Hit by HGV

[Joshbosh]

Hi all I'm new to the forum and looking for as much info & help I can get.

Last night at a roundabout I was hit by a French coach.
I was on the inside lane of a three lane roundabout going right and leaving third exit and on my passenger side was a large coach, as I was driving around the roundabout the coach drove in to my lane and I was squashed between the coach and the barrier.
I have photos of the damage and all of the coach details.
The coach driver didn't seem too bothered and didn't take any photos.

Spoke to my insurance company today and after being bounced around between the insurance brokers and insurance company themselves I was told that I'd have to make a claim to have the damage on my car paid for on my own insurance and that I'd lose 2 years of my no claims bonus.

I was told that because the coach was a French vehicle, it would take roughly a year for any type of response from the coach drivers insurance and that my insurance company doesn't want to deal with it. So I'll be the most affected basically even though none of this was my fault.

This doesn't seem fair as I pay every month to be insured and when I need them they can't do anything for me!?

The accident was completely his fault and now I'm going to have to drive a damaged car around and pay for the repair myself, or lose my NCB and let my insurance handle it.

Has anybody here ever been hit by a foreign driver and had any luck?

Any responses would be great.

Josh.

[daveky]

Joshbosh said:

Hi all I'm new to the forum and looking for as much info & help I can get.

Last night at a roundabout I was hit by a French coach.
I was on the inside lane of a three lane roundabout going right and leaving third exit and on my passenger side was a large coach, as I was driving around the roundabout the coach drove in to my lane and I was squashed between the coach and the barrier.
I have photos of the damage and all of the coach details.
The coach driver didn't seem too bothered and didn't take any photos.

Spoke to my insurance company today and after being bounced around between the insurance brokers and insurance company themselves I was told that I'd have to make a claim to have the damage on my car paid for on my own insurance and that I'd lose 2 years of my no claims bonus.

I was told that because the coach was a French vehicle, it would take roughly a year for any type of response from the coach drivers insurance and that my insurance company doesn't want to deal with it. So I'll be the most affected basically even though none of this was my fault.

This doesn't seem fair as I pay every month to be insured and when I need them they can't do anything for me!?

The accident was completely his fault and now I'm going to have to drive a damaged car around and pay for the repair myself, or lose my NCB and let my insurance handle it.

Has anybody here ever been hit by a foreign driver and had any luck?

Any responses would be great.

Josh.

Firstly welcome and in response to your questions no I haven't been hit by a foreign driver and no I haven't had any luck.

Sorry to have to break the bad news but this is as good as life gets I'm afraid.

[iva cosworth]

Not an HGV then.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

Insurance ombudsman?

Either way, that is st! With all the legislation, insurance, taxes and licences now needed you can still be left massively out of pocket through no fault of your own?

I'd be losing my temper with the ins. company tbh, how can they decide just because it's difficult they won't do what they are payed to do?

[DanielSan]

iva cosworth said:

Not an HGV then.

But it's big and heavy innit

[Joshbosh]

iva cosworth said:

Not an HGV then.

PCV then, just as big.

[Joshbosh]

Buff Mchugelarge said:

Insurance ombudsman?

Either way, that is st! With all the legislation, insurance, taxes and licences now needed you can still be left massively out of pocket through no fault of your own?

I'd be losing my temper with the ins. company tbh, how can they decide just because it's difficult they won't do what they are payed to do?

Yeah I know I couldn't believe it when they said that to me.
I spent hours on the phone this morning phoning their premium rate numbers for them to pretty much say 'sorry mate it'll take too long for us to sort out so we won't bother, just lose your NCB and pay your excess'.

[Swanny87]

Joshbosh said:

I was told that because the coach was a French vehicle, it would take roughly a year for any type of response from the coach drivers insurance and that my insurance company doesn't want to deal with it. So I'll be the most affected basically even though none of this was my fault.

Do they not have phones/email in France? Is the response going to be sent by carrier pigeon or something?

I'm really confused by this. Your insurance company sound like a bunch of lazy s.

[Rick101]

Shameful. It's a contact. they should be forced to at least attempt contact with the other insurer. The fact that it's likely to be a business that operates in the UK should make it easier.

[Geekman]

Did he produce any documents or get you to sign anything at the scene? Without knowing his insurance details it's going to be very difficult to do anything.

[andy43]

Swanny87 said:

Joshbosh said:

I was told that because the coach was a French vehicle, it would take roughly a year for any type of response from the coach drivers insurance and that my insurance company doesn't want to deal with it. So I'll be the most affected basically even though none of this was my fault.

Do they not have phones/email in France? Is the response going to be sent by carrier pigeon or something?

I'm really confused by this. Your insurance company sound like a bunch of lazy s.

I would have thought that as it's registered and insured within the EU there'd be some sort of reciprocal agreement in place between insurance companies, some of which will operate in more than one country.

There ya go - a pro EU comment. I need a lie down now...just like the Spanish

[Jim AK]

Geekman said:

Did he produce any documents or get you to sign anything at the scene? Without knowing his insurance details it's going to be very difficult to do anything.

Why?

[Joshbosh]

Geekman said:

Did he produce any documents or get you to sign anything at the scene? Without knowing his insurance details it's going to be very difficult to do anything.

He did, I've got his licence plate, company, name and his green card insurance document.

[someday]

Aren't accidents on roundabouts generally considered to be 50/50 anyway.

[un1corn]

Can you contact the coach drivers insurance company direct if your insurance wont deal with it?

[Geekman]

Jim AK said:

Why?

Because there is no real centralised system for insurers to obtain the details of foreign vehicles. I was recently involved in an accident in my UK plated car in France where a motorbike lost control and hit me. There was no major damage to my car so I was willing to let it go, but he insisted it was my fault and asked for my name and phone number, which I gave him. I then went to the police and explained the situation and they just laughed and said that without him seeing my insurance documents with the company name etc, there was no way his insurance would be able to contact mine. As it turned out, he never called me anyway so I assume he got home and realised he was being a tt.

Obviously, it must be possible to find the insurance details of foreign cars (surely if there was a fatality then the police would be able to do it), but for an accident like this I'd be surprised if his insurance do anything. The French are very fond of paperwork and require all sorts of constats and attestations before they're willing to do anything, which is probably why his insurers are so reluctant to get involved.

[Joshbosh]

Rick101 said:

Shameful. It's a contact. they should be forced to at least attempt contact with the other insurer. The fact that it's likely to be a business that operates in the UK should make it easier.

It says on his document that he's insured by AXA which I think is a huge company and internationally known.

[mfmman]

I was hit from behind on the M4 by an Andorran registered car insured by an Andorran company, albeit driven by an English guy. Claim settled in the same way as I would expect, quickly enough no real fuss.

[Geekman]

Joshbosh said:

It says on his document that he's insured by AXA which I think is a huge company and internationally known.

Didn't see this - you've been very lucky there. That completely changes things - your insurers should definitely be taking this up. Might be worth a call to AXA to see what they say in the meantime.

[Mephistofleas]

Foreign vehicles causing accidents isn't a new scenario so I wonder why (if it is) it's still a burning issue i.e. is it widespread or just dependant on the insurance company?

V. interested to read Loon1's take on the matter either way.