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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Advise needed urgently please: car accident

38 replies

OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:32

Morning all,
My husband has just been hit by a hit-and-run driver on a A road (speed 70). The other car was trying to change lanes into my DH's lane, probably didn't check, smashed into him from and drove off without stopping.
DH pulled over and another driver from a car behind stopped there too telling him that the car that hit him was a commercial vehicle, he saw the brand name. DH took the man's name and car reg to use as a witness if needed.
We called the company to say that their car hit our car and they couldn't have been more blasé about it. They said that their company doesn't drive this type of car. DH didn't have a time to see the car reg or make/model, just that it was a big white and blue van.
I insisted they check with their drivers for damage and they said they would get back to me.
What do we do??

OP posts:
BabySnarkDoDoo · 11/04/2024 09:34

Have you contacted the Police to let them know and see whether there are cameras on that stretch of road?

ScarlettOBan · 11/04/2024 09:34

Phone the non emergency police and your insurance company and give them all of this information.

nw80 · 11/04/2024 09:34

I would call your own insurance company for advice and to have your story on record. I think you should report with 24 hours but could be wrong

Original poster
OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:34

Do we contact the police? Hit-and-run is an offence. Can they help somehow?

OP posts:
Usernamewassavedsuccessfully · 11/04/2024 09:35

Contact your insurance company, you could also contact the police although I suspect they will do nothing. It's not your job to follow up with the other driver, so stop contacting them. Hope your husband is ok, it's an awful shock.

Catza · 11/04/2024 09:35

OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:34

Do we contact the police? Hit-and-run is an offence. Can they help somehow?

Yes, you should call the non-emergency police number. Failure to stop is an offence and they will be able to access CCTV if there is any on that stretch of the motorway.

Mnk711 · 11/04/2024 09:35

Contact the police and give them the info you have. They should be able to find out if any of the vehicles at that company match the description and/or have damage. And as PP says might be able to get CCTV footage.

Hope your DH is OK.

Sillybillypoopoomummy · 11/04/2024 09:35

Yes contact the police - not stopping at the scene of an accident is a crime.

Axx · 11/04/2024 09:36

OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:34

Do we contact the police? Hit-and-run is an offence. Can they help somehow?

Yes call them and report a hit and run

LisaD1 · 11/04/2024 09:36

Contact the police and your insurers. Hit and run is a crime and all accidents should be reported to you own insurance. I would make no further contact with the company.

Original poster
OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:38

Thank you so much for speedy replies! If the company insists it was not their car can anything done to make them admit liability? I don't know if my insurance company will come to the branch to check their vehicles for damage!

OP posts:
Catza · 11/04/2024 09:39

Just to note that the law technically allows you not to stop if it is unsafe to do so (which it may have been on the motorway) but in this instance, the driver has 24h to report himself to the police.

Londonrach1 · 11/04/2024 09:40

Report to the police

swapcicles · 11/04/2024 09:40

When a company van reversed into me and I knew which company I called them and they couldn't be less bothered. Denied it all!
Unless you have firm proof there's not a lot you can do tbh. It was only a scrape so I didn't pursue it further at the time.

Catza · 11/04/2024 09:41

OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:38

Thank you so much for speedy replies! If the company insists it was not their car can anything done to make them admit liability? I don't know if my insurance company will come to the branch to check their vehicles for damage!

There is really no way of knowing that. It is probably more likely that your insurer will liaise with police and request CCTV footage rather than chase the company. I mean, you don't have photographic evidence of the vehicle..
Either way, it is out of your hands. Just make all the appropriate reports and wait for the outcome.

Original poster
OnTheRoll · 11/04/2024 09:43

Mnk711 · 11/04/2024 09:35

Contact the police and give them the info you have. They should be able to find out if any of the vehicles at that company match the description and/or have damage. And as PP says might be able to get CCTV footage.

Hope your DH is OK.

DH is in shock (and as much as I love him he is not the most practical person). He called me from the sideline when it happened and he was speaking to that helpful guy and I told him to ask the guy for his contact details if he were willing to be a witness. DH took his name and his car reg (why? He wasn't part of the collision) and no email or mobile number.
So I don't know if he still counts as a witness (I did find him on Lindkedin...)
And we don't have any photos to prove anything

OP posts:
Ariela · 11/04/2024 09:43

Absolutely report to police. If you don't and they do and they decide to say your DH drove into THEM your DH will be in bother for 'failing to stop' - even though he did. Also supply the witness information, to back your DH's statement. Police & insurance will be able to trace him from his car reg.
Get a crime ref number. Report to insurance.

Itsaloadofbollocksbut · 11/04/2024 09:48

There are regular requests for dashcam footage on my local Facebook hub.

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 11/04/2024 09:54

Just report to police and your insurers and they'll deal with it all.

EmilyTjP · 11/04/2024 10:01

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 11/04/2024 09:54

Just report to police and your insurers and they'll deal with it all.

This.

Stop worrying about the company and how to catch them.
Report it all and let them investigate.

Turmerictolly · 11/04/2024 10:06

Yes, don't worry about the ban. The police/insurers will investigate. When this happened to me I had to ring 101, they advised me to fill in an online report. It then generates a police record number. Then call the insurer and explain what has happened. Was your dh injured in any way? If so, he'll need to see his GP also.

Turmerictolly · 11/04/2024 10:06

Van, not ban.

TimeGrabsYouByTheWrist · 11/04/2024 10:10
  1. Report it to the non emergency police. Give them all the details including the van logo.
  2. Report it to the insurance. Don't give them the car reg of the witness as they might think this car was involved! Why on earth did he take this?!?!?!
  3. Find the witness on social media and ask if they had a dash cam.
  4. Put a post on your local Facebook group (if it was local) asking if anyone else was driving at that time on the road and had a dash cam.

Is it a small company whose logo was on the van? It'll be easier to find them in that case. Did he get a partial number plate?

Are there any cameras on that stretch of road? If so they will have picked up the van at that particular time.

Theendisntnigh · 11/04/2024 10:11

Report it to the police and your insurers and let them handle it.

Waltzers · 11/04/2024 10:16

I'm not in the Uk but I was once hit in similar circumstances on the motorway. I did manage to get a registration number as the car drove away (because I had my teenager with me and screamed it at her!) I went to the police, told them it was a blue/grey car, they came out and looked at my car, saw there was some blue/grey paint in the damage and that was enough for them to call him and tell him he could either hand over his insurance details or be charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Although you don't have the registration number, you have the company name and a witness so the police may well piece it together and make contact with the company for you.