Car crash

Alikay

Well done for "getting straight back on the horse"...I was nervous and hesitant behind the wheel for quite a while after some idiot whacked into the back of my car and I used all sorts of excuses to avoid that part of town .

"knock for knock" I believe, is when the insurance companies each cover the cost of damage to their own client's car, and I think it's usually used when fault is indeterminate. Hopefully in your case the other driver will be considered at fault, so at least you'll keep your No Claims Discount.

kingfisherblue

Thanks for the explanation Alikay. The damage to my car certainly looks worse than the other car, but I admit I have no idea of costs. An independent witness came forward - he had seen the whole thing, and left his details, which I have passed onto my insurance company, so hopefully it won't be knock for knock. Also, the other driver came out of a side access road onto a main road without giving way (and I have taken photos of the road, junction, road markings, and weather conditions).

I don't have a NCB as the car is a mobility vehicle for my son. However, my son transfers from DLA to PIP next year. I believe that he should get the enhanced rate for mobility, based on the descriptors, but until he is assessed, nobody knows. If he doesn't get the enhanced rate, this accident (or collision ) could affect any insurance I take out if I am able to afford another vehicle. I am also on my daughter's car insurance, and will have to declare what has happened if I remain on it. I don't use her car often, but have done so occasionally.

As for driving in the same area again so soon, I know I could easily have made excuses and avoided it, but I didn't want it to become a problem for either me or my daughter. She was with me today when I drove down that particular main road - it was her that saw the other car still parked up. She was nervous too, but agreed that e both needed to face it before it became a problem. it didn't stop her tensing up though

geoffky

kingfisherblue wrote: »

Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean. Knock for knock?

It will end up as a no blame claim...Too expensive for insurance company's to fight it these days...

jellie

geoffky wrote: »

No such thing as a accident anymore..Notice the police call them collisions nowadays.... I bet your insurance go knock for knock...

I thought insurance companies did away with knock for knock agreements years ago. Are they back again?

Toto

jellie wrote: »

I thought insurance companies did away with knock for knock agreements years ago. Are they back again?

Possibly, I was hit when I was stationary at a roundabout (around 4 cars ahead of me). I'd been stopped for around 10-15 seconds when out of nowhere there was an almighty bang and the car lurched forward. Anyway, it was a young lad who was obviously paying no attention at all to the road. He managed to write off my hefty 4x4. I honestly thought it would be cut and dried his fault.

However, he has since said that I was changing lane without paying attention which caused him to hit me (this is totally untrue). So, his insurance wanted to do a 50/50 but I absolutely put my foot down and said no, so, it looks as if we are going to go to court.

I hope things run much more smoothly for you OP. I have found that I am now worried when driving. I hate it when people drive too closely behind me, there were times when I first started driving again that I'd have to pull over and talk myself down from a panic attack. I was having to drive a new car too which I'm sure didn't help. I find roundabouts stressful when I've never had an issue with them at all in my 25+ years of driving. I find myself picking safe routes where I don't have too many roundabouts to deal with, daft isn't it.

I hope you get it all sorted quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Counting_Pennies_2

I am sorry you had an awful time. Sadly it is the inconvenience of car crashes.

I had a head on crash with my 18 month old in the car. I was driving along a road and a car coming from the other direction decided to turn right and just ploughed into me.

It is hideous.

I would however recommend not going down the line of pursuing damages from the driver, other than the car repairs.

I was called by the drivers insurer and told that they would be prepared to pay damages for my whiplash and the anxiety it caused me. Because they offered I accepted. I then went down two years of psychological testing, medical reports on the whiplash. This caused me more issues than the actual car crash.

Just be thankful you are all safe and the car is repairable.

Take care

top_drawer_2

Rant away! I can totally understand you being livid.

I was sorry to hear about your accident ;( It brings home how quickly life could change in a second. Well done on getting back straight into driving though, it shows what a strong person you are. I hope things settle and work out for you in terms of the insurance. Have you checked if any of the businesses along the main road have CCTV?

td

tesuhoha

It is infuriating. My daughter was driving on the M4 in the inside lane when she was hit from behind. It had the effect of sending her into a 360 degree spin and she went into the central crash barrier, bounced off and spun back across the road and ended up embedded under the crash barrier on the hard shoulder. She was so lucky that a lorry or something hadn't been coming along at the time. Even so, the car was a total write off. Both front airbags were deployed and there was nothing left of the front of the car. She was lucky to get away with a nasty cut to the head and a badly sprained arm.

She knew she had been hit by something at the back. A BMW had stopped on the hard shoulder in front of her and the only witness said that the BMW had hit her. The first policeman on the scene would not acknowledge that she had been hit from behind and did not see the mark and paint on the back of the car. Because of what the witness said he went and spoke to the BMW driver and immediately let her drive away. He then came back and said the witness was an unreliable witness.

My daughter telephoned him the next day and told him about the mark and he visited the car yard and later admitted that she had been hit by something. There was no cctv in the area or that is what she was told.

This accident meant that she lost her car, lost all her savings because she had to pay off the car loan and the insurance didn't cover it and she suffered from post traumatic stress syndrome for a long time. She is only now, two years later, regaining her confidence in driving. All this because some dangerous and criminal driver whacked the back of her car.

kingfisherblue

Sorry I haven't been online for a few days. Thanks to everyone who has posted. TD, that particular stretch of road is residential, so no CCTV. Good idea though.

Toto, although I am a bit nervous now, I am still confident in my own ability - though approaching side streets when I'm on the main road is a bit hairy when I see someone coming to the junction.

CP, I'm not planning on claiming anything apart from car repairs and car hire from the other driver, as fortunately I wasn't injured. My daughter isn't keen to go down that route either, although almost a week on, she is still in pain. She is going to try to get a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I hope your little one was ok, and hopefully too young to remember the collision.

Tesuhoha, what a dreadful experience for your daughter. Although she had only minor physical injuries, her mental injuries were much worse. I'm glad that she is slowly regaining her confidence, but I would imagine her confidence in the police was also dented that day.

An update on my situation: I have had a letter claiming that the other driver was 'proceeding correctly' and claiming on my insurance. I have also had a letter on behalf of the passenger, claiming that he needs physiotherapy supplied by a private practice in another town. I have spoken to my insurer today, and am sending in both letters (I am keeping copies), as well as photographs. The photos show the damage to both cars, the main road and it's clear markings, and the main road (wherei was driving) and the junction from which the other driver came. I am also sending computer generated maps showing the exact location of the accident, the road markings, and exactly where the cars were and in what position that were. I have already given the details of the chap who witnessed everything and kindly came forward.

Yesterday I had a little problem as an unexpected result of the crash - I didn't have any keys for Rainbows and Brownies. I keep the cupboard keys in my car, as I know I will always drive there (four miles away, two bus rides if going by public transport). I don't always take my handbag, so keeping them in the car has made sense, up till now. Fortunately, I realised just before I went out, so was able to take some juice and paper cups from home, and work out an alternative programme for the evening using the items in the two unlocked cupboards that we have. As it happens, we had a great time. We made up a new game and the girls enjoyed it so much that they wants to play it again, but we ran out of time

So, forward I go into the unknown world of claims and blame. I've opened a file to keep everything together. I'm just happy that neither my daughter nor myself were seriously injured.

partialycloudy

Keep your bus receipts and cab receipts you can claim them against their insurance. Plus any other out of pocket expenses.