to think this woman had a nerve

[TedIsOnThePhone]

Ok, so this actually happened about 18 months ago, but something recently reminded me of it and I wanted to see what people think. To begin: I am quite an honest person in general, to the point of naivety, I have been told, so this might not seem like a big deal to some people

Basically, I was a passenger in a car with a colleague. She turned left into a road and stopped as a woman suddenly started reversing slightly ahead of her, about 5 metres up. The woman however, did not see her, and reversed straight into her.

The woman came out of the car apologising and they exchanged details. However, the woman later claimed my colleague had driven into the back of her and tried to claim on our company's insurance, leading to a bit of a stressy situation at work, with me having to verify several times that colleague hadn't caused the accident. I don't actually know what happened next as I went on maternity leave shortly after and colleague left before my return.

Do people always lie when claiming insurance? Is that just the way it is? I just can't believe someone would change their story after admitting fault. Would you, if it would save you a lot of money?

I wouldn't lie, but then again I believe in karma.
I trust nobody though and for that reason I have an app on my phone called autoguard which records my journeys, had she done that to me I cos have proved without doubt she was a liar.
I'd recommend everyone have some kind of dash cam/app tbh to cover themselves because the story you describe is all too familiar these days.

This happened to me. A woman opened her car door as I drove past and made a right mess of my wing. Her car was parked illegally on pavement about a metre from a very tight bend and junction. At the time she was v apologetic then tried to claim that I aimed at her door and drive into her on purpose

Eventually after 12 months of arguing the insurance went in my favour but it really upset me how much people will lie...

My friend was slowly reversing out of a space when a woman shot out of the disabled space bumping into her.

The next thing my friend knew was that the other woman was claiming that my friend had smacked into her. They were claiming for a new numper, back panel etc.

I was never interviewed but as my friend started reversing, the other car still had her door open. I did get a call last week about a crash I was in which I wasn't at fault offering me compensation. The guy was miffed off that I didn't want it.

My friend was reversing off her mum's drive on to a dual carridgeway... She bumped the side of another car. But the other driver's insurance company contacted my friend as the woman was claming she was smacked across 2 lanes and ended up on the opposite carridgeway...

And we wonder why insurance is so expensive.

You are always best to make the person at fault sign a statement to admit fault if not you will always be open to this kind of fraud, happened to me but i had made him sign a piece of paper to say it was his fault and when the insurance company rung me and said he said that it was my fault i said thats funny cause he signed to say he was in the wrong that shut them up plus always try and get a independent witness

Probs wrong but I thought you weren't supposed to reverse onto a main road.

I have had 3 accidents, none of which were my fault. All 3 admitted so at the time. All three, including the woman who drove front on into my stationary car containing my two babies changed their stories once they had spoken to their insurance companies.

Yes, has happened to me. A woman undertook me at speed on joining a motorway where the traffic was at a near standstill. I was towing a horse trailer with a horse in it. She squeezed in in front of me, slammed on the brakes and I ran gently into the back of her bumper. No damage whatsoever to her car, but my bumper came part off and my horse was distressed. To compound it, she insisted on getting out on the hard shoulder of the motorway and leaving the two vehicles stationary in the road while she took my insurance details (I told her I would rather just have phoned the police).

Her claim came through to say she had two entirely fictitious bikes on a cycle carrier on the rear of her vehicle which were damaged in the collision. I then informed her insurer that she was attempting fraud. After months, they informed us they had just paid out because it was "too much hassle to argue".

I wouldn't lie if I caused an accident but have, sadly been on the receiving end of a similar story to your colleague. I was shocked at the time that someone would lie so blatantly. It ended up going 50/50 when I had done nothing wrong :(

I have a camera in my glove box (am an old fart and have only a very basic mobile phone!) and have considered a dash cam.

I would also ask anyone who sees an accident happen, please offer yourself as a witness for the innocent party and follow it though. I thought I had a witness but she ignored my insurance companies attempts to contact her and it would have really helped me to have someone impartial give their version of events as, otherwise, it can end up a bit like a parent trying to decide which child is telling the truth!

It's possible the other driver reversed into your colleague deliberately, she might have already had some damage to her car and was trying to get it repaired for free.

Always take photos at the scene.

And never admit fault at the time as the insurance companies tell you not to.

I had an accident, not my fault, where the other driver lied. Even though I was in tears on the phone with my insurance when they told me what she said happened, they said it goes down to what you can prove happened, not what actually happened. I could prove nothing. If I'm ever in an accident again, I will be taking photos etc

Happened to my mum. A woman overtook a tractor on a blind bend, rolled into a ditch when she panicked as my mum was on the road.

She was massively conciliatory at the time. Plenty of witnesses, my mum took a her shopping out her car and to her house as she was taken to hospital. Her dh came and collected it, and thanked my mum for staying on the scene and looking after his wife.

A week later their insurance company states the accident occurred because they claimed my mum was speeding Thankfully, it was obvious from where my Mum had just left to where the accident occurred there was simply no way she could have got up to any speed, and it's only because of that the mum was going slow enough to avoid a collision.

I agree, always take photos at an accident, whoever seems to be at fault.

Many years ago I bumper-nudged a bloke in his work car at a junction, he started pulling out as it was clear then stopped. I literally rolled into him, to the extent his passenger said "he thought the driver had just stalled". There wasn't any visible damage and I doubt there was invisible damage as I literally touched his bumper.

He tried to claim a year later for more than a thousand pounds worth of body damage. Luckily my photos and his passenger's comment (which I'd recorded when we exchanged details meant my insurance company could tell him to jog on.

I cannot abide dishonest people they make the world scummy,

We had a nasty little shit try it on with one of our works vehicles, I let him dig his own grave lying to the police, then handed over the footage to the police, it didn't end well for him with them,

Nor his life as I posted the footage on YouTube and sent everyone in his life a link to the clip, his wife, parents, siblings, his employers. His village pub, golf club, and put up notices to alert anyone interested.

If we didn't have a company rule that all journeys had to be filmed, one young lad would of been in a lot of trouble, and lost his license.

Don't allow these vile sorry excuses of life forms get away with a thing, they pollute the plant.

Anything anyone brings into my life they will get back ten fold, entirely up to them if that is good or bad.

A man ran a red light and smacked into the side of Dh's car. He told the insurers that it was Dh who ran the red light, and there was no way to prove otherwise. The insurers split it 50/50 in the end and Dh lost his no claims bonus

My DH has just recently 'won' a court case involving a third party that lied through their teeth. It was a roundabout incident, the third party drove straight across hash markings into the side of my DH, we have a land rover discovery, so our vehicle survived the impact, theirs however did not.

They decided to pursue a claim, it went to court, his statement had no relation to the road lay out and infact what he described was physically impossible, court was adjourned 3 times because he didn't turn up. A final date was set with a stern warning from the judge if it happened again that was it. Before the date came we had a request for a 50/50 settlement which was declined by our insurers and then a letter to state that all claims against us were not being pursued.

3 days pay it cost us but it was worth it, at least one lying bastard has not got the pay out he was looking for.

DS had recently passed his test, and driving in heavy rain he pulled out of a side road onto a main road, as someone did the same a little earlier but without checking that both lanes were clear. The other guy hadn't stopped at his junction and careered into DS.

We agreed with DS that it was a difficult situation, and that he should be prepared to pay for his own repairs, as long as the other guy did so. DS insisted that he was a lovely chap, who wouldn't mess him around.

HA HA

Some months later, having got threatending letters from an insurance company, relating to a completely different car to that in the accident (but couldn't prove it), DS and DH visited the scene of the crime, took measurements, and DS used his maths/physics knowledge to prove that the only way what the guy said happened, could have happened, would have been in a Ferarri! DS ended up getting paid for his repairs too!

It was a valuable lesson though.

This is why I always carry a disposable camera in the car and take photos.

I was in London, driving past parked cars on the street and got bumped. I pulled over and discovered one of the parked cars had opened the driver's door into the cyclist without looking and cyclist slammed on the brakes and was wheeled round into my boot. There was a tiny dent but it was my parents' car so so I said we should exchange details as I'd have to talk to them. Exchanged details with the driver and the cyclist, but wasn't really as with it as I should have been and didn't notice they hadn't put their number plate on it. Turned out to be a fake address, fake name etc and when I called the cyclist he had a go at me for not getting their proper details as he hadn't got any from them and had a sore neck. Was so cross I went to the police station and was told it was just as well as it was technically a hit and run for not exchanging full details or reporting it within 24 hours as a cyclist was hurt. They took the paper I had but unsurprisingly never heard any more.

Could not believe someone had the front to stand chatting with me as we exchanged details etc and the whole time they were fabricating everything. Bloody cheek. Would def take pictures and write number plate etc down myself now.

An easy way to protect yourself from these nasty little shits, buy a window cradle for your phone, attach to windscreen and put you phone on film when driving.

The reason why there was so much footage of the russian meteorite is because everyone in Russia films their journeys, because deliberate accidents are really common way of making money.

I used to work for a car insurance company and the very first words in their 'If you have an accident' section of the policy booklet read 'NEVER accept the blame for an accident'.

That is why I don't drive!

Dh is learning as he is entitled to a company car and I'm really worried about him being involved in an accident, being unfairly accused, and jeopardizing his job. Thank you to everyone suggesting the apps and dash cams, I will ask dh to get something once he is driving.

The op's situation sounds like a smash for cash tbh. I think it's really good these threads keep popping up, hopefully if MNers are involved in accidents they'll remember threads like these and take photos, etc. In the shock of an accident most people don't - which is of course what fraudsters and scammers are counting on

I work in insurance. Our policyholders are not allowed to admit liability at the scene. I understand this is standard practice.

My parents got ran into by a pedestrian once! It was a few years ago and was pissing down with rain. Someone came out of a hotel and ran with their head down for the bus stop on the opposite side of the road and ran into the car. He hit the tow bar and broke his leg. My parents phoned for the police and an ambulance. Two police cars were sent out - the first got involved in an accident themselves. The bloke tried to say my parents were speeding but the police said in that case he wouldn't have hit the back of the car.