Accused of minor accident. Advice please.

danlojo

I cannot see how she has even the cheek to say it was you. Unless the cctv 100% shows that there was contact then her 'damage' could have been made by someone else, somewhere else!!!

No proof, no claim against you.

I wouldn't be informing insurance companies at all

mildred1978

Johnny111 wrote: »

Hi all,

Let me set the scene. Work car-park at a school. It's too small, not enough spaces and cars often block each other in, park wherever they can etc.

I was blocked in at the bottom, and had to reverse backwards through a few gaps. Gaps were so tight that I had my head out of my window looking to make sure my car didn't touch another car and my colleague had his head out his side. At one point, he shouted " Stop", said "straighten it up" so I did. We were un-aware that any contact had been made.

Once I got home, I walked around the passenger side to get my bag out and noticed just above my wheel arch, some of my paint work had marks on it. I got some kitchen tissue, some water, and luckily for me it all rubbed off, apart from a very small black mark on the wheel arch literally around the size of a grain of rice.

Once I went into work, a lady informed me that she thought I had hit her car because she checked on the CCTV and my car looked like the culprit. She said it doesn't show contact but as my car was reversing back and forth it was me. I said I was sorry, I didn't know at the time, and it was all very amicable. She said the damage was quite bad and for me to have a look when I went out. I did, and there was no damage that I could see. It seems like if there was any damage, it was wiped off like mine was.

Now, she is still unsure of whether she wants to go through insurance or for me to pay her cash once she gets a quote. Staff at the school are saying she's "very political" will probably look to take advantage. I gave her my details.

Now honestly, if she says to me it will cost £50-£80, then I would pay it now because it's not worth the hassle. I wouldn't be happy paying anything more than £100 because I've seen the supposed damage and I know it won't cost more than that to repair something that essentially isn't there.

I am going to contact my insurance company tommorow, give them the information, send them the picture of the minor scuff on my car. How will they deal with this? The school caretaker who showed her the CCTV has told me that he's seen her car and said she wiped off the scratches and her paintwork is fine.

Where do I stand? I'm a young named driver on my parents policy, had a license four years with no claims or accidents. Excess is £500. All members of staff at the school are telling me I'm being too polite/co-operative and if she wants to go through insurance to let her, but inform them she's exaggerating and trying to benefit from me.

Are you named as the main driver of the car?

You refer to it as your car, drive it to work, but your parents insure it?

Fronting alarm is ringing loud and clear.

mildred1978

Johnny111 wrote: »

Initially she accused my friend/colleague who works in the school so I'm not too sure about her "I checked the cctv footage". We go in as coaches from an outside agency.

She wouldn't have been able to check the footage herself, so she would have had to have asked the caretaker.

Hope you've got business cover on that insurance (assuming it's kosher).

pendulum

Jesus. You noticed damage to your car and so did she that very same day; it's obvious you caused it. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to find some idiot has damaged your property and driven away? Saying "it'll just wipe off", when you haven't even seen the damage, is just the final insult. Why don't you accept responsibility like you should and pay the bill, which by the way, is likely to be far more than £50 to £80, you obviously have no idea about how much bodywork and paintwork costs, but you think you do.

As in the above posts, I hope your insurance is actually valid.

McKneff

I must agree with pendulum, you know that you caused the damage.
Full stop. Youre protesting too much.

Anyway, what does your 'friend' say who was hanging out of the other window.

Sgt_Pepper_2

mildred1978 wrote: »

Hope you've got business cover on that insurance (assuming it's kosher).

Business cover for what?

Do you have anything to add or are you just bored?

mildred1978

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Business cover for what?

Do you have anything to add or are you just bored?

Travelling to different work sites (as an agency worker).

Sgt_Pepper_2

Johnny111 wrote: »

Bore me later. Thanks to the valuable posters with good input.

If you want to go down that road, she shouldn't have parked her car blocking everyone in, not in an official parking bay. If you actually read, I've seen the damage and there isn't any. If there was any damage she's wiped it off like I've done the same.

Don't tell me about paint work. My relative has just had her paintwork fixed, which were a number of large deep scratches fixed for just over £250. A few marks that were wiped off with water and tissue aren't an issue.

It's not obvious I caused it because the car-park is as such that cars are parking everywhere and anywhere and it could be anyone in that car park. As a matter of fact, when I was looking at my car, I noticed a few little scratches here and there that weren't there before. My car is a new car and isn't cheap, however I'm not checking CCTV, accusing people who have done near my car of hitting my car. I've got a cloth, a bit of polish and polished them out. Unfortuantly I've got more important issues to work about and I certainly wouldn't be throwing the book at anyone that I work with. Maybe it's me, but if I suspect someone has brushed my car and there are a few marks that can be wiped off, then I would wipe then off and that would be that. Maybe I'm too nice. If it's such a dog eat dog world, then I'll also wait for somebody to drive close to my car after I leave it in a stupid position and accuse them and claim on their insurance. Heck, I might as well sit in the car and wait so I can throw in some whiplash claims as well.

And many thanks for your concern, my insurance is valid. I am covered to drive to work which I might add is only between a few hours a day, and I am not the main driver. I think the below quote applies to me.

Where and how she was parked matters not, if you did hit it.

pendulum

Sgt_Pepper wrote: »

Where and how she was parked matters not, if you did hit it.

It's a common excuse plums like this use to justify their carelessness. "Shouldn't have been parked there in the first place".

Frankly; all the hallmarks of an idiot have been displayed by OP. Careless manoeuvering, downplaying the damage, blaming the other party, and taking the criticism of all of the above badly.

I can't believe you think you're being too nice. What have you done so far that's nice? Oh, you've offered to wipe off the damage with a cloth!!! Yes, how nice of you...!

Don't forget to declare this incident to your insurer for the next 5 years.
And learn how to drive too.

mildred1978

Johnny111 wrote: »

And many thanks for your concern, my insurance is valid. I am covered to drive to work which I might add is only between a few hours a day, and I am not the main driver. I think the below quote applies to me.

So it's not your car?