Collision with a Bus...
Discussion
Hired a van today to move some stuff.
Anyway, I was in the middle of town heading to a large traffic-light controlled junction, on a two-lane road.
I was in the right lane - and the layout is: Left lane - straight over, right lane - right turn, as I intended to do.
Along the left lane is a series of Bus Stops. As I came alongside a Bus that was stopped, it pulled out away from the Bus stop. We both carried on in our lanes towards the junction, except that as the bus pulled out from the stop, it came across it's lane a little far. To be fair, it only just got onto the white line between the lanes, but I was also a little left in my lane too. However, I hadn't deviated from my position at all - it was the bus that was moving across within it's lane.
The upshot was that the mirror on my van hit one of the windows of the bus. Unluckily, it hit the one window near the back that is designed as an emergency egress point - hence it's easily broken toughened glass rather than the laminate of the other windows. So it shattered into a million pieces. Fortunately, no-one was sitting by it.
We both stopped further up the road. The driver, bless him, came over and the first thing he said was "you were moving across into my lane!" To which I replied "I disagree I'm afraid - it was you who moved towards me."
Anyway before it turned into a blame game, I told him that I would not be arguing with him or accepting liability - and we should exchange details and let the respective insurance companies decide the outcome. It was all very civil, and we swapped details and went about our ways in the end.
I had a witness in the van with me in the passenger seat. He had a load of passengers too - but not sure where they were all sitting or if any of them saw anything from inside, or indeed gave him their details as witnesses.
Question is - has anyone else had an accident with a bus? I was wondering what it might be like dealing with a bus company - will it just come down to our respective insurers (bearing in mind I was in a hire van with it's own insurance) or will it turn into some huge paperwork heavy 'cause celebre' which drags on forever?
Anyway, I was in the middle of town heading to a large traffic-light controlled junction, on a two-lane road.
I was in the right lane - and the layout is: Left lane - straight over, right lane - right turn, as I intended to do.
Along the left lane is a series of Bus Stops. As I came alongside a Bus that was stopped, it pulled out away from the Bus stop. We both carried on in our lanes towards the junction, except that as the bus pulled out from the stop, it came across it's lane a little far. To be fair, it only just got onto the white line between the lanes, but I was also a little left in my lane too. However, I hadn't deviated from my position at all - it was the bus that was moving across within it's lane.
The upshot was that the mirror on my van hit one of the windows of the bus. Unluckily, it hit the one window near the back that is designed as an emergency egress point - hence it's easily broken toughened glass rather than the laminate of the other windows. So it shattered into a million pieces. Fortunately, no-one was sitting by it.
We both stopped further up the road. The driver, bless him, came over and the first thing he said was "you were moving across into my lane!" To which I replied "I disagree I'm afraid - it was you who moved towards me."
Anyway before it turned into a blame game, I told him that I would not be arguing with him or accepting liability - and we should exchange details and let the respective insurance companies decide the outcome. It was all very civil, and we swapped details and went about our ways in the end.
I had a witness in the van with me in the passenger seat. He had a load of passengers too - but not sure where they were all sitting or if any of them saw anything from inside, or indeed gave him their details as witnesses.
Question is - has anyone else had an accident with a bus? I was wondering what it might be like dealing with a bus company - will it just come down to our respective insurers (bearing in mind I was in a hire van with it's own insurance) or will it turn into some huge paperwork heavy 'cause celebre' which drags on forever?
A coach took the wing mirror off my car a few years back. Driver started the blame stuff, but the bus was fitted with external cameras that had recorded everything. Within a week I had a cheque from the coach company's insurers for a new wing mirror.
I got the impression claims were regular and they didn't tend to dispute the minor stuff. And in any event, they were good enough to admit that their cameras showed their driver to be in the wrong.
So definitely worth checking whether the coach is fitted with similar cameras.
I got the impression claims were regular and they didn't tend to dispute the minor stuff. And in any event, they were good enough to admit that their cameras showed their driver to be in the wrong.
So definitely worth checking whether the coach is fitted with similar cameras.
A Bus once pulled out in front of me in the days before ABS, in the panic braking from 60-2mph I got flat spots on my tyres, went to the bus depot and complained, showed him the tyres etc, got £50 towards a new set of tyres and a promise that the bus driver was going to do some further driver training which I thought was reasonable!
A f
ker in a coach drove down a single track road on which I had priority, was established some sixty percent down the bottleneck and scraped the whole nearside of my company Vectra (some years ago). Despite my photography and statements it was judged to be 'fifty-fifty' even though I was stationary when it became evident the was intent on causing an accident.
Cheers you fking asshole (directed at the coach driving shearings asshole with no hair and a massive fat gut- no doubt dead or in a hospice by now- I hope) not that I'm bitter. 
ker in a coach drove down a single track road on which I had priority, was established some sixty percent down the bottleneck and scraped the whole nearside of my company Vectra (some years ago). Despite my photography and statements it was judged to be 'fifty-fifty' even though I was stationary when it became evident the was intent on causing an accident.Cheers you f
king asshole (directed at the coach driving shearings asshole with no hair and a massive fat gut- no doubt dead or in a hospice by now- I hope) not that I'm bitter. Motorrad said:
A fker in a coach drove down a single track road on which I had priority, was established some sixty percent down the bottleneck and scraped the whole nearside of my company Vectra (some years ago). Despite my photography and statements it was judged to be 'fifty-fifty' even though I was stationary when it became evident the was intent on causing an accident.
Cheers you fking asshole (directed at the coach driving shearings asshole with no hair and a massive fat gut- no doubt dead or in a hospice by now- I hope) not that I'm bitter.
Bast!ker in a coach drove down a single track road on which I had priority, was established some sixty percent down the bottleneck and scraped the whole nearside of my company Vectra (some years ago). Despite my photography and statements it was judged to be 'fifty-fifty' even though I was stationary when it became evident the was intent on causing an accident.Cheers you f
king asshole (directed at the coach driving shearings asshole with no hair and a massive fat gut- no doubt dead or in a hospice by now- I hope) not that I'm bitter. When you dealt with them, did you deal with the coach company or their insurance company mate?
I was on business in the Netherlands a few years ago before I moved for good, I landed at Antwerp and had a hire car to pop across the border. I pulled up to some lights, less than 1km from the airport, in the left lane (remember everything's backwards over here). I was turning right and so was the car in front, a bus then pulled up in the bus lane to the right.
A little unsure of what was about to happen I watched the car in front pull away at a normal speed and go right so I followed him. I moved a bit slower and took the turn very slowly due to being unsure about which lane I was heading in to. At this point the bus drive into me! I'm sure the driver did it on purpose.
At least it was an ice breaker when I turned up, and an excuse for being late.
A little unsure of what was about to happen I watched the car in front pull away at a normal speed and go right so I followed him. I moved a bit slower and took the turn very slowly due to being unsure about which lane I was heading in to. At this point the bus drive into me! I'm sure the driver did it on purpose.
At least it was an ice breaker when I turned up, and an excuse for being late.
Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
Question is - has anyone else had an accident with a bus? I was wondering what it might be like dealing with a bus company - will it just come down to our respective insurers (bearing in mind I was in a hire van with it's own insurance) or will it turn into some huge paperwork heavy 'cause celebre' which drags on forever?
Many moons ago (14 years) I had a collision with a FirstBus which turned right, across my lane. After I had struck a glancing blow to the bus (and thought for a millisecond 'phew that wasn't as bad as it could've been') I was then T-boned by the Rover 800 following the bus, writing my car off.The bus driver wasn't at all interested but there was a witness to it all. Insurance all sorted fine and a few weeks later cheque arrived for more than I'd paid for car in the first place. Also a nice letter from West Yorkshire Police stating that the bus driver had been sent on a 'driver improvement course'.
I was driving a van which was hit by a bus in September 2009. I wrote a thread about it in August 2010, but I'm incapable of linking to it, because I don't know how to.
My insurers pushed me repeatedly and firmly to accept 50:50, and I refused each time.
My argument was that the bus had cameras on it. If the bus company were adamant that their driver was in the right, they would be able to prove it with the camera evidence. For over a year, I heard nothing, and then in December 2011, I got a cheque for my excess and a letter from my insurer telling me that the accident had been recorded as a non-fault claim.
As you were in a hire van, it'll be the hire company's insurer that pays out, if you're found to be at fault, or if it goes 50:50. I doubt they would entertain your protestations of innocence, or accusations of blame. They're not your insurer - they represent the hire company.
Having said that, your excess should be fine, assuming the hire van isn't damaged. I also imagine, if you were of a mind not to, you could get away without declaring the incident in future. Not that that would be the right thing to do. Obviously.
My insurers pushed me repeatedly and firmly to accept 50:50, and I refused each time.
My argument was that the bus had cameras on it. If the bus company were adamant that their driver was in the right, they would be able to prove it with the camera evidence. For over a year, I heard nothing, and then in December 2011, I got a cheque for my excess and a letter from my insurer telling me that the accident had been recorded as a non-fault claim.
As you were in a hire van, it'll be the hire company's insurer that pays out, if you're found to be at fault, or if it goes 50:50. I doubt they would entertain your protestations of innocence, or accusations of blame. They're not your insurer - they represent the hire company.
Having said that, your excess should be fine, assuming the hire van isn't damaged. I also imagine, if you were of a mind not to, you could get away without declaring the incident in future. Not that that would be the right thing to do. Obviously.
I knew I had these somewhere
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I was loaded for an urgent delivery. The policeman that came out told me just to carry on with no nsr lights and quote his badge number if I was stopped. When I got to the delivery, we couldn't open the back doors without a crowbar.
I was subbing for Lewis Day at the time, and they were great about the whole thing. The next day, they put me into one of their vans and paid me a day rate to drive it.
[url][url]I was loaded for an urgent delivery. The policeman that came out told me just to carry on with no nsr lights and quote his badge number if I was stopped. When I got to the delivery, we couldn't open the back doors without a crowbar.
I was subbing for Lewis Day at the time, and they were great about the whole thing. The next day, they put me into one of their vans and paid me a day rate to drive it.
the bus company will probably have an insurance policy with £100-250k excess, so theyll deal with payments themselves and have an accident management company that deal with defending the claim. in my 4 years in motor insurance every single bus company anywhere in the country was the same.
I had a run in with this doughnut last week.
Apparently if you put your right hand indicator on, you can force your way into an already occupied space, giving the other driver the choice of either a forced stop or mounting the grass on the central reservation!
And no, he didn't get in.. lol.
Apparently if you put your right hand indicator on, you can force your way into an already occupied space, giving the other driver the choice of either a forced stop or mounting the grass on the central reservation!
And no, he didn't get in.. lol.
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