New driver two Accidents

bargain_2

My son passed his test in july. First hour he hit a car in carpark because his insurance had a £500 exess I paid for the repair without going through insurance paid £469 on Friday.Yesterday on his way to start his new job a van hit him as he was coming out of a side road. The van driver said he would not of hit him if it had not been raining so bad. My son said he thought it was his fault so said he would pay for his van .Driver rang last night said he can get a member of his family to do the work and would let him know wednesday how much he would have to pay. I am so worried how much he is going to ask for. What can I do.

MercilessKiller

I've only been driving a while myself but it shouldn't matter if your son said he "thought it was his fault". If you are upset/worried about the amount he is going to ask for, then maybe small claims caught would be a good direction.

I know the Citizens Advice Beareau (CAB) Offer free legal advice and usually have offices in every city/town.

Maybe I'm not much help, but I just had my first crash as a new driver myself. I've seen how worried my parents are about costs etc, but the most important thing to everyone is that I was ok. The car is a piece of a metal but the person is a long futures worth.

I hope you can afford the costs alright and you settle things with the driver.

lisyloo

Firstly tell your son to read the terms and conditions of his insurance and what he should do in an accident.

He should NOT admit liability (he could invalidate his insurance).
He should (if possible) get independent witnesses.

If there are no witnesses to the 2nd accident then it's very hard to prove either way. At the moment I would sit tight and wait to see how high the bill is.

soolin

Never admit liability, sometimes shock can make you feel guilty and admit things when it actually is less clear cut.

Personally if the cost of repair to the van and your sons car is likely yo be quite high it might be worth putting it through the insurance as they might negotiate knock for knock with the van drivers insurance company.


Soo

albreda

Has he tried the bus?

bargain_2

There is no damage to my sons car. The driver of the van said it was a leased van. I just don't want my son to riped off. His dad said to him last night neaver admit liability ,he said he was in shock. I know I should be glad no one was hurt.

MercilessKiller

If the damage costs are a lot, then talk to your insurance company. Tell them what happened, and see what they say. He hasn't formally taken liability for the accident, and the van driver should understand he was in shock and would feel guilty!

Good luck!

lisyloo

it shouldn't matter if your son said he "thought it was his fault".

I don't think this is necessarily true.
Usually insurance says "NEVER ADMIT LIABILITY".
If you invalidate your terms and conditions then they can refuse a claim.

I would say that he should sit down and read it so he understands his responsibilities and what actions he should take in the event of an accident.

Also it might help become more responsible long term if you stop sorting out his problems for him. I know you are trying to help but you are absolving him of responsibility. He NEEDS to take responsibility if he is going to drive.
Perhaps lend him the money and get him to pay you back (perhaps he could earn it by doing housework or car cleaning etc.)
Perhaps he's been unlucky but 1 accident after an hour suggests he's not being careful enough. He needs to take this seriously as next time if could be someone's life or someon in a wheelchair.

Rikki

I was taught the car was a lethal weapon with the potential to kill and treat it with respect.
As for your son he must learn to be more observent he is not in control of a toy.

albreda

lisyloo wrote:

I don't think this is necessarily true.
Usually insurance says "NEVER ADMIT LIABILITY".
Also it might help become more responsible long term if you stop sorting out his problems for him. I know you are trying to help but you are absolving him of responsibility. He NEEDS to take responsibility if he is going to drive.
Perhaps lend him the money and get him to pay you back (perhaps he could earn it by doing housework or car cleaning etc.)
Perhaps he's been unlucky but 1 accident after an hour suggests he's not being careful enough. He needs to take this seriously as next time if could be someone's life or someon in a wheelchair.

I agree - I was driving 4 years before my first accident and up till then I was the King of the Roads as far as I was concerned. I say no accidents, I don't include bump & grind parking :cool:

But in my forth year of driving I ran a 67 year old man over (it was his fault so the police said) and having to deal with the whole incident myself (I'd never ask mum to sort out my problems) really matured my driving skills. Now I drive with this thought in mind "everyone else on the road is going to do something stupid and everyone on the pavement is going to jump into the road". I don't take things forgranted anymore. It's not worth the hassle.

lisyloo

everyone else on the road is going to do something stupid and everyone on the pavement is going to jump into the road". I don't take things forgranted anymore. It's not worth the hassle.

I ride like this all the time because I am a motorcyclist.
If it's going to hurt YOU even if it's 100% someone else's fault then you take a lot more care than you do in a metal box.

Perhaps consider getting him some training.
There are groups like the IAM (institute of advianced motoring) and ROSPA (royal society for the prevention of accidents) that don't cost a fortune to join.