Discussion
A couple of weeks ago a skip lorry reversed into the front of my old estate car parked outside my house. I didn't see it happen, but there's a hole in my bumper that matches the rear support leg of the lorry concerned, and blue paint matching the lorry livery transferred on my car.
Sadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
Sadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
Chris-R said:
A couple of weeks ago a skip lorry reversed into the front of my old estate car parked outside my house. I didn't see it happen, but there's a hole in my bumper that matches the rear support leg of the lorry concerned, and blue paint matching the lorry livery transferred on my car.
Sadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
I don't think they are under any legal obligationSadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
You could ask nicely if they would be prepared to show you the footage (you go to their office), if they aren't prepared to share it directly. I would suspect it shows an impact but they are hoping you'll go away.
As you say, you can't do an investigation without watching the video - They are bull s
tting youMaking a moany post on Facebook and any local community pages might help.
Drive it fix it repeat said:
Pay them a visit in person and suggest it would be a terrible shame if their yard were to suffer a petrol bomb attack in the near future, could prove very costly for them....
Or go the boring legal route.
LOL, a good idea for a lot of organisations, but a Skip company?Or go the boring legal route.
More likely to try that on you...
Chris-R said:
A couple of weeks ago a skip lorry reversed into the front of my old estate car parked outside my house. I didn't see it happen, but there's a hole in my bumper that matches the rear support leg of the lorry concerned, and blue paint matching the lorry livery transferred on my car.
Sadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
How do you know what vehicle it was?Sadly they drove off without stopping to leave details, so I phoned the skip company and a bloke confirmed they had onboard video and would get it off the vehicle to review. Two weeks later, following a couple of chasing emails and phone calls I'm told it's been transferred to a bloke called Dave in the fleet department.
Dave confirms on the phone that 1) yes, he has retrieved the video from the lorry 2) no, he hasn't had time to look at it yet, and 3) they've 'completed an investigation' and decided they're not liable, and I should pursue the matter through my insurer. Dave was unwilling to explain how he'd completed an investigation without looking at the video, and didn't want to say much at all.
I have fully comp so my insurer will pay out, but I'll lose four years of NCB if the skip company won't admit liability.
Is it worth reporting to the police as a 'hit and run', or whatever the technical term is? As I said there's evidence to pin the accident on the truck, and video footage they won't share.
Witness?
CCTV?
If you haven't got CCTV or witnesses you're pretty stuffed really. All you've got is a belief that they were the ones that hit you, with only circumstantial evidence.
You could try and call their bluff and tell them that you have it on your own dashcam (that you don't have) and that you're giving them the opportunity to resolve the matter before you go to the Police and report it as a hit and run, but beyond that I don't think you can do much.
You could try and call their bluff and tell them that you have it on your own dashcam (that you don't have) and that you're giving them the opportunity to resolve the matter before you go to the Police and report it as a hit and run, but beyond that I don't think you can do much.
This is what insurance is for. You pay to be covered in case of accidents, whether they're your fault or not.
It's unlikely the skip company will admit any liability. Their insurers will advise them not to provide you with any details.
Your best option is to just tell your insurers and let them pursue the claim.
It's unlikely the skip company will admit any liability. Their insurers will advise them not to provide you with any details.
Your best option is to just tell your insurers and let them pursue the claim.
Unless a leter from their insurers scare them to admit liability, the likely scenario is that you will report it to your insurers, they will contact the other drivers insurers, they will deny liability and ask you to provide evidence that it was them, and they will likely keep disputing unless you can provide evidence otherwise.
So you can either tell your insurers, and risk that it ends up being a fault claim, you pay your excess and have your car repaired, and deal with the increased premiums next year.
Or chalk it up to experience and repair the car yourself.
So you can either tell your insurers, and risk that it ends up being a fault claim, you pay your excess and have your car repaired, and deal with the increased premiums next year.
Or chalk it up to experience and repair the car yourself.
With any hit and run if the other party keeps cool and keeps denying their involvement (and there is no independent evidence) then there is nothing you can do.
It sounds like the skip company has checked what evidence there is and decided it is not an issue for them or it will be made not an issue (sorry officer, the recording has been taped over).
Remember too hit and runs must be reported within 24 hours. Doing this should at least put some stress on the skip company but if (if) you are correct, they can see you are too but they have still decided to deny it all, they probably are not too concerned about the police maybe turning up.
It sounds like the skip company has checked what evidence there is and decided it is not an issue for them or it will be made not an issue (sorry officer, the recording has been taped over).
Remember too hit and runs must be reported within 24 hours. Doing this should at least put some stress on the skip company but if (if) you are correct, they can see you are too but they have still decided to deny it all, they probably are not too concerned about the police maybe turning up.
Knowing someone who is in "Dave's" role; it's quite common that such companies get a rebate from their insurer depending on the number and value of claims against their policy. It's also quite common that Dave's annual bonus is linked to achieving this rebate.
So it's not in Dave's financial interest to be helpful.
Send an email asking if he's reviewed the footage yet. If he says "no, I haven't reviewed it" that's only going to help you. (Vs "what footage? There's no footage.")
Unfortunately you will probably need to get insurance involved though so consider the long-term costs to you. Maybe Dave can give you a couple of free skips instead?
So it's not in Dave's financial interest to be helpful.
Send an email asking if he's reviewed the footage yet. If he says "no, I haven't reviewed it" that's only going to help you. (Vs "what footage? There's no footage.")
Unfortunately you will probably need to get insurance involved though so consider the long-term costs to you. Maybe Dave can give you a couple of free skips instead?
Smurfsarepeopletoo said:
Unless a leter from their insurers scare them to admit liability, the likely scenario is that you will report it to your insurers, they will contact the other drivers insurers, they will deny liability and ask you to provide evidence that it was them, and they will likely keep disputing unless you can provide evidence otherwise.
So you can either tell your insurers, and risk that it ends up being a fault claim, you pay your excess and have your car repaired, and deal with the increased premiums next year.
Or chalk it up to experience and repair the car yourself.
I think you'll need more than a bit of paint to successfully identify the other driver!So you can either tell your insurers, and risk that it ends up being a fault claim, you pay your excess and have your car repaired, and deal with the increased premiums next year.
Or chalk it up to experience and repair the car yourself.
"I didn't see it happen"
How do you know then ? Was the skip lorry just in the area - or did you have another witness ?
What is do stop them simply saying that you crashed into their skip lorry ? To be clear, I don't doubt your version - but without a witness your evidence suggests a contact but not who is to blame.
Their camera will no doubt be used to prove their innocence when required - but i'd suspect that they have over-written anything that would incriminate
How do you know then ? Was the skip lorry just in the area - or did you have another witness ?
What is do stop them simply saying that you crashed into their skip lorry ? To be clear, I don't doubt your version - but without a witness your evidence suggests a contact but not who is to blame.
Their camera will no doubt be used to prove their innocence when required - but i'd suspect that they have over-written anything that would incriminate
Chozza said:
"I didn't see it happen"
How do you know then ? Was the skip lorry just in the area - or did you have another witness ?
What is do stop them simply saying that you crashed into their skip lorry ? To be clear, I don't doubt your version - but without a witness your evidence suggests a contact but not who is to blame.
Their camera will no doubt be used to prove their innocence when required - but i'd suspect that they have over-written anything that would incriminate
In a similar vein, what's to stop the skip lorry company from claiming that it could have been any other skip lorry, from another company that reversed into the car? How do you know then ? Was the skip lorry just in the area - or did you have another witness ?
What is do stop them simply saying that you crashed into their skip lorry ? To be clear, I don't doubt your version - but without a witness your evidence suggests a contact but not who is to blame.
Their camera will no doubt be used to prove their innocence when required - but i'd suspect that they have over-written anything that would incriminate
Drive it fix it repeat said:
Pay them a visit in person and suggest it would be a terrible shame if their yard were to suffer a petrol bomb attack in the near future, could prove very costly for them....
Is it really worth making an insurance claim to repair damage to "an old estate car" ?
With the attendant loss of NCB, possible additions to annual premiums, inconvenience of declaring the claim on any insurance renewals / quote requests etc.?
Perhaps there is an alternative course of action using second-hand parts, duct tape, whatever?
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