Dh could have been killed last night

[Marne]

Dh was driving home from work last night, he was almost home when he drove towards a sharp bend (just down the road), a lorry has lost it's load on the bend , dh did'nt have time to stop and hit the large steel gurder which was one of 3 which fell off the lorry.

Our new car is now a rite off, we have only had it 2 day's

Luckily dh has only got whip-lash, if he left work 10 second's earlier he would have been dead as the large steel gurder may have crushed the car.

Anyway surely the steel should have been sucured well enough for this not to happen, the strap's holding it down broke

Dh is realy shook up and now we are without a car

Dh has spent most of the day on the phone to his insurance company and they think we should clam componsation.

Is it worth the hastle?

Yes -- it's unlikely to be much hassle, to be honest, as it sounds pretty cut and dried. Do you have legal cover as part of your insurance? If so they will take over and do all the work for you.

If he has whiplash get him to GP to register the injury ASAP.

DP was hit by a lorry. He only suffered whiplash He got £3+K personal injury compensation.

We have legal cover, we are waiting to hear from the lorry drivers insurance, it sound's as though the police may be pressing charge's, they are still clearing the road now the steel was the length or the large lorry and has damaged the road and taken down telephone/electricity lines.

Our insurance company is'nt being that helpful as they can't do anything until the lorry driver has contacted his insurance comany. The police are being more helpful and have told dh there was nothing he could have done not to hit it.

Dh went to the doctors this morning and the insurance company are sending him for a full medical.

goodness yes, my dp is in the 'steel' business and there are strict regulations about transporting such dangerous heavy loads.

really look into it-very bad!

Thank goodness your dh is safe

Did he manage to get the details of the lorry drivers insurers at all? I think the police will provide them to you if ness.

Tell dh to contact the police and ensure that the lorry driver did have valid insurance. The police will know.

ssuming he does you should hire another car, the costs should be paid by the truck operators insurance (eventually). Your insurers should be seeking payment for your car, injuries (which can take time as dh's whiplash may need time to settle down), and out of pocket expenses (such as a hire car).

Someone rear-ended my sister's car and she got whiplash and she got 11K.

The insurance company said they will send us a hire car as soon as the company admits it is their fault (which it is).

Budabang- 11K sounds good

If your dh has had to take time off work then the insurance claim shouild include loss of earnings too.

Lets just hope we get enough to buy another car, we saved up for along time to get this one, dh is devistated that it is now a rite-off.

And he can also add a claim for the cost of any physio, etc that he may need to get over the whip-lash.

Marne.

If the car was brand-new, you should get a replacement.

Otherwise, whatever the insurance company first offer you, you should reject, tell them thge offer is not good enough, until you get a price close to what you paid.

The value of a car 2 days after purchase can't be that much lower than the price it was purchased for.

It can be, unfortunately -- just by driving it off the forecourt you slash its value a lot. When we bought our last new car there was an optional extra to cover you against exactly that gap. With any luck the whiplash compensation should help, though.

Marne - the insurance company won't (or shouldn't) send him for a medical for 6m.

Third party insurers tried to send DP for a medical within 3-4weeks. His own insurers/legal agents refused. Apparently (and I don't know if it is true) whiplash injuries shouldn't be assessed until at least 4-6m before the extent of any whiplash inury will show.

Agree that if GP recommends physio take it - it will be paid for - and it does help

My mum got about 11K too - but she had a pre-existing condition which was worsened by the whiplash and will put her in a wheelchair 2-3years before it would have done w/o the accident. So my brother who was in teh same accident got about £4K. My mum got £11K to compensate for the acceleration of her diability IYSWIM.

Re damages for a whiplash injury- I have just checked the current "quantum of damages" and the current rate is £2k-£3k if you do not have other injuries or the whiplash doesn't affect a pre-existing condition. I agree that you should wait at least 6 months before any final xaminations/assessments, though obviously the claim relating to the car will be dealt with as soon as possible.

The car was'nt brand new but new to us.

Dh has still got a bad neck and lower back pain, he is still in shock and feeling very down

Dh suffers with depression, and came off of AD's a few months ago, this has realy knocked him.

He is on the phone now trying to sort out a hire car through his insurance.