To take them to court?

[AnxietyLevelMax]

I had a car accident 3 months ago. I believe it was not my fault although the other party’s insurance company is not willing to negotiate with my insurance company and appointed solicitors to take me (and the insurance company) to court if I don’t pay the settlement figure.

so i either agree to take them to court, which will be handled by my insurance company and their lawyers but i will have to attend (have no control over how this people will handle the case) or i just agree for my insurance company to pay them but then my car insurance etc might go rocket high and will need to face any other consequences i guess.

i was at the roundabout, three lines when u get to the roundabout, at the roundabout and when u exit the roundabout. You can go straight from all three lines. I was on the third line going straight (second exit). It was very very busy and the other car just jumped in front of me and i hit him. He claims he was next to me and wanted to go to the third exit, but was literally in front of me when i hit him, i hit his rear passenger door, he completely turned around, his wheel came off, back door and bumper was smashed etc. to me he was speeding and entered the roundabout and wanted to make it in front of everyone but it happened so quick i cannot be sure. It is my word against his. No cameras or witnesses.

first picture is from Google map and shows the road when u get to the roundabout
second picture shows the actual roundabout, i was exactly where that white car is when i hit him

Going from the signage you have shared you were both in the wrong lane and added to that you hit him on the rear of his car. If you didn’t see where he came from he was obviously in your blind spot and you relied solely on your mirrors to change lanes. Don’t think you have a snowballs chance in hell of coming out of this without blame.

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/traffic-signs

(Direction Signs, 4th one down)

I think this is the same as the sign approaching your junction? If so, as others have said, the downward pointing lines on the sign are indicating which lane to be in. On the sign approaching your junction, traffic in the right hand lane is going in a different destination from traffic in the other two lanes (and not onto the A421), so unfortunately it looks like you and the other driver were both in the wrong lane.

Id say its a 50/50 but you do know your premium will go up either way as its on record as a claim

Sorry if someone has already asked this but were you indicating to exit? I'm not saying you necessarily had to if you were already in a lane from which you could exit but I was told when I was learning to always signal before exiting because it provides as much information as possible to other roundabout users of your intention. If you were signalling then this may well assist your position.

Do you know if HE was signalling right to change lanes before taking the next exit? Again that would have been helpful information although I appreciate you didn't see him until he pulled in front of you (into the third lane?). It sounds like he sped up to reach the third lane to avoid being forced to come off at the second exit in the middle lane because the roundabout was busy and he made an assumption that you were staying on for the next exit. But really he should have come off at the second exit if there wasn't a guaranteed spot in the third lane, and driven until he could turn around. I have had to do this a few times though I am perhaps an overly cautious driver.

By the same token you would have been safer going around the roundabout again and carefully making your way across into the middle (or left) lane whilst indicating. It's a pain but sometimes the safer thing to do.

I agree that you are both at fault here.

The signage clearly shows that the right hand lane is for right hand turns onto the A507 and A4012 only.

He was turning right so should have been in the right hand lane.

You were going straight on to the A421 so should have been in the left or middle lane.

The three "ahead" arrow road markings are confusing to motorists but they mean you should continue straight ahead until you are in the circulatory carriageway i.e. on the roundabout. They do not mean you can pick any lane to go straight ahead.