Car Accident Scenario?

[Resident]

So wife has just had an accident at a nearby roundabout with a bus and just wondered in this scenario who is at faut:

- Wife on third lane on roundabout wanting to go straight ahead but theres traffic so is stationary waiting to drive straight ahead.
- Bus drives across her but the rear end of the bus catches the car bumper.

When i got there the bus driver implied that wife was at fault as shes in the wrong lane but i said it was irrelevant as she was stationary. The good news is that the bus has a couple of dash cams so would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

This

As a bus driver, bus driver's fault. She was stationary and he was maneuvering.

Most buses have at least 6 externally facing camera.

1 front mounted, facing forward,
1 rear mounted, facing rear
2 rear flank facing forward (one either side)
2 forward flank facing rearward (one either side)

All mounted at height (not above ground floor on deckers although some have a 7th, front mounted facing forward essentially mount on the back of the driver's dashboard.

The bus driver will be found at fault and the bus company will pay out, normally without involving the insurance companies as it's cheaper to deal privately.

Tail-swing impacts are one of the most common incidents, which is what this sounds like & one of the easiest mistakes to make because in tight traffic such as described your head needs to be on a swivel and it's very easy to miss a mirror check.
That's not to excuse the driver however. He made the mistake and tried to weasel.

 

[happy_2008]

As a bus driver, bus driver's fault. She was stationary and he was maneuvering.

Most buses have at least 6 externally facing camera.

1 front mounted, facing forward,
1 rear mounted, facing rear
2 rear flank facing forward (one either side)
2 forward flank facing rearward (one either side)

All mounted at height (not above ground floor on deckers although some have a 7th, front mounted facing forward essentially mount on the back of the driver's dashboard.

The bus driver will be found at fault and the bus company will pay out, normally without involving the insurance companies as it's cheaper to deal privately.

Tail-swing impacts are one of the most common incidents, which is what this sounds like & one of the easiest mistakes to make because in tight traffic such as described your head needs to be on a swivel and it's very easy to miss a mirror check.
That's not to excuse the driver however. He made the mistake and tried to weasel.

Is the location of the damage consistent with the common Tail-swing impact pictured below?

https://freeimage.host/i/749QI9

 

[Resident]

Is the location of the damage consistent with the common Tail-swing impact pictured below?

https://freeimage.host/i/749QI9

Anything rearward of the rear wheels technically is considered tail-swing. Many managers and drivers however accept tail starts 1ft from the rear wheel.

I assume the bent panel is what you're referring to so yes, that would be a tail-swing impact. The front right flank will have caught that but I doubt the company will deny it. Driver will face disciplinary too for that damage. E200 panels aren't cheap.

 

[happy_2008]

Anything rearward of the rear wheels technically is considered tail-swing. Many managers and drivers however accept tail starts 1ft from the rear wheel.

I assume the bent panel is what you're referring to so yes, that would be a tail-swing impact. The front right flank will have caught that but I doubt the company will deny it. Driver will face disciplinary too for that damage. E200 panels aren't cheap.

Yes the driver was early 30s and seemed oblivious to the fact that he had caused the accident. How much are those panels out of interest?

 

[Resident]

Yes the driver was early 30s and seemed oblivious to the fact that he had caused the accident. How much are those panels out of interest?

Not sure on the exact cost but suffice it to say that they're so expensive, my company built a whole workshop to manufacturer bus panels to save money (for all models, not just E200).

Although building them in-house means the bus is off-road for a shorter period of time. If a vehicle isn't turning it's wheels, it's costing money, not making it.

 

[MadMan-JaMeS]

For that panel to be damaged like that he must have been very close to your wifes car.
I expected the damage to be right on the back corner of the bus, not just behind the wheels.

Good thing is there are 3 camera on the back of that bus which should have caught it all, not including the ones on the front.

 

[happy_2008]

For that panel to be damaged like that he must have been very close to your wifes car.
I expected the damage to be right on the back corner of the bus, not just behind the wheels.

Good thing is there are 3 camera on the back of that bus which should have caught it all, not including the ones on the front.

Heres the damage to our car:

https://ibb.co/C77dGyn

 

[kindai]

Heres the damage to our car:

https://ibb.co/C77dGyn

You popped the bonnet or is that out of alignment from the damage also?

 

[jpaul]

I assume the bent panel is what you're referring to so yes, that would be a tail-swing impact. The front right flank will have caught that

so the bus would have been steering left at the point the impact occurred , for the back to swing right, since the single impact point is behind the rear wheels ?

 

[happy_2008]

You popped the bonnet or is that out of alignment from the damage also?

That bumper is literally being held by the bonnet pushing down at the moment. Nothing holding it up as i only had to drive it around the corner back to my home.

 

[happy_2008]

so the bus would have been steering left at the point the impact occurred , for the back to swing right, since the single impact point is behind the rear wheels ?

Yes thats correct

 

[Resident]

so the bus would have been steering left at the point the impact occurred , for the back to swing right, since the single impact point is behind the rear wheels ?

Yes thats correct

TBH looking now at both photos I'd say I'd need to see the footage to make an assessment of fault. As it's not in the OP I had assumed that it was the rear bumper of the car that was hit.

With the damage on your car and on the bus I'd have to see what the driver was doing, was he trying to essentially squeeze through a gap rather than waiting for a wider opportunity? Because it would need to be an acute left turn to impact on the front of a car with the location of the bus damage.

IF (and I stress IF) I had just those two photos and knew that the impact occured on a roundabout, with the car being on the o/s of the bus, my first thought would be that the car drove into the bus

 

[happy_2008]

TBH looking now at both photos I'd say I'd need to see the footage to make an assessment of fault. As it's not in the OP I had assumed that it was the rear bumper of the car that was hit.

With the damage on your car and on the bus I'd have to see what the driver was doing, was he trying to essentially squeeze through a gap rather than waiting for a wider opportunity? Because it would need to be an acute left turn to impact on the front of a car with the location of the bus damage.

IF (and I stress IF) I had just those two photos and knew that the impact occured on a roundabout, with the car being on the o/s of the bus, my first thought would be that the car drove into the bus

I think the bus was trying to squeeze through a small gap on a busy roundabout in order to cause that damage. I trippled checked with my wife and shes adamant she was stationary as she was waiting for the bus to pass by.

 

[Resident]

I think the bus was trying to squeeze through a small gap on a busy roundabout in order to cause that damage. I trippled checked with my wife and shes adamant she was stationary as she was waiting for the bus to pass by.

Has the company's claim management contacted you yet?

Ours are ****-hot with it, again because they want to control costs and avoid insurance involvement

 

[happy_2008]

Has the company's claim management contacted you yet?

Ours are ****-hot with it, again because they want to control costs and avoid insurance involvement

Nope, heard nothing. I contacted my insurance company and left it with them.

 

[Resident]

Nope, heard nothing. I contacted my insurance company and left it with them.

Last bump I was involved with (not me, I was the replacement driver) we entered the 'victims' contact details through our online portal and within 5 mins they rang him, courtesy car delivered within 30mins & all sorted within 10days. No insurance involved.

Did they at least give you their insurance details?

 

[happy_2008]

Last bump I was involved with (not me, I was the replacement driver) we entered the 'victims' contact details through our online portal and within 5 mins they rang him, courtesy car delivered within 30mins & all sorted within 10days. No insurance involved.

Did they at least give you their insurance details?

Yes they police took down his details and passed them onto me. Maybe Arriva are just very slow at this.

 

[mattyg]

For that panel to be damaged like that he must have been very close to your wifes car.
.

So close it looks like they actually touched

 

[happy_2008]

Update:

Spoke to the insurance company earlier today and the latest update is that the other party insurance has rejected liability on the accident based on the video footage. They will in due course send the footage to my insurance company to review and for them to decide next course of action.

 

[Diagro]

Update:

Spoke to the insurance company earlier today and the latest update is that the other party insurance has rejected liability on the accident based on the video footage. They will in due course send the footage to my insurance company to review and for them to decide next course of action.

Sounds like there is some footage that proves the bus isn't at fault. Oh dear