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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:
Russell19 · 27/05/2021 06:06

I also don't understand why you're contacting her. You have her reg so just call your insurers and give them the details you have.

MangoBiscuit · 27/05/2021 06:08

Only accident I've even been in personally, the other driver drove into me, totally his fault, but he swore blind I'd driven into him. I handed it to my insurance company, all the details, the photos I'd taken, a diagram, and a screengrab from google maps showing exactly where it had happened, and the road markings. I didn't have to deal with him again, my insurance company dealt with it. They did call to ask if I'd be happy with 50/50, I say hell no, totally not my fault. They pressed, and the other company agreed 100% the other drivers fault.

@guesswhatteapot hand it all to your insurance company, tell them that you can't use your car (do you have replacement vehicle cover?) tell them you need to use taxis until you have another suitable car to drive, and keep receipts of any you do use, as they might be able to add that to the claim.

araiwa · 27/05/2021 06:11

Why are people advising to contact police? They won't be interested. Nobody was injured and you have her details.

PyjamaFan · 27/05/2021 06:14

The insurance company will deal with everything. Just give them the information you have. I don't understand why you need to be in any contact with her all.

Rillington · 27/05/2021 06:16

You can't have been looking when you were reversing if you didn't see her. She can't have just appeared.

Itsallchange · 27/05/2021 06:20

From past experience it’s likely that you will either be blamed or have to accept 50/50. I was reversing from my drive, had stopped as I could see a car coming, he didn’t see me and drove straight into my back end pushing me sideways slightly more into the road. He admitted at the time he didn’t see me, there were no parked cars and even after the accident with my car still in the road slightly the dustbin lorry drove by me with no issues. Turns out as I had a big car the back end was slightly over the road, but he could have avoided it easily. The insurance was settled 50/50 as I was reversing onto the road and it was my responsibility to ensure no traffic. Just report to insurance see if any cctv to back up your story, but in short term you will hopefully get a courtesy car

Roselilly36 · 27/05/2021 06:28

Don’t stress over it OP, just not worth it, you have insurance, let the insurance company deal with it.

Thehop · 27/05/2021 06:31

Sadly, from experience, the person reversing is automatically at fault.

But you’re mad to peruse her over this. Hand it all in to insurance.

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 27/05/2021 06:37

When I was in a car accident, I never interacted with the other driver at all after the event. Everything was handled by the insurers. I'm not sure why you're communicating with her at all at this point.

JollyHolly30 · 27/05/2021 06:38

Get in touch with your insurance right away. They need to know when you've had an accident. You may then get a courtesy car very quickly which will save you having to pay for taxis.

Jessbow · 27/05/2021 06:44

just let your insrance company deal. At best its going to be 50/50. more likely your fault. You have started your turn in the path of another car, wherever it came from. You cannot 'assume' where she came from. You didnt see her, its as simple as that.

If you appear to be stationary and parallel and reverse so that you are across the carriageway in the path of another car, i cannot see that you are not at fault.

AnotherOne4 · 27/05/2021 06:44

I would stop communicating with her. You've asked for her details and she has refused. Let the insurance/police deal with it.
Something similar happened to me. I got re-ended at a roundabout. Got the ladies details, said she'd text me etc. She gave conflicting information. When I explained it to my insurance, they suggested I stop communicating with her, and let them deal with it.

You've done what you can. Let the insurance chase her.

BoattoBolivia · 27/05/2021 06:44

I know normally the person reversing is automatically at fault but but there are exceptions. I was stationery on the road, behind another car and we were both waiting to pull our around a parked car as traffic was coming in the other direction. The car in front of me decided he had not left enough space to pull out and started reversing. I couldn't as there were cars behind me and I thought he would see me and stop. He didn't. Angry The damage would have looked as though I drove into him but the insurance company believed my story and his paid.

Myglassishalfempty · 27/05/2021 06:46

"Report her to the police for driving away from an accident without giving details."

Someone hit me in a car park recently. Lots of witnesses but the driver completely denied it happened and refused to give details and walked away. I reported to the police and I got a letter back a week later saying we don't have the money to investigate this and report to your insurance company.
So apparently you can get away with anything these days Hmm

SometimesALime · 27/05/2021 06:47

Does the shop opposite have CCTV? Call in there and see what their cameras cover and explain that you were in a car accident and are hoping they have it on camera. Your insurance company can contact them for a copy. Do it quickly in case they record over it regularly.

NoIdontwanttoseeyourknob · 27/05/2021 06:48

The police won’t give a shit, no-one was injured and yes, she was supposed to give you her details but your insurance company will be able to access them.

She may not be insured, of course... you can check here. www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

If she is not insured the process is slightly different but again your insurance company will advise.

Stop texting her now. It’s in the hands of your insurance.

NoIdontwanttoseeyourknob · 27/05/2021 06:50

@Myglassishalfempty

"Report her to the police for driving away from an accident without giving details."

Someone hit me in a car park recently. Lots of witnesses but the driver completely denied it happened and refused to give details and walked away. I reported to the police and I got a letter back a week later saying we don't have the money to investigate this and report to your insurance company.
So apparently you can get away with anything these days Hmm

I got rear-ended at some speed on a motorway. The man gave false details and when I went to the police they told me he’d done nothing wrong Confused

If it ever happens again I’m going to take a photo of the other person’s driving licence. (Assuming they have it on them).

OlympicProcrastinator · 27/05/2021 06:53

You don’t need any more details from her! You literally just call your insurance with her reg number and make and model of the car. They can find out the rest and they argue the toss for you. You absolutely do not need any more than that to make a claim. Yes it’s helpful but not essential. These days, a registration is all that’s needed.

Faevern · 27/05/2021 06:55

I was reversing and someone hit me, solicitor and insurance company both said the person reversing is always found to be at blame. 1 Because they are manoeuvring. 2. Because you need to be alert for children etc stepping out when reversing and ready to stop. 3. Because the insurance company won’t be bothered to investigate for a bog standard accident.

I took photos and the person said they didn’t have insurance details but then didn’t send them and said they wanted a friend to pay. I just phoned my insurance and gave them the drivers name and reg and they dealt with it and I got curtesy car.

I was found at fault due to reversing. Premiums go up either way and that’s what insurance is for. Just ring them.

Faevern · 27/05/2021 06:56

Oh and I had witnesses and ctv, made no difference.

YellowScallion · 27/05/2021 06:57

I'd be prepared to possibly be found at fault. My car is currently being repaired by the other parties insurer in a similar incident. They were reversing and the front of their car hit mine as they turned and the front swung into my car.

ChubbyLittleManInACampervan · 27/05/2021 06:58

Yes, I think you are mistaken OP in thinking that with an accident you only call the insurance company of the car perceived to be at fault

That is not how it works

You both call your insurers. They hash it out between them. The outcome may be be: your fault/50-50/her fault

If she is not insured, your insurance company will deal with her directly

Hope it all gets sorted out

Bagamoyo1 · 27/05/2021 06:59

@user1471528245

Forget all the report it to police comments, they won’t be interested as there were no injuries, and don’t get into a blame game with the other party, pass all the details you have to your insurance company and let them deal with it, that’s what you pay them for, they’ll go after the third party assuming in their view they are at fault
This isn’t true. I once got crashed into by a lorry, and the driver didn’t speak English, so didn’t understand when I was asking for insurance details. A witness said I’d have to call the police, which I did, they came, and suddenly his English got a lot better, and I went away with his name, number, insurance details and company name. Without the police I’d have literally driven away with nothing.
Lulola · 27/05/2021 07:02

If she was parked and you were driving then she has pulled out without checking so surely she is at fault.... you just need to get CCTV. She needs to tell her insurance even if she isn’t going to claim off them, so let her husband fix it but still get the details or go to the police as others have said.

Nothingyet · 27/05/2021 07:06

You are not insured, are you?

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