OK, so today I may have reversed into a car

Artytarty

Went to M&S this morning to spend £20 so I could use my £2 off voucher!
Very tight car park. I revesed out carefully, drove forwards a bit but was still not round enough to drive away, reversed abit more and CRUNCH!
A young girl had made a bid for my space and i hit her wing with my rear bumper.
So I got out and apologised, she took my details and then a gentleman got out of his car and said he had seen it all happen and it was the girls fault because I had not finished my manouvre. He said he was a solicitor with 40 years experience.
I have his details, and the girls.
She then backed down and started saying that she would pay for her own damage.
Only very light scratching to my plastic bumper.
Thing is, I still fell bad and responsible. her father is ringing tonight and I dont know what to say.
Anyone here know who might be in the wrong?
Thank you.

fivetide

If she was stationary then you basically hit a parked car. It's your fault I'm afraid.

What if it had been someone stood there waiting for you to finish? You could have squashed a kid. I know that sounds a bit harsh but at the end of the day, you'll need to pay up.

Did you get the witness name? Might help if lots of people suddenly decide whiplash... On the plus side, sounds like she won't want a claim on her record either. what sort of car was it? Anything nice or an old shed? You might be able to just pay for her damage ans polish yours out as best you can.

Of course lots of people will be along soon to tell you how you must report all this to your insurance no matter what. Personally I'd take the call and see if 'dad' sounds like a reasonable chap.

5t.

scotsbob

Artytarty wrote: »

i hit her wing with my rear bumper.
So I got out and apologised, .

You hit her, your fault. You ackowledged your mistake by apologising.


"I revesed out carefully" You should reverse in so that you drive out, that is the safe way to do it.

mattyprice4004

So from what I can gather, you were leaving the space, couldn't get out so reversed back in to get a better swing, to find she'd already tried to enter the space from the other side and you hit her?

If that's the case, she's at fault IMO.

mrbrightside842

But she may not have been stationary, the girl may have been moving into the space thinking that OP had enough room to get out, before they reversed. If you have a witness who says she's at fault, I'd tell her father that.

fivetide

mattyprice4004 wrote: »

So from what I can gather, you were leaving the space, couldn't get out so reversed back in to get a better swing, to find she'd already tried to enter the space from the other side and you hit her?

If that's the case, she's at fault IMO.

I read it as:

- reversed out
- tried to drive off but couldn't get front of car past the next parked car.
- put it back in reverse to get more room, didn't look properly and *crunch*

In that instance the OP is at fault. The other party might hve some element of liability if they were trying to drive past but if they were stationary waiting for the OP to clear the space then the OP is at fault.

I find it hard to imagine they tried to drive into a space which the OP says they were still blocking.

5t.

forgotmyname

Without seeing the accident then nobody will know who was right or wrong.

She went for a gap that wasnt there you made a manoeuvre without making adequate
checks in your mirrors and blind spot etc.

How did you reverse out of a space and then reverse into someone that was trying to get
into your space?

Puzzled on that one?

Possibly 50/50.

Father rings say an independant witness said it was his daughters fault, If he is unhappy with that then please refer the matter to his daughters insurance.

With prices for younger drivers it maybe possible she is not properly insured.

Artytarty

Thanks, tiny cramped carpark, I should not have taken the Espace.
I got out of the space OK but needed to get right hand down to make a sharper right turn to leave the carpark and get out onto the road. She was waiting to my right and darted into the space but I needed to come back a bit again to get away. Yes, I reversed into her or did she hit the back of my car with her front wing?!
Admittedly despite the solicitor being present and defending me I do feel to blame. is it really true about admiting liability?What if it really wasnt the "sorry" drivers fault?
Hard to explain without a diagram just what happened., but nobody hurt, just a bit upset.
We were at 90 degrees to each other, she was not behind me when I started reversing, I htink we must have set off simultaneously, she to nick into my space and me to go backwards across the access to the space.
She was first ina queue from the main road.

mikey72

Op is trying to get out of the space, the third party drives behind him as he's still maneuvering.

It will be 50/50, or maybe the third parties fault.

Either way, if the insurers are involved, both parties will end up paying more.

I'd quietly walk away if it was just a scratch, and if the third party wants to do the same.

mikey72

forgotmyname wrote: »

. .....................With prices for younger drivers it maybe possible she is not properly insured.

How do you work that one out?

Badger_Lady

forgotmyname wrote: »

Without seeing the accident then nobody will know who was right or wrong.

Exactly.

It sounds like 50/50 to me too, but at the end of the day the indpendent witness is in a much better situation to judge.

Given that the witness was in your favour, OP, combined with your residual guilt, I would tell Dad this:

"I'm not sure what happened, but a chap in the carpark saw the incident and said X. However I'm not interested in causing any upset - how about we just forget the whole thing and repair our own cars?"

Sounds reasonable, and yes a young driver would have a lot more to lose!