False car insurance claim against me.

jojothefirst

Hi all.
I recently parked my car at home on the road which is a steep hill. I put the handbrake on but had not pulled it up far enough. After around 30 mins I notice the car had rolled forward around 7 houses and moved to the right. The car was moving at a snails pace as the handbrake was nearly completely holding it. The car was now in the middle of the road adjacent to another car.
The lady who owned this car looked over her car and mine and the only mark that could be found was a black scuff high on her bonnet which my wing mirror might possibly have caused. No damage to my car what so ever.
Now, 5 days later she knocks on my door and says there's a crack on her bumper. I look it over and the crack is in the middle of her car under the grill. She is effectively proposing that my car has hit her car head on then swerved to the right, then realigned it self to be in the middle of the road.
Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see this would be ridiculous at any pace let alone a snails pace. For a start it would cause a bump (there is no bump/dent) not a crack.
She has contacted her insurance and is pursuing the claim and having read some horror stories I am worried this could drag out and even worse the insurance could pay out.
There is absolutely no marks on my car.

Please can anyone recommend what I should do.

Joel

dacouch

Did you take photos of the scene after the accident?

Weird_Nev

Let your insurance company handle it. It's what you pay them for.

Like it or not, you dind't put the handbrake on firmly enough, and your car rolled. I knw what you're saying - she's trying it on. And any decent person probably wouldn't do such a thing. But the fact remains that you both believe that your car may have contacted hers in some way, so from that point on it's for insurance companies to sort out between them.

Did you get any pictures/witnesses at the time? If not, I think you're pretty screwed.

OnanTheBarbarian

It is one for your insurers to decide if they want to scrap it out or not.

The consistency of damage and the mechanism by which this could be caused is the key argument here, but unless you took pics of the position your car ended up in etc, then you can't necessarily prove if your car did hit hers on the front or not (especially if the mark from the wing mirror on her bonnet could just be buffed out and no longer exists)

colino

Your car rolled down a steep hill and was caught, stopped from doing even more damage through your carelessness, 7 doors down and you think she is trying it on?
If it was rolling at snails pace, why didn't you stop it?
Leave it with the insurance to sort out and be grateful there wasn't even more damage done.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

im failing to see how you can disprove this.


you admit you did not apply your handbrake correctly, and that you were not present the whole time your vehicle traveled along the roadway by itself, your negligence put you in this situation.


had it been me I would have video taped the aftermath at the very least got photo's and statements from those around the cars to exactly what had happened and what damage my vehicle had done.


The very fact your negligent for not applying your handbrake is going to get you a fault claim on record, the fact you cant disprove the allegations would be one I would sit back and let the insurers do whatever and learn to apply your handbrake correctly and keep a disposable camera in your car in an event that you do in the future have an accident.


everyone these days has a camera phone and it takes two seconds to flip it out snap and photo or hit record and document the event that may help you in facing a hard time with unscrupulous people who wish to take advantage of the situation.

scottaff

I had this myself awhile back where another motorist tried to make a claim for over £600 and not a scratch on my car.I disputed and took photos of my car all round.Their insures wanted to come take a look,I agreed and they came then my insures wanted to come but before they come the claim was withdrawn by the other part so just take pictures of your car and draw a diagram

opinions4u

scottaff wrote: »

I had this myself awhile back where another motorist tried to make a claim for over £600 and not a scratch on my car.I disputed and took photos of my car all round.Their insures wanted to come take a look,I agreed and they came then my insures wanted to come but before they come the claim was withdrawn by the other part so just take pictures of your car and draw a diagram

The main difference being your car wasn't rolling down a hill without the handbrake in place.

mattyprice4004

Get the pictures sent over to the insurance company.
If you didn't take pictures this is probably going to be an expensive lesson!

andydiysaver

jojothefirst wrote: »

Hi all.
I recently parked my car at home on the road which is a steep hill. I put the handbrake on but had not pulled it up far enough. After around 30 mins I notice the car had rolled forward around 7 houses and moved to the right. The car was moving at a snails pace as the handbrake was nearly completely holding it. The car was now in the middle of the road adjacent to another car.
The lady who owned this car looked over her car and mine and the only mark that could be found was a black scuff high on her bonnet which my wing mirror might possibly have caused. No damage to my car what so ever.
Now, 5 days later she knocks on my door and says there's a crack on her bumper. I look it over and the crack is in the middle of her car under the grill. She is effectively proposing that my car has hit her car head on then swerved to the right, then realigned it self to be in the middle of the road.
Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see this would be ridiculous at any pace let alone a snails pace. For a start it would cause a bump (there is no bump/dent) not a crack.
She has contacted her insurance and is pursuing the claim and having read some horror stories I am worried this could drag out and even worse the insurance could pay out.
There is absolutely no marks on my car.

Please can anyone recommend what I should do.

Joel

similar thing as this happened to me once too - some bird drove straight into my back at Tesco station, then next thing I know the claim is against me. I fought tooth and nail to get that thing removed including asking them for CCTV but afraid once mud is thrown it sticks


.....off hook, what 2 years ago, that's 4 years after I had the crazy woman incident. reckon I paid 4 x 50 mark up a year so £200.... exactly the price she wanted, but I'd rather they got it than she did .


only found out I was clear when my mrs didn't get punished for naming me as a driver. honestly - there is NO protection - the only possible way to get round it is CCTV or a witness, otherwise you're shafted.


how to get rid? phone them constantly and keep arguing - eventually one of them will press a button to clear you and make you go away.

jojothefirst

Thanks for the replies.
Just to clarify. I parked the car, went inside, came back out 30mins later and it was further down the hill.
I would except responsibility for any damage it had caused and said at the time it was lucky it hadn't done something a lot worse. The possible wing mirror mark I was literally able to wipe off with my finger. This is only a possibility and by no means a definite.
The car ended up literally next to the other persons. There's no way it could have went into the front and caused the damage she claims.
I didn't take pictures at the time but I do have picture of my car showing no damage. The other car is also parked in the street so could hypothetically take pics of the scene by recreating where the car ended up.
I will contact my insurance company and try and get them to come and look at the cars. Hopefully common sense prevail.
Should I be informing the police that the incident took place and that she is making a false claim?