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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Car crash debacle

247 replies

guesswhatteapot · 26/05/2021 23:36

So I picked my son up from school and drove home the usual route. Pulled up outside my driveway on the left hand side of the road. We have a shop opposite and it's a main road so always busy with cars parked outside the shop. I sat in my car waiting for the traffic to go past, looked in my rear view mirror, no traffic. Started to reverse onto my driveway. Next thing a car hits the side of me and rips off the front of my car. She must have been parked across from me on the opposite side after going to the shop. She must have pulled out when no traffic coming, completely ignored my reverse lights and ploughed into the front of my car. We exchange numbers and she says she will text me later with her details... no text. I phoned my insurance company, my car is undriveable . I text her and she replies with "Your fault, I was stationary, you reversed into me, not going through insurance company, etc.
I replied that if she was stationary and I reversed into her A) why was the damage to my car at the front and not the back and B) why was she parked across my driveway blocking my access to my driveway?
AIBU to think that she just doesn't want to go through our insurance companies and is trying to blame me for this?

OP posts:
sbhydrogen · 26/05/2021 23:43

Lol what a joke from her part. Does the shop have CCTV by any chance?

MrsFin · 26/05/2021 23:45

We need a diagramme.

PegasusReturns · 26/05/2021 23:51

She’s legally obligated to provide you with her details.

Call your insurance company and give what details you have (car reg/name) and the report to police.

Pompom2367 · 26/05/2021 23:52

You will need CCTV as you were reversing hard to prove liability

Sydendad · 26/05/2021 23:59

Report her to the police for driving away from an accident without giving details. Give her number to the police and to the insurance company.
Draw a diagram of the accident and give that to your insurance company.

guesswhatteapot · 27/05/2021 00:00

I have no idea ho

Car crash debacle
OP posts:
guesswhatteapot · 27/05/2021 00:02

Her version appears to be this.

Car crash debacle
OP posts:
fourandnomore · 27/05/2021 00:04

I would reply once more simply stating that if she doesn’t share her details with you then you’ll pass her number, Reg etc on to the police.

fourandnomore · 27/05/2021 00:06

If you know you checked behind you and there was nothing there then you know your version is true and the police would be able to tell based on the placement of damage, you could seek cctv or witnesses or certainly say you will.

Greygreenblue · 27/05/2021 00:07

You didn’t get her rego number, licence number and insurance company at the time? You might have to go to police.

Itsjeremycorbynsfault · 27/05/2021 00:11

The fact that she has hit your front is supportive of your version somewhat otherwise you would have to have been reversing pretty quickly!

suggestionsplease1 · 27/05/2021 00:12

Sounds unfortunate timing for you both. I imagine the front of your car swung out as you made the turn and even if she saw you, if she was anticipating a straight back reverse rather than a turn-reverse she wouldn't have thought there would be contact as she would have cleared you fine had the front of your car not swung out. As it was you both inadvertently entered each others paths and bang. That's what it sounds like anyway.

Not sure what insurance would make of that, 50/50 perhaps.

bitheby · 27/05/2021 00:16

My insurance company made me at fault in a similar situation where I was reversing in a supermarket car park and a driver hit me. Apparently it was my fault because I was 'manoeuvring' even though I was actually stationery at the time and he drove into me. I think the onus is on you to check that you have a completely free road around you and complete your manoeuvre safely.

suggestionsplease1 · 27/05/2021 00:17

I think you could potentially have damaged your car even if she was stationary in this scenario. She might have started her manouever out, seen you reversing and beginning your turn and stopped stationary. You continued the turn swinging the right side and front of your car into the front left of her vehicle? It's plausible I think.

guesswhatteapot · 27/05/2021 00:18

I got her reg and phone number. She said she would text me later with her insurance details but never did. I eventually texted her asking for her details and gave her all my info to pass on to her insurance company.
She eventually replied with "I have decided not to pursue a claim regarding the damage that you did to my car with your car. My husband can fix it."
I replied that I needed her details because my car is undriveable as she ripped the front of the car off. I need a car to take my children to school, take them to their dad's house at weekends and take my elderly mum shopping. I am going to have to pay for taxis everywhere until my car is fixed.
She's just not interested!

OP posts:
suggestionsplease1 · 27/05/2021 00:23

You can phone the police non emergency number and they will follow this up, as would your insurance company. You have all the contact details you need to get the ball rolling.

RavingAnnie · 27/05/2021 00:25

Why are you not following the advice previously provided. Just tell her to provide her details or you will go to the police. It's very simple.

And call your insurance company anyway. You may have courtesy car cover while yours is being fixed.

SavannahLands · 27/05/2021 00:26

Are you sure that she is actually fully insured, or has it expired, or not in her name as a named driver etc?

iknowimcoming · 27/05/2021 00:26

Check if any of your neighbours have ring doorbells and recorded it and as pp said if there's any cctv at the shop, I'd give your insurance company and the police a ring tomorrow and see what they say but I'd guess the police will just refer you to your insurance company as they probably won't be that interested. Depends on your policy but you might get a courtesy car or they might pay for taxis and claim it back from other driver. But without any witnesses it will be your word against hers and insurance might say it's both your faults or knock for knock.

iknowimcoming · 27/05/2021 00:28

Oh and check the reg plate on the dvla website to see if it's taxed etc

jincanpoops · 27/05/2021 00:31

Text her back and tell her you'll report her to the police if she doesn't give her details.

Please say you took photos of yours and her car at the time...??

Apandemicyousay · 27/05/2021 00:33

You don’t need other car insurance details, if you give her registration to your insurers they will track down her insurance (if she has it).

guesswhatteapot · 27/05/2021 00:40

I took photos and she took photos which is why I am so angry. The damage to my car was on the front and the very minimal damage to her car was on the left hand side only. Surely if I had reversed into her stationary car her front end would be trashed and my back end would be trashed. It's the opposite.

OP posts:
Grumblesigh · 27/05/2021 00:43

Tell all of this to your insurance company. You don't need her permission or any further information.

chickenyhead · 27/05/2021 00:46

She isn't insured.

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