Why me?

[Guest111]

so Saturday arrives and I'm taking the wife shopping,we go to the garage for fuel and whilst waiting to turn in some clown runs straight into the back of me,I jump out and this young lad cops an attitude straight away,so thinking he's had a few I go for his keys,he grabs my arm and in the struggle his stalk gets snapped.Police turn up and all they're bothered about is his stalk,they decide he's not had a drink,purely on his say so,my towing socket is smashed and a chunk out of my bumper,but nobody seems bothered,We carry on to the shops and by now our necks are starting to ache so after ringing the insurance we pop off to the walk in centre where we are told we've both got whiplash and to take painkillers and if it's not better in 3 weeks to see our doctor.Anyway the insurance decide that because my car is over 10 years old it should be written off! I tell them to leave it as I am not happy with this.It's really peed me off,I'm waiting for the solicitor to phone about whiplash,I,ve got a broken towing socket and a big gouge out of my rear bumper,what am I paying insurance for,surely my insurer should be chasing him to repair my car,not just wanting to write it off? After all the accident wasn't my fault.

 

[Pete999]

There are more scams about than the electrical ones Phil, hope you get it sorted soon bloody boy racers, I take the clown that rear ended you was one.

 

[Guest111]

There are more scams about than the electrical ones Phil, hope you get it sorted soon bloody boy racers, I take the clown that rear ended you was one.

Yep,started getting all arsey like and saying that he'd braked and nothing had happened,the roads were damp but there was no screech or anything,just the crunch when he hit me.I asked if he was saying there was a mechanical defect with his car and he said there wasn't.Ok so you say you applied your brakes but nothing happened,so either it's a mechanical defect or you didn't brake,simple.More like he was mucking about with the cd or something.

 

[Pete999]

Scrot should have been breathalyzed locked up, key chucked away

 

[PEM]

If you had said your necks hurt at time of accident police would have called ambulance and as soon as there's a recognised injury he has to be breathalised! However so do you even if accident not your fault.
With these claim companies around your whiplash compensation will probably be worth more than your car anyway.

 

[jaypp]

They pay these whiplash injury claims without batting an eyelid, partly because it means any claim in the future stating neck problems were caused by that incident are null and void.
An 18yr old was arrested today for causing death by dangerous driving. Lost control and killed 3 teenagers walking to school. Can't imagine the pain the families are going through. Very sad indeed.

 

[jaypp]

They pay these whiplash injury claims without batting an eyelid, partly because it means any claim in the future stating neck problems were caused by that incident are null and void.
An 18yr old was arrested today for causing death by dangerous driving. Lost control and killed 3 teenagers walking to school. Can't imagine the pain the families are going through. Very sad indeed.

Got it wrong, injured 2 and, sadly,killed 1

 

[Rockingit]

You don't HAVE to use insurance...you could just try suing the scroat directly for your costs and recompense for injury. Find out if the forecourt CCTV caught the whole incident first then just file a claim using the small claims direct service in the same way that you would for anyone that owed you money.

 

[Guest111]

Update,still waiting for solicitors to ring me back,so much for 48 hrs lol,sent insurers an email asking them to ring me and got one back asking for my address and claim number.

 

[dan86]

Do you know if the garage cctv picked any of the incident up? I would like to think the police checked that, but probably not. And as for not being breathalysed, strictly speaking you both should have been. any collision involving a motor vehicle and the drivers should be. And as for the insurance aspect, your insurer should really be organising an assessor to view it and make a decision. they may say it's not economically viable, but cross that bridge when/if it comes to it.
hope it all works out well for you mate.

 

[Guest111]

the police seemed more interested in the state of the offenders car rather than mine,unfortunately there seems to be discrimination against older cars,despite the fact that in my case it's better maintained than a lot of newer ones.I was surprised we were not breathalysed as this is supposed to be standard practice,again if I'd run into him then I bet they'd have tested me.I've just spoken to the solicitors and they are arranging medicals for me and the wife for sometime in August,however I think we'll have to visit the hospital again as my wife has been having almost constant headaches since the accident,I don't know if this is just linked to the neck pain but we'll have to get her checked.

 

[Robotstar5]

Be careful if you have an insurance assessor out to look at your car as if they deem it a write off it will be recorded on the Motor Insurance Database as such. This will show up on any future HPI checks and is recorded by DVLA on your V5 (logbook).

I went through it when Mrs Robo's car was hit by an uninsured driver and ended up buying the write off back from the insurers and repairing it myself, then I had to pay to have a Vehicle Identity Check (VIC) before we could obtain a replacement logbook and tax it

I hope you and your wife make a full recovery.

 

[jaypp]

Also keep a record of any costs incurred due to this incident e.g. time off work, hire car, doctors appointments (travel costs too) etc. as you should really be compensated for everything

 

[Guest111]

cheers for all the advice guys its murder when you aren't used to these things.

 

[UNG]

Also keep a record of any costs incurred due to this incident e.g. time off work, hire car, doctors appointments (travel costs too) etc. as you should really be compensated for everything

As we discussed earlier Phil don't forget to claim for the loading on your insurance premium while you have an accident against your name for the next three years regardless of NCD


Had an accident myself recently young girl decided to indicate right and pull into my lane the only problem was I was alongside her now because I got out of the car and in a raised voice asked what the hell she thought she was doing she is now claiming I'm racist because she is small and Chinese

 

[Andy78]

Phil.. I am going through this at the minute. Some berk pulled out of a side road into my car. Cosmetic damage only but his insurers want to write it off and offer me a cash sum...I have had some advice and am not going to take it at all.....Once you have taken a settlement you have a broken car, not enough cash to replace it and no hire car. If you do repair it, it will always be classed as a write off and have no resale value and may cost more to insure.

DO NOT LET THE INSURERS WIN !!! They will roll you over and have your kegs off before you know it. I threatened this guy's insurers with going through a claims management firm which basically get you what you want then bill the lot to the insurer... and they don't want that.
They have given me a hire car , but I had to ask for it !! then they said I would only get it for 7 days regardless of how long the repair took. I said you can either let me keep the car for as long as I need it or for each day I cannot work due to no transport, you will get a claim for loss of earnings.

Ask around local places for cheaper repair quotes then submit them to the insurer. The insurance repair networks are a rip off and usually ****e quality.

whatever happens, stick to your guns and don't let them win. They couldn't give a ---- about your inconvenience, they want the cheapest solution for them, and for old cars that is to write them off.

 

[Guest111]

Andy,its not the cost of repairs its the principal isn't it.The gouge in the bumper I can live with,there's a couple of small scuffs that I've put on it myself,the towbar socket will cost a fiver and take me 20 minutes to fit it.The point is I don't like the way they just say "oh we'll right it off" the point is it's a decent car and the socket wasn't broke until this tool rear ended me,if he'd paid attention then none of this would have happened.

 

[Andy78]

It is the principle mate exactly. Mine have just called me and said mine is a definite write off. I'm calling my solicitor now, let battle commence.

 

[Andy78]

Turns out my "big boy pants" attitude may have been premature. Insurers won't budge and solicitors not interested unless I have an injury claim. Looks like I am left with cat D write off to repair myself and a bitter taste in my mouth.

 

[telectrix]

a cat d should not have much effect on the resale value of an older vehicle. any sensible buyer will realise that cat d is just the insurers way of saving themselves money.

 

[Andy78]

a cat d should not have much effect on the resale value of an older vehicle. any sensible buyer will realise that cat d is just the insurers way of saving themselves money.

But I do have to get it re-MOTed to continue my fully comp insurance. I think I will have to call them back and suggest they cover the cost of that.

 

[UNG]

Having a similar one with my insurance it started out as a knock for knock offer which I told the insurance company to take a hike they now agree with me that the third party is wholly to blame and at the moment it is looking it may go legal as I want to claim the repair costs from the third party rather than claim on my insurance as my insurance company want to write my vehicle off as a Cat D. I'm also looking to claim for the policy loading for the next 3 years that this accident will have to be declared for insurance

I did read somewhere that you can insist that if the third party is at fault that your vehicle is repaired by the third parties insurers don't know that this is fact though

 

[Robotstar5]

What really annoyed me about Mrs Robo's "accident" was the car was unoccupied and parked on the drive when the uninsured driver hit it, but because they were unable to trace the driver (he did a runner) when we came to renew the insurance the "accident" was classed as HER FAULT!.

 

[jaypp]

What is really annoying is that you seem to be happy with a simple repair yet there is obviously a market value that has been set where writing off is their default cheaper option. Perhaps we should give our vehicles names and take pictures of them on holiday etc., making them achieve a sentimental value status!
Insurance is supposed to leave you in a 'no worse off situation' after a claim.