To ask who's at fault? Parking bump with pics!

[DiplomaticDecorum]

OK, so the blue car is stationary (parked on corner but ignore that bit) the red car decides to park in the space behind it. As it's pulling in, the blue car starts to reverse, hitting the red car on the rear wheel arch. Who is at fault?

Both, Driving without care and attention

Being an ex claims handler for car insurance, whose job it was to assess liability, I can confirm that it is the reversing party's responsibility to ensure its clear to reverse.

So red car did nothing wrong.

Although. It depends what the blue car alleges happened. If they allege they were stationary, then that complicates matters without witnesses.

On a side note, regarding your comments about police talking about where they parked, it's worth pointing out that liability is different to legality if that makes sense. I once had a customer argue that even though he hit a parked car, it wasn't his fault as they were parked illegally.

WHERE'S THE CHANEL LIPSTICK AND THE TINY DOG??

Both parked like dicks.

If the blue car had only paused and was about to continue to reverse ( you did say he was right on the corner, seems his engine was still running, so not parked as such) maybe red car is at fault by pushing into the space that Mr blue had already started reversing into.

If the impact was on Mr red's back wheel arch, Mr blue was more than a fair way back.

The red car was already moving backwards away from blue. Blue drove into red. Blue's fault.

The blue car had parked on the corner and taken their child into school, it wasn't eyeing up the parking space. It was stationary as the red car drove down the road towards it, and as the red car started to pull into the parking space.

The red car was driving forward into the space.

Interesting point about 50/50 meaning each claim for their own damage. The red car has hardly any damage, just a small paint scrape on wheel arch (although should probably remove mud and check more thoroughly). The blue car has a cracked rear light lense.

To be honest after doing my job I think it's sometimes better not to tell the insurance (I know they say you should) but just telling them about an accident, even if you don't claim, will up your premium. It just depends what the other party will do though as it will reflect badly if they report it and you don't. If the repairs are less than your excess it might be worth just fixing it yourself.

Whoever moved second was at fault.

If the red car was already reversing then blue car is at fault. the blue car should have been checking mirrors to see that no one else around them is maneuvering and vice versa

Well the blue car has decided to contact their insurance company so obviously I'll have to do the same, even though there is (probably) little damage to my car.

They rang last night and spent over 10 minutes telling me how 'legally' I was in the wrong and that the parked car has the 'legal right of way' etc etc, which to be fair I took in good faith - they were probably just trying to get me to pay for their repairs.

However I can't abide lying, and when they said that I hadn't been indicating (when both driver and passenger at the side of the road said they'd seen my indicators) I lost all respect for them.

This thread certainly made it easier to sleep last night, and best outcome is that hopefully blue car will be better at checking surroundings before reversing, especially in a school drop off area - happy that they hit me instead of a child - heck, they might even not park on the corner anymore.

Blue car at fault. the important movement that caused the collision was the blue car in to the red. Red car was not driving towards the blue.

I had a similar accident once. I pulled forwards into a lane behind a stationary 4x4. 4x4 then decided to reverse into lane and hit me on the side at back of car, damage was at side.

4x4 tried claiming I shot behind him while he was reversing even though at the time he admitted fault and said he couldn't see out the back when reversing. My insurance said it would have to be 50/50. At which point I "found" an independent witness which changed everything and he was found to be at fault.

how does a car that's not moving have right of way?

obviously I mean parked...

The blue car drove into a moving car - they are at fault.