Minor Accident + Leaving the Scene!

[Dave]

Ok, whilst stood outside my store today I watched a woman back her car into my 182!

I was like

ANYWAY, I approached her and told her she had hit my car, and she took one look said "no damage" and walked off into my store. I stood by the doors waiting for her to leave and saw her on the mobile to her husband basically asking him what she should do.

She leftthe store, I walked out and said I cant tell if there is any damage underneath and that I wanted to take her details just in case. She said she wasnt admitting liability. I said liability is not an issue I just want details.

She refused and said no damage so no details. I informed her that I would treat it as leaving the scene of an accident and that I would report to the police. She said "Youll have to speak to my husband" got in her car and drove off.

Before anyone says why didnt i stop her

1) In work uniform on busy high street - company image
2) Have applied to be a policeman so need to be very careful, I coulda swiped her keys but I could see me getting nicked for theft so trod carefully.

I got her plate and I know its correct as I used RAC Car Data Check





Manufacturer
Mazda

Model
323 ZXI V6 24V

Body type
5 door hatchback

Colour
Silver

Fuel type
Petrol

Date manufactured
31 December 1998

Number of previous owners
0

Last owner change

17 March 1998


So thats all good. I also phoned Surrey Police (as thats where I was) and told them the story and gave them the plate. They said I have to report at a station along with all my documents (basically a producer - standard practice) and that they would circulate the plate to the patrols.

I have checked the car briefly and the bumper is pushed back a bit, I think the spiltter is spilt AND I THINK that one of the zenons is cracked at the bottom corner but I dont know if thats a problem?!

So I need some advice.

I dont want to got through insurance, I have a silly excess. I think if I tracked these people down theyd give me a few hundred quid and I would be on my way end of.

So if I report it, and then to my insurance company, can I pay for the repairs myself but use my insurance company legal protection thing to write them threatening letters for reimbursement? Kinda thing. HELP.

 

[Toypop]

You should report her to the police then claim on her insurance to get the repairs done?

/t0y

 

[Chris1.4RT]

Not sure but the police should know where she lives and go around rather than just keeping an eye out.

Screw her for every peeny mate. These sort of people make me sick. They dont accept responsibility. All you were after is at the very least an apology and maybe the repair bill.

Do her mate.

 

[Dave]

I cant be agged with solicitors writing to each other and disputes. Takes forever been there and done it!

Just want

1) The priority - her nicked for what she did

2) some cash off her.

 

[FATBOY]

where do u work mate?

 

[MikeC]

you should have headbutted her

 

[iceblue182]

any claim should not go on to your policy at all as iys not your fault. if you are clever about it you could get her fone for criminal damage that would teach her!

 

[Toypop]

Give her the choice, pay in cash for the damage or you will claim on her insurance therefore putting her premiums up.

If need be you have to go through the insurance a solicitor route as its the only way to stop these people. If you hadnt been watching she would have hit your car and driven off.

/t0y

 

[Dave]

I work in Oxted. Its a poxy little village. Everyone thinks they have a bit of dough cos they live in Surrey. The school kids are posh little tw*ts.

Anyway help me out

1) implication of possibly cracked zenon

2) best way to get her address

anyone?

 

[Turkish]

how can the last owner change be before the date of manufacture

 

[ddhaywood]

Sounds as though there is no damage to your car otherwise you would claim on her insurance blatantly.



Sounds as though u just want to get some money out of it, which i dont think u will unless you go through the correct procedure of insurers.

 

[Dave]

Thats a very good point...gotta be a bug on the site!

 

[BenR]

Beat the front of your car and charge her. lol

 

[MikeC]

the cars a ringer!

 

[madman1981]

just report it too the police who will give you the information you need then report it to insurance, if you have legal coverage us that

 

[Dave]

The police wont give me the info Im pretty sure. Data protection and all that.

 

[Chris1.4RT]

Quote: Originally posted by Loony on 04 October 2004

how can the last owner change be before the date of manufacture

That rac checker gives nearly all cars manafactured as 31st december.

my vts was 31st dec 2000 supposedly my old rt was 31st dec 1992.

 

[iceblue182]

use the info you have to take ownership of her car there is a dvla form you can use i cant remember the code.....ill and try and find out. that would be well funny!!!!

 

[Dave]

^^ Would be funny but not what Im after. I just want her nicked. And maybe some cash would be nice.

 

[Spammy]

Quote: Originally posted by hip_spasm on 04 October 2004


I work in Oxted. Its a poxy little village. Everyone thinks they have a bit of dough cos they live in Surrey. The school kids are posh little tw*ts.

Anyway help me out

1) implication of possibly cracked zenon

2) best way to get her address

anyone?

Oi oi im a school kid from Surrey spaz lad! Sorry to hear about the car by the way, try and find out her adress, see what you can do from there?

 

[stuartturrell]

yeah same with my rover, 31st December

 

[Dave]

Would a HPI check give the address its registered to, or just tell me if the address I give them is wrong?

 

[dk]

sorry mate, but i dont think you have a hope in hell.

I was in my bothers car in a car park and some idiot backed into us in the queue and drove off, we tried to follow but lost them but got the number plate.

Told police, they werent that bothered but did go see them and nothing came of it. The police said they werent going to take any action as it wasnt serious enough and from the sound of it, my brother had more damage than you.

They really cant be bothered as they have more important things to do like catching some guy doing 34 in a 30!

 

[fizzy_drink]

Really sorry to hear about that - similar thing happened to me, and I was in the car - this cow got really aggressive with me for approaching her.

Ill look out for the reg in my travels, and if I find her, Ill beat her to death with her own insurance documents.

 

[Brazo]

Exactly the same thing happenened to me. An old bloke tried to parralel park his escort into a space next to my mazda mx3 that even a mini owner would have winced at, naturally he hit my car whilst I observed. I informed the doddery old bugger that he had hit my car and he said he would park his car and swap details, anway he drove off never to be seen again.

I took his plate and reported him to police who gave me his name, address and insurance company after bollocking him for leaving the scene of an accident. They asked me if i wanted to press charges for this but declined and claimed off his insurance instead.

 

[cliosportcraig]

I still havnt heard anything since that bloke threw that wrench through my window !! police havnt phoned or anything !!

f**king useless they are

 

[edde]

She sound like she knows she was in the wrong but is trying to get out of it.

Get it to a garage and get a damage repair sheet and then get some pictures.

Then try and find a witness.

Contact the DVLA and they will give you her address under the circumstances.

Send an official looking letter/ get a solicitor to write one saying she pays or the insuracance will be contacted within 14 days etc.

If nothing is done within the 14 days contact the insurer.

Im not sure if you can find out here insurer from the DVLA which would help.

You need some proof of the damage though else she will claim she is innocent and you crashed the car and trying to blame her.

 

[Pete]

Id go to the police, theres nothing you can do legally until you report her for leaving the scene of an accident, your insurance company will insist on this before they help you/payout.

 

[stusV6]

Hey guys is it dif down South cause up here in Scotland if you report it they have to act on that report and for soemthing like this ie it is leaving the scene they MUST act.

On the down side I dont know what effect it has but a lot of companies these days ask if you have made "any claims irrespective of fault"...................there can only be one reason for this and thats to put up your premium eh

As for the damage I recon that the crack in the Zenon could be the biggest problem.

Cheers Stuart

 

[telford_mike]

Lesson for the future.

NEVER let people leave the scene before youve got their details.

 

[DAVE_RSi]

as above u should do anything u can 2 stop some1 leavin the scene, i know it was hard because u were at work but at least ud have had support that way

when a speeding driver hit me my car was left in sum1s garden and his was in middle of road, were some really long skid marks and he wanted 2 move his car, i stood infront of his car and got a m8 2 stand behind it until he got back out because there was no way i was letting him move until police arrived

needless 2 say even with massive skid marks and him not knowing what speed he was doing (after just leavin the pub) the police let him off as no1 was hurt and i lost my no claims

so at the end of the day, police would have done bugger all anyway, as above best off writing her a letter threatening action unless she pays u some money

 

[Viv172]

Who the feck does she think she is???

I’d report it to the police, get your self a couple of witnesses and inform your insurance and let them sort it…..she can not be allowed to get away with this on principle!!



A bloke backed into my XR2i, there was no visible damage but he had the good manners to give me his details and said to me to go and get it checked anyway….he was such a nice helpful bloke that when it only cost me £17 to fix my car I didn’t even bother to get him to pay…..if he’d behaved like this lady had done, I’d have hunted him down for it!!

 

[beacytan]

the same happened to me. car parked in car park, old dear backs her old scirocco along front and back doors then drives off without batting an eyelid. luckily someone came in the pub (where i was) and gave me the reg. of this old dear. i reported her to the police who went to see her they then come back and said - it cant have been her because there is no damage to her car. luckily, i had 3 witnesses, all people who i hardly knew, who said - we will go to court and say that we seen her do it and drive away. i told the coppers this and they went back round to her house. she told the police that she didnt want to claim off her insurance but she would pay if i got it done at a gargage (even though still saying it want her!!). copper wouldnt give me her address throughout all of this although i repeatedly asked. in the end i got it done, rang the copper and he brought the £260 round my house off her. he said he wasnt allowed to give me her address at any point and that it was the law to protect her from any retaliation. good luck with yours anyway mate, i wouldnt have let the snotty b**ch drive off though until i checked under the car etc.

 

[DAVE_RSi]

they just brought u round £260 cash, seems a little weird 2 me, cops manually handling cash like that, would have thought it would need to be a cheque or other payment, not cash deal with police as middle man lol, weird

 

[JillyB]

I hate pathetic women who feel the need to ring their husband if they so much as stub a toe

 

[Viv172]

Quote: Originally posted by JillyB on 05 October 2004


I hate pathetic women who feel the need to ring their husband if they so much as stub a toe

Exactly!!!! Why would she have called to tell him anyway if there was no damage she knew what shed done!!

 

[DAVE_RSi]

women eh

 

[jon_r]

Not sure I would have been restrained as you mate! In hindsight you should have blocked her in so she couldnt have gone anywhere. I know Oxted and that area, and completely agree about the attitude of people round there.

Best thing for you to do is go find all your colleagues that stood there and saw the accident happen at the same time as you

Best of luck, dont let this drop - people like this need to be punished.

 

[Pete]

Quote: Originally posted by telford_mike on 05 October 2004


Lesson for the future.

NEVER let people leave the scene before youve got their details.

And if they give you their mobile number ring it on the scene so you know its genuine that way even if the rest of the details are incorrect the police can trace them.

This happened to Ivan and Sarah (Chavyboy) on the way home one night, the details were all false except the mobile that Ivan checked, the police could then trace the other driver.

 

[dk]

inconsiderate drivers really annoy me, my brother has an office on a high street with the window looking out onto the street parking. He tells me that he looks out of the window and he is constantly seeing cars parallel touch parking all day long.

Why cant people just learn to park properly and know the dimensions of their cars rather than waiting until you hit the car when reversing to know that you are about there.

This really gets on my nerves!