Accident who's fault.
Author
Discussion

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Reversing out of my drive today onto a busy cul de sac reversing past a parked car, I was doing this slowly as its not always easy to see. I stopped as I could see a car creeping past me and the car has caught the drivers side rear into my passenger side rear of my bumper. The other car claims they did not see me.

Is this me at fault for this accident? How will the insurance company look at this? I have a large excess to pay but if I am 100% at fault I am happy to pay this but at this point I am unsure.

ADEuk

1,911 posts

266 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
From your description the rear of your car hit the drivers side rear of the other car? If so how could he not have seen you? I would say your fault if you've hit his rear - he was almost passed

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Sounds like the opposite to me. If you were stopped before the accident then there's no argument - no stationary vehicle can be at fault, no matter how badly positioned. However, I'd be amazed if this wasn't 50/50 since the other driver will say you were still moving.

agtlaw

7,414 posts

236 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
The BMW driver is at fault.

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Lol. BMW has gone. Not updated profile.

If it does go 50\50 will I still have to pay my excess if I don't claim for repairs on my car as £150 will fix mine.?

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Lol. BMW has gone. Not updated profile.

If it does go 50\50 will I still have to pay my excess if I don't claim for repairs on my car as £150 will fix mine.?

kowalski655

15,231 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
No,excess doesnt apply to claims from 3rd parties

Likely liability will be as what Davepoth said

Nickyboy

6,825 posts

264 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
I'm afraid you will almost certainly be found at fault if you were reversing out of a driveway onto a road, especially if the other driver decides you were moving at the time. If you're lucky it will go 50/50 but unlikely.

Why on earth would you not reverse in if it that bad to reverse out?

silverfoxcc

8,472 posts

175 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Why were you reversing out?, and onto a BUSY?????? cul de sac how does that work?

Winky151

1,280 posts

171 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
If £150 fixes your bumper the same can probably be said of his. Try just paying for the repairs & not involve the insurers.

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
The whole street drives in and reverse out. But yeah it's not ideal. It's not a main road but does have a car every few minutes

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
I had thought about that but the other party's car is a mobility car and has to go through insurance.

Roo

11,504 posts

237 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
silverfoxcc said:
Why were you reversing out?,
I always reverse out of my drive. How else am I supposed to get onto the road otherwise?

vonhosen

40,597 posts

247 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
I think his point is that reversing onto the drive would probably place you in a better position than reversing off of it.

4x4Tyke

6,506 posts

162 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Lancerevo said:
Reversing out of my drive
This makes it your fault.

Cyberprog

2,326 posts

213 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
IIRC the highway code states you should not reverse from a minor road to a major one. So your drive is a minor road, compared to the street, which is the major road. So the OP is at fault for reversing off.

marshalla

15,902 posts

231 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Cyberprog said:
IIRC the highway code states you should not reverse from a minor road to a major one. So your drive is a minor road, compared to the street, which is the major road. So the OP is at fault for reversing off.
Rule 201 : https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using...

Lancerevo

Original Poster:

176 posts

173 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
Rule 201 reverse in and drive out when you can! You usually can't as there is often someone behind you about 2 inches from your bumper. But yes the preferred way is to reverse in and drive out

velocefica

4,727 posts

138 months

Monday 28th March 2016
quotequote all
This has 50/50 all over it.

Regardless of how slow you were going or how careless the other party might be. Insurers will never be able to tell exactly and therefore it's easy for them to go 50/50. Unless you phone them everyday and say your not accepting it and threaten ever legal eagle in the land on them you'll have no choice but to accept it.

Mr Taxpayer

438 posts

150 months

Tuesday 29th March 2016
quotequote all
Three points here:
1. A stationary vehicle is a hazard but cannot be at fault as the manoeuvring vehicle has a duty to drive so as to avoid hazards.
2. Even if you settle without claiming, you have a contractual obligation to report the collision to your insurer, as per the question asked at every renewal time, "Any accidents, claims or convictions in the last five years?"
3. Rule 201 is guidance NOT law.

I'm an ex-accident investigator, we make recommendations to the claims handlers; how they deal with the claim is up to them. IMHO, this is NOT your fault providing you can prove you were stationary at time. However as has been said, the insurer may settle as a 50/50 because:
a. It's a low value claim and not worth their time defending it.
b. Both drivers loose their NCB which means both will face higher premiums next year, ergo the insurer earns more.