Crashed my Clio

[AcID ZeR0]

After many of problems my Clio has finally met it's match in the shape of a Ford Escort and a women with a heavy right foot.

Was turning into my work car park off my local ind. estate, had to cross oncoming traffic checked once all clear put into correct gear (2nd) and proceeded out of nowhere came the Escort straight into my rear passenger door, she must have swung out from behind parked cars as I really didn't see her at all and judging by the condition of my car she must have been going some as well the whole left hand side of the car went up into the air.

The security guard who attends the car park didn't see it in full but managed to catch the impact he said he thinks she was speeding too she didn't even swerve to miss me, if she'd swerved about 2m she'd have cleared me. only small skid marks aswell so she braked at the last minute.

Her car is a mess and so is mine the entire rear passenger door is caved in and sticking inside the car the wing is also bent too.
Pretty much thinking it's a write off.

I don't know if I have a leg to stand on, in all honesty I didn't see her I looked and I'm almost certain she was doing well over 30 as my door is completly inside out but whether the insurance will see it like that is another matter.

As I need a car to get to work in I was thinking of buying another Clio, I was wondering what happens next??

Can I go ahead and buy a new clio and add it to my current insurance policy.
I pay the policy monthly will they require all the money in a lump sum now the claim has been made?

 

[makavelli]

gutted for yer matey

 

[Claire]

when steven wrote my first clio off I had my second one within two days. The payout off insurance covered it once it came through

 

[Yellabowley]

Looks like a cut and dried case I'm afraid mate. If you're crossing oncoming traffic and they hit you no matter what the circumstances it's 99.99% certain you will be forced to accept full responsibility. It's similar to being on the wrong side of the road.

Do you not get a courtesy car? If you are going to continue with the same insurers you should be able to keep your same policy and transfer it to a new car when yours is written off. If your cars not a write off you shouldn't be able to buy a temporary car on the same policy, you'll need to take out a second policy on the temporary replacement car.

Best of luck anyway.

 

[AcID ZeR0]

Yellabowley, I was suspecting that myself, to be honest if I wasn't there I'd blame myself as it sounds like I'm at fault even though I myself know I'm a safe driver and she was in the wrong.
Is it worth contesting the case of her speeding, I have one witness in the car with me and one independant witness.
Regarding policy I was under the impression that in the event of a claim the insurance becomes void and all fees owed have to be payed in full on the spot + excess?

 

[AcID ZeR0]

By the way thanks for the advice guys much appreciated, worst feeling ever having a crash but hey pretty much everyone will have one at some point.

 

[Claire]

Yellabowley, I was suspecting that myself, to be honest if I wasn't there I'd blame myself as it sounds like I'm at fault even though I myself know I'm a safe driver and she was in the wrong.
Is it worth contesting the case of her speeding, I have one witness in the car with me and one independant witness.
Regarding policy I was under the impression that in the event of a claim the insurance becomes void and all fees owed have to be payed in full on the spot + excess?

Did you all give statements to the police?
For example, on the road where i live, at crossroads, many have the same problems as you because people speed along most of it
In most cases, where someone has caused an accident through speeding (because the vision is poor someone pulling out would have no idea), the witness statements are crucial to you not getting done for driving without due care. Police arent stupid (in most cases, though that could be highly arguable in the way they dealt with my partners crash) and work out what happened from the initial scene

 

[Yellabowley]

Regarding the speeding issue theres nothing you can do unless you have proof. If a police car is doing 90mph on the motorway and you overtake it then unless they have the correct equipment they can't do you for speeding as they have no proof even though the coppers know you were speeding (there's other things we can do you for though).

You'll need to check with your insurance company to be sure on the other point. Never happened to me but I was presuming it would be the same as making a change to your policy only difference being that the changes would be a £5k accident and then a change of car. Could be very wrong though!

 

[Yellabowley]

Did you all give statements to the police?

Doubt it would make any odds. If you've exchanged details it's more likely that it'll be down to the insurance companies to fight it out (and your insurance company will fight tooth and nail if they think you have a case!).

 

[Claire]

Doubt it would make any odds. If you've exchanged details it's more likely that it'll be down to the insurance companies to fight it out (and your insurance company will fight tooth and nail if they think you have a case!).

well, actually it does. I know the local traffic police quite well as I always have to converse with them, about two to four times a month over crashes outside my house. I have training my local authorites to be first on the scene and to apply first aid if needed. If you police can give a conclusion over liability, then you will be ten times more likely to win a claim

 

[AcID ZeR0]

No police was involved as no one was hurt, should I report it with them tommorow or is it too late?

 

[Claire]

No police was involved as no one was hurt, should I report it with them tommorow or is it too late?

oh dear. you should ALWAYS call police, no matter how minor an incident it seems. you can still report it, problem with your case is they could have probably made the correct assumptions upon seeing the positions and conditions of both cars- v and talking to witnesses

 

[Yellabowley]

Doesn't really make that much difference on timescale to be honest mate. When we take statements they have the time and date of the incident on so any court can see how long has passed since the accident. But as I said before (and I'm sorry but other than in exceptional cases Claire is wrong on this one) if the case is worth fighting then your insurance company will tell you when you explain the circumstances to them, they will do anything to get out of paying so if they turn around and say it's your fault then a witness statement given to a police officer is going to make very little difference.

And again the bottom line is it's your word against hers. As soon as she says 'I noticed that my speedo read 30mph exactly' then she has got a reliable device which has stated her exact speed. All you or any other witness can say is that in your opinion she was exceeding 30mph. It's a shitter but thats the way it goes unfortunately.

 

[AcID ZeR0]

Thanks for all the advice guys, one other thing. Any idea how long this could drag on for?
I'm thinking about getting a new Clio but I might be able to get away with a new door and have the wing straightned out a bit.

 

[Claire]

Doesn't really make that much difference on timescale to be honest mate. When we take statements they have the time and date of the incident on so any court can see how long has passed since the accident. But as I said before (and I'm sorry but other than in exceptional cases Claire is wrong on this one) if the case is worth fighting then your insurance company will tell you when you explain the circumstances to them, they will do anything to get out of paying so if they turn around and say it's your fault then a witness statement given to a police officer is going to make very little difference.

And again the bottom line is it's your word against hers. As soon as she says 'I noticed that my speedo read 30mph exactly' then she has got a reliable device which has stated her exact speed. All you or any other witness can say is that in your opinion she was exceeding 30mph. It's a sh*tter but thats the way it goes unfortunately.

are you kidding?! It happens all the time here, and i fail to believe it isnt the case elsewhere. If police arrive at the incident, notes are taken, opinions are formed - along with witness statements. If the verdict of the police backs up your story then OF COURSE you have a better chance. Also, it might well have been not a 30mph limit, or an obstructed road etc etc

What area of police work are you concerned with?

 

[Claire]

Thanks for all the advice guys, one other thing. Any idea how long this could drag on for?
I'm thinking about getting a new Clio but I might be able to get away with a new door and have the wing straightned out a bit.

Took my claim about 2 months through CIS, with disputed incidents which I know of its anything up to five. only in exceptions does it get much more

 

[AcID ZeR0]

I'm with CIS too, The security guard has got us on CCTV but it's one of them crappy ones which record with 4 second intervals so you see the car then the aftermath but it's got our final positions on etc..

 

[Claire]

I'm with CIS too, The security guard has got us on CCTV but it's one of them crappy ones which record with 4 second intervals so you see the car then the aftermath but it's got our final positions on etc..

might help

 

[Phill1978]

a lot of clio wrecks recently have been other s**t drivers crashing into them, good job the clio`s are safe for a car of its type

 

[Yellabowley]

are you kidding?! It happens all the time here, and i fail to believe it isnt the case elsewhere. If police arrive at the incident, notes are taken, opinions are formed - along with witness statements. If the verdict of the police backs up your story then OF COURSE you have a better chance. Also, it might well have been not a 30mph limit, or an obstructed road etc etc

What area of police work are you concerned with?

A police officer attending the scene is highly unlikely to have the necessary expertise to make any decisions on who was responsible. And as police officers theres nothing worse than being ripped to shreds in court by a barrister because you have provided opinions on things you know very little about. The only police who could back you up are the accident investigation team who are the experts and unless they were called at the time to come and see the scene or you have sufficient photographic evidence they won't be able to help much either. In the end the solicitors for the insurance companies will have the best idea of how you stand.

Just to clarify Acid I'm not trying to say 'don't ring the police' if thats what you want to do then thats fine but if it was me I would see what my insurance company say.

And I don't have a specific area yet as I'm still in my probationary period but I have just finished my traffic training this week!

 

[AcID ZeR0]

Thanks again guys, one final question. I was looking on What Car? to look at an est. of how much her car is worth.
This is what they came up with.

PRICES
Dealer £1,947
Private £1,541
Part Ex £965
Trade £916

If it's a total loss which price does she get paid am I right in thinking dealer price so she can buy a new one of equivilant value.

I saw the following wrong with her car is bumper broke, bonnet bent, lhs wing bent, windscreen washer fluid leaking.

I'm pretty much expecting it to be a total loss?

 

[Yellabowley]

Yeah I think you're right mate. Depends how much is superficial damage though. Are you asking because you're concerned how much your premium will rise?

 

[Claire]

A police officer attending the scene is highly unlikely to have the necessary expertise to make any decisions on who was responsible. And as police officers theres nothing worse than being ripped to shreds in court by a barrister because you have provided opinions on things you know very little about. The only police who could back you up are the accident investigation team who are the experts and unless they were called at the time to come and see the scene or you have sufficient photographic evidence they won't be able to help much either. In the end the solicitors for the insurance companies will have the best idea of how you stand.

Just to clarify Acid I'm not trying to say 'don't ring the police' if thats what you want to do then thats fine but if it was me I would see what my insurance company say.

And I don't have a specific area yet as I'm still in my probationary period but I have just finished my traffic training this week!

Its funny, because the 10 plus traffic officers i know all take a different stance

 

[AcID ZeR0]

Yes Yella if the claim is about £1500 my premium will rise £100 which to be honest isn't that bad.

Do they take into account her cars milage etc..

What I'm really concerned with at the moment is my current lack of transport say for example I was to buy a cheap Clio tommorow I'd have to take out a seperate policy to use it?

I pay for insurance monthy, If the pending claim is found to go against me would the remaining money I owe on the premium (About 60%) become payable in full or will they cancel the policy completly and not bother about the rest of the cover I haven't used yet.

See as this is my first crash (hopefully I won't make a habbit of it) I really don't know what happens in the aftermath and where I stand policy wise.

 

[theduck]

they'll give her the lowest they can, though it is possible to calculate the speed she was travelling by assesing the damage to your vehicle. They arent likey to go into that much detail though

 

[MarkCup]

AFAIK if you call the Police, following a non-injury RTA, they'll tell you to sort it out yourself. It's only when someone's hurt they need to attend.

Hope you get it sorted out though fella.

 

[Claire]

AFAIK if you call the Police, following a non-injury RTA, they'll tell you to sort it out yourself. It's only when someone's hurt they need to attend.

Hope you get it sorted out though fella.

You are always told to call them. Especially if a dispute is likely you dont want to be standing alone against someone. even if hey are only present for a few minutes and take notes or statements.
Remember the police are law enforcement, and AMBULANCES deal with injuries. Which is why, over an accident, they should be called

 

[Dave]

I dont understand why you'd call police if its a non-injury RTA and no damage to any other property except the vehicles involved.

I did it ONCE and that was only because I wanted them to PNC the other driver as I thought he was DODGY.

 

[Claire]

I dont understand why you'd call police if its a non-injury RTA and no damage to any other property except the vehicles involved.

I did it ONCE and that was only because I wanted them to PNC the other driver as I thought he was DODGY.

But any incident can be DODGY. I mean, even this person is saying the woman who hit him was not doing the correct speed. if police attend they have a far better chance of getting to the bottom of what happened because you have special units for traffic accidents alone

 

[Dave]

are you kidding?! It happens all the time here, and i fail to believe it isnt the case elsewhere. If police arrive at the incident, notes are taken, opinions are formed - along with witness statements. If the verdict of the police backs up your story then OF COURSE you have a better chance. Also, it might well have been not a 30mph limit, or an obstructed road etc etc

What area of police work are you concerned with?

You are KIDDING ME? If I arrive at a non-injury RTA then all I'm interested in is clearing the road and supervising exchange of documents. If deemed necessary I might consider reporting someone for careless but the evidence just wouldnt be there from what I've read. Sounds like a fender bender thats worked out as quite a bit of damage. I dont think the force would be sending out the experts to measure the skid marks on this one Claire.

 

[Dave]

But any incident can be DODGY. I mean, even this person is saying the woman who hit him was not doing the correct speed. if police attend they have a far better chance of getting to the bottom of what happened because you have special units for traffic accidents alone

Yes there are special traffic units but a full blown investigation aint gonna happen for this incident. Its MINOR. Couple of HORT/1s issued, a T28 accident form drawn up and written off as long as all parties produce. Unless someone has died or done some major damage or injury or obviously driven like a real prick then why? Its on an industrial estate for a start and any estate I've ever been on an incident like this is forseeable IMHO. They are always laid out in an awful fashion.

 

[Dave]

You are always told to call them. Especially if a dispute is likely you dont want to be standing alone against someone. even if hey are only present for a few minutes and take notes or statements.
Remember the police are law enforcement, and AMBULANCES deal with injuries. Which is why, over an accident, they should be called

Why call Police if its a non-reportable accident I still dont understand. My reaction would be...."Bothered".

 

[Joolz]

Sorry about the bad luck.

I'm no expert but a car travelling at as low a speed as 30 smacking into the side of your motor is gonna hurt and do alot of damage. At a higher speed it's gonna fooking hurt.

From what you've posted it sounds like the odds are stacked against you placing blame on the other driver but don't let me put you off pursuing if you're positive she was in the wrong. It sounds like the parked cars had more part to play in the incident by blocking yer vision, if it'd happened to me (which it nearly has on several occasions due to people's inconsiderate and ignorant parking) I'd try and place blame on them if they were parked illegally but even that sounds like it's too late.

I'd just get as much as you can for the car and don't accept first offer if it's too low. As for insurance cover I reckon you could simply swap the policy over to the new vehicle.

 

[Dave]

A police officer attending the scene is highly unlikely to have the necessary expertise to make any decisions on who was responsible. And as police officers theres nothing worse than being ripped to shreds in court by a barrister because you have provided opinions on things you know very little about. The only police who could back you up are the accident investigation team who are the experts and unless they were called at the time to come and see the scene or you have sufficient photographic evidence they won't be able to help much either. In the end the solicitors for the insurance companies will have the best idea of how you stand.

Just to clarify Acid I'm not trying to say 'don't ring the police' if thats what you want to do then thats fine but if it was me I would see what my insurance company say.

And I don't have a specific area yet as I'm still in my probationary period but I have just finished my traffic training this week!

Highly agree with most of this post. I would have no intention of giving an opinion and nor would I have any intention of getting myself so involved that I wind up giving an expert opinion in a claims court. Because it CAN happen. Nail me to the back of the witness box MR solicior/barrister - no thanks!

 

[Dave]

Sorry about the bad luck.

I'm no expert but a car travelling at as low a speed as 30 smacking into the side of your motor is gonna hurt and do alot of damage. At a higher speed it's gonna fooking hurt.

From what you've posted it sounds like the odds are stacked against you placing blame on the other driver but don't let me put you off pursuing if you're positive she was in the wrong. It sounds like the parked cars had more part to play in the incident by blocking yer vision, if it'd happened to me (which it nearly has on several occasions due to people's inconsiderate and ignorant parking) I'd try and place blame on them if they were parked illegally but even that sounds like it's too late.

I'd just get as much as you can for the car and don't accept first offer if it's too low. As for insurance cover I reckon you could simply swap the policy over to the new vehicle.

If its a write off surely the policy expires?

 

[Claire]

Why call Police if its a non-reportable accident I still dont understand. My reaction would be...."Bothered".

I'm only talking from my own experience, no need for the multiple post response. Like I said, I must have had to be first on scene at over 50 accidents. and police always have to be called. And, considering I was traind by local authorites and was told this was essential for every accident, hence the advice I gave

I'm saying, if you think you need to call police, ie - disputing who's at fault, then do it. I did ask my friend again about it today when I saw him (traffic police) and he still agreed its always best to call police, its what they are trained for

 

[Joolz]

If its a write off surely the policy expires?

I've never written off a motor (touch wood) so you may be correct but I'm not sure what expires means? If it simply ends the current cover for that car then surely any remaining ncb can be used against the next policy or continuance of the existing against a new motor???

Sorry I'm just guessing from claims that friends have made in the past (for non write-offs).

 

[Joolz]

I'm only talking from my own experience, no need for the multiple post response. Like I said, I must have had to be first on scene at over 50 accidents. and police always have to be called. And, considering I was traind by local authorites and was told this was essential for every accident, hence the advice I gave

I'm saying, if you think you need to call police, ie - disputing who's at fault, then do it. I did ask my friend again about it today when I saw him (traffic police) and he still agreed its always best to call police, its what they are trained for

You've been at over 50 incidents and they're still continuing!!!! If they're all at the same place then the council ain't doing a great job to reduce them.

 

[Dave]

Joolz - I think in cases of a total loss the policy is finished and you have to pay a completely new premium - obviously with the fact you have had an accident in the quotation (!) If you have protected NCB then go ahead and use them but if not then go back to the start (!)

Claire - Multiple posts due to there being so many comments I had to er....comment upon! What EXACTLY is your role out of interest? Whilst it's always "nice" to have a Police Officer present I dispute the fact that its necessary in a simple case of document swapping.

 

[Claire]

You've been at over 50 incidents and they're still continuing!!!! If they're all at the same place then the council ain't doing a great job to reduce them.

Yes, sadly, it ridiculous.
We did campaign and sign a petition to have either a roundabout or lights but nothing came of it - only really my training and a few SLOW signs. Problem is its a wide, long road. the racers all go along it at up to 100mph but in my town there is lots of old people, and they pull out without judging the speed or in fact seeing the people speeding. Probably why the council hasnt done much - as its not a problem with the road layout, as such - just an unfortunate combination of driving styles