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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ring the nonemergency police number?

83 replies

Dordeydoo · 27/09/2012 19:23

Have posted in chat to

Today some idiotic lorry driver crushed the top corner of my car door whilst I was stood in the road putting things in my car. I had been stood strapping child in And putting things in for approx 3/4 mins before this happened.

Lorry driver misjudged the space and badly crushed the top of my car. He got out refused to take blame or swap details. And said I was to blame.

I've contacted insurers and his company, company say im to blame to.

I want to contact the police about this as feel he was driving dangerously etc and could have killed me as his lorry caught my door just centimetres from my head.

WIBU to ring 101 about this

Sorry for long post

OP posts:
Springisoutthere · 27/09/2012 20:20

Dordey Doo, I feel your pain the same has happened to me today!, it was a people carrier though and my door was also open before anyone came along and I was also strapping a child in!, Im not sure how others that have commented are strapping children in if you have more than one child in the back, how are you meant to strap them in climbing over everything and everyone?!..please enlighten me and give the OP a break, she has had a horrible shock...I know!

Original poster
Dordeydoo · 27/09/2012 20:23

I really don't know if I can wait for insurers to pay out etc as my car is used a lot for my job!

OP posts:
BackforGood · 27/09/2012 20:24

Well, just to answer your question Spring, then, yes, I would always climb over rather than working from the roadside - I'm surprised anyone wouldn't Confused

Slightly different arguement for the OP, in that any driver ought to avoid anything in the road in front of them, but, personally, I'd rather not put my dc (or me, or my car door) at that risk.

Original poster
Dordeydoo · 27/09/2012 20:27

Would usually climb over if had to. Today it just wouldn't have worked

OP posts:
BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2012 20:29

I can tell you now, the police won't want to know. They didn't want to know after an even more outrageous thing happened to me and the lorry driver denied it. They wouldn't come talk to me even though we were still at the scene of the accident because I was sitting on his tailgate so he couldn't drive off so you don't stand a chance after this time has passed

Sorry, I know it sucks but that's the reality :(

BramblyHedge · 27/09/2012 20:32

The police were interested when a car crashed into our stationary car and didn't stop. They took a statement, contacted the driver and he got a caution.

fluffyraggies · 27/09/2012 20:32

A couple of years ago i woke to find something big had reversed into my car while it was parked outside my house. It had bent and buckled the bit between the front and back doors right in, and the car was a right off :( No note. Who ever had done it couldn't have failed to notice - so they had done a runner basically.

We were at a loss about what to do. We even contacted the council as it was bin morning and thought it may have been the dustcart.

A day later a well to do gent in a lovely white car pulled up, knocked on the door and handed me his name and address and the no. plate of the lorry. (a well known builders merchants) He had seen the whole thing. Hurrahh Grin

Their insurance payed up. Your witness needn't be your friend OP. It could be anyone around at the time who happened to see ;)

VivaLeBeaver · 27/09/2012 20:34

Dordey, what normally happens is that you have to pay your excess up front to your insurer. They sort out repairs and then chase the other insurer for payment.

With my most recent accident, the other lying idiot is denying it was them. They didn't stop. I have a totally independent witness. Police weren't bothered. My insurance co weren't too bothered about chasing it. I've instructed a no win, no fee solicitor as I've now decided I've got an injury. Unfortunately this seems to be the only way of getting my excess back. The solicitors are interested and have served court papers on the other driver.

Springisoutthere · 27/09/2012 20:37

Backforgood, my children climb over but I don't as I physically can't what am I meant to do?!..incidentally..sorry for the Hijack OP.. but mine was on a quiet residential street with kids everywhere coming out of two major schools, the lady was driving at the least 25mph, and had she hit a child and not my car it would have been horrific...I don't get why anyone is blaming the OP, regardless of what happened to me, how can people not see an open door?!

BackforGood · 27/09/2012 20:38

...."as I've now decided I've got an injury" Hmm

I hope that I've read that wrong.
It's people doing that, that makes insurance so expensive for everyone Angry

Ghoulelocks · 27/09/2012 20:39

I think it's a basic principle of driving that you are not allowed to drive into obstructions just because they are in the way. Due care and attention?

AWimbaWay · 27/09/2012 20:47

I've had a similar thing happen to me, although I was sat in my parked car, a lorry came too close and actually dragged my car around a corner! He also refused to give details and refused to accept fault Hmm. The police weren't interested as no-one was hurt, however I did get his company's name and registration and after going through insurance he was found to be totally at fault.

Apparently it's standard practice not to admit fault, it's up to the insurers to decide once they have all the facts.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/09/2012 20:56

Backforgood, I haven't made it up. Though in the circumstances of the other driver been a lying bastard I can understand people who do make it up in order to get their excess back.

Why should I be £300 down?

No, my hand hurt for a short time after the accident. That's the truth and that's what I'm now seeking compensation for. It's such a minor thing that if the other driver had done the decent thing I wouldn't have claimed for it. But because they're a fuckwit I'm now going to get compensation.

I'm not exaggerating my injury at all. In fact I haven't persued compensation for flashbacks, etc which after having a scaffolding pole come through my window have been quite bad.

It's not my fault I've been told I may get in excess of 1k for a sore hand.

Floggingmolly · 27/09/2012 21:37

If you were actually standing in the road I can see where they're coming from claiming it was your fault, tbh.
Viva, in excess of £1k for a sore hand? Shame on you.
We're all paying for that, you know.

BlueSkySinking · 27/09/2012 22:56

I had something similar recently too.

Police and my insurers told he was at fault because the door was open already (putting kids in) and was not in the motion of being opened onto his truck.

The lorry driver was really aggressive and unhelpful. Wouldn't admit fault and then pretended it never happened when the insurers got involved.

I went to the police station and it has been recorded on file. I got sent a letter with all his details. I'm not sure if he received a letter too?

In the end because I drove an old car and couldn't be bothered to pursue him, I cancelled and just let some garage bang the dent out.

If it ever happens again I am taking a photo of the car/lorry/driver. Also recording the conversation.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/09/2012 23:00

It's not shame on me at all! I don't make up the tariffs.

I'd be quite happy with £300 to cover the excess I've paid. I'm actually more than £300 out of pocket because as it stands at the minute my premiums are going up as the other person hasn't admitted it.

It's shame on the lying bastard who nearly killed me by ramming a scaffolding pole through my window at 70mph and is now denying been there. The only way I can not be out of pocket is to persue a claim for injury. I'm not making the injury up.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/09/2012 23:02

And dordeydoo, there is no way it's your fault even if you were standing in the road. Motorists can't go round running into people or stationary objects and then say well they were in the road. That's driving without due care and attention. As a motorist you're meant to notice things in the road and drive round them or stop.

HarrietSchulenberg · 27/09/2012 23:15

I can't believe some of you think it's the OP's fault! A MOVING VEHICLE hit a STATIONARY VEHICLE. The door was already open. There's no dispute. Even if the entire car had been in the middle of the road, the moving vehicle is at fault.

But, if the lorry driver has flatly denied he caused the damage the OP will need to supply at least one witness. Whether the police are interested or not would largely depend on the area you live in. Where I now live (small town, low crime rate) they would be but where I used to live (city) they would not.

Your best bet is to pursue the haulage company through your own insurance, but if you get an incident number from the police it wouldn't harm.

CrunchyCowPat · 27/09/2012 23:29

If your door was open before the lorry approached then you are not at fault OP.
As for your excess, if the other party admit liability or are found to be at fault then yes you can claim back your excess - it is called an uninsured loss (a claimant could also claim for items like car seats/other personal belongings if accident was such that these items were damaged).
It may also be worth speaking to your insurers about your personal injury so it can be dealt with as one claim. No win no fee is just that and if you are awarded any compensation, you may just find they take out a hefty lump sum.
Have you been to hospital/doctor about your sore hand?

NoobytheWaspSlayer · 28/09/2012 07:16

DH is a driving instructor, and he says police,police,police. You were stationary, he was driving. He failed to give his details. CALL THE POLICE!

RustyBear · 28/09/2012 07:30

If his company are saying it's your fault, he's probably told them you opened the door as he came up. Unless you have witnesses, it may be your word against his.

NoobytheWaspSlayer · 28/09/2012 07:38

Did you take any pictures? It's very good supporting evidence to take pictures at the scene. Not just of the damage, but also of the position of your car, where his lorry approached from etc. Are there any cctv cameras in the area?

Sirzy · 28/09/2012 07:52

I'm not for a second saying the op was in the wrong but I am intrigued what she was loading into the car which took so long!

sleepybump · 28/09/2012 07:55

I worked for a (civil service) company where we drove around a lot of the time. Two things i was told:

Always deny responsibility, even if it was blatently your fault

Always report to police as it (as far as i was made to understand) is a legal obligation to report all RTAs to the police, no matter how minor! This is done simply to make a report, not mecc to have someome arrested IYSWIM.

So report this to police npw! (in station or on 101 of course)

sleepybump · 28/09/2012 07:56

Neccessarily, not Mecc!