his fault pretty much. similar thing happened to my mum a few years ago but the reverse - though in her case the driver in front of her stalled and it was 100% the other driver's fault, however due to the fact my mum went into her back, she was deemed to be at fault.

He's come from behind but not hit my rear unfortunately, the impact is on my front right wheelarch and his rear left door, aesthetically he had greater damage than me, but was also travelling a lot faster if that accounts for it.

 

[Moriath]

So you pulled into his rear side of the car so i dontt hink you have much to contest .. Just that you didnt see him and you pulled out into him .. unless you can prove he was speeding which i doubt

and as said before the insurance know now so very hard to make them unknow

 

[pikeh]

My wife works in insurance, and she says its very very very very rare that you would be able to prove that you are not the one at fault. In the eyes of the law, you pulled out, you're at fault.

 

[liloe]

Sounds like it depends on what the other guy says now.

Also once you've involved the insurance company, you've involved them. Even if you don't make a claim, or he doesn't. The fact you've been involved in an accident that they ahve logged WILL affect your premiums.

Wrong. I had an accident and the insurance offered that if I pay everything by myself, the premiums won't go up.

 

[Ch3tan]

Wrong. I had an accident and the insurance offered that if I pay everything by myself, the premiums won't go up.

Yes, but its logged that you've been in an accident, it affects your rating with insurers, it certainly affects the rates for the postcode in which you had the accident. When you come to renew it will be taken into account, they'll never tell you what the base their renewal quotes on.

 

[ECA]

Honestly, your best bet was to get him to sign a piece of paper acknowledging his responsibility right there and then.

Some **** van driver fell asleep and smashed into the side of my sisters car as she was turning ( he was behind ), and claimed she didn't indicate and he was trying to overtake at the time.... dragged it out for 2 years and threatened to go to court before he eventually backed down.( guess his job was on the line or something ).

People are fucking douchebags.

 

[Killswitch]

People will say/do anything to avoid a confrontation, I think. Also, I don't believe that someone can "accept liability" in an insurance claim situation. The various reports are looked at and the insurers decide on a balance of liability. It's not just "at fault" or not...I know of cases where liability has been split 50/50 for example.

I had a great one...I was turning right (we drive on the left here, European/Yank readers) just past some lights. The lights were on red and there was a queue of traffic. As I went behind this queue, a guy at the back of the queue went into reverse and reversed straight into my front-right wing/wheel!! He apologised, claimed full responsibility, gave me his details and we both left the scene...

Later, I found out he was disputing blame and claiming that I had placed my car in a dangerous position where he couldn't have been expected to see me. Now, we WAS going backwards, but (as Snatch teaches us) when you're reversing things generally come from behind you!!

People (all people, without exception) are lying, cheating scumbags who will do anything to further their own cause at the expense of others. Remember this when dealing with anyone at any time and you'll do alright.

 

[Raven]

Some stupid bitch tried to make out it was my wife's fault in an accident once, we were at a single lane junction waiting to turn left and the other driver tried to squeeze past us to turn right, scarping up the side of our car.

I took pictures of both our car and theirs and the junction though so she didn't stand a chance, in the end we had to take it through the insurers because she refused to pay us for the damage, hopefully she lost any no claims she may have had.