I hit a pedestrian in my car - I really need advice please

[devonhil]

Yesterday I reversed into a pedestrian in a petrol forecourt. I am totally aware that it is my fault - that I didn't look carefully enough and I am to blame so please don't judge me further for that as I'm not looking for a discussion on driving skills.
I had been stationary and the man was very close to the back of my car so it was at low speed.
The man was angry and shouted at me. I got out of my car to explain and apologise but he just took a photo of my number plate and walked off - he wouldn't talk to me.
I'm really shaken up (I have been driving for 35 years and have only ever had one accident - I hit a stationary object) and scared about what will happen. Will I lose my licence or have to go to court? I need a car for work and as the breadwinner in my family I dread that happening.
I would be really grateful for any advice or information from anyone who has had a similar experience. I can't sleep with the stress. Thank you so much!

Any updates @devonhil ???

I wouldn’t worry about getting prosecuted, some knocked into me on my bike, I went onto her bonnet and then windscreen, police and ambulance attended and yet because there were no witnesses it didn’t go to court because it would be my word against hers. (And, slightly off topic, I successfully did the oft-suggested mumsnet plan of using my legal cover on my house insurance to claim for my bike and injuries!)

Piffpaffpoff sorry to hear about your accident. There's a shocking number of cyclists/pedestrians on this post who have been badly hit on the road and had no come-back for it. Useful info about house insurance - I never realised it could be used for accident claims.

Hi petbear, my insurers phoned me today as I filed details online over the weekend. Woman I spoke to said there'd been no claim so far and when I told her the pedestrian had not even fallen over she seemed very relaxed about it. I think they seem most concerned about head injuries and clearly there wasn't anything like that is this case.
I'm starting to breath out again and hope that it might remain the very minor accident it started out as (though apparently he has up to 6 years to file a claim!)

Just FYI, my house insurance legal team was only interested once they had established there was a personal injury element. They wouldn’t have helped if it was just a claim to replace my bike etc which is what I’d initially called about. But then the next day I couldn’t bear weight on my foot and so started the long injury treatment and recovery and once I told them about that they were straight on it.

Oh that’s strange Devonhil - my insurers told me it had to lie on file for 3 years. They took all the statements so that if he ever came forward we wouldn’t be trying to remember a couple of years later. I don’t think he will come forward now, it’s coming up 2 years. She passed her test eventually without further mishap but she was very shaken at the time.

I know what you mean TerracottaAmy - I thought 6 years was a bit long too. The insurance woman told it that it was so that all rehabilitation etc could be completed first but presumably that's for incredibly serious life-altering injuries such as coma, wheelchair rehab etc. (and even then it would normally be sooner).

I think most claims happen in the first few weeks or not at all. I haven't had any contact from police so I assume that he hasn't yet claimed anyway. The main issue is that it remains pending on my insurance so they treat it as thought I'd made a claim and my insurance is affected - even if they don't have to pay out a penny! They will, therefore, make extra money by increasing my premium unnecessarily (although in fairness they could argue that my driving was at fault).

I'm so glad you daughter is driving now - in some ways the worst has already happened to her and she will be a very safe careful motorist after such an experience.