Lorry Unloading/Parking
Author
Discussion

mrmaggit

Original Poster:

10,146 posts

266 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
One for the bib's, please.

We have just had an incident with one of our curtain-side lorries. The driver had undone the curtain to enable offloading with a lorry-mounted fork truck.

A driver passing the vehicle has hit the curtain, resulting in damage to his vehicle. The other driver is insisting that the curtain was blown into his vehicle (its a dead calm here at the moment), our driver is saying that he drove too close to the lorry.

Any ideas?

Thanks

tonyrec

3,984 posts

273 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
This is one of those strange situations.What you need more than anything is a witness.
Other than that,you can tell your Ins Co the full facts.
1) The fact that the wind wasnt blowing
2) The reach of the Curtain (into the road) when pulled out etc.
3) What sort of road is it? (is it a wide road or would the other driver have had to come close to your vehicle after not giving way to any oncoming vehicles)
4) Exact damage to his car. (does the damage concur to the damage to his vehicle).

You really need to have all the facts to hand, paint as full a picture as you can to your Ins Co.

As i said, these are very difficult situations especially when there are no witnesses. Sorry that i cant be much more help.

mrmaggit

Original Poster:

10,146 posts

266 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
No, that's fine, I appreciate the response. Thanks.

gh0st

4,693 posts

276 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
I suggest contacting the Met Office for weather archives for the day stating whether the wind was blowing or not. That may also help as its a form of proof.

puggit

49,233 posts

266 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
[devilsadvocate] Of course it may have been flapping in the disturbed air from another vehicle [devilsadvocate]

mrmaggit

Original Poster:

10,146 posts

266 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
gh0st said:
I suggest contacting the Met Office for weather archives for the day stating whether the wind was blowing or not. That may also help as its a form of proof.


It was this morning, went out in yard, no wind. That's calm in my book.

Flat in Fifth

47,132 posts

269 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
Had a furkle round one of our curtain siders this lunchtime, parked car next to it and then tried to see how close I had to be so that the buckle, at full extension of the strap could impact if the curtain flapped.

Without going into specifics anyone driving that close to a parked artic needs their bumps feeling. It was damn close!

Why not do the same experiment on your own vehicle? At least the curtain fixing method will be the same, and you know what sort of vehicle the complainant was driving so can probably find something similar.



mrmaggit

Original Poster:

10,146 posts

266 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
Sorry, missed a bit. The curtain had been undone, and the pole that tightens the sides was unhitched. This is what the other driver drove into, apparently smashing his windscreen.

His final comment appeared to be along the lines of "How much will you pay me not to call the Police?".

streaky

19,311 posts

267 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
mrmaggit said:
Sorry, missed a bit. The curtain had been undone, and the pole that tightens the sides was unhitched. This is what the other driver drove into, apparently smashing his windscreen.

His final comment appeared to be along the lines of "How much will you pay me not to call the Police?".
Perhaps yours should have been. "Wait there, I'll go and call them." - Streaky

tonyrec

3,984 posts

273 months

Wednesday 3rd March 2004
quotequote all
streaky said:


Perhaps yours should have been. "Wait there, I'll go and call them." - Streaky


OH