Hit by a Foreign Driver

Warelizzi · 10 April 2018 at 2:56AM

I was hit by a foreign lorry driver when driving around a roundabout. I was on the inside lane and he straightlined the roundabout, consequently crushing my car in the process, despite the fact I was actually stationary when the crash occurred. I've received substantial damage to my car (bumper and wing mirror ripped off, scrapes, lights smashes etc) and have been told it will be about £800 to fix.

The driver spoke very poor English, and gave me several names of companies and phone numbers to ring, and then drove away. I managed to write down both number plates on his lorry and take photos of where the accident happened.

My insurance have said if I want to claim I'll have to pay the £650 excess first, which could take around a year to get back from his insurers. Also during this time, the accident would be recorded as a non solved dispute, and my premium would go through the roof when my insurance next renews (in 8 months), as well as losing my no claims discount.

I've googled his company and called them to see if they would settle the matter privately, and after being passed around multiple people I was very rudely told never to contact them again and they would resolve the matter via the insurance.

I'm now unsure as whether to just pay the £800 myself (a loan from my parents), to try and contact his insurance and sort it privately, or to go through my own insurance. I know realistically there isn't a large difference between the two prices, but eventually I would be refunded the excess, and I also find it extremely infuriating that I'm having to pay for his poor driving just because he's foreign.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

paddyandstumpy · 10 April 2018 at 6:39AM

Lorries tend to straightline roundabouts. UK lorry drivers do this too. This is why most people anticipate it and don't put their car in that position on a roundabout.

Also, most roundabout claims are settled 50/50 (meaning both parties at fault). This sounds like a 50/50 claim; you shouldn't be alongside a lorry on a roundabout.

Get the damage repaired privately and leave the insurer out of it. If you report the accident (even if you subsequently don't claim) it will be recorded on your file for the next 5 years as a fault claim.

nyermen · 10 April 2018 at 7:08AM

Careful. If you don't declare it (as even if not claiming, everything normally must be declared) then you could find future insurance is cancelled or invalid (eg at a future claim when they tend to actually check this stuff properly unlike renewal time), which of course then becomes a lifetime declaration of cancelled insurance. Chances are the lorry driver has already declared it, and their insurer may well have already contacted yours (I'm making a few assumptions such as EU driver, and that EU insurers have access to the UK Motor Insurance Bureau data)

Lets not judge the OP - we don't know the nature of the roundabout, was it small / large, single lane, were there two lanes with markings, exit labels, etc, or who entered/gave way at the roundabout first, etc. That's what the insurers normally consider, and indeed - they may well agree 50/50.

OP - appreciate this may be frustrating, particularly if you feel you did no wrong. These incidents aren't fun, but they do happen a lot. Bear in mind that once it is resolved, if the fault is entirely on the Lorry driver, you can claim back losses such as increased premium (though these have to be proven which can be hard, and ofc chances are the driver isn't based in the UK).

I trust no one was injured, in which case, that is something to be grateful for - i'm guessing incidents with lorries have a higher injury rate...

Hit by a Foreign Driver

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