bigdel

Ok, let's throw this open to discussion....

My lad was reversing into a car parking space tonight when someone reversed out of where they were parked and hit him.

The guy claims it was my lad's fault, and he says the opposite.

The guy was driving a newish X3 and my lad's in his tired old Corsa.

There's minor damage to both ( the X3's got a scuffed bumper and the Corsa's got a dent in the door)

We don't want this to go through the insurance cos he pays enough to those money grabbers already, but then again, we don't want to pay for his damage cos we believe it's not my lad's fault.

Phoned the insurance company and they said we had to report it within 48 hours (they would say that wouldn't they?), but in all likelihood it'd be treated as a 50/50 so they wouldn't end up paying anything, and the other guy's excess would probably cover his repair. (stayed anonymous on the phone for now)

But, having reported a claim, then that's likely to inflate an already huge insurance premium for my boy, so we'd rather not bother and just say they each cover their own damages.

Advice, comments??

Rax

iTrader: (1)

The only thing I would advise atm is get him to write down what happened and if there were other people in the X3 or his car just in case there is come backs or lies.I would also look to see if there was any cameras close by.
Trust no one lol

project rs

unless you could get cctv footage to prove guilt i'd just treat it 50/50 and suggest each fix there own vehicle and leave insurance out of it

bigdel

yes, that's what i was going to suggest to him. There was no-one else around, and I doubt any cctv as it was the private car park of a local gym and not a big shopping centre or the like.
It'll come down to one word against another so no-one will end up being at fault, so the only winners will be the insurance companies

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

As sad as it sounds I'd seriously consider just getting the x3 repaired out of your own pocket to avoid an insurance premium hike of some ridiculous amount which they seem to be thriving on lately.
Play it cool of course but say you will pay something towards it if its done through someone you know for a reasonable price.
Will depend on the damage of course.
Bitter pill to swallow but they will ass rape him on the renewal as their utter scum.

salsheikh

i'd say it was your lads right of way, the x3 driver should have looked where he was going. try the gym to see if they have cctv though. good luck.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

The only winners in this case will be the insurers pockets.

rog

iTrader: (2)

^What he said!
Definately the least hassle, and if your lad can handle driving about in a dented car for a bit then he can get it fixed later.
If you go through insurance you'll probably have to pay excess anyway so you're forking out regardless.
Who's at fault obviously matters, but the problem is proving it. Personally if it were me I'd agree to pay cash for the damage (subject to presentation of a quote or being physically present at time of estimate). If he doesn't agree to that as a suitable settlement i'd just say youre not accepting blame and to go through your insurances and let them drag it out and invonvience him.

salsheikh

the wording highlighted in bold tells me your lad was already there and that the X3 driver pulled out and hit your sons car, otherwise your lads corsa would have damage to his bumper. your lads in the right, tell the X3 owner to pay for damage to your sons car.

rog

iTrader: (2)

WTF, how on earth did you come to that conclusion.....
Clearly neither driver was looking, or either of them would have stopped! There are too many dishonest people in this world! They both fucked up, end of.

D16PJM

personally I would get the X3 repaired surely only a couple of hundred quid, rather than your boys insurance going up that amount for the next couple of years.

D16PJM

I would think very little inconvenience to the X3 driver, probably fully comprehensive, curtsey car etc.

rog

iTrader: (2)

Maybe so, I'd still play on this if he insists on going through insurance though. A cash payment and speedy fix can be a good incentive, but some people are just a bit strange. Personally i wouldn't want anyone to get fucked by their insurance for something so trivial, but no everyone sees it that way.

chink

id go throught the insurance personally if the dent is your sons drivers door, and the scuff on the bumper on the x3 is n/side rear, it sounds like the x3 driver never checked mirrors

rog

iTrader: (2)

But it's ok for the corsa to not look?

chink

no if the driver of the x3 is parked up in his car say its an auto and in park and the corsa goes behind him to get in the space at the side of him whats to say the x3 driver just put it in reverse checked his off side mirror and bump slight knock

chink

sorry read it wrong the corsa was reversing aswell my mistake do appolgise

salsheikh

logic.

if the X3 reversed out without looking then he hit the corsa's door.
if the corse reversed then he would have hit the X3 with his rear bumper.

how else can you explain the x3 having damage to the rear bumper if he didnt look...unless the corsa hit the parked up x3?

if it goes thru insurance and the other driver claims whiplash (3mph is enough for it, my wife works in this field - medical reports) then the costs will soar which means higher premiums for your son.

bigdel

the more i think about it, the more suss it seems. we've heard nothing from the guy today, i'd have thought he'd be straight on it.
Wonder if he was pulling a fast one just to get away from the scene(maybe no insurance?).
Thing is though, i'll be damned if I'm gonna let this guy steamroller us just cos he's got a swanky motor, my lad was almost in the parking space, and the dent's half way down his car, surely that means the other guy reversed into him? Unless he's tried to park it on the handbrake and has come sideways up the car park towards the Beemer?
Not too worried about the Corsa, it's its last week, being replaced with a Mk1 Focus RS next week. Insurance is steep enough on that as it is without any unwanted hikes due to this!
It's not a big dent, and I was gonna have it off him for my otehr lad to learn in, so its bound to get a few more scuffs
Cheers for all your comments guys

vaughant

iTrader: (1)

As previously mentioned whether its right or wrong I would seriously consider either letting it go if he says its 50/50 or offering to pay in some way or another as its gonna hit your lad a lot harder than it hits him.
In fact didn't you say his premium went up Ł600 on the FRS after a non fault claim?

bigdel

yep, but we haggled a bit and got it down to just under Ł1500 (was Ł1700)

Guess we'll have to play the waiting game tho' as he didn't leave any contact details

fuzzy

id have thought since your lad was in the flow of traffic and reversing into a space then the x3 driver would be more to blame since he was parked up in a space and reversing out into the flow of traffic?
more likely a 50/50 for insurance purposes though.

salsheikh

fingers crossed he doesnt claim, if he does then blame him.

if you ever get involved in an accident and have your smart phone to hand then check the other cars details on askmid to see if its insured. if it isnt then call the police woop woop

stevieturbo

Check on askmid.com

You'll have all details, and I'd hope you have plenty of photos from the scene, showing where impact and damage occurred, vehicle positions, registrations etc.

And if you dont have photos...why the hell not ?

Almost everyone has a camera these days, so the first thing you should do in the event of an accident, is take plenty of photos before anyone moves anything !
To ID people, cars etc etc

And if you havent heard from the other person....it's probably because they've already been onto their solicitor or the police and will be pursuing injury claims.

People are nice like that

fraser9764

iTrader: (3)

i can't see how anyone has suggested the corsa diver is to blame or even 50/50? if you are reversing into a space, you are looking behind you, mostly, as that is the direction you are traveling. yet the X3 driver is reversing out of the space, again he should be looking behind him, and still reverses into the corsa?!
if the lad in the corsa had of seen the X3 and stopped as someone suggested, then he would of just had a dent in a different part of his car
But agreed, the only winners in this situation are the insurers, they will go for 50/50 and hike both premiums up because they can,
Legalised theft.

stevieturbo

As above, it does sound mostly like the X3 drivers fault.

Plus, as the Corsa was parking, it was already involved in a manoeuvre, whereas the X3 was moving from a parked position.

Another reason why it's their fault.