Lorry trashed the side of my car

LiE · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:29

So a pleasant evening on the drive home, resulting in my car having a lorry trash the side of my car. I just wanted to check in with motors to get your thoughts.

I was at a roundabout, behind 1 car, to my right and turning right was a lorry. My intention is to exit left. The car in front of me moves off and heads for straight over. The lorry begins to move off. Naturally I move forward to approach the roundabout.

Before I reach the line I can see the lorry is getting very close to me. So slam the brakes on, but before I know it he's come across my lane and swiped the side of my car from the wing mirror down the front wing.

I flash him to pull over and we do. To my surprise, he thinks I'm at fault here. Apparently I was trying to "squeeze past" on the roundabout. I told him I had barely moved and had stopped well short of the roundabout. I was in my lane, and had no way of avoiding him crossing the front of my lane.

I could see what he was saying, sure. If I had attempted to go onto the roundabout with him and straight over it would have been a squeeze. The fact, I reminded him, was I hadn't even managed to get onto the roundabout, and I was going left.

I always hang back from lorries on a roundabout, but in this case I wasn't even on the roundabout.

No doubt it will go 50/50 with some BS story from the lorry driver. I'm hoping the damage to my car will support my claim.

What are your thoughts?

shauncr91 · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:37

He should've been aware of your positioning and acted accordingly before entering your lane if he really needed the extra room to make his manoeuvre. Was the lorry an artic or rigid, and what part of his lorry caught your car?

Malevolence · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:42

LiE said:
What are your thoughts?

That the moment he got out of his cab and tried to shift the blame onto me I'd stop being nice and cordial and get on the phone to the police. And I'd make damn sure to take some photos of the damage and where the incident occurred, including getting photos of his face, his company name and the wagon's reg. plate.

Greg0986 · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:45

I had this with a bus on a roundabout. I had none of the other parties excuses and I told my insurance company that if I do lose my no claims discount I would go to the ombudsman. Suffice to say it was fixed and a non fault 'incident' was put on my record.

Didn't help that the bus left the scene and I had to 'chase' it down...

LiE · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:49

Here's a google maps of the roundabout.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9...4!1sQK7uYMFjykEv57P3vLo1Tw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

LiE · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:51

shauncr91 said:
He should've been aware of your positioning and acted accordingly before entering your lane if he really needed the extra room to make his manoeuvre. Was the lorry an artic or rigid, and what part of his lorry caught your car?

I can't be sure.

It was the rear of his trailer. Just in front of his rear tyres.

Steedie · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:56

harsh, certainly sounds like his fault. Pics of the damage?

snips86x · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:57

LiE said:
Here's a google maps of the roundabout.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9...4!1sQK7uYMFjykEv57P3vLo1Tw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

What the hell was he doing in your lane!!!

LiE · 25 Jan 2017 at 20:59

Steedie said:
harsh, certainly sounds like his fault. Pics of the damage?

Pics tomorrow when it's light. Just imagine the wing mirror trashed and scraping all across the front wing.

snips86x said:
What the hell was he doing in your lane!!!

I can only imagine his line onto the roundabout wasn't correct and used some of my lane. In other words, he turned too soon instead of going forward as much as possible onto the roundabout before starting to turn.

It's not like it's a small roundabout.

Jono8 · 25 Jan 2017 at 21:23

I try to never go alongside a lorry on any roundabout as I can appreciate they may deviate from their lane due to their turning circle, but the fact he came into your lane before you were even on it is not on. Sounds like he just didn't bother to look before swinging out and giving himself a good angle for the roundabout.

Uther · 25 Jan 2017 at 22:03

Looking at that roundabout I would put the blame entirely on him. I grit my teeth any time I am near a HGV, and I had a HGV licence!

phil-k · 25 Jan 2017 at 22:22

I had exactly this situation with a bus years ago, damaged my front wing and pulled a panel off the bus.
I saw they were swinging out across the inside lane and stopped, but they still hit me, their insurance paid up as I was stationary when they hit me and the driver should have been more aware

grudas · 25 Jan 2017 at 23:08

Dashcam next time.
It'll probably go 50/50 sadly.. I hate it and often sit and wait or go all out.. which is far from safe either as my visibility is bad.

LiE · 25 Jan 2017 at 23:17

I have a feeling it will go 50/50. All I can do is provide my account and push the insurance company to not roll over. I'm using VW Loan Car claims handlers, I'm not sure how good they are but we shall see.

p1RATE · 26 Jan 2017 at 07:29

I once had a lorry drive into my rear quarter when i was stationary and denied responsibility. I was later told that it was company policy for them to deny all blame regardless of fault

Nasher · 26 Jan 2017 at 08:36

He shouldn't have needed to be across 2 lanes on that roundabout :/

If you were in lane and barely moving then surely he gets 100% of the blame.

Saint · 26 Jan 2017 at 10:00

LiE said:
Here's a google maps of the roundabout.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.9...4!1sQK7uYMFjykEv57P3vLo1Tw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Ah the wing roundabout. I live very close to there and use this roundabout a lot. There are a lot of accidents on it and I often see 2 vehicles parked up with their hazards on who have recently collided.

If there's a lorry and you're wanting to head straight over or right, you just have to let it go ahead, because 90% of the time they will cut into your lane.

norm · 26 Jan 2017 at 10:06

Nasher said:
He shouldn't have needed to be across 2 lanes on that roundabout :/

If you were in lane and barely moving then surely he gets 100% of the blame.

OP's word against the lorry driver. Unless there were witnesses? 50/50 is the order of the day.

Tbh OP could have mounted the kerb if he saw an impact was imminent, there was plenty room. And you shouldn't have pulled forward anyway as per highway code ..

221
Large vehicles. These may need extra road space to turn or to deal with a hazard that you are not able to see. If you are following a large vehicle, such as a bus or articulated lorry, be aware that the driver may not be able to see you in the mirrors. Be prepared to stop and wait if it needs room or time to turn.

Cleisthenes · 26 Jan 2017 at 10:07

The lorry driver is definitely at fault, were there not any witnesses?

Finglonga · 26 Jan 2017 at 10:12

p1RATE said:
I once had a lorry drive into my rear quarter when i was stationary and denied responsibility. I was later told that it was company policy for them to deny all blame regardless of fault

Every policy states not to accept liability at any accident.

This is exactly when dash-cams come into their own and I would put money on the lorry if a UK one to have one fitted.