scared after car accident

hysteria1989

Hi guys sorry if this is Abit long winded but I felt you guys where the best to ask.

Basically earlier this evening me and my partner where involved in a car accident. I was driving and it was the car in fronts fault as after sitting still at a set of traffic lights for 20+ seconds the car in front suddenly reversed full throttle straight into me. This was on a busy main road with two lanes for each direction (he said he didn't see me and suddenly realized he was in the wrong lane).

After jumping out quickly to ascertain the damage the car needed moving in off the road. After not starting I had to get out and push while my partner steered (she had a baby via c section 6 months ago and I figured she isn't able too) however even tho the car wasn't running she was strictly driving AFTER the incident just to get it round the corner.

While speaking to the owner of the other vehicle once we had moved to the side he asked why he saw my partner behind the wheel I explained that she helped me move it. And we carried on going about details towards the end I realized he had been recording some of the conversation I have no idea how long tho. My partner has been having lessons with a instructor but does not have a license or insurance on my vehicle.

I'm now really worried the video might sound like my partner was driving the car and she may lose her license. Is this possible. I know there's a camera at the lights for fiming people jumping a red and I hope they have general video playback as well as this would show me driving and getting out of the car immediately after the incident. However I don't know this for sure. I'm really worried the other driver will try to blame my partner and she'll lose her license before she's even got it. We had our firstborn six months ago and both really need to drive asap hence her having the lessons.

Also I'm not convinced the other driver was insured he showed me a certificate that expired two weeks ago and kept offering me cash which I made perfectly clear I didn't want. I have all his car details and a photo of his license on my phone so this can be checked.I did phone the police at the time and explained this but they where no help and just told me to speak to my insurance company in the morning as no one was injured.

I'm really freaking out that my partner will lose her license can anyone advise on the likely hood of this happening?

Thank you so much for reading and any help.will be greatly.appreciated. also apologies if my grammer isn't brilliant in places.

ACG

Id have accepted the cash! It will save you the hassle of insurance and increased premiums (despite not being your fault).

I dont see how your wife can lose her license for steering a vehicle which is powered by someone pushing it, I could be wrong.

I think the camera at the red lights only records if someone goes through the light on red, I cant imagine it records 24/7 - but again, I could be wrong.

Did you get witness details? He could quite easily go back to the insurance company and say you drove into him.

I would go and take some photos at the scene - particularly if there are any light fragments etc which may show you were quite far back from the lights.

jonesMUFCforever

I hope you have reported the accident to the police and your insurance company.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

I hope you have reported the accident to the police and your insurance company.

did you not read the post or just skim through it he wants to go through insurance and yes police were called but as no injured party they didn't have any interest in attending a civil matter as this was.






OP, forget your partner losing her license, its not going to happen.


you need to hand the registration and the details to your insurance company of the person who reversed into you.


but expect to the third party after calming down, say you drove into their rear and that its your fault.


so if the junction has council CCTV at that location (forget the red light cams as they operate only when a vehicle has gone through on red just like a speed camera gatso) then contact the council for the area, and make a request for the CCTV footage (give them time and date and your make vehicle and registration to locate it quickly) do not be fobbed off with DPA malarkey and them saying you cant have it, under the DPA your are entitled to request it for yourself as it involves you or ask your insurance to request it ASAP if you do have trouble formt he council and ask the council for ref number for them to get incontact with them about the subject matter.


don't be scared nothing will come of your partner or wife steering while you pushed.

specialboy

Legally the person in charge of the vehicle (your wife) has to be insured but I can't see the police taking any action in the circumstances described. Did the other driver admit to reversing into you I front of witness's?

Aretnap

ACG wrote: »

I dont see how your wife can lose her license for steering a vehicle which is powered by someone pushing it, I could be wrong.

There's a mish mash of case law on exactly what constitutes driving which is not always 100% clear, but in theory it's at least possible that someone steering a car which is being pushed could be held to be driving it, and hence would need a licence and insurance.

http://blog.bsure.uk.com/the-legal-definition-of-driving/

In practice though it's very unlikely that she'll get into any trouble for helping to clear the road after an accident, especially as the police have already made it clear that they're not interested.

You can find out if the other driver was insured here for a nominal fee (or for free if you go from a mobile phone)

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

If he's honest and admits reversing into you it should be a straightforward claim. If he claims that you drove into the back of him then things may get a bit messier.

Quentin

The third party may have thought the change of driver was done because the original driver was drunk/uninsured etc.


Forget about it.


Don't volunteer any info about that aspect of the incident to anyone - it is irrelevant! (Though if you get any direct questions from your insurer over it you will have to answer them)


It won't matter if the third party is uninsured as you can use MIB for claims against uninsured drivers if that turns out to be the case.

Quentin

Aretnap wrote: »

You can find out if the other driver was insured here for a nominal fee (or for free if you go from a mobile phone)

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

You don't need that paid for service just to find out if a vehicle is insured or not.


It's always free if you have the reg. go to:


http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/


(The paid for service is to get the details of the insurer of a vehicle you have been involved with)

OnanTheBarbarian

Quentin wrote: »

You don't need that paid for service just to find out if a vehicle is insured or not.


It's always free if you have the reg. go to:


http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/


(The paid for service is to get the details of the insurer of a vehicle you have been involved with)

Please be aware that you are committing an offence by using the link you posted to put in the reg details of a third party vehicle. That link is for checking your own vehicle is insured.

OnanTheBarbarian

To the original poster, write down a detailed account of the incident, blow by blow, whilst all the details are fresh and date it.

Report the incident to your insurers (as you are obliged to anyway)

Expect nonsense from the other motorist, who will no doubt try to allege you rear-ended him. Expect he may not be insured and therefore if you need a quicker resolution to this, you may need to report the incident to your own insurers and claim from your own policy and then claim back any uninsured losses.

Much will depend on whether this guys is insured and also if he tells the truth as to what happened, but I would expect hassles. it would be pleasant if it doesn't go that way though.

If he refuses to provide insurance details, make a further report to the police promptly as he is required to provide his insurance information under Section 154 of the Road Traffic Act when a claim against him is notified.

Aretnap

Quentin wrote: »

You don't need that paid for service just to find out if a vehicle is insured or not.


It's always free if you have the reg. go to:


http://ownvehicle.askmid.com/

Indeed, but to use that you would have to make a declaration which would not be, ahem, 100% true. Whether you do that is up to you - I'm not going to recommend it.

Also the own vehicle service tells you whether a vehicle is insured today. It doesn't tell you whether it was insured at the time of the accident. If there's been a delay since the accident it will give a misleading answer if he's rushed out and got insurance in the meantime - or if he's cancelled his insurance and scrapped the car.