Neighbour hit my partner's car - they're blaming her!

mikemoate

Haven't some people got a cheek. Imagine if it had been a pedestrian he had reversed his car into!! Instead of supporting the lad the parent's should be arranging for him to have some further driving lessons.

soolin

I would have thought this was clear cut. There is no way you could have reversed 'sideways' into the back of your neighbours car. I can't see any explanation where the guilty party has damage to the side of the car...if you had been reversing and had been hit then the damage to your car would have 'travelled' and not been squarely into the side like that.

Just stay very calm, do as the others have said and write it down clearly and fully. Stick to your guns and just be the broken record whenever you talk to anyone 'they reversed into you'. When I had a big accident last year I was also warned not to talk to o much if anyone phones, as sometimes nerves can make you start talking rubbish, and say things that can be misinterpreted.

Out of interest how do your neighbours explain how you managed to damage the back of their car with the side of yours, that must be a convoluted story!

Soo

Grumpy_Old_Duffer

Neighbours eh!!! Pain in the !!!!!! some of 'em!!!

Photographic evidence should be enough to settle most claims, so, as has already been suggested ....... GET A PHOTO OF DAMAGE ON THE OTHER CAR.

If they persist in saying it's your fault ask them how they come to that conclusion when you were on the highway, & how do they think your car managed to hit their car .... as it all boils down to who hit who.

nadnad

i'm a claims handler. this is soo not your fault. the area of damage is consistent with your version of events and your insurance company should see this - if you are in any doubt give the claims handler a ring and ask for their opinion - they should back you up. The only way this would be partly your partner's fault is if the neighbour was moving back and your partner was reversing back on the road and then the two cars brushed - but that would have caused damage from the very back of your car which it hasn't.

A quick note though - you should never reverse out of your driveway onto a road cos its illegal and if you reversed into someone on the road then it would be your fault - but then thats exactly what your neighbour has done!

Savvy_Sue

nadnad wrote:

A quick note though - you should never reverse out of your driveway onto a road cos its illegal and if you reversed into someone on the road then it would be your fault - but then thats exactly what your neighbour has done!

All very well to say that, but the camber on our road is such that if we drive off in a forwards direction, the car 'grounds'!

And I didn't think it was 'illegal' so much as 'not advised'.

nadnad

no its illegal to reverse onto a road - if you do this and hit someone - or someone hits you - its always gonna be your fault.
i appreciate that every one does it (even me the odd time)- i'm just telling you that you're not meant too.

mrsplinter

Are sure it's illegal to reverse out of a driveway? The highway code says:

" 177: Do not reverse from a side road into a main road. When using a driveway, reverse in and drive out if you can. "

It's not that straightforward. Anyway hope the OP gets it sorted.

GlennTheBaker

Thanks guys, my partner feels good about the whole thing after reading all your comments. I will post further updates as they happen.

Cheers :T

tomstickland

Photo says it all. So your partner managed to make her car go sideways so that it hit the rear end of dozy lad from next door who was innocently reversing out.
His parent's are obviously mad in the head. Let ins co sort it out.

Savvy_Sue

nadnad wrote:

no its illegal to reverse onto a road - if you do this and hit someone - or someone hits you - its always gonna be your fault.

I reckon it's always going to be my fault, whatever happens. :rotfl:

nadnad wrote:

i appreciate that every one does it (even me the odd time)- i'm just telling you that you're not meant too.

There is a difference between 'not meant to' and 'illegal'. In this case, I'm with mrsplinter's reading of the Highway Code and that helpful phrase 'if you can'. If I could reverse onto my drive, and drive off, I would. As it is, I can't. When I had a drive that it was possible to drive off, I always reversed on and drove off, even if that meant sitting around waiting for the traffic flow to ease before I could reverse on.

Actually on weekdays it's jolly unlikely anyone's going to hit me: there are always cars parked either side of the drive so you can get a long way out before you're 'in the line of fire' as it were! And yes, if I hit one of those parked cars while reversing, it's my fault and I'll put my hand up to it!

But I expect the OP will now be reversing onto the drive more often!