Help needed with accident please

[_Deano]

Unfortunately i was involved in a collision the other week, where a bus drove into the rear n/s quarter of my car. This in turn caused damage to the n/s rear door, the rear wheel and wheel arch. There was minimal damage on the bus, but the damage was on the front o/s corner.

My view of events are as follows:

This takes place on the northbound section of Putney Hill, before it crosses Upper Richmond road, http://goo.gl/maps/q0wCf sorry if this is a generic picture, rather than the specific CCTV shots.

I am following a bus and we are in one lane, there is a central reservation to the right. The central reservation then ends and the lane then opens up to two lanes. There are no vehicles in front of the bus, but the bus is straddling both lanes. I can see a junction in front, with green lights and no crossing traffic.
I made a maneuver to pass the bus on the o/s, and there is enough space between me and the bus whilst passing.
Quite a way before the crossing of Putney Hill and Upper Richmond road, i am hit on the rear n/s quarter and I slow down to a crawl, as does the bus. The bus also now moves back into the n/s lane.

I have seen some onboard the bus CCTV footage, but they are at 2second intervals and it does not show the point of impact.

I've had the following statement from the 3rd parties claims adjuster.

"Having viewed the footage numerous times it is evident that when the road opens up to 2 lanes our driver is straddling both lanes. As such I do not believe that there would have been enough room for you to safely pass in the offside without crossing the central reservation. As there was an approaching traffic island it is my opinion you attempted to pull in front of the bus to avoid colliding with the traffic island and thus caused the collision."

I will be forwarding this on to my insurance company today, but from experience, can anyone tell me who may be in the wrong here? I've not been in a car collision for years.

Cheers

[hornetrider]

Were you 'pulling back in to the left' to avoid the island ahead?

[_Deano]

Nope, not at the time of the collision. I still had more than enough distance to cover, before having to do that.

[hornetrider]

Presumably you have the cctv pics in your possession?

[Monty Python]

Without independent witnesses or video that shows precisely what happens I can see this ending up 50:50.

[_Deano]

hornetrider said:

Presumably you have the cctv pics in your possession?

Yes i do, there was no issue with the 3rd party passing these over to me.

[TooMany2cvs]

_Deano said:

Quite a way before the crossing of Putney Hill and Upper Richmond road, i am hit on the rear n/s quarter and I slow down to a crawl, as does the bus. The bus also now moves back into the n/s lane.

I have seen some onboard the bus CCTV footage, but they are at 2second intervals and it does not show the point of impact.

Two seconds at 30mph is roughly every three car lengths. If the bus was doing 20mph, you would have been gaining roughly one car length every frame. If it was doing 10mph, roughly two car lengths.

It might not show the point of impact, but it will almost certainly show the front of your car emerging into view, relative to the island. Unless, of course, it fails to show you, because you were _tonking_ past a moving bus in a 30 limit...?

_Deano said:

I've had the following statement from the 3rd parties claims adjuster.

"Having viewed the footage numerous times it is evident that when the road opens up to 2 lanes our driver is straddling both lanes. As such I do not believe that there would have been enough room for you to safely pass in the offside without crossing the central reservation. As there was an approaching traffic island it is my opinion you attempted to pull in front of the bus to avoid colliding with the traffic island and thus caused the collision."

So the CCTV should show very clearly whether this is an accurate description or not.

_Deano said:

I will be forwarding this on to my insurance company today, but from experience, can anyone tell me who may be in the wrong here?

The CCTV should show fairly conclusively.

[Boydie88]

Are you saying the bus turned into you?

If, even though the bus is straddling two lanes, there was still space, how have you not managed to pull in in front of the bus?

Sounds like you've attempted a daft and impatient over take imo.

[_Deano]

Boydie88 said:

Are you saying the bus turned into you?

If, even though the bus is straddling two lanes, there was still space, how have you not managed to pull in in front of the bus?

Sounds like you've attempted a daft and impatient over take imo.

The impact took place before i pulled in. So i was in front, with more than enough room to be in that particular position of the road, before having to make that move.
It was only when the bus collided, did they move over to the n/s and slowed down. This it turn allowed for even more room for me to move to the n/s.

[hornetrider]

_Deano said:

hornetrider said:

Presumably you have the cctv pics in your possession?

Yes i do, there was no issue with the 3rd party passing these over to me.

Don't be shy.