Accident with a german registered car

[anxious_ant]

Had an accident exiting a roundabout where I was hit in the rear passenger side by a car cutting across lanes. He was in the wrong lane trying to cut across the roundabout. He also had left indicators on whilst going into the right hand lane, instead of taking the exit as he should.

The car has German plates and is left hand drive. The driver spoke no English so it was very hard to communicate.
The police helped to get some details, and his daugther (I believe) came later who spoke some English.
She did mention her dad said I was cutting into his lane but I have webcam footage to dispute this.
The details I've got is his name, car reg and his insurance provider (Provinzial). There's also a german phone number. His daughter mentioned the car wasn't his and is registered under another person's name.

Just filed an online report with my insurance (Admiral) and waiting to hear back from them.
Feeling concerned now as the damage to my car looks expensive (door and quarter rear panels badly bent, deep scuff on the wheels, vibration/noise when braking and also some juddering)

I am not sure if the details provided are enough, or if there would be any issues with the claim. He did show a green card, which is all in German and from Googling that might've been the green card for foreigh drivers. I wish that I have taken photo of the card now...

Has anyone been in similar accident and can advise what the likely outcome is?

[joropug]

Insurance companies have an EU accident manager or insurance partner they will work with to eliminate language barrier etc. They’ll process uk claims on their behalf too.

So long as you have the reg and some personal details you’re unlikely to have an issue, might take a bit longer though.

[anxious_ant]

joropug said:

Insurance companies have an EU accident manager or insurance partner they will work with to eliminate language barrier etc. They’ll process uk claims on their behalf too.

So long as you have the reg and some personal details you’re unlikely to have an issue, might take a bit longer though.

Thanks for the reply. Never had an accident in many years, and first accident with an EU registered car so pretty worried.More so as the other party is claiming that I am at fault.

[Mandat]

anxious_ant said:

Had an accident exiting a roundabout where I was hit in the rear passenger side by a car cutting across lanes. He was in the wrong lane trying to cut across the roundabout. He also had left indicators on whilst going into the right hand lane, instead of taking the exit as he should.

The car has German plates and is left hand drive. The driver spoke no English so it was very hard to communicate.
The police helped to get some details, and his daugther (I believe) came later who spoke some English.
She did mention her dad said I was cutting into his lane but I have webcam footage to dispute this.
The details I've got is his name, car reg and his insurance provider (Provinzial). There's also a german phone number. His daughter mentioned the car wasn't his and is registered under another person's name.

Just filed an online report with my insurance (Admiral) and waiting to hear back from them.
Feeling concerned now as the damage to my car looks expensive (door and quarter rear panels badly bent, deep scuff on the wheels, vibration/noise when braking and also some juddering)

I am not sure if the details provided are enough, or if there would be any issues with the claim. He did show a green card, which is all in German and from Googling that might've been the green card for foreigh drivers. I wish that I have taken photo of the card now...

Has anyone been in similar accident and can advise what the likely outcome is?

I can't help on the foreign insurance question, but going by previous threads on roundabout collisions, and you own admission that you were exiting the roundabout, be prepared for people to suggest that you were in fact crossing lanes to exit.

The usual consensus in such roundabout collisions seems to be a 50/50 apportionment of blame.

If you are able to post up the video and/or a street view image, you'll get a much better response and range of opinions.

Edited by Mandat on Wednesday 20th April 23:53

[anxious_ant]

Mandat said:

I can't help on the foreign insurance question, but going by previous threads on roundabout collisions, and you own admission that you were exiting the roundabout, be prepared for people to suggest that you were in fact crossing lanes to exit.

The usual consensus in such roundabout collisions seems to be a 50/50 apportionment of blame.

If you are able to post up the video and/or a street view image, you'll get a much better response and range of opinions.

Edited by Mandat on Wednesday 20th April 23:53

It's a 2 lane roundabout with 4 exits. He was in the left lane on the roundabout and near the 3rd exit he cut across my lane, with left indicators on. I was expecting him to take the same (3rd exit) as me but at the very last minute he cut across my lane.

Video : https://youtu.be/Abv7N26oyck

[oakdale]

anxious_ant said:

It's a 2 lane roundabout with 4 exits. He was in the left lane on the roundabout and near the 3rd exit he cut across my lane, with left indicators on. I was expecting him to take the same (3rd exit) as me but at the very last minute he cut across my lane.

Video : https://youtu.be/Abv7N26oyck

A totally avoidable accident with you being the main cause of it in my view.

[NGee]

I would remove the video from YouTube ASAP and hope no one from your insurance company has already seen it.

He didn't cut across 'your' lane, he was just going round the roundabout when you went barrelling through, too impatient to assess where the car 'you' were overtaking was going to go.

[FazerBoy]

I have to agree with the two posters above.

You’ll be lucky to be offered a 50:50 settlement if your insurer sees that video.

[Al U]

I had a similar accident years ago. In my case we were actually side by side in the two lanes (they were in the left lane) approaching the exit of the roundabout and as I took the exit they tried to carry on going round and ploughed into the side of me. I had no dash cam or witnesses but I was still deemed not at fault.

I do agree with the poster above that it was avoidable but since I had the accident, whenever I come across a scenario like yours in the video regardless of what way the other car is indicating or doing I always use extra caution and assume that they are going to carry on going round the roundabout. Extra caution meaning that I leave enough space to stop in time in case that they do carry on going round. That or make sure that I am far ahead of them enough that if they do carry on going round they aren't going to hit me. After this I'm sure you will do the same.

Don't stress about the insurance claim too much, that's what you pay the insurers for. Whether it goes down as your fault, theirs or 50/50 your car will get repaired and the difference to your premium isn't going to be lifechanging.

FWIW I do sympathise with you a bit, if everyone used roundabouts and their indicators properly this sort of accident wouldn't happen but that's obviously not reality.

Edited by Al U on Thursday 21st April 01:38

[QJumper]

From the video it's hard to see his indicator, and so to me it looks as though he was ahead of you by a long way and you caught up, overtook and cut across him.

Obviously you assumed he was taking the exit but, as I undertand it, indicators aren't to be relied on as an infallible signal of intent, so even 50/50 may be unlikely.

[eldrich]

On that video its hard to side with you, yes his indicator is on but I would have waited until I was sure he was actually using that exit before running across his nose.

[Sheepshanks]

Al U said:

……. whenever I come across a scenario like yours in the video regardless of what way the other car is indicating or doing I always use extra caution and assume that they are going to carry on going round the roundabout.

And (for the OP) multiply this caution if the other car is on foreign plates so there’s a high probability the driver isn’t sure where they’re going.

[anonymous-user]

Sheepshanks said:

And (for the OP) multiply this caution if the other car is on foreign plates so there’s a high probability the driver isn’t sure where they’re going.

100% this ^^^^

[RedWhiteMonkey]

I wouldn't submit that video to the insurance company, there is no way they won't find that accident to be your fault.

[200Plus Club]

Just submit the video and accept your are at fault at least 50% possibly more. He'll be feeling dischuffed too but in German :-) as some foreign guy cut right across him at speed without stopping when there was no need to collide.
You'll get your car repaired and lose 2yrs no claims or so and move on from it. End of story really.

[LeoSayer]

QJumper said:

From the video it's hard to see his indicator, and so to me it looks as though he was ahead of you by a long way and you caught up, overtook and cut across him.

Obviously you assumed he was taking the exit but, as I undertand it, indicators aren't to be relied on as an infallible signal of intent, so even 50/50 may be unlikely.

Sorry OP this seems predominantly your fault.

[Riley Blue]

oakdale said:

anxious_ant said:

It's a 2 lane roundabout with 4 exits. He was in the left lane on the roundabout and near the 3rd exit he cut across my lane, with left indicators on. I was expecting him to take the same (3rd exit) as me but at the very last minute he cut across my lane.

Video : https://youtu.be/Abv7N26oyck

A totally avoidable accident with you being the main cause of it in my view.

My view too. I always leave a roundabout from the left lane to avoid the possibility of such accidents.

[GasEngineer]

Well I agree with you OP.
There are two lanes on the exit, the other car was in the inside of those two lanes and indicating to leave the roundabout at that point but then clearly swerves into your lane.

ETA - that's the whole point of a two lane roundabout exit..

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Fair play to the OP for posting up the video, but I would never have dreamt of pulling that manoeuvre especially with a foreign registered car and trailer circling the island.

Let your insurance deal with it and accept whatever 'hit' you take on it.

[TonyF1]

You are deluding yourself that the other car caused that. The collision is 100% down to you barrelling around the roundabout and cutting across the other car.