So... Had a nice chat with a lorry this morning
- Thread starter dk345
- Start date
john-e89 said:Nice to hear the dealers have been good as well. Happy days.
If only insurance companies were good
Just had a phone call from my insurers. The HGV driver's insurers are now claiming that it was I who changed lanes and caused the accident. Apparently the other guy was just plodding along minding his own business when I cut him up.Sad times.
Ouch! Glad you weren't hurt. What a nightmare. I hope it's all fixed quickly by his insurers. Tbh, I've realized I'm often on edge when driving the Z around London with the lorries, buses, coaches, delivery vans, pizza mopeds, cyclists and the distracted women shouting at their kids in the back of an enormous range rover on a school run while they text. I take my 1999 Ford 'fiasco' out when I know I'm going to be in 'certain' areas at certain times and have to park up. The Z is such a low car too, I'm sure most wing mirrors miss us completely. :|
Glad it is sorted and you are happy with the repair !
Shame (and annoying) about the lorry driver. If the insurance applied commons sense and the balance of probabilities with lorry collisions they would come down on your side !! Sadly it is easier to go 50/50 as no witnesses which is why my dash cam, albeit plugged into the cigarette lighter only on the A45 is always on ...
Shame (and annoying) about the lorry driver. If the insurance applied commons sense and the balance of probabilities with lorry collisions they would come down on your side !! Sadly it is easier to go 50/50 as no witnesses which is why my dash cam, albeit plugged into the cigarette lighter only on the A45 is always on ...
dk345 said:john-e89 said:Nice to hear the dealers have been good as well. Happy days.
If only insurance companies were good
Sad times.
Seriously? I love how the lorry driver's insurer suddenly "remembered" it was your fault that after all this time has passed...
SO8 said:
Yes, it's all rather frustrating. I didn't expect it to be a quick process as it will be fleet insurance for a national company, but being told that the other party (possibly not the driver, but the company) is now blaming me is really annoying. I'm half kicking myself as well, seeing as I'd been looking at dash cams on and off for a couple of weeks before the accident
The driver changed his story twice at the side of the road, but I'm fairly sure the police said to me that he'd agreed to them that he was in the wrong lane after having it explained to them. I've given my insurers the incident number the police gave me, but I don't know what they actually be able to get from it. The girl on the phone told me that she didn't have permission to view data relating to that on their system, so I don't know if they've done anything with that.
Does anybody know (looking at you, Mr SO8
) what information, if any, my insurance company will be able to get from the police incident number? On the plus side, I've enjoyed the dry weather since getting it back and have burned through a full tank in 175 miles :evil:
North West Surrey
dk345 said:SO8 said:
Yes, it's all rather frustrating. I didn't expect it to be a quick process as it will be fleet insurance for a national company, but being told that the other party (possibly not the driver, but the company) is now blaming me is really annoying. I'm half kicking myself as well, seeing as I'd been looking at dash cams on and off for a couple of weeks before the accident
The driver changed his story twice at the side of the road, but I'm fairly sure the police said to me that he'd agreed to them that he was in the wrong lane after having it explained to them. I've given my insurers the incident number the police gave me, but I don't know what they actually be able to get from it. The girl on the phone told me that she didn't have permission to view data relating to that on their system, so I don't know if they've done anything with that.
Does anybody know (looking at you, Mr SO8
On the plus side, I've enjoyed the dry weather since getting it back and have burned through a full tank in 175 miles :evil:
Good news about a good and speedy repair, not so good news about the change of story.
Sadly drivers may be honest at the scene, but then get the jitters about how to explain what happened to their employer (or OH)!
Not sure if it still applies, but back when I handled motor claims the insurers and solicitors acting for either party used to entitled to a copy of the police report by paying a fee (£16 back in the 90s) but if there were no injuries they didn't always compile one. As one of the drivers you only used to be able to get a copy of your own statement, which isn't a great deal of use on it's own.
If they did do a full report you get both (or all) driver details including licence and insurance details, copy driver statements and witness details (including witness statements if they took any). Just need to send an application (and the fee) to the Chief Constable of the force concerned.
Must be worth asking your insurer to apply for one - the Constabulary need precise location, date, time, etc. details.
Hope you get a good resolution.
dk345 said:SO8 said:
Yes, it's all rather frustrating. I didn't expect it to be a quick process as it will be fleet insurance for a national company, but being told that the other party (possibly not the driver, but the company) is now blaming me is really annoying. I'm half kicking myself as well, seeing as I'd been looking at dash cams on and off for a couple of weeks before the accident
The driver changed his story twice at the side of the road, but I'm fairly sure the police said to me that he'd agreed to them that he was in the wrong lane after having it explained to them. I've given my insurers the incident number the police gave me, but I don't know what they actually be able to get from it. The girl on the phone told me that she didn't have permission to view data relating to that on their system, so I don't know if they've done anything with that.
Does anybody know (looking at you, Mr SO8
On the plus side, I've enjoyed the dry weather since getting it back and have burned through a full tank in 175 miles :evil:
The police action varies from county to county.
In London there will not be a report unless certain circumstances are present - usually injury.
If there is a formal report it would normally contain all details of the parties involved along with the drivers and any witness accounts. The officer would normally complete a brief comment on how in their opinion the collision occurred. To get this report there is a fee and the insurance company can get it.
My suggestion aside from this is to get the details of the officer who attended the collision and their police email address. If you don't have that then ring the force control room and by giving them the date, time, location + they can track down the computer generated report for the call to police. They will not discuss what is on that report but should be able to get the details of the officer.
In the absence of a formal report - and the matter only being recorded on the computer record - get the officers details and email asking if they can remember it. If you have the police computer incident number they can look at it to refresh their memory and then send you an email which you can forward to your insurance company. If the content of the email is favourable then the insurance can apply to speak to the officer and get a formal statement (for which the insurance have to pay).
Just thought I'd update this thread again with the latest news.
Got in touch with the policeman who seemed "in charge" of the cleanup (he gave me his name and collar number) and asked if it was okay for me to give his details to my insurer.
He said yes, he's very friendly and very helpful and I am very appreciative. A few days later he exchanged information with my insurer that they say helps my case, but they can't reveal what the police said because of data protection or some such. Police agree with this, so I don't actually know what has been recorded.
My insurers presented this new information to the HGV insurance who are now wanting to settle 50/50. My insurance company (thankfully) said no and rang me up for permission to go the legal route.
So that's where I'm at now, beginning the slow process of getting legal with it. May need to attend court. Hopefully the other side breaks before that. Could end up taking months to fully resolve. At least my insurers are confident enough in a win that they're threatening legal action.
Ho hum, mixed feelings really. Still. Car fixed, can't tell anything happened. Still loving it.
Got in touch with the policeman who seemed "in charge" of the cleanup (he gave me his name and collar number) and asked if it was okay for me to give his details to my insurer.
He said yes, he's very friendly and very helpful and I am very appreciative. A few days later he exchanged information with my insurer that they say helps my case, but they can't reveal what the police said because of data protection or some such. Police agree with this, so I don't actually know what has been recorded.
My insurers presented this new information to the HGV insurance who are now wanting to settle 50/50. My insurance company (thankfully) said no and rang me up for permission to go the legal route.
So that's where I'm at now, beginning the slow process of getting legal with it. May need to attend court. Hopefully the other side breaks before that. Could end up taking months to fully resolve. At least my insurers are confident enough in a win that they're threatening legal action.
Ho hum, mixed feelings really. Still. Car fixed, can't tell anything happened. Still loving it.
Had something similar on the A14 a few years ago. Got to 2 weeks before going to court & the HGV company settled in full! I'd so enjoyed instructing my barrister (assigned by my insurance company) to tell the HGV company "see you in court", and was actually looking forward to it!!
Good to here you are at least back on the road and you have my sympathies for issues you are having with the D!ck in the HGV. My Dad had something similar when a scumbag working for Enterprise Car Hire rolled back into him at a set of lights. Even though both cars were undamaged and the scum was very apologetic at the scene, two weeks later my Dad gets a call from his insurer asking why he hadn't reported an accident and that Enterprise and their driver were claiming for a new rear bumper and whiplash! It eventually got sorted in the end and nothing came of it for my Dad but still not nice!
UPDATE
So, this morning, nearly a full year (in two weeks it will be) since the accident and the pieces have finally be cleared up. Got a phone call from the solicitors saying that the lorry's insurance has settled before we got to court and admitted full liability. Why they couldn't have done that months ago and saved themselves hassle and money I don't know.
So it all ended well. Car has been great since the repair, haven't been able to tell anything happened. Admiral have been great too - my renewal came up back in March and then price trebled, but they stated in writing that I'd get the difference back when we won. So I have cheque in the post for my excess (plus interest!) and will soon be on the phone getting my new premium sorted.
Now to enjoy the car for another 8 months and then sell mostly likely. Will have been a good two years.
So, this morning, nearly a full year (in two weeks it will be) since the accident and the pieces have finally be cleared up. Got a phone call from the solicitors saying that the lorry's insurance has settled before we got to court and admitted full liability. Why they couldn't have done that months ago and saved themselves hassle and money I don't know.
So it all ended well. Car has been great since the repair, haven't been able to tell anything happened. Admiral have been great too - my renewal came up back in March and then price trebled, but they stated in writing that I'd get the difference back when we won. So I have cheque in the post for my excess (plus interest!) and will soon be on the phone getting my new premium sorted.
Now to enjoy the car for another 8 months and then sell mostly likely. Will have been a good two years.
Nice one mate, its a shame it took forever, but great to see your insurance refuse to settle 50/50 and ready for court action.
If there was any real justice, the lorries insurance should be fined for duress by using deliberate delaying tactics in an attempt to half the payout. :x
If there was any real justice, the lorries insurance should be fined for duress by using deliberate delaying tactics in an attempt to half the payout. :x
Good news and great to hear. Will it flag up as accident damaged on a vehicle check when you sell it? Just wondered because that will probably drop the value which the insurance claim should have considered..dk345 said:
I think write off on a Zee comes when the roof mechanism is damaged beyond repair, around £21k just to replace!!!!! GULP
Just to add, I drove trucks for two years after leaving the Military, it is an extremely difficult and stressful occupation. I have had people with mopeds, cyclists, cars come down the left hand side unseen and only had their lives saved by the beep of a horn or LOUD shout. Dont judge them too harshly and try to understand that it is often unavoidable to drive in the wrong lane for a turning, just to get around it. On one occasion I had a Tw_t pull in front of me on the M5 Exeter junction exit, he was so close (kids in the back waving at me!!!) that i blew my horn to warn him. He then started playing 'tap the brake lights' with me. I was driving a truck weighing around 44000 kg full of steel beams, kind of sums it up really.