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Original poster

Car reversed into me…HELP PLEASE!

39 replies

Tryingtowininlife · 04/11/2022 23:59

Hi All.
Need some help please 🙏
Our local Spar is on the corner of a road and has parking at front. I’m on my home from picking my little one from after school club, I turn left onto the Spar road (spar is now on my right hand side and I’m on the left ) to be hit on the side of my moving car by a car reversing! There was a large white transit van that was at the bottom of the junction waiting to turn left out of the road (spar is on left side of this lane) and this absolute pillock reversed behind the white van with no clear view and went over that lane and hit me in mine! I pull over, and I’m trying to comfort my child whilst trying to stay calm. I get out of the car and the other driver pulls back into the car park again and gets out of his car. He approaches me and is telling me he is sorry over and over again and I asked him ‘were you not looking before you reversed?’. His reply was ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t check’. As he was being so amenable and admitted fault straight away, we swapped details and off we went. My main priority was to get home and console my child. Checked car over and there is a few dents and deep scratches but nothing has fallen off, child and I are not injured. I let the insurance people know by filling out the online claim and gave all details, other driver info and what happened.
And this is where I need advice- husband is saying I should have got details from witnesses in case the driver says he was not at fault. I’m not sure he can say that as he reversed all the way over into my lane with a vehicle blocking his view and hit the side of my car. I didn’t see his car until it was too late and I had got past the van!
Now I know he admitted fault to me. I made sure he gave me his correct mobile number, name and took his reg, did a social media stalk and it is this person!
Please can anyone offer any advice? Can he change his mind and say he wasn’t at fault to the insurance company??
I really can’t afford to pay for the repairs myself!
(if you managed to make it all the way to the bottom- thank you! It’s a long post!)

OP posts:

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 05/11/2022 00:04

Yes he can change his mind and that happened to me. Bloke was full of worry’s until it came to claim time and he changed his story. I was in such a panic at the time I didn’t even think about witnesses! However my insurance company was very good because it’s very clear who was at fault and they ruled in my favour.

Dougieowner · 05/11/2022 00:06

You should always try to get the details of witnesses (if there are any).

Many years ago I was told by a policeman to ask people if they saw what happened and if they did, get their details. Don't waste time checking if their version is going to agree with what you think happened, just get their details and let the insurance sort it out. People tend to wander off when the excitement has died down so you have to act fast.

mishmased · 05/11/2022 00:09

The insurance company can get an assessor or investigator. They can figure out who was in the wrong from the impact to both cars. Hope you and your baby are ok?

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 00:10

Thank you so much for responding. I’m going to go to the Spar tomorrow and see if they have CCTV or whether they saw/heard the commotion. There were a few witnesses who were watching or driving past at the time but I didn’t even think about asking them for their details- I think I was in shock and wanted to get my upset child home as quick as possible. I’m hoping that he can’t say he was not at fault as 1) he had obviously come over into my lane and 2) he hit the side of my car which proves my car was moving 😫

OP posts:

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 00:14

I feel so stupid not getting any witnesses details and your right- they left quite quickly after they’d had a good look.
I suppose I should just be thankful that me and little one are not injured and totally fine, car is still drivable so not a write off!

OP posts:

Flyingbye · 05/11/2022 00:15

Your husband should wind his neck in. It's easy to be wise after the event. You swapped details, you prioritised your child, you did just fine.

There are no guarantees but there must be a good chance this will just go through fine. My only experience of bystanders giving their details is when the bystander themself has offered them (I've been both the bystander and the recipient.)

mishmased · 05/11/2022 00:20

Well you never know with people. A lady (my friends neighbour) reversed from her driveway across the street onto my parked car. There was tears, apologies, details taken, all good. Next day her husband calls my husband to say he doesn't think his wife's car damaged my car. I was livid! He brought his investigator to view both cars and investigator agreed it was his car. I was waiting for the man to say no it wasn't his car, I would have gone mental. My friend was shocked as she was there the previous day. Some people are chancers.

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 00:20

Thank you Flyingbye! None of the witnesses approached me. I’ll just have to hope the other driver doesn’t lie and that my insurance company fights the claim if he does.

OP posts:

Kite22 · 05/11/2022 00:21

As a rule, it is generally a good idea to take witnesses details if you can, but 'in the moment' people don't very often hang around so that is easier said than done.
It isn't uncommon for someone to apologise at the time and hand over details but then either give false details or change their story.
But equally, he could be a perfectly honest chap who just lost concentration and everything will go through smoothly.
Ultimately, if he hit the side of your car then it looks unlikely it was anything but your fault in the circumstances you describe (I am aware people can be hit in the side it they pull out right in front of you, but, in this circumstance it looks clear cut.
No point in worrying about it now.

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 00:24

Wow Mishmased! I’d have been going mental too!! I sent the other driver a text earlier saying I’d got in touch with the insurance company, thank you for being honest and admitting fault and let’s try and keep this as pain free as possible and if he needs any of my details for his claim then give me a call. No response from him. I’ve probably blown it by putting the ‘admitting fault’ bit and scared him 😫

OP posts:

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 00:27

Thank you Kite22. I have Google’d and it did say that any car reversing into your car is normally found at fault…so fingers crossed this is the case.

I don’t know how to reply to everyone individually so I’m really sorry- took me ages to work out how to post this as have only ever done one other post a few years ago!

OP posts:

DownNative · 05/11/2022 03:46

I hope you took several photos of the scene too which will help your claim. Incidents like this is why I have front and rear dash cams so I have evidence of what happened. That way, others are less likely to get away with lying.

strawberryandcreams · 05/11/2022 03:49

Don't overthink it. He may not change his story. Happened to me but no witnesses around to confirm anyway. Guy went through his insurance and sorted it. I did take pictures at the time of my car and the area that was hit.

Scottishskifun · 05/11/2022 04:12

You will also need to speak to your insurance company about your car seat it will need replacing as you have been impacted.

notmyrealmoniker · 05/11/2022 04:23

Hope you took plenty of photos of the area and damage. Should show clearly the layout and how he had reversed.

Plingston · 05/11/2022 04:35

Don't beat yourself up about getting witness details. It's easy for your husband to say that you should have done it when he wasn't the one in shock and worrying about the children. It would hardly have been at the forefront of your mind at the time. I'm sure lots of people make insurance claims without witnesses.

As teenagers, my boyfriend and I were once involved in an accident where he hit a pedestrian crossing the road. I took witnesses details but the injured lady kept shouting that it was his fault and I knew it was serious and would be investigated by the police. I was concerned witnesses would leave before they arrived and everybody would assume that a teenage driver must have been driving dangerously.
I wouldn't have thought about it if it was just a bit of damage to a car.

JenniferWooley · 05/11/2022 05:33

My dad always told me to call the non-emergency police number to report any accident I was involved in - they don't come out but there's a record & you're given a reference number to give to insurance company.

Came in handy when I once had to call them back to advise that the guy who had hit me had abandoned his (work) van & done a runner along with his passenger after admitting he was at fault.

Ended up a long drawn out saga as he didn't even have a licence & I had to go to court as a witness.

QuebecBagnet · 05/11/2022 06:03

I had a 4x4 reverse into the side of me, no witnesses. They admitted fault at the time. Then tried to blame me, told their insurance company I drove behind them while they were reversing. My insurance tried to get me to agree to 50/50 and I refused. It was eventually found to be his fault.

Greycatclub · 05/11/2022 06:15

I was hit by a car at fault, later they drew a diagram showing the collision happening in a different place (me turning out of a junction into their path which wasn’t true). I was forced by my insurers to go 50/50 and lost my no claims, plus bumped up premiums.

ZombeaArthur · 05/11/2022 06:21

You could try putting a post on your town’s local Facebook page to see if anyone saw the incident and is willing to act as a witness.

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 06:35

Morning All 😊
I took photos of my car and his car at the scene of accident.
I’m popping to the shop today to ask if they have CCTV or if any of them saw it happen. Also put a post last night on local group asking if anyone witnessed the accident (only response so far is someone asking why I’m asking for that if driver admitted fault and we’ve swapped details).
I’ll definitely take some photos of the road layout- thank you!

OP posts:

Mindymomo · 05/11/2022 06:55

I witnessed an accident a few years ago. I gave my details to the driver who I thought was in the wrong, but she didn’t. She rang me about 3 months after accident and asked whether I would go to Court both drivers denied that they caused the accident, i told her I thought she was at fault, the phone went silent and then she said goodbye. I never got called so presume her insurance company didn’t want me there. By chance about 6 months later I bumped into the lady driver of the other car and I asked her what the outcome, she said the Court case was the week before and she was found at fault. She was glad it was over, her insurance company was brilliant and so supportive and they obviously paid for everything. Her insurance premium did go up, but not massively. I explained what had happened with myself and the other driver and our phone call. She said the Court was told there were no witnesses. She felt better when I told her I didn’t think it was her fault.

So please don’t worry, the insurance company will sort everything out for you.

My son was hit from behind at a roundabout by a van driver who was eating at the time. He wouldn’t give his personal details, name or telephone number. All my son had was photos of the man, reg no and name of company printed on van. Driver did say sorry, but that was all. My son submitted everything online and all his insurance company were interested in was that my son have a hire car straight away, he told them car was drive-able, but they insisted he had to have a car hire. The repairs were done at a local garage whose main business was through insurance companies and they told him it was common that the insurance companies get their money from charging high rates of car hire to the at fault drivers insurance. The car was in repair for 3 days, but he had a hire car for 10 days.

WorriedMutha · 05/11/2022 07:06

I was told by my insurer that as a rule of thumb in reversing collisions, the reversing driver will be blamed.

ohforthelife · 05/11/2022 07:09

Might be worth asking on a local Facebook page if anyone saw the incident, just in case you need backup. However from what you describe it would be pretty difficult for him to deny fault given the position of the cars and the impact.

Original poster

Tryingtowininlife · 05/11/2022 18:31

Update!
so I have just found out that the car is untaxed that hit me yesterday! He’s not going to be insured is he? 😭 he is not responding to any of my messages 😫

OP posts:

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