advice - hit by a third party
Discussion
I’m after some advice, my car was hit a few weeks ago whilst parked at my local cinema car park.
I came back to see a note stating the reg of the car which hit me and the damage that it caused, but no contact details of the witness.
I contacted the police as the driver hadn’t left their details and wondered if someone had phoned in to report the damage.
The police went away with this info, saying they’d view the cctv at the car park and then contact the driver.
So I get a call from the fuzz with the drivers details, they had spoken to the owner and she didn’t realise she had hit my car. she gave them their insurance details.
I called them up giving them the opportunity to pay for the damage (a few hundred quid, with proof of work done) outside the insurance.
His words were “my wife says she never hit your car so that means she didn’t”. I asked to speak to his wife he refused saying she was seriously ill (so ill that she is still driving I thought). I asked if he would accept liability and he said no, "she says she never hit your car that's it as far as i'm concerned. I asked for further details, i.e. his address, policy number and he refused. He then said he was terminating the phone call.
So where do I stand. I don’t want to go through my insurance, the damage isn’t worth my excess, then the joys of declaring this on 5 years of car and bike insurance.
So can I contact his insurance direct and see if he accepts liability that way? Essentially acting like I have 3rd party insurance? Or do I just leave it and hope his wife dies. or do I contact mines and get them to pursue it, or is that just likely for me to end up with a screwed ncb and my excess.
I came back to see a note stating the reg of the car which hit me and the damage that it caused, but no contact details of the witness.
I contacted the police as the driver hadn’t left their details and wondered if someone had phoned in to report the damage.
The police went away with this info, saying they’d view the cctv at the car park and then contact the driver.
So I get a call from the fuzz with the drivers details, they had spoken to the owner and she didn’t realise she had hit my car. she gave them their insurance details.
I called them up giving them the opportunity to pay for the damage (a few hundred quid, with proof of work done) outside the insurance.
His words were “my wife says she never hit your car so that means she didn’t”. I asked to speak to his wife he refused saying she was seriously ill (so ill that she is still driving I thought). I asked if he would accept liability and he said no, "she says she never hit your car that's it as far as i'm concerned. I asked for further details, i.e. his address, policy number and he refused. He then said he was terminating the phone call.
So where do I stand. I don’t want to go through my insurance, the damage isn’t worth my excess, then the joys of declaring this on 5 years of car and bike insurance.
So can I contact his insurance direct and see if he accepts liability that way? Essentially acting like I have 3rd party insurance? Or do I just leave it and hope his wife dies. or do I contact mines and get them to pursue it, or is that just likely for me to end up with a screwed ncb and my excess.
Go back to the police and ask if they did review the cctv and saw the incident, if they did tell them the person is now denying they did it
If you get the cctv, contact their insurer and tell them you have cctv of them hitting your car and driving away.
You can get the insurance details from askmid http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
it costs £4
Don't bother contacting your insurer, unless you plan to claim anyway, which it probably won't be worth as you will have an excess to pay and will have an at fault claim on your record
If you get the cctv, contact their insurer and tell them you have cctv of them hitting your car and driving away.
You can get the insurance details from askmid http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
it costs £4
Don't bother contacting your insurer, unless you plan to claim anyway, which it probably won't be worth as you will have an excess to pay and will have an at fault claim on your record
TooMany2cvs said:
Two choices...
1. Put it to his insurer, he'll deny it to them, you've got a third-party witness and a police record of her having given them the details, but denying all knowledge.
2. Swallow it.
the third party witness never left their details, im guessing im screwed because of such. 1. Put it to his insurer, he'll deny it to them, you've got a third-party witness and a police record of her having given them the details, but denying all knowledge.
2. Swallow it.
Retroman said:
It's reasons like this i really do wish the police would prosecute for failing to stop after an accident. Too many dishonest people thinking if they ignore it, it'll go away. Sadly sometimes that works.
their words were, she said she didn't know she hit my car that's why she never stopped, so as far as their concerned no crime was committed. moanthebairns said:
the third party witness never left their details, im guessing im screwed because of such.
So all you've got is an anonymous note with a registration on it. The Police phoned the keeper of that plate, who said "Yes, I was there, but I didn't hit it, though - but since you're Mr Plod, here's my details"...TooMany2cvs said:
moanthebairns said:
the third party witness never left their details, im guessing im screwed because of such.
So all you've got is an anonymous note with a registration on it. The Police phoned the keeper of that plate, who said "Yes, I was there, but I didn't hit it, though - but since you're Mr Plod, here's my details"...I was relying on common decency.
Was there not a recent high profile case where a Labour MP hit another car maneuvering out of a car park/narrow side street, did not realise he made contact with another car etc, but the police still went after him?
I assume that in that case the driver did admit some liability after the event, hence the prosecution?
I assume that in that case the driver did admit some liability after the event, hence the prosecution?
moanthebairns said:
Retroman said:
It's reasons like this i really do wish the police would prosecute for failing to stop after an accident. Too many dishonest people thinking if they ignore it, it'll go away. Sadly sometimes that works.
their words were, she said she didn't know she hit my car that's why she never stopped, so as far as their concerned no crime was committed. 
) are concerned, it isn't worth the resources to prosecute her when she has a reasonable defence (assuming the CCTV footage never turns up - my spidey sense says it doesn't exist 
) so they NFA it.To say "as far as they are concerned no crime was committed" is (being charitable to them) a mistaken view to take but very understandable from your position (I've been there myself, it's crap)
. Perhaps the police would like to take this further, and are frustrated that they cannot?
aw51 121565 said:
moanthebairns said:
Retroman said:
It's reasons like this i really do wish the police would prosecute for failing to stop after an accident. Too many dishonest people thinking if they ignore it, it'll go away. Sadly sometimes that works.
their words were, she said she didn't know she hit my car that's why she never stopped, so as far as their concerned no crime was committed. ) are concerned, it isn't worth the resources to prosecute her when she has a reasonable defence (assuming the CCTV footage never turns up - my spidey sense says it doesn't exist ) so they NFA it.To say "as far as they are concerned no crime was committed" is (being charitable to them) a mistaken view to take but very understandable from your position (I've been there myself, it's crap)
. Perhaps the police would like to take this further, and are frustrated that they cannot?
would it be worth getting someone else to call up the woman, asking for a their stance on it if they accept liability or not, stating the reason was to inform the police for release of cctv. or am I just wasting my time.
Its not like its some shag heap, it was a disco, you'd expect the owners to go, "oh terribly sorry, i don't recall it but if some stranger said i did then i must have done".
TheProfessor said:
Was there not a recent high profile case where a Labour MP hit another car maneuvering out of a car park/narrow side street, did not realise he made contact with another car etc, but the police still went after him?
I assume that in that case the driver did admit some liability after the event, hence the prosecution?
CCTV evidence.I assume that in that case the driver did admit some liability after the event, hence the prosecution?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27042251
...and he pleaded guilty.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bradford-west...
moanthebairns said:
TooMany2cvs said:
moanthebairns said:
I was relying on common decency.
<wipes tear of laughter away>
TwigtheWonderkid said:
moanthebairns said:
TooMany2cvs said:
moanthebairns said:
I was relying on common decency.
<wipes tear of laughter away>And the thing is I parked directly behind this disco and thought "hmmm that back window is clarity, are they going to see my car reversing" normally I would have drove off but I thought nah it will be ok, im a rather nervous parker, like many on here. so I know that car was parked in front and not just someone driving past.
ging84 said:
Go back to the police and ask if they did review the cctv and saw the incident, if they did tell them the person is now denying they did it
If you get the cctv, contact their insurer and tell them you have cctv of them hitting your car and driving away.
You can get the insurance details from askmid http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
it costs £4
Don't bother contacting your insurer, unless you plan to claim anyway, which it probably won't be worth as you will have an excess to pay and will have an at fault claim on your record
I've picked this quote out, as it starts off well, but does get a bit confused later on. If you get the cctv, contact their insurer and tell them you have cctv of them hitting your car and driving away.
You can get the insurance details from askmid http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx
it costs £4
Don't bother contacting your insurer, unless you plan to claim anyway, which it probably won't be worth as you will have an excess to pay and will have an at fault claim on your record
You can try to contact their insurer, but there's every chance they'll tell you to go away. If the shoe was on the other foot, you'd expect that to happen, so we should avoid the usual PH hypocrisy
The MIB will NOT give you that info and nor should they. Their website may well say it will, but they won't. I'd be livid if they did, as I could just request details of that nice bike that I saw, or that fancy car and go amd help myself to it. Or better still, that tosser who annoyed me the other day, I can go round to his house now and cave his head in
You will need to go through your insurer. They will do the legwork, even if it's below your excess and they will do things like ask for an independent inspection of the Disco and other tricks that will mean if the other driver did it, that they will fold in time.
you'll never get your hands on the CCTV footage even if it exists. The owner will simply say "DPA" and that's it. Your insurer may struggle to get it too.
You might not be happy declaring this on your record, but it is another claim. Whilst you won't like this, you do seem to attract incidents. I know they're not your fault ultimately, but you have an unhappy knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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