Just Had A Crash Would Appreciate Some Advice

arcon5

Sadly your last couple of points are likely to be moot as far as the insurers are concerned. Whether she was turning in to a layby or driveway is irrelevant, all they will care about is the fact she was turning right.
The mirrors point is moot because you'll never be able to prove whether she did or didn't and whether you was in her blind spot or not.

arcon5

If you've buckled your wheel it's more than likely your whole geometry will be out. You'll have bent your chassis and more than likely damaged your hub/knuckle, bearing and much more.

IMO you need to accept now that you won't have a car in the morning, it's Sunday afternoon, most people/companies that probably could help are probably closed. These things happen, for now see if a relative or friend can help you out, then in the morning contact your insurers claim department and see what they offer, then go from there.

UnderPressure

I was planning on replacing the car at the end of the month anyhow, really need a 7 seater and the MOT runs out on the crashed one on 7th August and had no plans to re-mot it, but I do not have all the funds I will need until the end of the month so if I can change the tyres and tidy it up a bit, apart from the front passenger side indicator missing it is not that bad, nothing falling off etc but it is a V reg 1997 Mazda 626 it would only have needed a scratch for them to write it off and I am certain the damage done will 100% write it off.

If you wanted it back to perfect then bonnet, bumper passenger side front wing, indicator and headlight, underneath looks fine no leaks nothing moved or bent and all these parts are just damaged not falling off so to speak, I am sure if I put another couple of wheels on it, it will be fine for the moment, I can have it checked if needs be later today if I can get it moving.

Can I do this? Will the missing indicator get me in trouble if a friendly police officer sees me driving by?

If not then I am happy to continue to use it until this is all rectified just cannot be without a car.

UnderPressure

Astronaughtwannabe wrote: »

Clutching at straws but if your skid marks are still visible and the yaw marking from her car's rotation then go and measure/photo them now before they disappear.

You'd be hoping to demonstrate to your insurer that instead of being just left of the centre of the road, she was well over to the left, and so adds weight to your claim. That assumes of course that it does. The wider the road was, the better it should be for you.

I really need to get back there and take a look at all that, I see your point thank you.

Astronaughtwannabe

The indicator missing is the least of your problems, you'll likely get stuck on for using a vehicle in a dangerous condition.

arcon5

I think you need to have it looked at professionally, not through unqualified rose-tinted spectacles. I mean no disrespect by this, what I mean is your view of its condition is biased by the fact you desperately need a car for every day life.
If it is found to be roadworthy, subject to new wheel and lights, then fine, nothings forcing you to make a claim and have your insurer write it off.
If though you wish the insurer to make a payout then they will likely take the car, they can sell it back to you for a small fee though but you'd then need a VIC done with the dvla etc which wouldn't be worth the hassle if you are getting rid at the end of the month.

verityboo

UnderPressure wrote: »

......

If you wanted it back to perfect then bonnet, bumper passenger side front wing, indicator and headlight, underneath looks fine no leaks nothing moved or bent and all these parts are just damaged not falling off so to speak, I am sure if I put another couple of wheels on it, it will be fine for the moment, I can have it checked if needs be later today if I can get it moving.

..........

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If the bonnet & wing etc would need replacing to repair properly does that mean there are sharp exposed edges. If this is the case it would fail an MOT so I would suggest that if you were stopped the police would be most unimpressed

UnderPressure

OK great points by everyone thank you.

I will sit tight and wait to hear from them and in the meantime see if I can bring forward buying a new car to now and not the end of the month. Probably easiest thing to do I suppose.

Thanks again

arcon5

As for the skid marks, unless you've hit a £200k car or killed somebody I can't see them being interested in these, they demonstrate very little without professional analysis, for all they know you swerved before hitting her or may even come to a different conclusion that you didn't see her turning and nearly run in to the back of her then swerved round her.

Sounds like it will turn out to be a reasonably low value claim in the grand scheme of claims so I cant see the insurers wanting to spend too much time or money on handling what to them sounds like a straight forward case.

Remember, they are not emotionally involved, to them its just another claim they want to keep the cost down on.

Mercdriver

She may argue that you were in her blind spot and that would explain why she didn't see you. Have you described it to the insurance co the way you have here? You say you hit her as she drove across. If she was moving towards you, wouldn't she have hit you? This could turn out to be a crucial point...