Accident: Struck on the side - reassurance for an OAP

Vanilla

Vanilla

Vanilla

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Not me in my car :)

My dad was driving along a road very close to his house. On the right there was a stationary cement truck, facing the road coming out from the alleyway.

Either way it was stationary and he continues along the road. His side of the road was unhindered and unblocked. He is struck on the Driver door quite hard by the cement truck as he passes. Glass shattered, etc. The truck had pulled into his side.

He get's a lot of verbal from the cement truck and its passenger, which is quite distressing for an 80 year old. They start trying to 'explain' things which basically consists of them saying 'don't you know we have right of way and such'! Trying to bully their way out of the situation and tell him to move along and they'll let him off :o

The police reluctantly attend because they initially refuse to give the usual details. The police attend, ensure the details are correct and leave. They don't care as it's really a civil matter in their eyes.

Now, my dad is worrying that they will try to spin this somehow. I'm trying to reassure him that it's quite hard to explain a legitimate reason for going into the side of a car but then again insurance is not so clear cut - even people who go into the back of you are now claiming you reversed into them!

Below is a map of the scene. To the left of 'Jersey Road' is they alley that they were stationary in and they hit my dad as he passed and they pulled out.

https://goo.gl/maps/JBtGa

I'm simply telling my dad to keep it simple. He was driving along, there was a stationary cement truck to the right and as he passed it the truck pulled out without checking and hit him on the passenger door.

Opinions?
 
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blueboy2001 said:
Sounds simple enough, I can't see how they would spin it unless they lied about the location which seems unlikely given the Police attendance.
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Apparently the police did nothing but confirm the insurance and leave. No reports.

Both parties took photos but again I told my dad it was simple - how can you argue your way out of it?

Unless they say they were carrying out a maneuver and he approached but he was sure they were stationary - a car even came the other direction moments before.
 
I would just fill the form in or speak to the insurance co on the phone and tell them truthfully what happened......
 
When you say passenger door, do you mean rear door? I was struggling at first to work out how a vehicle emerging from the right hit the passenger side, unless he drives a left hand drive car I suppose...

The police in this situation will do nothing. Injury only accidents are not reportable, so no report gets filled in, and the police have no power to say who's right or wrong, the insurance companies sort that out between them.

Just submit everything you can to the insurance company. There's really nothing more than that you can do. Most people will try and blame the other party, not necessarily to avoid paying out, just that most people don't like admitting they made a mistake and they're not a driving god!
 
andi said:
When you say passenger door, do you mean rear door? I was struggling at first to work out how a vehicle emerging from the right hit the passenger side, unless he drives a left hand drive car I suppose...

The police in this situation will do nothing. Injury only accidents are not reportable, so no report gets filled in, and the police have no power to say who's right or wrong, the insurance companies sort that out between them.

Just submit everything you can to the insurance company. There's really nothing more than that you can do. Most people will try and blame the other party, not necessarily to avoid paying out, just that most people don't like admitting they made a mistake and they're not a driving god!
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Apologies - I meant driver door. I have corrected the OP.
 
Only challenge that they might try is they had started making a manoeuvre then your dad hit them.

However if he has photos showing damage to the osf of his car (espwcially ic only the door and not the wing) and the front end of the truck that should be easily dismissed ( it would be very difficult for him to somehow slide into the front of a lorry). You should also be able to tell from the type of damage.

They probably will try to claim that or similar, but just present the insurers with the facts
 
Sounds like the truck driver didn't look and I'd guess he will be in for a *******ing from his boss - quite rightly - worth a call to the vehicle operator (assuming it wasn't an owner driver) , ultimately, your dad got hit by a supposed professional who should have looked but clearly to me, didn't.

I'd be very surprised if this isn't cut & dried in favour of your dad.
 
be shocking if they didn't find the truck driver at fault as your father was on a main road and the truck moved from a side street/alley...so he clearly didn't look to see if the road he was joining was clear...... unless ya dad was hammering it at 100mph so he was out of sight and then in front of the truck as the truck driver turned his head :p

just phone them up, give the statement and email across the pics and a google map story board with icons/annotations of the actions. :)


see if the company has a 0800-hows-my-driving number and tell them not great.... they hit me xD
 
I stopped by a restaurant right by the scene that has cameras all over, covering the scene.

Unfortunately they are all fake cameras :(

My dad already told the insurance company on the phone that he saw the vehicle stationary on the right. In fact a car passed him seconds before so obviously they were waiting for that car to pass before pulling out but didn't check left.

When the forms come I will do them for him being as simple and factual as possible. He would have the tendancy to describe every little detail when really he just needs to be clear and straight.
 
andi said:
The police in this situation will do nothing. Injury only accidents are not reportable, so no report gets filled in, and the police have no power to say who's right or wrong, the insurance companies sort that out between them.
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I take it you mean damage only RTCs, rather than injury only ;)
 
MooMoo444 said:
Probably just fobbing you off so they don't have to get involved.
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It turned out the owner of the restaurant is actually the grocery store owner a few doors down whom i've been using since I was a lad (the accident was very local to home) so I trust their answer but still a little gutted.
 
If your father was driving along the road and they where carrying out a maneuver, they dont have priority. The aggresion suggests they where wrong, they new it and it annoyed them. They wont admit liability because everyone is told not to buy there insurance company, leave it for them to work it out.

Photos are always handy. I wouldn't mind betting that the photos taken by the mixer crew will not be included in the insurance form they submit!
 
Managed to get a picture:

WgPGX5H.jpg


Also - how is this for the insurance statement:

On Thursday 12th June I was proceeding along Jersey Road in the direction of the A4 (Great West Road).

As I was approaching the junction of Jersey Road /A4 on my right there was a large, stationary, cement truck that was parked in the alleyway behind a row of shops behind Jersey Parade (please see picture below for more information).

For as long as I saw the cement truck, from some 30 meters down the road, it was completely stationary.

A car coming towards me passed both the cement truck and my car. As I approached the truck I noticed that is started to move forward; at which point I stopped my vehicle. The truck continued to move forwards without noticing me and before I could use my horn it struck my car on the driver’s door, heavily denting my door and shattering the window.

To summarise: I had right of way, I was proceeding down my side of a road as normal and the truck pulled out and stuck my side. The pictures of the damage provided show this.

As a side note; I was verbally abused and intimidated by the passenger of the vehicle. The passenger tried to give me his insurance details which I refused – I wanted the details of the driver as required.

The driver refused to give his insurance details so I was forced to call the police. Upon the arrival of the police the driver gave his details.
 
It should be simple - fingers crossed for you. People do get angry when they're wrong, I miss working in insurance and people blatantly trying to argue a completely made-up story that I'd then rip to shreds. :)
 
The driver refused to give his insurance details so I was forced to call the police. Upon the arrival of the police the driver gave his details.
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Isn't failing to provide insurance details an offence? Having to get the police out is surely wasting their time.
 
MooMoo444 said:
Isn't failing to provide insurance details an offence? Having to get the police out is surely wasting their time.
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Yes it is. I think the OP did the right thing calling the Police if he's reluctant to give details. If it turned out he was uninsured then at least they'd deal with him.
 
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