At front of 4 car pileup - urgent liability query
Discussion
Hi all, just a quick query re tonight's little bump.
I was on the way home and stopped in a queue for some traffic lights when I heard an almighty smash behind me, looked in the mirror just in time to see the Ka behind me get shunted into my car.
Got out to find that someone driving a rental car had smashed into a car, that he had knocked into the car behind me, which was subsequently knocked into my car. All this in a 30mph limit approaching a red traffic light. Quite simply, he can't possibly have braked at all.
There's no question as to who's fault it was, he smashed the first car to bits, rear bumper and wings touching the wheels, ambulance called for the driver, the Ka behind me was also a probable write off. My car appears to have sustained damage to the rear bumper and possibly the crash panel.
My question is,, who's insurance do I claim off?
All three "innocent" drivers were agreed that it was the rearmost car's fault. Does that mean I claim off the car that caused the accident directly, or from the car that hit me who can subsequently claim off the car that hit her, who can in turn claim off the car at the back? (which seems a long winded way to do it!)
Any help appreciated.
For reference, Police were called, and helped exchange details, everyone has insurance, all drivers breath tested ok, I'm not sure yet on injuries for the lady at the back as she was still in the ambulance when I left. Will give her a ring tomorrow and see how she was.
I was on the way home and stopped in a queue for some traffic lights when I heard an almighty smash behind me, looked in the mirror just in time to see the Ka behind me get shunted into my car.
Got out to find that someone driving a rental car had smashed into a car, that he had knocked into the car behind me, which was subsequently knocked into my car. All this in a 30mph limit approaching a red traffic light. Quite simply, he can't possibly have braked at all.
There's no question as to who's fault it was, he smashed the first car to bits, rear bumper and wings touching the wheels, ambulance called for the driver, the Ka behind me was also a probable write off. My car appears to have sustained damage to the rear bumper and possibly the crash panel.
My question is,, who's insurance do I claim off?
All three "innocent" drivers were agreed that it was the rearmost car's fault. Does that mean I claim off the car that caused the accident directly, or from the car that hit me who can subsequently claim off the car that hit her, who can in turn claim off the car at the back? (which seems a long winded way to do it!)
Any help appreciated.
For reference, Police were called, and helped exchange details, everyone has insurance, all drivers breath tested ok, I'm not sure yet on injuries for the lady at the back as she was still in the ambulance when I left. Will give her a ring tomorrow and see how she was.
Blue Oval84 said:
Hi all, just a quick query re tonight's little bump.
I was on the way home and stopped in a queue for some traffic lights when I heard an almighty smash behind me, looked in the mirror just in time to see the Ka behind me get shunted into my car.
Got out to find that someone driving a rental car had smashed into a car, that he had knocked into the car behind me, which was subsequently knocked into my car. All this in a 30mph limit approaching a red traffic light. Quite simply, he can't possibly have braked at all.
There's no question as to who's fault it was, he smashed the first car to bits, rear bumper and wings touching the wheels, ambulance called for the driver, the Ka behind me was also a probable write off. My car appears to have sustained damage to the rear bumper and possibly the crash panel.
My question is,, who's insurance do I claim off?
All three "innocent" drivers were agreed that it was the rearmost car's fault. Does that mean I claim off the car that caused the accident directly, or from the car that hit me who can subsequently claim off the car that hit her, who can in turn claim off the car at the back? (which seems a long winded way to do it!)
Any help appreciated.
For reference, Police were called, and helped exchange details, everyone has insurance, all drivers breath tested ok, I'm not sure yet on injuries for the lady at the back as she was still in the ambulance when I left. Will give her a ring tomorrow and see how she was.
Inform your insurers, they'll be pretty swift at apportioning blame. They deal with this sort of thing all the time.I was on the way home and stopped in a queue for some traffic lights when I heard an almighty smash behind me, looked in the mirror just in time to see the Ka behind me get shunted into my car.
Got out to find that someone driving a rental car had smashed into a car, that he had knocked into the car behind me, which was subsequently knocked into my car. All this in a 30mph limit approaching a red traffic light. Quite simply, he can't possibly have braked at all.
There's no question as to who's fault it was, he smashed the first car to bits, rear bumper and wings touching the wheels, ambulance called for the driver, the Ka behind me was also a probable write off. My car appears to have sustained damage to the rear bumper and possibly the crash panel.
My question is,, who's insurance do I claim off?
All three "innocent" drivers were agreed that it was the rearmost car's fault. Does that mean I claim off the car that caused the accident directly, or from the car that hit me who can subsequently claim off the car that hit her, who can in turn claim off the car at the back? (which seems a long winded way to do it!)
Any help appreciated.
For reference, Police were called, and helped exchange details, everyone has insurance, all drivers breath tested ok, I'm not sure yet on injuries for the lady at the back as she was still in the ambulance when I left. Will give her a ring tomorrow and see how she was.
Claim off Kate driver they will in turn pass on costs to the one behind her and so on.
Do this by claiming directly through the third party insurer as if not you will have an open and outstanding claim with your insurer will be a while until it gets closed (fault in the interim until your insurer is settled)
An accident report form almost guaranteed as...
You will be asked how many shunts you felt. To ascertain if was solely one collision or not.
Good luck
Do this by claiming directly through the third party insurer as if not you will have an open and outstanding claim with your insurer will be a while until it gets closed (fault in the interim until your insurer is settled)
An accident report form almost guaranteed as...
You will be asked how many shunts you felt. To ascertain if was solely one collision or not.
Good luck
Cheers guys, will give her a shout tomorrow, feel sorry for her as a it looks like her car is possibly a write off through no fault of her own and she's gonna have a world of pain to deal with re the insurers.
Once it's settled I'll put the pictures on the crash thread, not that they're very spectacular, I have a feeling that this will take a while!
Once it's settled I'll put the pictures on the crash thread, not that they're very spectacular, I have a feeling that this will take a while!
If it happened as you described, you claim off the rental car.
The car behind you was not negligent therefore no claim can be made. The negligent driver was the rental car.
However often in these multi car shunts it is not one big shunt that causes the whole chain. It can be that the car behind you hits your car THEN the car behind that car hits the resultant crash and so forth. In that scenario you should claim from the person immediately behind you.
Good luck either way.
The car behind you was not negligent therefore no claim can be made. The negligent driver was the rental car.
However often in these multi car shunts it is not one big shunt that causes the whole chain. It can be that the car behind you hits your car THEN the car behind that car hits the resultant crash and so forth. In that scenario you should claim from the person immediately behind you.
Good luck either way.
You claim off the car that hit you. The ka.
You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
Regardless who you claim from anyway, you're all f
ked insurance wise. Even your insurance premium will take a hit as you have been involved in an accident, regardless of fault.
Happy Christmas.
You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
Regardless who you claim from anyway, you're all f
ked insurance wise. Even your insurance premium will take a hit as you have been involved in an accident, regardless of fault.Happy Christmas.
A900ss said:
If it happened as you described, you claim off the rental car.
The car behind you was not negligent therefore no claim can be made. The negligent driver was the rental car.
However often in these multi car shunts it is not one big shunt that causes the whole chain. It can be that the car behind you hits your car THEN the car behind that car hits the resultant crash and so forth. In that scenario you should claim from the person immediately behind you.
Good luck either way.
Ah, that sounds easier, I'll speak with my insurers this morning and see what they say.The car behind you was not negligent therefore no claim can be made. The negligent driver was the rental car.
However often in these multi car shunts it is not one big shunt that causes the whole chain. It can be that the car behind you hits your car THEN the car behind that car hits the resultant crash and so forth. In that scenario you should claim from the person immediately behind you.
Good luck either way.
I'm fortunate in this case that it really was one big shunt that caused the whole thing, I distinctly heard the smash before the car behind ran into me.
On exchanging details there was absolutely no argument between the four of us that there had only been one impact (caused by the rearmost car) which caused all the knock on shunts.
MysteryLemon said:
You claim off the car that hit you. The ka.
You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
Regardless who you claim from anyway, you're all fked insurance wise. Even your insurance premium will take a hit as you have been involved in an accident, regardless of fault.
Happy Christmas.
Similar to what happened to me a few years back. I too was at the front of the lights. All car drivers details were taken at the time and handed over to my insurance company. Ironically I was on my way home from having the car repaired. Fault was placed on to the driver of the car that hit the middle car into me. We both claimed off him. You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
Regardless who you claim from anyway, you're all f
ked insurance wise. Even your insurance premium will take a hit as you have been involved in an accident, regardless of fault.Happy Christmas.
And no, it had no effect on my insurance for my daily driver, my vette or my bike.
MysteryLemon said:
You claim off the car that hit you. The ka.
You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
As an aside - Don't agree with this. Get hit hard from behind and the back wheels aren't going to neccessarily stay in firm contact with the tarmac and you will get shunted forward. Or they will just skid. You say they were not to blame but had they had the hand brake on and left an appropriate gap, they shouldn't have shifted forward enough to hit your car.
Foot on the brake, maybe, but your not supposed to do that in traffic :-)
Just let your insurers sort it out. You almost certainly have to tell them about it, anyway. Inform your insurer, but leave it at that. Don't get them involved. They'll try and get you to claim through them, or offer help which may not be required, which WILL cost you. There is no need. You will just end up with a premium bump and potentially a bill for a hire car. There is no liability for YOU to argue.
Contact the Ka drivers insurer for everything including hire car and they will escalate it back down the line to the bloke who caused it if they want to.
This is speaking from experience. Admiral tried to get me to claim through them. I argued there was no need, and the manager admitted as much. They still sent Albany Assistance and the ambulance chasers after me but, again, straight claim so no need to employ anyone.
Contact the Ka drivers insurer for everything including hire car and they will escalate it back down the line to the bloke who caused it if they want to.
This is speaking from experience. Admiral tried to get me to claim through them. I argued there was no need, and the manager admitted as much. They still sent Albany Assistance and the ambulance chasers after me but, again, straight claim so no need to employ anyone.
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 19th December 09:27
Lol 
My insurers said claim off the hire car and let them know if I have any problems.
Rang the alleged insurers for the hire car who totally misunderstood the query and then got the boss to tell me I'd rang a wrong number and should ring the driver of the hire car again. I had thought that because I was trying to save them money by going direct instead of involving an accident management co. and they would bite my hand off!
In the end I've given up and am ringing the hire company directly to ask them who they insure with....
My insurers said claim off the hire car and let them know if I have any problems.
Rang the alleged insurers for the hire car who totally misunderstood the query and then got the boss to tell me I'd rang a wrong number and should ring the driver of the hire car again. I had thought that because I was trying to save them money by going direct instead of involving an accident management co. and they would bite my hand off!
In the end I've given up and am ringing the hire company directly to ask them who they insure with....
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