Rear bumper totalled

Merlin5

Merlin5

Merlin5

Soldato
Joined
17 Aug 2009
Posts
18,592
Location
Finchley, London
I came out my house tonight to go to my car and my rear bumper has been completely squashed. I opened the tailgate but couldn't close it as the cracked top part of the bumper was now blocking it. So I got start rescue out who sorted it. First time I've had to use them and they're as good as everyone here said.

I thought at first it was a hit and run. Soon as he arrived though (about 11.15pm) he looked at the black car parked behind mine and said "it was this car that did it." He showed me damage on that car which matched mine. That car is my neighbour's, he's a minicab driver. Start Rescue bloke said call the police and he'd hang around. Police said I need to report it online and go and speak to the neighbour. Neighbour's wife answered the door saying her husband isn't feeling well and I should speak to him in the morning. Complete BS, obviously avoiding me.

My neighbour gets drunk regularly, though I've never suspected him of drink driving. I can only guess he might have been drunk at the time this happened. He even parked it badly.

Not sure what speed he hit my car but he gave it quite a shunt because my front driverside wheel was touching the kerb, and that's not how I parked it.

Not sure of the best approach. I'm certain he's going to deny everything since no-one saw it happen. The Start Rescue man has made a report with details and photos of matching damage and I should get that by email.

No other part of the car is damaged, it just needs a new bumper. The lights still flash to unlock the doors using the key fob, but doesn't flash and lock them, so I locked them manually. I'm assuming it might be that the tailgate isn't engaging properly. Also, the warning light and couple of other lights are staying on so I've disconnected the negative battery terminal so it doesn't run the battery down.

I'll need to contact Churchill insurance. I'm fully comprehensive with 10+ no claims bonus. Do you think they'll cover the repairs if we can't prove my neighbour caused this?

Here's photos I took.

 
Sorry to see this. Remove interior trims in the boot area to have a proper look at the boot floor to see if there has been additional damage caused to the metalwork of the car. Sadly id say its likely given how crunched the bumper is.

Best you can hope to get out of the Police is a crime reference number, ive been through this before when a friends neighbour (i was staying overnight at their house) hit my car while parking and smashed my tail light and scuffed the bumper and rear quarter.

They wouldnt help any further despite matching damage and paint transfer, and even the possibility of a neighbours CCTV footage, as well as a smashed vodka bottle next to their car...

I tried to get them to answer the door the following morning and they blanked me.

So I passive aggressively posted all the broken tail light glass through their letterbox along with a strongly worded note, and set the entire broken taillight on top of their car... (I lived a good 100+ miles away, and my friend disliked this neighbour anyway and planned on moving soon)

Ended up fixing it myself because it worked out cheaper than getting insurance involved.

Your insurance company should pay out (and may even contact your neigbours insurance provider) given how cut and dry the matching damage seems to be, along with the seperate independent statement.

Do let us know if you get anywhere.
 
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jsmoke said:
That must be really awkward. Can you get a photo of his bumper and get paint of scuff mark photos. Just an idea.
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He has done, if you look at the opening post properly. Should be fairly easy to resolve even if the neighbour continues blanking him.
 
Guessing since they didn't knock your door and say sorry mate my foot
Slipped while parking they aren't about to own up any time soon
Might even try the you reversed into my car while parking ploy if they aren't decent enough to own up
And probably Either too drunk or too stupid or too arrogant to move their car elsewhere so it wasn't totally obvious it was them that hit you
You won't know how it's going to go until you actually get to speak to them
Assuming they will speak to you at all
Worth having your phone recording if you go back to their door in the morning
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Guessing since they didn't knock your door and say sorry mate my foot
Slipped while parking they aren't about to own up any time soon
Might even try the you reversed into my car while parking ploy if they aren't decent enough to own up
And probably Either too drunk or too stupid or too arrogant to move their car elsewhere so it wasn't totally obvious it was them that hit you
You won't know how it's going to go until you actually get to speak to them
Assuming they will speak to you at all
Worth having your phone recording if you go back to their door in the morning
Click to expand...

I imagine they were drunk as the OP suspected, they didn't want to fess up immediately because it would have been obvious they were drunk, and the missus wouldn't let OP see them because they were obviously drunk (i.e not feeling very well...)

Be interesting to know what happens in the morning when the wife tells him that he crashed into their next-door-neigbours car while drunk last night and they know he did it...

He has done damage to his own car as well... Do we think he'll be honest and fess up and do it all through the insurance, or get his car repaired privately and continue blanking the OP?

I know what my money is on, but I would like to be pleasantly surprised for once!

To another end - What are the chances that he works as a taxi driver whilst over the drink-drive limit if he was drunk enough to do this at this time? I'd say fairly high, at least some of the time... Surely there are avenues that should be explored there if he is endangering members of the public with illegal actions?
 
Acme said:
I imagine they were drunk as the OP suspected, they didn't want to fess up immediately because it would have been obvious they were drunk, and the missus wouldn't let OP see them because they were obviously drunk (i.e not feeling very well...)

Be interesting to know what happens in the morning when the wife tells him that he crashed into their next-door-neigbours car while drunk last night and they know he did it...
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Yeah they were drunk seems most likely
Let's hope for the ops sake they own up
In the morning once they sober up
If not it could lead to all sorts of unpleasantness when it's your neighbour not some random person
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I'm currently filling in the met police road accident report (for what use that'll be!). I'm filling in a box describing the damage. I've also said I'm confident the damage was from the neighbour's car. Do you think I should add that I have a strong suspicion he was not sober at the time of the incident, or leave that out?

Even though my photos pretty much prove my neighbour's car did it, is there anything my insurers can do to build a case against him? But then I suppose that if he denies everything, the insurers won't know if he hit me or I hit him. It'll be his word against mine.

The only thing though is that it's the front of his car that connected with mine. So from an insurers investigation pov, maybe they would say it's less possible to cause that kind of impact damage to my bumper by me reversing into him and more likely by him going forward into me?

I have a £100 compulsory excess with Churchill, no voluntary excess. Is it likely they'll cover my damage if we get nowhere with the neighbour?

I forgot to say that the start rescue man got the bumper shape almost back to normal and a bit more pushed back around the rear light.

 
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As someone who worked in connection with the insurance industry for a few years, id say its unlikely given the portfolio of evidence and the way you have presented it, or intend to present it, that they will try and flip it back on you and accuse you of anything.
 
You can put you have a suspicion he was drunk if you want
But there's absolutely no evidence to back it up as fact so I doubt it would be of much use
Since it's your neighbour do you have a feeling for what sort of character he is?
Think he's likely to say look sorry mate my
Foot slipped, or the wife tryed to park the
Car
Obviously not admitting he was drunk but at least admitting responsibility?
Like I said if you go to their door have your phone on record in your pocket in case they let something slip like
Hey yeah I did it but you can't prove it etc
Lot of taxi firms do in house repair so he
Could probably get his repair done with
Out resorting to insurance
It's all speculation unfortunately until you see him you really won't know how its
Going to pan out
 
Id definitely echo the above re having your phone on record in your pocket when you confront him, just in case.

I would hope he wouldn't drag his wife into the mix though as that would complicate things, for himself in particular, as that would be insurance fraud. If his wife plays along she would be im just as much potential trouble as well.

Of course the lack of any cut and dry proof of who was driving would complicate things, but id hope he would have the sense to not even go there.
 
Thanks guys. I'll take your suggestions to have my phone recording in my pocket.
Acme, if they don't flip it on me and they accept it wasn't my fault, does fully comprehensive insurance with maximum no claims allow me to get the repairs done through them at their cost and I would just pay the £100 compulsory excess?

I tell you one thing. I practise drums at home sometimes, only during weekdays, not evenings or weekends. That neighbour once asked me if I could not play them on mondays as his wife works from home. I agreed and have avoided monday practise for the last year. Well it's not much revenge, but if he decides to play silly buggers and not admit to anything, then I'll be annoying her with drums every monday. If he comes to complain I'll tell him where to shove it. Childish I know, but why would I care. :D My intention is to sell my place within a year anyway.
 
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Merlin5 said:
Thanks guys. I'll take your suggestions to have my phone in my pocket recording.
Acme, if they don't flip it on me and they accept it wasn't my fault, does fully comprehensive insurance with maximum no claims allow me to get the repairs done through them at their cost and I would just pay the £100 compulsory excess?
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Even if it ends up having to go through your insurance without them involved at all you would only pay £100. :)

If the other party is found to be at fault you shouldn't have to pay anything. Or you may have to pay the £100 which would be refunded once your insurer recovers costs from the other parties insurance. It depends on how your particular insurer conducts matters.

I think the former is more likely.

I assume you have your NCD protected as well?

Anyway I must get some kip. Best of luck for the morrow. I'll pop back in to see whats happening.
 
Acme said:
Even if it ends up having to go through your insurance without them involved at all you would only pay £100. :)

I assume you have your NCD protected?
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Yep, protected. That's good then, as long as it doesn't personally cost me more than £100 to get it fixed, then it's not such a bad ending. I mean to pay for replacing the bumper and the paint job, and any other hidden damage, I'm sure that won't be cheap! I don't think there's enough damage that they might say beyond economical repair, at least I hope not! I like this car. It only cost me £1400 to buy in april, but it's very nice to drive.
 
I would prepare yourself for that just in case. Insurance approved repairs cost a lot more than a mate in a backstreet garage. Bumper and paint will already be pushing it if its only worth £1400 id suggest, let alone if there is invisible damage as well.

However, it can still work out in your favour if they do write it off. If they allow buybacks you should get your payout of £1500 +/- and they may allow you to buy the car back, likely for sub £200, and then you could either leave it as-is and pocket the spare cash, or use the spare cash to get it repaired privately.

Id ask that question. "if you choose to write the car off, do you allow buy-backs?" etc.
 
Must admit the ops taking it very calmly
When the wife said he's not well enough to speak to you
Would have been the point I got really ****** off and went and gave his car the oven cleaner paste mixed
With brake fluid treatment
Not that I am advocating the op should do anything like that of course
 
You're very lucky you have so much evidence against this person. I hope the insurers cover it all and repair at no cost to you (apart from the usual increase in premium next year despite it never being your fault - biggest joke in insurance ever)

I've been hit twice in the rear corner and both times I've been parked and not near the car when it's happened. First time it was low and only took out the reflector and bumper. 2nd hit was higher up and has creased the actual metal of the car.



One reason I think I'll never get a new car because too many idiots on the road with no respect.
 
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Ouch Liquid Entity, sorry to see that.

Well I've got good news. The neighbour admitted he did it! Totally surprised me.
And I've got it all recorded. He was very friendly and apologetic and gave me some story about a car coming towards him and how he tried to quickly park and then hit my car. Something like that, but I'm confident that's BS and he was probably drunk.

Anyway, he gave me his insurers name, Freeway insurance. I've never heard of them. Thing is, he was asking me if we can do it without the insurers involved and that he's happy to drive me to a place tomorrow that he's used before who are apparently good. He wants to avoid an insurance claim because he said his excess is £600.

I said to him that I think the damage to my car will be more than £600 and he didn't think so. But he has no idea really, he's not a mechanic.

So what's the best thing guys, do I call up my insurers today and do it that way or go with him and get a quote? Either way, it shouldn't cost me anything.
 
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