Neighbour reversed into my car, as I was reversing

[Jess92xo]

Thoughts please.

I got into my car on my drive earlier and saw another car coming down the road (slowly as if they were going to park up on that side of the road).

They go past the house opposite and stop, break lights on for what felt like about 20 seconds or so. I then reverse off of my drive until I reach the other side of the road and as I am about to put my car into "drive" and turn my wheel to move forwards, the stationary car starts to reverse with the back of my car right behind him. I beep my horn continuously and he doesn't even look round to my direction. He then hits my car, and even then still doesn't look round! He eventually looks round and looks totally confused.

Turns out he is my neighbour who lives opposite (I haven't met him properly yet) picking up a new car for his daughter.

He doesn't say much but gets out to look at the back of his car. He seemed quite reserved and doesn't admit any fault, neither do I. I told him that he looked parked up as he wasn't moving (I thought he was waiting to pick someone up) so I then thought it was safe to go into that side of the road when reversing.

I am not angry as these things happen but he should have checked all of his mirrors before reversing back, our road is pretty quiet and no one was there 30 seconds or so before he decided to move again. I just can't believe he didn't hear the horn to stop

He seemed quite timid and did said that all is ok and he doesn't want to go via insurance etc (neither damage was bad - just little scratches) so I'm not sure why he said this. But I'm just feeling so stressed out that this happened with a neighbour! Even though it's not my fault, I hate anything like this that makes things feel a bit awkward

I just want to see what others thought who is at fault? I'm very self critical and am now replaying it over and over as to whether I shouldn't of reversed out, but he genuinely looked parked up for what felt like long enough to believe he wasn't about to reverse.

I am the biggest worrier and stress head and came home and burst into tears! My partner couldn't work out why I was so upset and neither can I

Technically you are never supposed to reverse off your drive, something to do with not reversing from minor roads onto major ones. In practice most people (me included do it) so I wonder if officially you would be at fault.
It sounds like you both should have been checking your mirrors more carefully, but I’m not sure who was at fault- if you had finished your manoeuvre while he was stationary then he moved into your stationary vehicle he is at fault.
If you were both moving then probably joint blame.

If you were stationary when he hit you, he's at fault. If you were both moving, probably 50/50.

If you both was moving then both to blame.

Just to add that he was stationary (break lights on for about 20 seconds) when I started to reverse back off my drive, thinking he was parked / waiting for someone.

He then began to reverse as I was just about to finish the manoeuvre and drive forward (if he had checked his left hand mirror he would have seen me) but unfortunately I was at this point directly behind him

He doesn't want to go through insurance as he isn't fit to drive.

Sounds like he was at fault.

I would suggest counselling to work on your esteem and assertiveness skills 😀.

I never understand why people start reversing without looking in their mirrors, it's what they're there for! He's an idiot for blindly reversing, what if someone was crossing the road behind him?

You were both at fault and should always go through insurance. Stop reversing off you drive it's selfish and dangerous.

"He then began to reverse as I was just about to finish "

So you were both moving? It's both your faults. It happens 🤷‍♀️

Just pass to your insurance and leave them to sort it out.

Yes i was moving i was in the middle of the road, he looked parked up on the other side of the road and then started to go backwards without checking

It sounds like you are both to blame

I think he was more at fault than you, he didn't check his mirrors and how the hell did he not hear your horn?! He obviously just assumed the road was clear as it was when he pulled up, which is why this happened, he didn't recheck

There was a thread on here the other day where the poster agreed to not go through insurance and deleted the photos then the other party went through insurance anyway only now that poster had no evidence.

Always report an accident to your insurance.

I would say he is at fault for not checking his mirrors before he started moving

Thank you. Neither of our cars are actually really damaged. Both seem like just a bit of paint was scratched off

It felt like I was beeping forever so I have no idea! Our road is so quiet too and there were no other cars around. Maybe a bit deaf?!

It sounds like you had finished reversing, we’re stationary and about to pull forward. If so, you probably have a stronger case than if you were reversing.

If he’s driven into the side of you he’s 100% at fault.

I think you could have been more cautious but it’s easy to say with hindsight.

if your car is an old banger and you don’t care about paint then I’d just forget about it. If it’s a nice car and you want the paint fix then go through insurance. These things end up costing astronomic amounts and it’s easier to just say you’d rather go through insurance then ask him to foot a large bill.

Id also be tempted to report him to dvla as unfit to drive if the situation was as described.

If his brake lights were still on, then he was stopped, but not parked, no? His brake lights would have turned off if he'd applied the handbrake, shifted into Park/ Neutral.

If he was on the road completing a manoeuvre, however slowly, you should have waited for him to finish before entering the road, as you were on the drive, I believe he had right of way.

These things happen though, so don't beat yourself up about it. Hopefully it will go 50/50 if pursued through insurance. You should notify your insurers in any case.

It’s far more likely that he doesn’t want to go through insurance because it’s a major pain in the backside for all concerned and will lead to increased premiums for both parties.

All for a minor scratch.

Start reversing onto your drive, reversing onto the road is a stupid idea.

If you’d have driven off your drive, maybe he’d still have hit you but you’d have to do a whole lot less faffing in the middle of the road so would have been less chance of getting hit.

Yeah break lights to me don’t mean they’ve stopped manoeuvring, but I appreciate in the moment it can be hard to tell.

I think you’re both at fault and you should report the accident to your insurance either way. I did that when I had an accident but the car was worthless so I didn’t claim, but I reported anyway just in case.

Report in case he does and tries to claim. Then your side of the story is on record.

I used to take insurance claims as a job an this would go down as 50/50 fault. Sounds like he was being very careless but equally you aren't suppose to reverse off driveways onto a road. As you were both moving, both parties were technically at fault.

All accidents should be reported to your insurers whether you make a claim or not but lots of people don't.

Yep definitely a 50/50 fault then.
Instead of beeping you should have pulled forward.

So you saw him, were beeping at him, watching him continue reversing, but didn't think to stop your own car? You just carried on beeping as you reversed into each other?