Accident advice...
Author
Discussion

tmrobinson

Original Poster:

44 posts

179 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Hi all,

Bit of advice please.

Two weeks ago driving along a main road, following another car. Car in front signals to turn right at a junction and unknown to me flashes car on the junction to the left that he can cross over the junction (straight over the main road). As the road is wide I move to the left and begin to overtake and the car from the left pulls out in front of me and we collide. The driver at the time admits liability, with a witness hearing it (the driver who indicated right and flashed). Speed was low, visibility and conditions good etc.

Now his insurance company are disputing liability saying that I am partially liable as I was overtaking. I have quoted rule 104 from highway code that you must ensure it is safe before acting on a signal from another driver but am also aware but rule 167 also says you shouldn't overtake where someone is indicating right...

Any advice gratefully received.

Tim

GreatGranny

9,519 posts

257 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Do you mean undertake on the left?

Other drivers fault.
As you have quoted, its up to the other driver to make sure its safe to pull out and don't presume just because he was flashed.

Insurance company trying it on.
Depends how much your insurance company wants to fight it.

Contact them and see what they say.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

157 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Sounds like two people with brains in neutral and eyes closed. And one who was turning right and might, or might not, have flashed for some unknown reason.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

208 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
I wonder if you mean the car in front of you was turning left into the road that the other car was turning right out of?

Either way can you clarify as it makes little sense at the moment. Unless you're in a country that drives on the right. In which decade nobody on here can give any advice as you're in a completely different legal environment.

ging84

9,548 posts

177 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
I would suspect the insurance companies will know how to establish liability better than most people on here.

tmrobinson

Original Poster:

44 posts

179 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Just to clarify- car in front signalling to turn right. I undertake on left as wide road. Car pulls out from junction on the left...

Edited to add: in UK

Sheepshanks

41,270 posts

150 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
tmrobinson said:
I undertake on left as wide road.
I'd avoid the use of the word "undertake". Say you passed to the left of the vehicle making a right turn.

Nezquick

1,851 posts

157 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Entirely the fault of the driver pulling out from the minor road IMO. He should have checked the road was clear before he pulled away.

Any pictures of the road/junction so we can see how wide it is?

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

201 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Here we go again.

There will be two schools of thought from the Masters of PH on this, however, as has been posted above, it will be the insurance companies who will argue it out.

Let them get on with it.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

208 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
ging84 said:
I would suspect the insurance companies will know how to establish liability better than most people on here.
Absolutely as they will have all the facts and both sides of the story. However, on the story as presented them the car pulling out of the minor road is 100% at fault.

OP how do you know the other car flashed its lights?

tmrobinson

Original Poster:

44 posts

179 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
Road was plenty wide, easily room for two vehicles.

LoonR1- thats the point I have made back to insurance company regarding I wouldn't have been aware of being flashed to pull out. I have used the term passed on the left.

See what happens, just wanted to check here that I wasn't being a complete idiot for saying that I don't think I am at fault. See what the witness says when the insurance companies speak to her...

LoonR1

26,988 posts

208 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
tmrobinson said:
Road was plenty wide, easily room for two vehicles.

LoonR1- thats the point I have made back to insurance company regarding I wouldn't have been aware of being flashed to pull out. I have used the term passed on the left.

See what happens, just wanted to check here that I wasn't being a complete idiot for saying that I don't think I am at fault. See what the witness says when the insurance companies speak to her...
What do you mean you've made it back to insurance company? Are your insurer suggesting you accept partial liability? If so, why. We're going to need the full story as your insurer is unlikely to even put the other side's offer to you in the situation you've Described

Edited by LoonR1 on Wednesday 11th March 13:55

KungFuPanda

4,645 posts

201 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
I think this one will all boil down to how you represent the facts. If you state that you were continuing along the carriageway and the car in front peeled off towards the centre of the road in order to effect a right hand turn, it will sound a lot better than you approaching the rear of the turning car in front and then you made a decisive move to move to the nearside to pass on the inside.

schmunk

4,399 posts

156 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
tmrobinson said:
highway code... rule 167 also says you shouldn't overtake where someone is indicating right...
Surely this part of Rule 167 (and aware that there are other parts) relates to overtaking on the right, not what you were doing.

mjb1

2,585 posts

190 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
tmrobinson said:
LoonR1- thats the point I have made back to insurance company regarding I wouldn't have been aware of being flashed to pull out.
I don't think the other driver flashing his headlights has any significance? Even if he did (questionable, as presumably it's just the other party claiming that in defence), he could have meant anything by it, and he doesn't have authority to direct other traffic.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

208 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
mjb1 said:
I don't think the other driver flashing his headlights has any significance? Even if he did (questionable, as presumably it's just the other party claiming that in defence), he could have meant anything by it, and he doesn't have authority to direct other traffic.
I asked as it works in the OPs favour if they did flash their lights, confirm it and be happy to attend as a witness.

mjb1

2,585 posts

190 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
LoonR1 said:
mjb1 said:
I don't think the other driver flashing his headlights has any significance? Even if he did (questionable, as presumably it's just the other party claiming that in defence), he could have meant anything by it, and he doesn't have authority to direct other traffic.
I asked as it works in the OPs favour if they did flash their lights, confirm it and be happy to attend as a witness.
Just interested in why that would make any difference either way? The other party must have driven beyond a give way (or stop) road marking/sign an into the path of a vehicle on the major road. Why would it matter if someone had flashed their lights? Unless the other party is claiming the accident happened some other way?

TBH both driver's should have seen each other as a potential hazard and made themselves ready to react.

LoonR1

26,988 posts

208 months

Wednesday 11th March 2015
quotequote all
It's makes it even clearer that the person pulling out did so negligently and without thought for other road users.

At the moment they could claim the OP popped out from behind the other car anf was effectively invisible up until that point. It's not much of a defence but the other one is as good an admission of guilt as you'll ever get.