Help!! E46 M3 Accident Last Night: Bodyshop in North London?
Discussion
Hi,
I hope you had a better bank holiday that I did....
After months of saving and searching and finally finding a showroom condition E46 M3 I finally and proudly bought and collected my first (showroom condition) E46 M3 on saturday....gleaming and shining and looking (and driving) mint....but last night an ancient ford transit van humped itself into the back of my new E46 M3....HELP WANTED!!!!!!
I know i am unlucky, but holy s%*t....really?!!
I was doing a u-turn on an A-road in london, with the van waving me to continue, as i began the second stage of my 3-point turn the van accelerated (hard!) toward me and i couldn't avoid reversing into it....
....the upshot will probably be 50-50 as they flashed me to continue but for some reason (?????!!!!!!!) ensured that i hit them.....and it looks bad - the rear of my M3 into the side of their van.....although it looks open and shut my fault, they were flashing me to do the turn.....but i was performing a u-turnon A-road. I am livid (obviously) and really sad at the state of my new baby and wondering if anyone could please advise me of the following points:
Nb: I am fully comp with a 5 year protected ncd but my excess is a whopping £750!! Owch.
1. Will the fault automatically be mine for conducting a three-point turn on an A-road? Is this manoeuvre illegal?? (although being flashed on by the idiots who hit me)
2. There were two eastern european guys in the van (no insurance documents, although i think they might have been insured) & no other witnesses - so 2 vs one as witnesses??
3. Is there a fair case for the liability being theirs (by flashing & waving me to continue the manoeuvre in the first instance)?
4. I have pics of the damage to my car (poor girl), which doesnt look catastrophic - and can anyone recommend a good independant bmw specialist body shop to estimate the repairs for me to ascertain if it is better to pay myself than use my insurance company?? I am based in walthamstow, north east london?
Any advice anyone can genuinely offer would be so much appreciated (aside from the obvious; dont make three point turns again!). Particularly regarding a good body shop in my area....E17
Thanks all....a gutted and incredulous new M3 keeper,
J.
I hope you had a better bank holiday that I did....
After months of saving and searching and finally finding a showroom condition E46 M3 I finally and proudly bought and collected my first (showroom condition) E46 M3 on saturday....gleaming and shining and looking (and driving) mint....but last night an ancient ford transit van humped itself into the back of my new E46 M3....HELP WANTED!!!!!!
I know i am unlucky, but holy s%*t....really?!!
I was doing a u-turn on an A-road in london, with the van waving me to continue, as i began the second stage of my 3-point turn the van accelerated (hard!) toward me and i couldn't avoid reversing into it....
....the upshot will probably be 50-50 as they flashed me to continue but for some reason (?????!!!!!!!) ensured that i hit them.....and it looks bad - the rear of my M3 into the side of their van.....although it looks open and shut my fault, they were flashing me to do the turn.....but i was performing a u-turnon A-road. I am livid (obviously) and really sad at the state of my new baby and wondering if anyone could please advise me of the following points:
Nb: I am fully comp with a 5 year protected ncd but my excess is a whopping £750!! Owch.
1. Will the fault automatically be mine for conducting a three-point turn on an A-road? Is this manoeuvre illegal?? (although being flashed on by the idiots who hit me)
2. There were two eastern european guys in the van (no insurance documents, although i think they might have been insured) & no other witnesses - so 2 vs one as witnesses??
3. Is there a fair case for the liability being theirs (by flashing & waving me to continue the manoeuvre in the first instance)?
4. I have pics of the damage to my car (poor girl), which doesnt look catastrophic - and can anyone recommend a good independant bmw specialist body shop to estimate the repairs for me to ascertain if it is better to pay myself than use my insurance company?? I am based in walthamstow, north east london?
Any advice anyone can genuinely offer would be so much appreciated (aside from the obvious; dont make three point turns again!). Particularly regarding a good body shop in my area....E17
Thanks all....a gutted and incredulous new M3 keeper,
J.
Bad luck sorry to hear about this,
I would say you are pretty shafted. As I'm sure you probably know flashing lights technically is supposed to be done to let people know you are there. Coupled with the fact that you were doing a questionable manover I would say its probably your fault despite the circumstances.
As for repair, I would go through your insurance as even a minor repair can start to cost big money.
I would say you are pretty shafted. As I'm sure you probably know flashing lights technically is supposed to be done to let people know you are there. Coupled with the fact that you were doing a questionable manover I would say its probably your fault despite the circumstances.
As for repair, I would go through your insurance as even a minor repair can start to cost big money.
As MGR has said, flashing lights in the highway code is to warn others of your presence. although in the uk its often given and read as a proceed although unoficiall.
Infact many other countries the flashing of lights is used for warning. Hence the need never to rely on other cars flashing you to do anything, rely on what you can see to be safe.
You may not want to put in your insurance claim the flashing of lights bit....
Infact many other countries the flashing of lights is used for warning. Hence the need never to rely on other cars flashing you to do anything, rely on what you can see to be safe.
You may not want to put in your insurance claim the flashing of lights bit....
As mentioned....Headlights are only to warns others of your presence (as is the horn, but hey-ho!)...so if anything it puts you MORE at fault.
So did you reverse into the van, or did he accelerate into you?
turningnburning said:
the van accelerated (hard!) toward me and i couldn't avoid reversing into it....
You couldn't avoid reversing into it? So did you reverse into the van, or did he accelerate into you?
Think he said it was one of those small engined BMW things.
If the van really DID drive into you as you performed the manoever (however questionable) especially if they had stopped first to allow you to do so, then they are at least partly to blame. But why do a U-turn in the first place. Surely finding an appropriate turning place would have been wiser.
Ah well, the benefits of hindsight!
If the van really DID drive into you as you performed the manoever (however questionable) especially if they had stopped first to allow you to do so, then they are at least partly to blame. But why do a U-turn in the first place. Surely finding an appropriate turning place would have been wiser.
Ah well, the benefits of hindsight!
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