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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Just had a prang - no idea what to do, help!

93 replies

CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 17:50

So just driving slowly into big car park, 5mph or slower as usual, car ahead (30meters at least) is stationary on left side (is all one way obv) and stays with no signals completely stationary for whole approach and i've slowed right down. I assume he is on the phone, he's not indicating or moving - so I indicate and start going past him to the right (loads of room) almost as soon as I am level with him he swings his car right and right into me. He isn't indicating. Jumps out and shouts "I can't believe you just did that to me!", I said "I think you'll find you just drove into me!" we circle cars taking pictures. I am clearly nosed ahead of him and he is into my side front door, which I think shows I was almost past him when he pulled into me - he should have seen me/used mirrors/indicated. He was very aggressive and angry. I did ask ppl behind but they didn't see it.

Anyway we swapped phone numbers and names and I'm home. Been driving 4 years and never had an accident so not sure what I do next. Am insured etc. Help!

Sorry if rambling, am shaky.

OP posts:
Todaythiscouldbe · 03/05/2019 17:52

Call your insurers. Tell them what happened and let them deal with it

Todaythiscouldbe · 03/05/2019 17:53

I assume you have the registration number?
Take a photo of your car with date and time

Sup3rbsunset5 · 03/05/2019 17:54

Take a deep breath, nobody was injured
Have a cup of tea/coffee and a small snack for some energy
You will need to find your insurance information to give them a call
Everyone has a small accident at least once

iklboo · 03/05/2019 17:54

He's at fault. The person reversing or driving out of a car parking space has to give way to 'thoroughfare' traffic - and make sure it's safe to pull out. You could have been a pedestrian.

Ratbagcatbag · 03/05/2019 17:56

It may be worth ringing the store to see if they have cctv footage of it? That will help your claim when you put it through insurance. ☺️

Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 17:57

He wasn't reversing - he was just sat on the left hand side completely still. He said he was "looking for a space" but there were hundreds around and he wasn't moving towards any.

Yes, thankfully no injuries, just a scrape on the left hand side of my car and his front right.

OP posts:
Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:06

So will this make my monthly charge go up?

Calmed down a bit now and just cross. Damage is minimal.

OP posts:
Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:13

Thank you all x

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Coulddowithanap · 03/05/2019 18:17

This is why I have a dash cam!

If the other party is blaming you then it's best to go through insurance. Damage might look minimal but there could be damage you can't see

Last time someone drove into me my insurance went up by around £30 per year but my car was written off (of course lots of factors come into how they work out insurance cost)

xaphan77 · 03/05/2019 18:20

yep report to insurers and let them deal!

InspectorClouseauMNdivision · 03/05/2019 18:21

Keep all the pics! Your insurer may very well get a claim for absolutely totalled car.... Especially after his "I was just loking for a space balbal" whole thing is suspicious

theemmadilemma · 03/05/2019 18:24

See if you can get CCTV. Quickly.

This happened to me and even thought to me the damage clearly told the story it ended up being 50/50.

Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:31

My insurer is all online (Quotemehappy) - so do I want to claim? Could he have done much damage pulling across me? He was stationary so no 'run up'! Worried it could have knocked the wheel alignment or something. I need to choose if I want to claim though Confused

OP posts:
DGRossetti · 03/05/2019 18:31

He wasn't reversing - he was just sat on the left hand side completely still.

In which case it's 100% OPs fault, surely ?

Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:33

The car park is for 4/5 shops (we were going for a Maccers!) so I've put in the McDonalds post code although it was in the car park. Wonder if it is council owned for cameras? It's all open air.

OP posts:
Skala123 · 03/05/2019 18:34

Google quote me happy claim number and a phone number will come up. Call them and explain what happened and then they will deal with it. Your premium may go up but you really do need to let them deal with it. (Legally you are obliged to tell them even if you don't want them to settle.)

Inrestlessdreamsiwalkalone · 03/05/2019 18:34

This sounds like a scam to me, he was either waiting for someone to pull past so he could do this, or he was on the phone / retuning the radio.

Either way he is in the wrong. Hopefully insurance will see that too.

hsegfiugseskufh · 03/05/2019 18:35

rossetti no because he hit op because he pulled out into op as she was going past him.

Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:35

Surely you can't just stop and not expect cars to go around you? Then pull out not using mirrors?

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Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:39

I had indicated and was heading straight when he pulled suddenly across. It does seem odd he was just sat there then suddenly pulled right into me the second we were level.

I assumed initially that he was on the phone and had 'pulled over' - I was very slow on approach so he had probably at least 15 seconds to move/show intention. Which doesn't sound much but you would just indicate and go around, right? I still think he should have been aware of me being there by using his mirrors - you do mirror check before you are meant to signal your intentions.

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wowfudge · 03/05/2019 18:45

Call your insurers and when you speak to them, ask for a form to draw a diagram and explain exactly what happened. You took precautions by proceeding slowly and indicating as you pulled round him. Bet you a pound to a penny he didn't look and, because you had slowed down, he didn't hear you so he's blamed you because it was a shock to him.

Bananapancakes3 · 03/05/2019 18:45

It sounds suspicious to me. So he was on the left side of the road and you went round him on the right and then he pulled out onto the right? Why did he swing right instead of driving forwards? I would guess that he would be at fault as surely he should be checking his mirrors and blind spot before pulling out.

TheInvestigator · 03/05/2019 18:50

He's obviously going to argue that it was your fault and his insurers will come after you for payment, so you need to tell your insurers and let them fight it.

Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:56

I can see even on the pics he is to the left of the arrow in the centre of the road, so you can tell he was "waiting" on the left

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Original poster
CarAccidentHelp · 03/05/2019 18:58

I've pretty much written what I put in the OP. Sent the two pics. I'm not claiming but I don't want him to say his car is a write off or something so have shown his car which also looks like minimal scratching to be honest. He took my address which is worrying me now.

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