Big smash, what to expect?
Discussion
My wife was involved in a very significant accident the other night.
My (40th birthday present) Discovery did its job spectacularly; she walked away with just a seatbelt bruise and a graze on her arm from the airbag. Car is destroyed. There are at least 2 families who woke up to much worse news...
Police have taken all vehicles for investigation; they've said they'll call us. Traffic on scene were of the opinion that it was (for the two cars going the right way) totally unavoidable horribleness. I have told my insurers (LV) the sketchy details I know. Fully comp. I plan to call them again today for an update.
Anyway, down to my questions:
1. What should I expect next?
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Be gentle please. This has, understandably, shaken us up somewhat.
My (40th birthday present) Discovery did its job spectacularly; she walked away with just a seatbelt bruise and a graze on her arm from the airbag. Car is destroyed. There are at least 2 families who woke up to much worse news...
Police have taken all vehicles for investigation; they've said they'll call us. Traffic on scene were of the opinion that it was (for the two cars going the right way) totally unavoidable horribleness. I have told my insurers (LV) the sketchy details I know. Fully comp. I plan to call them again today for an update.
Anyway, down to my questions:
1. What should I expect next?
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Be gentle please. This has, understandably, shaken us up somewhat.
Edited by drmike37 on Monday 17th January 14:30
Sorry to hear. Strong cars, those Discos. Hope your wife takes it easy next few days and considers her mental health too - an awful thing to be involved in.
I think it is very unlikely you will get the car back. The investigation for this will probably be many months if not years. The Police will assist you in returning any possessions and the insurance company will pay out straightaway.
I think it is very unlikely you will get the car back. The investigation for this will probably be many months if not years. The Police will assist you in returning any possessions and the insurance company will pay out straightaway.
drmike37 said:
Anyway, down to my questions:
1. What should I expect next?
A call to arrange a statement from your wife.
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
The insurers will likely sort all of this, duration is down to the examination, if fatal it will be a while as it will have to be fully examined.
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
Try for a courtesy car, claims are settled in reasonable time depending on how ‘involved’ she was but from your side it appears on the periphery of the initial issue
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
If there’s an inquest (fatal) very likely. If there’s a prosecution very likely.
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
No idea
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Not unless you suspect injury but your insurance may insist on it.
Be gentle please. This has, understandably, shaken us up somewhat.
1. What should I expect next?
A call to arrange a statement from your wife.
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
The insurers will likely sort all of this, duration is down to the examination, if fatal it will be a while as it will have to be fully examined.
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
Try for a courtesy car, claims are settled in reasonable time depending on how ‘involved’ she was but from your side it appears on the periphery of the initial issue
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
If there’s an inquest (fatal) very likely. If there’s a prosecution very likely.
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
No idea
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Not unless you suspect injury but your insurance may insist on it.
Be gentle please. This has, understandably, shaken us up somewhat.
I think in the first instance, you need to speak to your insurance. You're paying them to answer these sort of questions, but I have answered a couple from my own experiences.
1. What should I expect next?
Plenty of pissing around by the Police
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
If the worst has happened, I imagine they will keep it until they decide it adds no evidence. Sounds like it's in a bad way, so don't really see what you gain by collecting it unless there are personal possessions inside. If there are, you can go to collect these usually once the car gets to storage.
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
If everyone is insured, it's pretty quick (easily within a month). The Police being involved will likely delay things
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
Probably
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
None if the 3rd party were insured and not pissed up/unfit to drive. There will be an impact if you have to claim through your own insurance, however i can't really see it being that much since you are >40
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Did she go to hospital after the crash? If she did, she would of had an assessment then. If not, then it's probably a good idea given the scale of the collision, although probably pointless if you're not planning on pursuing more monies.
1. What should I expect next?
Plenty of pissing around by the Police
2. Will the police have the car for long? Will I have to get the ins co to collect it off them?
If the worst has happened, I imagine they will keep it until they decide it adds no evidence. Sounds like it's in a bad way, so don't really see what you gain by collecting it unless there are personal possessions inside. If there are, you can go to collect these usually once the car gets to storage.
3. Do these claims take a long time? We can manage with 1 car, but not ideal forever.
If everyone is insured, it's pretty quick (easily within a month). The Police being involved will likely delay things
4. Is my wife likely to be required to give evidence? Inquest?
Probably
5. What sort of effect on insurance am I looking at?
None if the 3rd party were insured and not pissed up/unfit to drive. There will be an impact if you have to claim through your own insurance, however i can't really see it being that much since you are >40
6. Does she need to get some sort of medical exam? No significant injuries have come to light yet.
Did she go to hospital after the crash? If she did, she would of had an assessment then. If not, then it's probably a good idea given the scale of the collision, although probably pointless if you're not planning on pursuing more monies.
Good outcome that your missus is unhurt - these are the sort of nightmare accidents that do happen and there is not a lot you can do about them.
I’d give the whole lot to the insurance company - assuming that your objective is a replacement car reasonably quickly. The investigation will grind on for months, you just want a replacement car and be shot of the hassle. She’ll likely have to give evidence given the fatalities, but that may just be written.
I would expect some push back from the insurers of the people she hit - it is arguable that she was too close to them and could not stop in time. In theory you’re meant to be able to stop if the car in front comes to a halt - hardly anyone does these days.
I’d agree with being careful about how it affects her. I’ve known people go off the rails over something like this, but I also have a friend who survived an incident where a lot of people died who summarises it as “I lived, get on with it”. Depends entirely on the person.
I’d give the whole lot to the insurance company - assuming that your objective is a replacement car reasonably quickly. The investigation will grind on for months, you just want a replacement car and be shot of the hassle. She’ll likely have to give evidence given the fatalities, but that may just be written.
I would expect some push back from the insurers of the people she hit - it is arguable that she was too close to them and could not stop in time. In theory you’re meant to be able to stop if the car in front comes to a halt - hardly anyone does these days.
I’d agree with being careful about how it affects her. I’ve known people go off the rails over something like this, but I also have a friend who survived an incident where a lot of people died who summarises it as “I lived, get on with it”. Depends entirely on the person.
Rowe said:
I think in the first instance, you need to speak to your insurance. You're paying them to answer these sort of questions, but I have answered a couple from my own experiences.
1. What should I expect next?
Plenty of pissing around by the Police
As somebody with well over 20 years as a Road Death Senior Investigating Officer and family liaison officer, my advice would be to completely ignore someone who starts with this comment.1. What should I expect next?
Plenty of pissing around by the Police
As every incident is different, speak with the Officer leading the investigation and they can give you factual information.
If it is fatal, your car will be examined and all the other parties have to be given the opportunity to examine it as well.
As she appears to have been directly involved, then a statement will be necessary (but not necessarily a court appearance, again it depends on the circumstances)
The only person who can give you accurate information relating to that specific incident are those Officers involved in investigating it.
I would advise you to avoid random people on the internet who often have an axe to grind
As Elroy said speak to the Officer in Charge of the Investigation
From what you have said i would expect all vehicles involved will be examined by the Police collision investigators, this is primarily to rule out any sudden mechanical failure and also to check that the version of events given by those involved is supported by the damage to the vehicles.
If your Discovery is "wrecked" as you say then your insurers might just do a visual assessment of it to confirm whether its a right off or not, you really need to be speaking to them
No doubt the various insurance companies will be "negotiating" between themselves as to whose policy holder is at fault but from what you say i would suspect you will get a courtesy car at the other insurers expense ?
From what you have said i would expect all vehicles involved will be examined by the Police collision investigators, this is primarily to rule out any sudden mechanical failure and also to check that the version of events given by those involved is supported by the damage to the vehicles.
If your Discovery is "wrecked" as you say then your insurers might just do a visual assessment of it to confirm whether its a right off or not, you really need to be speaking to them
No doubt the various insurance companies will be "negotiating" between themselves as to whose policy holder is at fault but from what you say i would suspect you will get a courtesy car at the other insurers expense ?
Something to add, fault appears to be pretty clear, so the third party (wrong way driver) insurance is likely to take the brunt assuming they were insured.
As such they would be providing you with a courtesy car, like for like-ish, with your insurance company probably fronting this and claiming it back it is this that will write off your car if the accident itself did not.
Discovery hire costs would be mega especially as it will clearly not be resolved overnight so the fastest and cheapest resolution would be to write off the car and pay you out.
As such they would be providing you with a courtesy car, like for like-ish, with your insurance company probably fronting this and claiming it back it is this that will write off your car if the accident itself did not.
Discovery hire costs would be mega especially as it will clearly not be resolved overnight so the fastest and cheapest resolution would be to write off the car and pay you out.
drmike37 said:
I have told my insurers (LV) the sketchy details I know. Fully comp. I plan to call them again today for an update.
Is the other driver's insurance looking OK?LV handled the non-fault write off of daughter's car a couple of years ago. They took it away to be repaired and sent an Enterprise like-for-like hire car. Repairer said it'd be fixed then LV rang and left a message (daughter is a teacher so can't take calls during the day), said we've written it off, a cheque's in the post and we're coming for the hire car in two days.
They used the cheapest version of the car on Autotrader to value it - it was clearly wrongly priced and was 200 miles away. Their own standards say they should use cars within (I think) 50 miles. Bit of back and forth and they upped the value a bit, but still short of what I felt, even being harsh, the right value should be.
essayer said:
Sorry to hear. Strong cars, those Discos. Hope your wife takes it easy next few days and considers her mental health too - an awful thing to be involved in.
I think it is very unlikely you will get the car back. The investigation for this will probably be many months if not years. The Police will assist you in returning any possessions and the insurance company will pay out straightaway.
What investigation is required? If it can't be established within days or hours that the accident was caused by someone driving the wrong way down the A1, then it's hardly going to be resolved in a couple of years time.I think it is very unlikely you will get the car back. The investigation for this will probably be many months if not years. The Police will assist you in returning any possessions and the insurance company will pay out straightaway.
Glad Mrs is okay.
I'm assuming it was this one: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/tra...
I'm assuming it was this one: https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/local-news/tra...
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