Hi all,
On february 14th 2006 I was involved in a collision with someone that cut in to my lane and then drove off.
Here is what happened.
3 lanes of traffic, bus lane and two lanes for normal vehicles. I was in the right hand lane as I was due to turn right. It's a 30 limit and I was going a few mph under that.
I saw someone cut through from a side road on the left with attempt to get over to the other side of the road (in the opposite direction).
I slowed down and pressed the horn, but I knew I could not avoid the collision, I had no where to go apart from in to the direction of the oncoming traffic.
The front of his car hits the left-rear side of my vehicle. I pull over. He drives off in the opposite direction. I get out of my car and he is nowhere to be seen.
A fellow driver behind me sees it and pulls over and asks if I'm ok (being as the other party didn't stop). I get his details for use as a witness and he drives off.
Someone who claimed to be the other party arrived at the scene on foot, and basically told me it was my fault and I was "driving too fast". We exchange details.
I report the accident to the police and insurance company and the next day I go to the hospital with whiplash. I also specify that the other party DID NOT STOP AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
(we are both with LloydsTSB insurance)
Send all the paperwork of to the insurers.
They write back and ask a few questions (can't remember what exactly, but it was all on the form I sent).
A few months later they write to me saying that it was my fault!
I ring them and ask if they had contacted my witness. They hadn't.
Some 8 months after the accident, the other party sends in an 'independent witness report' saying that I hit his car and "was travelling at excessive speed", and my car "sustained front damage" and his car "sustained side damage"
I write to the insurers saying where I feel the descrepancies lie with his statement.
They write back saying that as there are two contradicting witness reports they are settling the claim with a 50/50 at fault stake.
I think I write to them again but they eventually give me a call just repeating what they stated on the letter.
I'm told that they will not allow me to use the legal cover provided under the policy.
I'm just sick and tired of it by this time and couldn't be arsed trying to argue my case of - my car, no frontal damage, damage to the side. Cars don't travel sideways. I welcome any independent inspection to verify this.
So I lose my 3 years no claims which ****es me off. I haven't signed anything to say that I've accepted it, but it shows up on my dads policy (I'm insured to drive his Merc for something like £15 a year).
I don't care about the car as it's only an old banger which just gets me from a-b, but out of principle I've been meaning to do something about it - as I don't believe it to be my fault and I've lost my no claims as a result of someone elses' dishonestly. He got someone to write a witness report - 8 months after the accident, which was full of lies, just to try and get him off the hook. This ****es me off.
A friend tells me to contact the insurance Ombudsman and also the AA as I would have received legal cover under the breakdown cover.
So people, is there anything I can do to try and clear my record here?
On february 14th 2006 I was involved in a collision with someone that cut in to my lane and then drove off.
Here is what happened.
3 lanes of traffic, bus lane and two lanes for normal vehicles. I was in the right hand lane as I was due to turn right. It's a 30 limit and I was going a few mph under that.
I saw someone cut through from a side road on the left with attempt to get over to the other side of the road (in the opposite direction).
I slowed down and pressed the horn, but I knew I could not avoid the collision, I had no where to go apart from in to the direction of the oncoming traffic.
The front of his car hits the left-rear side of my vehicle. I pull over. He drives off in the opposite direction. I get out of my car and he is nowhere to be seen.
A fellow driver behind me sees it and pulls over and asks if I'm ok (being as the other party didn't stop). I get his details for use as a witness and he drives off.
Someone who claimed to be the other party arrived at the scene on foot, and basically told me it was my fault and I was "driving too fast". We exchange details.
I report the accident to the police and insurance company and the next day I go to the hospital with whiplash. I also specify that the other party DID NOT STOP AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT.
(we are both with LloydsTSB insurance)
Send all the paperwork of to the insurers.
They write back and ask a few questions (can't remember what exactly, but it was all on the form I sent).
A few months later they write to me saying that it was my fault!
I ring them and ask if they had contacted my witness. They hadn't.
Some 8 months after the accident, the other party sends in an 'independent witness report' saying that I hit his car and "was travelling at excessive speed", and my car "sustained front damage" and his car "sustained side damage"
I write to the insurers saying where I feel the descrepancies lie with his statement.
They write back saying that as there are two contradicting witness reports they are settling the claim with a 50/50 at fault stake.
I think I write to them again but they eventually give me a call just repeating what they stated on the letter.
I'm told that they will not allow me to use the legal cover provided under the policy.
I'm just sick and tired of it by this time and couldn't be arsed trying to argue my case of - my car, no frontal damage, damage to the side. Cars don't travel sideways. I welcome any independent inspection to verify this.
So I lose my 3 years no claims which ****es me off. I haven't signed anything to say that I've accepted it, but it shows up on my dads policy (I'm insured to drive his Merc for something like £15 a year).
I don't care about the car as it's only an old banger which just gets me from a-b, but out of principle I've been meaning to do something about it - as I don't believe it to be my fault and I've lost my no claims as a result of someone elses' dishonestly. He got someone to write a witness report - 8 months after the accident, which was full of lies, just to try and get him off the hook. This ****es me off.
A friend tells me to contact the insurance Ombudsman and also the AA as I would have received legal cover under the breakdown cover.
So people, is there anything I can do to try and clear my record here?