can u believe the luck... :-(

[steve_rt]

i cant belive it - ive had the clio for 2 months, and have had my mum reverse into it and now a great bloody HGV drive into the same side of it!

i was getting onto the A2 today on my way home from work, and there was big traffic. the inside trwo lanes were not moving, but they were just queuing for the next turnoff - as i didnt want that i was trying to get into the outside lane. SO, i followed the car infront of me into a gap betrween 2 stationary lorries, and as the car got into the outrside lane i moved into his vacant space in the inside lane...but the b*****d in the lorry behind me couldnt see me so moved forward oblivious of my presence!luckilt he didnt completely sandwich me but did enough damage to put a 2 inch-deep dent in my rear o/s panel, and to bend the door frame! Ive been quoted ~£500 for the fix, the bloke is confident he can get the dent out with all his gadgets.

BUT heres the bad news - it was prob my fault becuase i wasnt in the lorry drivers field of vision, and i am ONLY 3rd party insured. What makes it worse is that when my insurance expires in 3wks time i am goig to make it fully comp.

Can life get any worse ?!

 

[Clio_novice]

get your new insurance when its due, then claim off that when it starts

 

[steve_rt]

lol!

anyone with bodyshop experience: from what i have read and heard, peopel say beware of filler on repairs (dont they always say do the magnet test when looking at a motor?) - the bloke who i am looking at to do this will pulll out the dent, and he says he will smooth out any slight imperfections with some kind of filler (forget the name now) - he showed me it done on an astra ccab hes got in at the mo and it looks perfect...my only worry is that it may affect the resale value of my car? will people walk if they know its been in a repair, or is filler commonly used?

cheers guys

 

[steve_rt]

...anyone?

 

[KDF]

take pictures of the repair and let the buyer see them when he comes to buy, you may have to knock a little off but at least you can say it was professionally repaired.

 

[RobFenn]

The A2..where bouts do you live? I know a good bodyshop along the A2

 

[steve_rt]

just pmd ya mate

kdf - what take pics while its being repaired? if so, do you reckon the bodyshop people would be a bit funny about it...no, i spose not if theyre decent (talk about answer your own q!). Should i show them a before and after pic or do you thik they might be too scared by it\?!

 

[Steveold]

If he hit you its his fault.... hope you got the plate details of the lorry then phone your insurance company

 

[steve_rt]

thats what i thought, but i moved over the hatched lines of the slip road to get in front of him, and as i was going to get in the outisde lane i was sidweays in the inside lane, as if pulling out from a T junction.

but you have made me thought - what do you think, based on what ive told you? is it my fault or do i have a case to make a claim against him? i have to say that i have already contacted my insurance company and told them about the accident, and sort of said it could have been my fault, simply because i wanted to tell them there was no damage to the lorry in case he tried to pull a fast one on me. if you guys rcekon i have a case then i could ring back and say that i was in shock after seeing this bug f*cker of a lorry trying to run me over!

 

[Steveold]

I think you should never admit its your fault even if you know it is.... You can always try to make a claim... if it dont happen then just get it fixed yourself it cant hurt to try.... I would say if traffic had been moving normaly then it would have been your fault but it was not so ring them back!!

 

[Steveold]

Also lorry drivers are assholes and think they own the place.. i bet he done it on purpose

 

[Steveold]

and and and if i pulled out on a car and said its not my fault he was in my blind spot you thing i would have a chance? NO

 

[RobFenn]

ok replied to the ol pm

Lets hope you got his details cos 3rd party would mean u are f***ed royaly if u aint! And hopefully the driver will take the blame as he dont pay for the insurance!

 

[steve_rt]

anyone of tibbet and britton haulage company? are they a big one?

im just thinking, they could go either of two ways if they are:

1. they wont care so will pay out on my damage.

2. they will have strong legal representation so will go out all guns and i may get in more trouble than its worth!

 

[Steveold]

the insurance company will deside not the driver!!!

 

[RobFenn]

Phone up your insurance company and ask if they are approved

 

[steve_rt]

typical - on hold for 20mins, only to be cut off at 5:30 coz they close!!!!!! will ring them tomorrow, the more i think about it and the more i talk about ti with other people the more i reckon i have a case...will speak to them tomorrow!

rob - cheers for the directions matey, im goin there tomorrow; funny, just as you mentioned them my dad knows them aswell!!! - you "triggered" his memory!

 

[DTWD]

The rule of thumb is "vehicle behinds fault". Unless your doing something stupid, which it doesnt sound like you were. Then its his fault. So you werent in it his field of vision, is that your fault? Are you a seasoned lorry driver with experience on that particular rig? I think not. How where you to know he couldnt see you. You assumed using all available information to you at that point in time that you were blatenly odviose. And anyone who was paying attention to the situation would have seen you.



Paul

 

[steve_rt]

paul - you hit the nail on the head for me mate - thats what i am now thinking. juts about to ring my insurance peeps and talk to them...im just hoping that it does go my way, coz just got an estimate - if i want a new panel (rather than a filler job) then its around about £1000 worth of work!!!!

will let you know how i get on - rob, yeah i just went and talked to dominic at V&G, good bloke...just hope i can afford his work!!! I saw a couple of s-class mercs and a 911 boxster in his bodyshop, so his reputation is obviously good.

 

[steve_rt]

got off the phone to them - they seem to think i have a case and are gonna get solicitors to begin a claim against them...thank god for free legal cover!

ill keep you posted!

 

[iboswell]

Wheres this V&G place along the A2 then? - I live near Dartford so could be handy to know for the future... Got there number and address?

Cheers...THE BOZ

 

[viceroy]

I think the law with regards to lane changing is that the vehicle changing lane must give way so if your vehicle was in the middle of two lanes at the time he hit you then youre at fault.

My dad was in a similar situation where someone tried to cut him off and got caught halfway between 2 lanes when my father plowed into him with a VW bus (and bullbars). He had to pay everything.

If you can prove your car was already completely in the lane then you can claim it as being the driver behind yous fault.

 

[RobFenn]

V&G are in footscray.

Cray Road, footscray, sidcup, kent, DA14 3BZ
02083081999 - owners called dominic

They repaired my dads aston vantage (and a dent in my clio), and as steve just said he does prestige cars all the time, so they know their stuff.

I think i saw your clio this afternoon there steve??

 

[steve_rt]

viceroy- cant see how i can prove i was in the lane completely, especially as i was in sideways (trying to create the angle to move safetly into the outside lane). but the fact that the traffic was stationary when i moved in the lane, and then he just carried on into me surely shows a lack of observation on his part?

 

[Steveold]

Just write the insurance form exactly how it happened.... they will deside who is at fault

 

[SoLow]

just fyi, Tibet and Britten are a huge company, they do haulage and storage the lot. Insurance sorts it out though so dont worry. My company isurance pay out for anything, even when its blatantly their fault! (then charge me for crashing!)

 

[steve_rt]

lol @ solow... so theres still hope then!