Very Minor accident, LoonR1/ other insurance people around ?

[limpsfield]

Pothole said:

So how about actually posing the question? The post just comes across as a direct criticism of the OP's description of events on the occasion described. There's too much of this rubbish on here.

There's a bit too much of this rubbish too - reading own interpretation into posts. It seemed reasonable enough to me.

[drdel]

If you claim and the insurers want to write it off you might have a case for claiming the 'uninsured loss' direct from the other driver. You would need to be sure they are real costs and only that they reimbursed you but not enhanced your position. A small claims court matter, you might want to have a legal beagle give you an opinion.

[Pothole]

limpsfield said:

Pothole said:

So how about actually posing the question? The post just comes across as a direct criticism of the OP's description of events on the occasion described. There's too much of this rubbish on here.

There's a bit too much of this rubbish too - reading own interpretation into posts. It seemed reasonable enough to me.

That smacks a bit of reading your own interpretation into it, doesn't it? Pfffft.

[Pagey]

All that jazz said:

Wacky Racer said:

Loon's not around anymore....(fortunately)

EFA.

I'll bet you were head and shoulders above everyone else on Pancake Day

[singlecoil]

Wacky Racer said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

Pints said:

Link to reason, please.

To many people got pissed off with his abruptness....

Yes, he was abrupt, (Plus a United fan ), but usually gave decent advice, which some people didn't want to hear.

I don't think it was the decent advice that they didn't want to hear, it was the thinly veiled (and sometimes not even that) frequent implications that the OP was lying that people didn't want to hear.

[Nigel Worc's]

Roo said:

Pothole said:

PurpleMoonlight said:

Pothole said:

So he was hit harder than he thought...what has your post contributed, exactly?

Perhaps questioning whether or not the damage being claimed for actually occurred as a result of this incident?

So how about actually posing the question? The post just comes across as a direct criticism of the OP's description of events on the occasion described. There's too much of this rubbish on here.

Bit tetchy. I wasn't questioning anything of the sort.

If a small, fairly inconsequential, bump can do that much damage maybe the OPs vehicle is suffering from corrosion.

Hence where I said his vehicle may be a bit soft underneath.

Many thanks for the replies people, shame Loon has gone, abrupt he could be, honest advice he did give !

To answer the above question. To the best of my knowledge, and my mechanics knowledge, the damage wasn't there previously, and I do use the tow bar, it was fitted when I bought the van, and had been checked by my mechanic, its condition should also be checked on mot.

My description of the "accident" is accurate, but please bear in mind, my van, laden as it is weighs almost two tons, we'll say the car weighs 1.5 tons. The car has attempted to push the rear of my van at say a 45 degree angle, in a direction the tow bar isn't designed for.

I'm an electronic engineer, not a mechanical one, but it seems likely to me that "abusing" a tow bar in that way could cause one of the supports to bend slightly, especially when the "impact area" is the support, not the actual tow ball where the forces are meant to be applied.

The van isn't "soft" or rusty.

In my description I was trying to get across the point that he has sort of rolled into me then kept going under power, rather than smashing or bashing into me.

Why or how I've no idea, he seems a bit of an arse to be honest, he's a regional legal officer for a large trade union "don't ya know" !

Edited by Nigel Worc's on Saturday 13th February 21:30

[Mr Tidy]

Shame to hear about LoonR1 - I thought he told it like it is! (Maybe not everyone liked that)

Anyway OP, I would be inclined to cancel any claim against your own insurer and make a claim against the insurer of whoever hit you as they are probably more inclined to be flexible about a "total-loss" settlement but letting you keep the vehicle.

As you were stationary at the point of impact they can hardly argue about liability, plus if you went to one of those "No win, no fee" firms the insurers of the other vehicle would potentially be facing hire charges too which does make them pay attention (whereas your insurer probably doesn't give that cover so is probably less focussed on the time aspect).

Good luck anyway!

[TooMany2cvs]

Nigel Worc's said:

...and I do use the tow bar, it was fitted when I bought the van, and had been checked by my mechanic, its condition should also be checked on mot.

It isn't, not in any meaningful way.

It's checked visually to make sure it isn't actively hanging off. If there's 13-pin electrics, a lightboard gets plugged in. That is it.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
p150, section 6.6

Method of Inspection:
1. Visually assess the towbar for wear and pull on the towbar and/or its mountings to check for security, corrosion, fractures or damage.

Reasons for Rejection:
1. A towbar component insecure, fractured or excessively:
• worn
• corroded, or
• damage

So let's see a pic of this bend... Does it actually make the slightest bit of difference, anyway? How "slightly bent" is it? Will it actually affect the strength?

Claim for that, and it'll just get written off straight away. Cat C. IF his insurer accept liability - if not, it's off your insurance, with NCB hit and an at-fault to claim.

[Nigel Worc's]

TooMany2cvs said:

Does it actually make the slightest bit of difference, anyway? How "slightly bent" is it? Will it actually affect the strength?

I don't know you fking moron, that's why I took it to a mechanic to have it inspected, he says it is damaged, my insurance companies engineer is going to have a look.

Is there any chance you could bog off and annoy someone else ?

I'm not sure I've ever seen you reply to a post yet where you reply has actually contributed to the original post.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Nigel Worc's said:

Many thanks for the replies people, shame Loon has gone, abrupt he could be, honest advice he did give !

People don't want honest advice, they want their own preconceived, prejudiced, and in the main, ridiculously misinformed views on insurance validated.

[TooMany2cvs]

Nigel Worc's said:

I don't know you fking moron, that's why I took it to a mechanic to have it inspected, he says it is damaged, my insurance companies engineer is going to have a look.

Is there any chance you could bog off and annoy someone else ?

I'm not sure I've ever seen you reply to a post yet where you reply has actually contributed to the original post.

Do you not think it vaguely relevant whether it's just a minor cosmetic tickle that makes no difference, replace the bar (£125 from Towsure), or badly bent mounting points and don't use?

If mounting points are bent to the point that the towbar's not usable, then the van's a write-off anyway. It'd probably be a write-off if it was five times the value. Remember, all post-97 stuff has to use the manufacturer's pickup points, which will go onto proper hard structure, so it's more than just whether the bar itself's unhappy.

[Nigel Worc's]

Just to update this.

It did go the insurance route, third party insurers accepted liability, van wasn't written off as its retail value was £1,750, repairs were a shade under £600.

I would have been very happy if the other chap had just replaced the towbar, the towbar itself was under £100 from fleabay but there you go, you can't help some people.

[sebhaque]

Nigel Worc's said:

Just to update this.

It did go the insurance route, third party insurers accepted liability, van wasn't written off as its retail value was £1,750, repairs were a shade under £600.

I would have been very happy if the other chap had just replaced the towbar, the towbar itself was under £100 from fleabay but there you go, you can't help some people.

Good outcome and thanks for the update. Always nice to hear how things turn out (for better or for worse!)