Accident with Foreign HGV in UK

tower

Hi, my wife was involved in a minor accident with a foreign HGV while travelling along a motorway. Basically he drifted from his lane and damaged both passenger doors. They stopped but he refused to provide any details ( claiming not to understand). My wife called the police, who wouldn’t attend and was told to take photo’s of number plate and report it online. Now her insurance are telling her that they can’t find the vehicle on the number plate. Just wondering what happens in this case, will the police have more luck, will she be deemed to be at fault (losing ncb, increased premiums) as other party cannot be traced. Thx

tasticz

what detail does she have?

Reg number showing the country?
Company logo?

[Deleted User]

delete 123

AdrianC

Did she take a photo of the truck's plate, or the trailer's? Many countries register trailers separately to the tractor unit.

Sandtree

How long has passed since she reported it to the insurer? IE how quickly have they come back?

Processes may have changed since my day but back then this would be an exceptionally long process of writing a letter to the MIB who then write a letter to their equivalent in the country of the vehicle who eventually come back via the MIB with the details of the insurer and their UK representative. When you finally get that things rarely sped up much because many dont have delegated authority and therefore do little more than act as a mailbox/translation service.

Retrogamer

I would report this again with the police. The driver who has left the scene of an accident without providing at least their full name and address is guilty of an offence. 

tower

Hi thanks for the replies, The accident happen ten days ago, she only got the trucks number plate( didn’t know the trailer one could be different), she hasn’t heard from the police. The insurance company were very quick to dismiss the number plate, hopefully the process will prevail.
I can’t upload a photo, the number plate  is IAE ( ) 1340, in the brackets is an A, under a dash- with a symbol above, if that make sense.

DB1904

tower said:

Hi thanks for the replies, The accident happen ten days ago, she only got the trucks number plate( didn’t know the trailer one could be different), she hasn’t heard from the police. The insurance company were very quick to dismiss the number plate, hopefully the process will prevail.
I can’t upload a photo, the number plate  is IAE ( ) 1340, in the brackets is an A, under a dash- with a symbol above, if that make sense.

Where did she get the number plate from, front or rear?

Sandtree

tower said:

Hi thanks for the replies, The accident happen ten days ago, she only got the trucks number plate( didn’t know the trailer one could be different), she hasn’t heard from the police. The insurance company were very quick to dismiss the number plate, hopefully the process will prevail.
I can’t upload a photo, the number plate  is IAE ( ) 1340, in the brackets is an A, under a dash- with a symbol above, if that make sense.

Didn't have a country code on the reg or elsewhere on the back.

10 days would be way too short in my day but technology clearly could have improved it. Most insurers operate a two tier system (or more) in their claims department with some basic trained staff dealing with initial calls and basic queries and more advanced staff dealing with the third parties, lawyers etc. Have you been given any secondary contact details of the "recovery/liability team" or anything similar? 

She could, if she wanted, register as a direct claimant against the foreign vehicle via https://www.mib.org.uk/making-a-claim/accidents-in-the-uk-involving-a-foreign-registered-vehicle/direct-claimant-registration/ at least if they identify the third party insurer you could then revert to your insurers.

tower

DB1904 said:

tower said:

Hi thanks for the replies, The accident happen ten days ago, she only got the trucks number plate( didn’t know the trailer one could be different), she hasn’t heard from the police. The insurance company were very quick to dismiss the number plate, hopefully the process will prevail.
I can’t upload a photo, the number plate  is IAE ( ) 1340, in the brackets is an A, under a dash- with a symbol above, if that make sense.

Where did she get the number plate from, front or rear?

From the cab at the front.

AdrianC

tower said:

I can’t upload a photo, the number plate  is IAE ( ) 1340, in the brackets is an A, under a dash- with a symbol above, if that make sense.

Almost certainly Greek.

IA is used for trucks in Greece, and the format fits - three letters, dash (with tax/validity stickers above and below), four numbers.