Car crash advice

[surefire]

Today on her commute a work colleague of mine got T-boned by a guy jumping a red light as she went through a junction.

She gave me a call as I take the same route, and I came to the scene. By the time I got there the guy that had hit her, had already gone. Apparently he was resistant to giving details at first, and eventually gave his name, address and phone number.

On the phone I told my colleague to take photos with her phone, get his license plate number and see if there was any CCTV covering the junction.

I may be wrong, but it seems like the guy is going to deny everything and without witnesses it's just one word against another. Do you guys have any advice or suggestions I can pass on to my colleague?

Thanks.

 

[brendy]

Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime also if nothing else fella.

 

[chrisd]

It's a toughie.

I think she should look to see if there are any cameras that would pick up the incident and then she could ask the police to investigate the 3rd parties potential law breaking, that would be game set and match for her insurance claim.

It doesn't sound like she has got an independent witness, but, as the 3rd party didn't hang around, he doesn't know that someone, either in a car or on foot didn't witness the accident and come forward at the scene, maybe thaey couldn't stop at the time, turned round and got back after he had gone. I wouldn't suggest doing anything untoward but as you take the same route and the 3rd party couldn't connect the pair of you ..... well ! I don't think that you want me to spell it out!

I wonder if he is insured? again, potentially something for the police


Hope that she gets justice

Chris

 

[chrisd]

Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime also if nothing else fella.

He didn't, he gave his details and no one was injured (as far as we know)



Chris

 

[surefire]

Completely possible, two other guys from worked stopped at the scene also.

Given I work in a location that has ~5,000 people on this particular site, and the accident was at the end of the sliproad from the M3 motorway that leads to the site, I think the odds of a legit witness and even CCTV are good.

The guy said he didn't know his insurance number (fair enough - most don't) but wouldn't phone up the company to get policy details, which seems suspicious. In these days with internet mobiles and directory services, their is no excuse for not being able to get the number you need.

The guy just seems shady and my colleague is quite a meek unassuming person, so I reckon he thinks he can pull a fast one.

 

[viscount17]

If the police don't do it, or even to get ahead of them, put up a notice asking that any witnesses get in touch (possibly use her works number?)

 

[need_my_wedge]

Should always photo the accident these days, preferably before moving the cars, but if nothing else, she surely got his registration plate? They should be able to track him down from that. Contact her insurance and log the claim, hopefully he hit her sideways, so it will be obvious that she is not to blame (assuming she wasn't).

 

[chrisd]

So the guy was driving a company vehicle?

I probably wouldn't give insurance details at the scene either.

I think that she needs to work fairly quick on this one in deciding her course of action - if she is going to find a reliable witness, she really cant "suddenly" find one after 2-3 weeks.

It sounds to me like he will blame her and, insurance wise, they will almost certainly want "knock for knock" if definitve proof (ie witness) doesn't exist. If she acts quickly with regard to the police, cctv etc she doesn't have to disclose the "witness" immediately but she should remember that most insurers take the details of an accident over the phone these days and she can hardly say that someone came forward later on.

If he is a company vehicle driver she, at least, will not be dealing with the driver too much but the office staff for the company with whom he works

 

[USER1999]

I have often wondered what you do if you have an accident, and the 3rd party is driving an unregistered car, no tax, won't give any details, and just drives off. Police won't be remotely interested, as usual, especially if no one is hurt. I guess this is why I am fully comp.

 

[chrisd]

I have often wondered what you do if you have an accident, and the 3rd party is driving an unregistered car, no tax, won't give any details, and just drives off. Police won't be remotely interested, as usual, especially if no one is hurt. I guess this is why I am fully comp.

I do think that the police would do what they can to nab the driver but as far as your chances of getting paid for the damage, well, that would be zero, so comprhensive is best.

I had my wing mirror removed by a Polish type driving an old banger just before Christmas, we both stopped and when I went back for a pen he just pi**ed off, I am sure he wasn't insured but, of course, I didnt get any details!


Chris

 

[Fyldewhite]

She should report the FACTS to her insurance company as soon as possible and leave it to them. Thats what you pay the premiums for. Yes there is a danger that the insurers will go knock for knock but without an independent witness it is very difficult to prove who's fault it is. That said it's unusual for the car that's been hit to be at fault as the other car should in theory be able to stop but we all know in practice this isn't always the case.
Q. How do you know it wasn't your colleague who jumped the light ?
A. You don't know, you only have her word for it, and so do the insurance companies involved.

 

[RichardC]

I have often wondered what you do if you have an accident, and the 3rd party is driving an unregistered car, no tax, won't give any details, and just drives off. Police won't be remotely interested, as usual, especially if no one is hurt. I guess this is why I am fully comp.

My wife was hit by a car that had no valid tax, so no valid insurance. The police were called and they saw that she had no tax, but still let her drive off. My wife was left with the registration number and a bogus name and address. When she got a little confrontational with the police about the out of date tax, she was told that they could do nothing about it!!!

Result was a claim on our insurance as we could not claim against the 3rd party, as we had bogus details.

 

[sawtooth]

Tough one, I share your pessimism, I doubt very much that he will come forward to say that he jumped the red light and that it was all his fault.

Check cameras in the area and hope that it was recorded. Otherwise theres not a lot you can do. A bit surprised no one else stopped if they blatantly saw someone run a light...i know I would have.

 

[Basher]

If nobody was injured the police probably won't want to know.

"Looking shady" is not reasonable grounds for the police to undertake a "manhunt" although, if there s the chance he's an uninsured driver they might have a sniff.

 

[surefire]

Well the police had no interest whatsoever.

The bad news is my colleague has since had to go to the doctor, as she has started feeling pain in her spine. The impact was hard enough to spin her people mover a full 360 degrees, so I'm guessing she took a thump and the adrenilin hid the pain for the initial minutes and has since worn off.

The good news is the highways agency were cooperative with their CCTV. So the insurance company now have proof of what happened.

The funny news is the guy later contacted my colleague and started asking lots of strange questions. She told him to do it through insurance company as they already have the answers and the CCTV footage, at which point he apparently went very quiet and sounded a bit worried.

So to round it off in true forum style - KNOB!

 

[chrisd]

Brilliant result!


Chris

 

[Tommo21]

10 years ago I had the a situation……and the other driver said I hit them and all I was doing was driving along a straight road. The other driver gave me their details and when I phoned she denied it was anything to do with her.

I then went back to the area many times, the same time as the incident happened, and asked people if they saw the accident. A few days later a post woman passed and she said she saw it happen….job done, sorted with the insurance.

It turns out the damage to the other car appeared to increase, don’t know why.