Argh! Car park accident

BYTEr

BYTEr

BYTEr

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2 Oct 2004
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Had my first car accident today, well with me in the drivers seat. I was reversing out of a bay, all clear, was looking behind me, had reversed out the bay so I braked, came to a complete stop and was just about to put it into first to drive away when I felt a very slight impact behind, looked in the rear view mirror and another car had reversed into me.

Me and the other driver got out at the same time and the lady driver immediately says to look at what I've done to her car and am I going to ring my insurance :confused: I just reply back that I was the one stopped and that it was her who reversed into me. We quickly exchange details and she drives of immediately afterwards (without wearing her seatbelt) before I even think about taking photo's or whatever. I did go into the store to see if any CCTV was about but apparently there is none covering the area the accident took place in.

The damage to my (girlfriends) 2000 VW Beetle is very minimal, literally a very thin 3cm mark where the paints come off, her car (Honda Accord) was much worse, a big crumple in the bumper like a football had been booted into it and I could see a number of clips had snapped on the side.

Anyway, I ring her later in the day to get her insurance details, but she transfers me to her husband who's car it was. I already know that insurance is likely to go 50/50 despite it being entirely her fault and we won't be repairing our car so I ask about if he wanted to go outside of insurance if it's only a couple of hundred quid to fix his car, he replies am I offering to pay his repair bill lol, I reply no, I'm very generously offering to pay half even though it was your stupid wife who reversed into me. I tried explaining that going outside of insurance will be best for both of us if it's fairly cheap (no need to pay excess, no loss of NCB, higher insurance premiums etc) but it seems he thinks I'm trying to con him or to get him to do something illegal (I said we have to inform our insurance regardless but we don't have to claim) or that he thinks it's going to go down as 100% my fault so he wasn't having any of it which is his right, so will be phoning the insurance company tomorrow to let them know what's happened.

Just a rant really, such a pain in the ass!
 
Why would you offer to pay anything? You've just made things worse for yourself if they tell their insurance you were trying to pay their repairs.
 
Windle said:
Why would you offer to pay anything? You've just made things worse for yourself if they tell their insurance you were trying to pay their repairs.
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Because if it was only a couple of hundred quid I'd rather pay that and not have a fault claim on my record and have to state that for the next 5 years. It's also my girlfriends policy and didn't want her to have to do the same as well. Maybe it wouldn't work out cheaper, but I only asked him if he was interested in doing things outside of insurance, I don't think it's going to change anything me offering that, pretty sure it will go 50/50 seeing as there's no CCTV or witnesses.
 
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Don't pay. Ignore it, if they do try and claim against you contest it. Inform your insurer you had an accident but aren't planning on claiming.

It'll either blow over or they'll try and claim which you contest and it'll go 50:50 at which point they'll probably withdraw their claim.
 
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This is why it is better to reverse into parking spaces! That way you can see what is going on and where you are going when you come to leave!
 
Sounds pretty much that she reversed into you from your info, I'd agree with Dave on this one, Just T-Cut and polish on your car and the mark will probably be gone.

Offering to pay their repairs was a bad move shoudl've just said "find out how much"
I'm with Dave on this one, ignore them, let them go thru their insurance and when yours contacts you dispute it. It realy is a shame theres no CCTV :( no witnesses ?
 
I still have no idea why you would offer to pay anything towards their repairs.

I would have called them, explaned it was her fault, so it will either be 100% their fault or 50/50, "how about we pay for own damaged vehicles and move on?" - offering to pay for theirs has put you in a very bad situation from th eoffset.

We had something similar a few years ago, someone hit my Mrs and so i called, was put onto the husband who was adamant it was my Mrs' fault and he is going through the insurance. He lost and we got the car repaired and the Mrs got a bit of compensation for her injuries.

The accident: Mrs was picking up kids on school run and buckling little one into rear child seat, then BANG, she is smacked on the ass and sent sprawling across the back seat! Some mum, late for the school pick up went flying past and clipped our back door!

Loads of witnesses and he still tried to blame us!
 
Thanks for the replies.

Believe me, I've not made my situation worse or anything by offering to pay half the repairs, simply because, the other bloke is set on going through insurance, he thinks you have to go through insurance and that its illegal not to, he thought I was trying to con him by even suggesting not going through insurance.

My girlfriend rang her insurance and I got a phone call from them, who only asked if I was ok and could I move my head and shoulders to see if there's any stiffness.

It's just unfair, I get reversed into when stationary, thankfully barely a mark on my car but me and the girlfriend are now going to experience higher premiums for the next 5 years, deffo will be looking into dashcams for the future.

I am going to tell the insurance company it was 100% the other party's fault but with damage on the rear of both cars, no witnesses or CCTV it's not going to be anything but 50/50.
 
The point people are trying to make BYTEr is that you have muddied the waters. Your default position for any accident should be that it wasn't your fault, if it goes 50/50 then that's the way it goes. If anything you should have asked them to pay for your repairs, offering anything to them could potentially be viewed as admission of liability by insurance.

If the other guy is set on going through insurance do you not think he'll mention that you phoned him and offered to pay some of his repairs?
 
and another car had reversed into me.

Me and the other driver got out at the same time and the lady driver immediately says to look at what I've done to her car
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Typical woman! :p

Hope you get it sorted.
 
Windle said:
The point people are trying to make BYTEr is that you have muddied the waters. Your default position for any accident should be that it wasn't your fault, if it goes 50/50 then that's the way it goes. If anything you should have asked them to pay for your repairs, offering anything to them could potentially be viewed as admission of liability by insurance.

If the other guy is set on going through insurance do you not think he'll mention that you phoned him and offered to pay some of his repairs?
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I get it, but I thought it would be mutually beneficial for both party's to keep insurance out of it, even more so since it's probably going to go 50/50 and the repair costs may not be much, just thought it would be a shame for 2 people to lose NCB's (especially since both weren't actually driving) and for all 4 of us to have to state we've been involved in a fault accident for the next 5 years.

I thought the only way I could convince the other party was to offer to pay half the repair costs, but I think I could have offered to pay them all, pay for a hire car and heck, even a holiday for them for the stress caused and they still would have rejected and wanted to go through insurance.

As for me potentially affecting my liability, I still don't think so, firstly, there's no proof. Secondly, people have admitted liability before, even signed papers and it still doesn't change things, think you can just say you were still in shock from the accident.
 
Dont offer to pay, its admitting liability which you aweren't guilty of.

Deny and contest it as it was her fault. Otherwiose just let the insurers settle it. Of course an agreement outside of the insurance claim on a small amount is preferable.
 
Well, the bloke just rang me back, his saying that repairs for a whole new bumper is £700 but apparently the bodyshop can use a heatgun or something and make it look like new for £300 and his willing to go outside of insurance if I pay half as his realised his going to have to pay excess and lose NCB's.

I'm very much up for paying £150 and keeping mine and my GF's record clean.

Exactly how should I proceed? I'm guessing I'd need to write a contract up to say that this is final or something? Does this work? I just don't want him to take my money then end up claiming anyway, or what if the bodyshop screws up the repairs or something?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
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