Hello all.
Last Thursday I was out in my works van doing my deliveries in the snow and ice when I was involved in a minor accident.
I was approaching a sharp right hand bend on a narrow lane. As I got to the point where I could begin to see around the corner I noticed a car coming towards me at a speed which I thought was a bit excessive for the conditions.
I pulled my van over as far to the left as I could, I had the nearside front wheel up on the verge, and I stopped. Alas, it was not enough. The car coming the other way was going too fast to turn and just slid straight across the apex of the bend into the front offside corner of my van and damaged my bumper.
The other driver and myself were both unhurt as the impact was at low speed.
The other driver apologised and admitted that the accident was his fault and signed a report to that effect.
My problem is that I am almost certain that the insurance companies will end up settling as a 50-50 blame, therefore my insurance on both my Lexus and my 4x4 will go up.
The fact is I did everything in my power to avoid the accident, i.e. driving so slowly that I could stop within the distance I could see to be clear and moving my van as far off the road as was safe to do so. I think it is so unfair that I should end up out of pocket over this.
Rant over, thanks for listening.

Redsteve.

[quote name='Redsteve' post='704821' date='Jan 11 2010, 08:12 PM']Hello all.
Last Thursday I was out in my works van doing my deliveries in the snow and ice when I was involved in a minor accident.
I was approaching a sharp right hand bend on a narrow lane. As I got to the point where I could begin to see around the corner I noticed a car coming towards me at a speed which I thought was a bit excessive for the conditions.
I pulled my van over as far to the left as I could, I had the nearside front wheel up on the verge, and I stopped. Alas, it was not enough. The car coming the other way was going too fast to turn and just slid straight across the apex of the bend into the front offside corner of my van and damaged my bumper.
The other driver and myself were both unhurt as the impact was at low speed.
The other driver apologised and admitted that the accident was his fault and signed a report to that effect.
My problem is that I am almost certain that the insurance companies will end up settling as a 50-50 blame, therefore my insurance on both my Lexus and my 4x4 will go up.
The fact is I did everything in my power to avoid the accident, i.e. driving so slowly that I could stop within the distance I could see to be clear and moving my van as far off the road as was safe to do so. I think it is so unfair that I should end up out of pocket over this.
Rant over, thanks for listening.

Redsteve.[/quote]
insurance equals legalised robbery !

[quote name='eddieblock' post='704823' date='Jan 11 2010, 08:44 PM']insurance equals legalised robbery ![/quote]

exactly, if its a legal need the goverment should at least regulate it!

Since he signed something to say it was his fault, and you were stationary at the time, I dont' see how it could be a 50/50 unless he changes his story. Which will be difficult with a piece of paper with his signature on it...

[quote name='Mike_B' post='704861' date='Jan 12 2010, 09:07 AM']Since he signed something to say it was his fault, and you were stationary at the time, I dont' see how it could be a 50/50 unless he changes his story. Which will be difficult with a piece of paper with his signature on it...[/quote]

I will second that should be no problem ( contact his insurance company to make sure he has admitted liability)

Sorry to hear about your mishap Steve.

As I understand the insurance rules, you must tell your insurers but in view of the fact that the other driver has made a written statement admitting liability I would be inclined to tell them that you are not making an official claim at this stage. You should then obtain a quote and send it direct to the other person, advising him that you require payment. It is then up to him whether he pays direct or gets his insurers to pay you.

Good luck with getting your van fixed

Rod

Good news chaps,
the other guy's insurance company has been in touch today and they told me that their client had admitted liability for the accident and I am 100% in the clear.
Wahooo!
They have agreed to pay for the damage to my van (approx £300).


Redsteve.

[quote name='Redsteve' post='704957' date='Jan 12 2010, 08:57 PM']Good news chaps,
the other guy's insurance company has been in touch today and they told me that their client had admitted liability for the accident and I am 100% in the clear.
Wahooo!
They have agreed to pay for the damage to my van (approx £300).


Redsteve.[/quote]


Glad you got a sensible result....happy new year fella.

OK RSteve, a couple of weeks have passed and I very much hope that everything still going smoothly.

My hope is sincere but having had the same sympathic and reassuring phone call as you appear to have had from the other guy's insurers - supposedly based in East Anglia - I know that they are a lying load of scumbags.

But I didn't give in and ended up getting through the call centre in India to higher levels and eventually talked to someone in their Chief Executive's office who was a proper decision maker and gentleman. I couldn't help laughing when I was told that the Chief Exec'a Office was in Exeter. But that guy quadrupled their first offer for my written off Scorpio and gave me an extra £1000 for what he agreed was their poor conduct of the matter.

Rod

[quote name='Rodney' post='706376' date='Jan 24 2010, 11:32 PM']OK RSteve, a couple of weeks have passed and I very much hope that everything still going smoothly.

My hope is sincere but having had the same sympathic and reassuring phone call as you appear to have had from the other guy's insurers - supposedly based in East Anglia - I know that they are a lying load of scumbags.

But I didn't give in and ended up getting through the call centre in India to higher levels and eventually talked to someone in their Chief Executive's office who was a proper decision maker and gentleman. I couldn't help laughing when I was told that the Chief Exec'a Office was in Exeter. But that guy quadrupled their first offer for my written off Scorpio and gave me an extra £1000 for what he agreed was their poor conduct of the matter.

Rod[/quote]


Hi Rod,
all is going well.
The assesor from the other guy's insurance company has been and looked at my van and has authourised the repairs to be done.
The van is going into a local repair shop next week, so hopefully it will be back to new condition very soon, it has only been on the road for four months!
It does seem to be a recurring problem with insurance companies trying to under pay for claims.

Redsteve.

[url="http://www.nearlygood.com"][img]http://www.nearlygood.com/smilies/luxhello.gif[/img][/url]
[url="http://www.nearlygood.com"][img]http://www.nearlygood.com/smilies/luxhello.gif[/img][/url][url="http://www.nearlygood.com"][img]http://www.nearlygood.com/smilies/luxhello.gif[/img][/url]

A sound result then Steve.

I have concluded that there is much to be desired in the general conduct of most insurance companies.

Rod

Well,
after 3 days I have finally got my van back.
It was slightly more damaged than first thought, the cross member behind the bumper was bent and had to be replaced as well as the bumper.
All this means that I get to drive my lovely Sprinter tomorrow instead of the awful Transit I have been stuck with for the last few days.
However, next Monday my Sprinter is going back to Mercedes to have a crack in the paint sorted out under warranty so I will be back in the Transit for another 3 days.
Why can't Lexus make vans?

Redsteve.

Thanks for the update Steve and sorry about you having to drive a Transit

My little Christmas present from an unknown driver of a hole the size of a ten pence piece in my rear bumper is going to cost me £230

Ah well I would only have spent it on one of my lady friends.



Rod