had a accident this morning :(

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:08

Unfortunately on the drive to work this morning I have been involved in an accident, with a motorcyclist. I am most likely to be held at fault.
I was turning onto the main road from a side road. A lorry stopped and flashed me to go on, as I pulled out slowly and and stopped I could not see any bikes etc coming along, then suddenly a motorbike doing about 40mph.. came hurtling along riding on the wrong side of the road and hit my front bummer, the motorcyclist tried to break but could not stop in time. He left a long skidmark on the road and slide his bike sidewards into the bottom of my front bummer, he scraped the tarmac off the road .
Fortunately both myself and the motorcyclist were ok- not hurt (unless his changes his story later on). The motorcyclist after exchanging details rode off.
The part of the road were the accident happened had white diagonal stripes painted on the road so surely the motorcyclist is not allowed to ride on the wrong side of the road there (highway code 130)??

The lorry driver fortunately pulled over and checked both parties were ok. A very nice guy, not many people these days stop and help.
I only managed to take 2 pictures of the accident scene towards the end, I must say I was quite shocked. But the lorry driver took a lot of pics on his phone. I got his details and hopefully will get the pics off him sometime.

ng93 · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:20

Glad to hear your both ok.

wijcc said:
I am most likely to be held at fault.

From what you've said it definitely sounds like the bikers fault, especially if he was speeding?

Peerzy · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:25

I'm not sure they take speed into consideration as much as you would have thought in things like this. It's not an instant - you were speeding therefor it is your fault thing.

I'm not sure which way it would go, purely because you should be making 110% sure it's fine to pull out, even if someone has flashed you, but the biker should also be doing the same considering he is performing an overtake.

Glad everyone is okay but I recon that'll go 50/50.

Deific · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:31

^

You don't overtake on a junction going onto the wrong side of the road, especially if there's a lorry blocking your view of anything turning

Peerzy · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:34

Deific said:
^

You don't overtake on a junction going onto the wrong side of the road, especially if there's a lorry blocking your view of anything turning

Correct - but you don't pull out unless you can clearly see nothing is coming.

Even when I turn left out of a minor into a main road you still look both ways.

I wouldn't say it's the OPs fault at all - I think the biker is to blame, I just recon it'll go 50/50

mikeh501 · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:44

v.lucky he didnt go into the side of you. i think it will be 50/50. bike should have been more aware of the junction and possibility of someone entering the road. you should have been more aware of traffic coming down the "wrong" lane on your left.

As it happens this happened to me about 10 years ago, but it was an ambulance coming down the wrong side of the road, and he was doing about 60mph. v.scary. Luckily i did a doulbe take before pulling all the way out, and it was ok

Skyboat · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:46

On the one hand the lorry driver has signalled for you to pull out, but on the other his vehicle would clearly be obstructing your view of the approaching bike. Hard one to call really, I think the biker was an idiot for being where he was and should have known better considering a 5T lorry is severely restricting his side of the the traffic.

Finglonga · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:46

Are they zig zag lines or the beginning of cross hatch lines, If the former the motorcycle should not be overtaking at all as it is an offence to pass the lead car after zig zags at lights.

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:47

i did look both ways.. looked right and saw nothing then looked left, the traffic ongoing slowed down to let me in...

Hey ho.. thats life i guess.. even though i have a comp insurance if the accident fault goes against me my excess is £325

I may wait to hear which way the liability goes before repairing my car. It is still drivable. I was stationary when the accident happened

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:48

Finglonga said:
Are they zig zag lines or the beginning of cross hatch lines, If the former the motorcycle should not be overtaking at all as it is an offence to pass the lead car after zig zags at lights.

yes there were diagonal/zigzag line on the road

Jokester · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:50

To be honest, I can't see how this can be your fault, motorcyclist was making an illegal overtaking maneuver as far as I can see.

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:54

i sent the pictures i posted to my insurer as well.. so i just have to wait and see what happens..
I just wished i had the sense of mind to take more pictures earlier before the biker moved his bike and a few more pictures of the scene.. the accident was holding up traffic (busy rush hour) and i felt under pressure to move my car

Mucky_Pup · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:54

Just have to put your account in, and the witnesses in, and hope it will go in your favour, but I'd be looking more likely at 50/50 here.

mjt · 4 Jul 2011 at 12:55

Jokester said:
To be honest, I can't see how this can be your fault, motorcyclist was making an illegal overtaking maneuver as far as I can see.

So going on past experiences on here, 50/50 then

mikeh501 · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:03

is this where it happened?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Wentworth+St,+London+E1,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=51.516953,-0.073158&spn=0.000647,0.001711&sll=51.521883,-0.073242&sspn=0.165555,0.43808&t=f&z=20&ecpose=51.51694177,-0.07315837,109.19,0,0.762,0

im confused by your picture. i assumed you coming out of wentworth street into commercial street and turning right? If so, how did he hit your front bumper, if he was coming from your left? Your picture shows him hitting the rear of your car?

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:04

mikeh501 said:
is this where it happened?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Wentworth+St,+London+E1,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=51.516953,-0.073158&spn=0.000647,0.001711&sll=51.521883,-0.073242&sspn=0.165555,0.43808&t=f&z=20&ecpose=51.51694177,-0.07315837,109.19,0,0.762,0

im confused by your picture. i assumed you coming out of wentworth street into commercial street and turning right? If so, how did he hit your front bumper, if he was coming from your left? Your picture shows him hitting the rear of your car?

he was coming from the right, in the wrong lane and he hit my front bumper

mikeh501 · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:06

wijcc said:
he was coming from the right, in the wrong lane

ah I gotcha.

Deific · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:15

Peerzy said:
Correct - but you don't pull out unless you can clearly see nothing is coming.

Even when I turn left out of a minor into a main road you still look both ways.

I wouldn't say it's the OPs fault at all - I think the biker is to blame, I just recon it'll go 50/50

but you don't not pull out on the off chance that there's a bloke on a motorcycle doing 40 on the wrong side of the road into the junction.

SKILL · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:23

I think at best (and most likely) it'll go 50/50, the rule (191) for zig-zags state that you must not overtake the lead-most vehicle, unless you can prove the lorry was the lead vehicle that's not going to work

Ultimately you were pulling out of a give-way onto a lane you could not see (whether the lorry flashed you or not doesn't matter) and the Motorcyclist was filtering (another at-risk manoeuvres) so really you are both to blame.

EDIT:
I'd also query the '40 mph' tag, I think that's highly unlikely given the damage to your car, but then I'm no expert...

wijcc · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:25

here is a picture of the roadlayout, the lorry stopped before the traffic light. to allow to pull out into his lane