Police letter after accident HELP!

[Iwa80]

Hi all,

Sorry please help.
A few weeks ago I was driving in heavy traffic, and a car infront of me didn't move forward on a green light but instead reversed and I didn't stop in time. I very lightly possibly clipped the bumper but not 100% certain. The lady in front told me to drive to a side street to assess any damage. We looked and I saw there was a hairline gap on one side of a otherwise fully detached bumper.
Anyway my English isn't very good (someone else writing this thread for me) and I told her to wait for my husband to sort it out. I just gave her my name.

Moments later my husband driving nearby came. As he's the main policyholder, was not in a particularly good mood. We both felt (my husband and I) that we were being swindled by an opportunist claimer.

My husband ordered me to leave, and since i had my small child age 5 who was desperately needing the toilet and wanted to go home I left everything in the hand of my husband. I thought he'd sort it out. I then saw both the lady and my husband were arguing and left the scene. Moments later I rang my husband to ask did he leave her my details. He said no, and then he went straight back to the scene moments later after he'd left too, about 5 mins after me, and found her and gave her our full details.

However in the midst of us leaving the scene she managed to call the police. However in front of the police who were listening on the phone while the call was still live, they heard and therefore witnessed a full exchange of details.

It was never my intention to leave without giving details and because of the pressures of my child, my husbands temper and my broken English I left it to my husband. I am annoyed that he was moronic enough to leave without giving her anything but at least he did go back.

However I have received a letter from the police investigating, and trying to apply 'driving with due care, not stopping at scene, not reporting accident'.... none of which is true because we did stop, exchange details and i reported later to my insurance that evening. With the driving, I am adamant I hardly touched her car.

Incidentally our suspicions were confirmed and the lady has claimed WHIPLASH' from my insurance. The damage to her car was so minimal at speeds of just 2-5mph and looked like it had been done somewhere else. You would have to look hard at her bumper to notice it had been damaged, and the car was a 12 year old Kia Rio, one of the smallest cheapest cars to drive.

I am petrified that despite exchanging details in the end I will still get 6 points on my licence and an extra fine I cannot afford, all because an opportunist wants to ruin our life as much as possible.

Can anyone please advise?

You pay increased premiums for five years following an accident regardless of who’s fault it was, though obviously a bigger increase if it was your fault.

Bumpers are not a cosmetic feature of a car. When hit there can be internal damage to fixings which result in the bumper having to be replaced and costing more than a quick paint job. It is important it is repaired correctly as it is there to absorb impact in minor collisions and also on pedestrians.

Insurance is there to decide who is at fault and the compensation to be paid. You as the driver (not your dh) just need to exchange details, take photos if you feel it will give the insurance additional information and move on.

You and your dh behaved badly, but I doubt you will get points if this is your first incident of this kind, just tell the truth and read up on your responsibilities in the event of an accident.

'driving with due care, not stopping at scene, not reporting accident'

You did drive without due care.

You (you personally, not your husband) did not stop at the scene.

And you did not exchange details at the scene. And even your husband left and she had time to phone the police after your husband left.

What part of those events don't you get?

Sure Jan.

My 23 year old daughter was run into at traffic lights last year when she braked suddenly as a pedestrian ran out across the road. The driver who ran into her spoke no English - but she phoned her son who then spoke to my daughter, exchanged details and sorted it all out. No aggravation, no aggression and no problem.

jumblejumble the OP did stop and she did give her details. You don't have to give insurance details if you don't have them to hand and you provide them as soon as you can. I don't think the police will pursue this much further.

^You hit her car
Your husband was aggressive^ and no doubt very intimidating to a young girl quite likely dealing with her first incident.
You left the scene (even though your husband could have taken your child to the toilet, killing 2 birds with one stone)
You didn't report the accident to the police
^You don't think she deserves to have her car fixed because she is young and her car is old.
You moaned about the police doing their job.
You created a thread to ask a question and are then rude to anyone who disagrees with you.^

This ^
All of which was said several pages ago, and yet you are still trying to argue that the other driver was the problem!!!

I feel for the other driver. OP you did leave the scene without providing details, but the fact that they were provided shortly after is a big mitigating factor.

It is definitely possible to get whiplash from a low level impact. I was reversed into in a small car park whilst parked engine off in a marked bay waiting for DH. I was looking down at my phone at the time and the impact sent me back as my car got shunted and then forwards as my car stopped on the kerb. I was still in pain and with reduced movement months later. I claimed because my insurance company kept calling to ask if I was okay and I told them that i was still in pain. After a month or two they arranged a medical for me to be assessed and I got a 3k payout I think. It was horrible and scary and being unable to move my neck properly for months really affected my life.

Well, as Op is so sure she is in the right with all this, there shouldn't be any problem with the Police or the insurers and everything will turn out in her favour. Hmm....

Your husband sounds like an aggressive wanker