Hit by a foreign lorry but no witnesses
Discussion
Hi guys,
On Thursday night I was pushed into the pavement by a foreign lorry which has resulted in me needing two new wheels and a tyre. No injuries but the driver of the lorry didn’t speak a word of English and kept shrugging his shoulders and trying to drive off so the police had to be called so I could get his insurance details etc. There was a witness in a van but I forgot to take his details while I was trying to break the language barrier. I’m trying to track him down.
I feel like I already know the answer is but what are the chances of me getting anything more than a 50/50? It’s my word against his and there’s no dash cam or witnesses.
On Thursday night I was pushed into the pavement by a foreign lorry which has resulted in me needing two new wheels and a tyre. No injuries but the driver of the lorry didn’t speak a word of English and kept shrugging his shoulders and trying to drive off so the police had to be called so I could get his insurance details etc. There was a witness in a van but I forgot to take his details while I was trying to break the language barrier. I’m trying to track him down.
I feel like I already know the answer is but what are the chances of me getting anything more than a 50/50? It’s my word against his and there’s no dash cam or witnesses.
When you say pushed ... was it contact so there are paint marks etc. on the side of your car or did you run of the road to avoid the accident ?
The former then might not be an issue.
That said my only experience of a claim on a European insurance was resolved very quickly and with no arguments ( i think the Blue accident detail forms help here - its annoying that they arent standard here )
The former then might not be an issue.
That said my only experience of a claim on a European insurance was resolved very quickly and with no arguments ( i think the Blue accident detail forms help here - its annoying that they arent standard here )
DomesticM said:
Hi guys,
On Thursday night I was pushed into the pavement by a foreign lorry which has resulted in me needing two new wheels and a tyre.
If this is the only damage then presumably you incurred the damage avoiding the accident and there was subsequently no collision. I feel your pain as I was in this situation with an old duffer in a Skoda and after I stopped him he just pulled the confused old man act. I had time to reflect and realise that if I pursued the matter it would end up costing me more in the long run in time and money so left it.On Thursday night I was pushed into the pavement by a foreign lorry which has resulted in me needing two new wheels and a tyre.
I would suggest you buy the wheels yourself (assuming yours are beyond repair, otherwise get them repaired) and email the transport company a polite but firm intention to be reimbursed by them or their insurers. Include your dashcam footage if you have one.
It's galling and it's unfair, but if they don't want to play ball then you have to suck it up.
Got hit by a wagon a few years ago, Polish drive, Polish wagon but German insurer.
Called plod out because driver although he stopped was failing to give info. Copper struggled to get his details but managed in the end.
I sent all the paperwork to my Legal cover on my car insurers. I paid to have the car fixed £550. 9 months later got a cheque for the full amount from the German insurers. Absolute gob smacked as I didn't expect anything.
Called plod out because driver although he stopped was failing to give info. Copper struggled to get his details but managed in the end.
I sent all the paperwork to my Legal cover on my car insurers. I paid to have the car fixed £550. 9 months later got a cheque for the full amount from the German insurers. Absolute gob smacked as I didn't expect anything.
Off topic but on the language 'barrier' I used to deal with / unload pallets from a Belgium supplier years ago when I had my own business. One man band with me running it, financial partner, but me selling/offloading/ loading/ etc.
I was once waiting for an artic to arrive and kept getting fobbed off by the haulier, " He's 10 mins away etc All 'Kin Day!! To say I was annoyed doesn't really cover it!!
Finally arrived around 5.30pm and parked up on the road at the end of the estate, 500 f
king yards away!! Refused to drive his artic up the slope at the entrance with the shrug and dumb look, signing that his vehicle wouldn't get up the slope as it was too low and the 'feet' would scrape on the floor.
Pretending not to understand or speak any English! After 5 mins of frustration, I pretended to ring the main office in Belgium, 'leaving a message' that "This tw*t of a driver of load number xxxxxx was being turned away because...…" At that point the driver got into his cab, pressed the hydraulics or pneumatics and the trailer lifted enough to drive up the slope!! Wow, never seen that one before!!
I then 'signed' that he could sign in at the security cabin next to the entrance and they could tell him where he could park overnight, and signed 'sleeping' and pointed to his cab, explaining in very loud, very un pc English, that if he'd been ok to start with, he would have got unloaded, but as he'd been a, he could wait until the next morning or fk off back to Belgium!! The look on his face clearly showed he understood more than enough English to get by!! He did look quite impressed at the level and ingenuity of the insults flying, but they may be universal, who knows? 
Must admit, the look on his face as I drove the forklift into the warehouse, slowly close the door, waving and smiling sweetly to him all the while, had me chuckling all the way home!
Put a smile on my face when I got back the next morning to find him waiting, curtains open, pump truck ready on the back of the trailer, smilingly greeting me and speaking enough 'English' he must have read the OED overnight!!
Offloaded around 20 pallets in about an hour, all stacked in the warehouse, all docs. done, vehicle ready to go and he turns to me, holds out his hand and says, in perfectly understandable 'English',
" Sorry, please no tell my boss?!"
:
Got him a coffee from the machine and we sat outside having a cig. for 5mins!!
: He delivered a few times afterwards with no problems. Think he used to enjoy the 'factory' language and learning new insults for back home!!
Sorry for the long ramble, not sleeping much and bored!! Thanks for reading, I'm here all week, don't forget to tip your waitress, and don't try the veal!!
Stay Safe!!
I was once waiting for an artic to arrive and kept getting fobbed off by the haulier, " He's 10 mins away etc All 'Kin Day!! To say I was annoyed doesn't really cover it!!
Finally arrived around 5.30pm and parked up on the road at the end of the estate, 500 f
king yards away!! Refused to drive his artic up the slope at the entrance with the shrug and dumb look, signing that his vehicle wouldn't get up the slope as it was too low and the 'feet' would scrape on the floor.Pretending not to understand or speak any English! After 5 mins of frustration, I pretended to ring the main office in Belgium, 'leaving a message' that "This tw*t of a driver of load number xxxxxx was being turned away because...…" At that point the driver got into his cab, pressed the hydraulics or pneumatics and the trailer lifted enough to drive up the slope!! Wow, never seen that one before!!
I then 'signed' that he could sign in at the security cabin next to the entrance and they could tell him where he could park overnight, and signed 'sleeping' and pointed to his cab, explaining in very loud, very un pc English, that if he'd been ok to start with, he would have got unloaded, but as he'd been a
, he could wait until the next morning or fk off back to Belgium!! The look on his face clearly showed he understood more than enough English to get by!! He did look quite impressed at the level and ingenuity of the insults flying, but they may be universal, who knows? Must admit, the look on his face as I drove the forklift into the warehouse, slowly close the door, waving and smiling sweetly to him all the while, had me chuckling all the way home!
Put a smile on my face when I got back the next morning to find him waiting, curtains open, pump truck ready on the back of the trailer, smilingly greeting me and speaking enough 'English' he must have read the OED overnight!!
Offloaded around 20 pallets in about an hour, all stacked in the warehouse, all docs. done, vehicle ready to go and he turns to me, holds out his hand and says, in perfectly understandable 'English',
" Sorry, please no tell my boss?!"
:Got him a coffee from the machine and we sat outside having a cig. for 5mins!!
: He delivered a few times afterwards with no problems. Think he used to enjoy the 'factory' language and learning new insults for back home!! Sorry for the long ramble, not sleeping much and bored!! Thanks for reading, I'm here all week, don't forget to tip your waitress, and don't try the veal!!
Stay Safe!!
I work in a department in a major insurance company where we recover costs from third parties - be it individuals, other companies or other third party insurers. There is a lot of nonsense posted on here about what an insurer will or won't do, but it is in our best interests to recover as much outlay as possible in every split-liability or non-fault claim.
We always attempt to recover our costs (and in doing so resolve liability) for our customers in a split liability or non-fault claim, as should any insurer. It all depends on the quality of the info we are provided with.
If we are given the foreign lorry cab's VRN only, then we can request info of the third party insurer from the Motor Insurer's Bureau. It helps if we know the country in which the vehicle is registered. Ideally, if the TPV driver produces the green sheet (or green card) and our customer can take a photo of this at the scene, then this makes it easy to find the UK-based handler for the foreign vehicle's insurer.
Foreign TPV claims take longer to resolve, and I always advise my clients that the claim could remain open on their policy for around 12 months.
Having said that, in maybe 15-20% of claims I've handled I've managed to get an admission of liability from the TP UK handler prior to repairs being completed or their total loss claim being paid out, and therefore managed to waive their excess for them.
We always attempt to recover our costs (and in doing so resolve liability) for our customers in a split liability or non-fault claim, as should any insurer. It all depends on the quality of the info we are provided with.
If we are given the foreign lorry cab's VRN only, then we can request info of the third party insurer from the Motor Insurer's Bureau. It helps if we know the country in which the vehicle is registered. Ideally, if the TPV driver produces the green sheet (or green card) and our customer can take a photo of this at the scene, then this makes it easy to find the UK-based handler for the foreign vehicle's insurer.
Foreign TPV claims take longer to resolve, and I always advise my clients that the claim could remain open on their policy for around 12 months.
Having said that, in maybe 15-20% of claims I've handled I've managed to get an admission of liability from the TP UK handler prior to repairs being completed or their total loss claim being paid out, and therefore managed to waive their excess for them.
Only required for fully comp abroad if a private vehicle. All UK policies cover you for the minimum requirement (i.e. Third party) in all EU countries, often EEA ones like Norway, Iceland etc too.This is reciprocal with other European insurers.
I'd expect a commercial vehicle would have to be fully comp in all countries it travels in.
I'd expect a commercial vehicle would have to be fully comp in all countries it travels in.
Nickyboy said:
Centurion07 said:
What's this "green card"? Do they all carry them by law?
The insurance green card that everyone should have from their insurer when driving abroad? I didnt think Green cards were required until we leave the EU ..
The AA agree with me
https://www.theaa.com/car-insurance/advice/driving...
Though my insurer did send me one for my trip in April which is now not happening ..
More useful ( and something we should have over here ) is the European Accident Report form .. example here https://www.abw.nl/media/SAF-Engels.pdf
The AA agree with me
https://www.theaa.com/car-insurance/advice/driving...
Though my insurer did send me one for my trip in April which is now not happening ..
More useful ( and something we should have over here ) is the European Accident Report form .. example here https://www.abw.nl/media/SAF-Engels.pdf
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