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Original poster

Car accident involving colleague

201 replies

WrendaleCountryDogs · 28/01/2023 19:12

On Thursday, a colleague was driving into our work place car park and swerved to avoid a car coming out, and went straight into my car. Cctv shows she was going too fast and the other driver had right of way as it's a narrow entrance/exit and road signs show priority is to the one exiting the car park.
Anyway my car is damaged. I was parked in a bay and not in the car. I took car to garage yesterday and they said its going be around £800 to sort the damage. I've got my MOT in February and the car won't Pass based on the damage.
Spoke to colleague,.who I've known for years and we get on really well. I said we can go through her insurance or she can pay for it. She was very evasive and has now said she's not actually insured. She is also adamant she can't pay £800. This is probably true as she's got twin 2 year old and a 15 month old.

What the he'll do I do? I cannot afford this. Car is a 2010 and done over 150k miles. If the mot failed and it was to cost me £800 I'd scrap it and get another car. But it's not me that has caused this damage.

What do I do???

OP posts:
LIZS · 28/01/2023 20:53

ivykaty44 · 28/01/2023 20:45

Id get hold of a copy of the cctv and send to your insurance

Don't talk to this colleague again about it and let your insurance company sort out the rest.

If she asks, all you say is its in the hands of the insurance company as Im obliged to tell them about the crash.

You are supposed to tell the insurance company about a crash otherwise your insurance.could be invalid I believe

Iirc individuals cannot access cctv it has to be via a police request or from an authorised body (insurance co possibly)

Rebel2023 · 28/01/2023 20:57

She created the issue, not you by not being insured

If it had been me I would have been so apologetic to you, explained I couldn't afford to pay it directly but here are my insurance details and then probably kept apologising for weeks BlushGrin
Which is what most normal people would do and not crash in the first place

Okaaaay · 28/01/2023 21:03

Whilst I agree with the sentiment of most posters, I feel some of these views are somewhat harsh. Yes she is clearly in the wrong for not having insurance (and needs a sharp wake up call on this point) and driving carelessly (thought how many of us can honestly say we’ve never made a mistake driving - taken a corner too quickly etc), but there may be sub context to what is going on for this person so just a blanket ‘throw away the key’ approach feels cruel. You definitely need to go through your insurance OP, but I think your thought for the person behind this action is human, kind and appropriate given she’s a long time colleague.

Benjispruce4 · 28/01/2023 21:04

Her problem. She’s broken the law.

ivykaty44 · 28/01/2023 21:05

what is galling is, everyone that is insured (there are approx a million uninsured drivers on ads) has to pay higher insurance premium to cover those not insured.

So not only can she not afford to pay to put your car right after she crash it, she doesn't pay while you pay more for her not to pay

asblindasabat · 28/01/2023 21:06

BringOnFebBankHoliday · 28/01/2023 19:37

You need to be unemotional here.
There is so much wrong here:
• She caused £800 worth of damage to your car
• it wasn't even an "accident"
• she was driving too fast and against the rules of the car park
• she was driving without insurance
• she hasn't got the money to fix your car.....

None of this is your fault, it's all her own doing!!
Just tell her you need to go through insurance and give your insurance company her details.
She'll be lucky to keep her licence, so maybe 800 pounds is the least of her worries.

This ^

OP, I think you’re just going to have to go through your insurance if she doesn’t have the money to pay for it herself. Why should you pay £800 out of your own money for damage she caused?

If she gets into trouble for driving with no insurance, then it is her own fault. I think everybody knows that you must have insurance to drive a vehicle on a public road or place!

allthemissingfucks · 28/01/2023 21:07

WeepingSomnambulist · 28/01/2023 19:18

Just be honest with her. Tell her, "I cant afford to pay for this so I will be going through my insurance. That's why I pay for insurance. I'll be giving them your details and theyll take it from there. They may contact the police if you really sont have insurance but I'm afraid that is my only option.
Either you pay for it or I call my insurance and you'll need to deal with the fallout of driving uninsured."

Just be matter of fact, say it and leave her to decide by the end of the day.

I'd do this.

It's a shit thing to happen, but not fair for you to have to deal with and shoulder all the cost.

BatshitBanshee · 28/01/2023 21:09

You go through your insurance and you don't look back.

She's made a series of decisions which have resulted in this. No one to blame but herself.

Christmascracker0 · 28/01/2023 21:11

Even if you don’t claim on your insurance, you have to notify them ASAP. It will be in your Ts&Cs and if you don’t tell them it can lead to your insurance being voided.

Fairlybear · 28/01/2023 21:18

RicciardoPerez · 28/01/2023 19:29

Just a word of warning, when you go through your insurance and she is dealt with, she will try and play the victim and make YOU feel bad. Will probably cause an atmosphere at work too.

So what? She has damaged OPs car as well as driving without insurance- why should OP feel bad or worry about an atmosphere at work?

Lovelysausagedogscrumpy · 28/01/2023 21:18

WrendaleCountryDogs · 28/01/2023 19:31

Her kids weren't in the car. I don't want her to lose her license as she'll lose her job too as we work rural and there is no transport. But I can't not go through my insurance

You need to let your insurance company sort it out, so you will need to inform the police that she’s an uninsured driver. Sorry to be blunt and dispassionate, but the consequences to her are not your problem, she should have thought of this before she drove uninsured and she needs to be stopped before she hurst someone.

PhillySub · 28/01/2023 21:19

She is a colleague not a friend , she has to take responsibility for her actions.

Lovelysausagedogscrumpy · 28/01/2023 21:19

Lovelysausagedogscrumpy · 28/01/2023 21:18

You need to let your insurance company sort it out, so you will need to inform the police that she’s an uninsured driver. Sorry to be blunt and dispassionate, but the consequences to her are not your problem, she should have thought of this before she drove uninsured and she needs to be stopped before she hurst someone.

Show quote history

Perhaps let your manager know what’s happened too, as it could be a potential problem if you work together.

weightymatters73 · 28/01/2023 21:20

You have given her a choice - insurance or cash - and she has said she can't afford cash, therefore its insurance.

I'd advise you also contact your employers and advise what is going on as I'm guessing this will cause some issues for/between you/ her and the employers as its a works carpark.

inloveandmarried · 28/01/2023 21:22

I'd just say to her that you have to inform your insurance company of all Incidents involving collision. That they will sort the damage out.

Be vague, if she come back at you with worried questions just say you don't know.

let the insurance sort it out. I'm sure that when they realise she is uninsured they will take action to recover their costs.

This wasn't your fault. You've asked her to pay for the damage, she's declined. Don't carry it.

Lovelysausagedogscrumpy · 28/01/2023 21:23

LIZS · 28/01/2023 20:53

Iirc individuals cannot access cctv it has to be via a police request or from an authorised body (insurance co possibly)

Show quote history

If it’s private CCTV monitoring a car park she may be able to access it.

Littlechickenhead · 28/01/2023 21:23

Thinking about this has reminded me - a number of years ago, I worked at a company with a big car park. I got a call one day from a colleague I didn’t know to tell me that x had scraped my car while parking but then just walked off. Shortly after that, I got another call from security to tell me that two building contractors had witnessed x scraping my car. Obviously, they provided me with his name so I called him.

He was not happy at all that he’d been busted and just from talking to him, it was clear that he had been hoping it hadn’t been seen. I got him to come out to the car park with me and he was super evasive, but the building contractors saw us and came over to put in their 2p at which point he couldn’t wriggle out of it. He said he didn’t want to go through insurance and I was immediately suspicious.

Anyway, I got a quote as he’d done about £600 worth of damage, but he started getting arsey and saying ‘but we’re colleagues, can’t we just sort it out, I have kids to feed’ so I just handed it straight over to my insurance company.

ShakespearesBlister · 28/01/2023 21:25

Driving without insurance is illegal. She's going to have to face the consequences. If she's driving to work with no insurance then there's no way she isn't also driving the kids around with no insurance, which is utterly inexcusable and disgusting. Her stupidity isn't your problem. She's an idiot.

Spookysparkles · 28/01/2023 21:32

Oh dear this is a really tricky situation, but your hands are tied really. You will need to report to your insurers asap. The only other option is that you pay for the damage and end up £800 out of pocket.
I don’t say this with malice, but I’m sure given her financial position- if it was the other way around then she would be calling her insurance.
its the logical thing to do if she can’t pay you for the damage. You didn’t ask for this to happen, you were just unlucky. If she’s in any way reasonable she will see that.
good luck op

RicciardoPerez · 28/01/2023 21:32

@Fairlybear it was more of a warning that the colleague will act like that so to be prepared for it. Not a case of don't report because of that. People are manipulative.

ChrisPPancake · 28/01/2023 21:34

She's lucky you've not reported her to the police. Yet.
Does she use her car for work or just commuting?

Crumpleton · 28/01/2023 21:38

WrendaleCountryDogs · 28/01/2023 19:31

Her kids weren't in the car. I don't want her to lose her license as she'll lose her job too as we work rural and there is no transport. But I can't not go through my insurance

Her kids weren't the car this time.

Tricky one but as you now know she has no insurance you definitely will have to go through your insurance if you can't afford it out of your pocket and maybe go through the small claims route.
This is not your fault that she chose to be so stupid and not bother to insure and if work becomes strained again that's her own doing and any colleagues that think otherwise are just as bad.

I'd also report her to the police it's possible she'll still be driving and God forbid she ends up killing someone I'd feel awful knowing I knew, begs the question is the car actually taxed and MOT.

singlefish · 28/01/2023 21:39

WrendaleCountryDogs · 28/01/2023 19:31

Her kids weren't in the car. I don't want her to lose her license as she'll lose her job too as we work rural and there is no transport. But I can't not go through my insurance

I think you tell her this.

she needs to know that it’s not an option for you to pay for it. You are giving her a lifeline offering to let her pay your directly.

if you have to claim through insurance, she’ll face a fine and points on her license. It’s going to cost her more in the long run.

piedbeauty · 28/01/2023 21:39

What a stupid thing for her to do! I'm so sorry, op.

Police.
Your insurance company - ask for their advice.

You should not be out of pocket over this!!

2bazookas · 28/01/2023 21:48

You'll have to claim from your own car insurance. Hope your policy cover includes uninsured drivers, and you have a protected no claims bonus.

Your insurer will require you to report the accident to police, so the uninsured colleague's crime will come to police attention, a direct consequence of refusing to pay for your damage, leaving you no other choice.

<www.gov.uk/vehicle-insurance/driving-without-insurance>