Involved in car accident today

murfilein

So today a woman randomly stopped her car in the road, which made me stop my car as well. I was just about to overtake her because she was only half on the lane, when she backed up her car and hit my car on the front left. Quite a lot of damage, but the car still drives fine.

I called the police and we exchanged information.

The policeman told me to get a quote and see if the woman would pay for it, and to take it to the insurance otherwise.

What should i do? I've never been involved in a car accident.

Should i call my insurance (allianz)? Do i call her insurance (quotedevil)?

If getting a quote first is better, where is the best place to go? I'm on cork city, living in Blackpool.

artanevilla

You should call your insurance to let them know you've been in an accident, even if it wasn't your fault.

beechwood55

Contact your insurance company. You may well find that you may be held liable because you hit her from behind.

biko

Ring your own insurer and give them the details for her company.
They will pursue it for you.

Allianz site has a page on what to do www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/claims/

murfilein

beechwood55 wrote: »

Contact your insurance company. You may well find that you may be held liable because you hit her from behind.

Even if my car wasn't moving at the time of impact?

biko wrote: »

Ring your own insurer and give them the details for her company.
They will pursue it for you.

Allianz site has a page on what to do www.allianz.ie/car-insurance/claims/

Thanks!

Canis Lupus

murfilein wrote: »

Even if my car wasn't moving at the time of impact?

Unless you can prove it....

Hopefully the other driver isn't a d1ck.

bazz26

Were there any independent witnesses?

It could be an attempted scam, she could claim you ran into the back of her.

Quandary

Make sure to have your versions of events recorded by your insurer. Did you take any photos, did you get the number of any witnesses?

I was involved in a similar incident in which the woman who hit me was completely at fault. She accepted responsibility immediately st the scene and was very upset about it. She told me to get a quote and she would arrange the repair of my car.

Long story short, when she got home she decided to deny responsibility and claimed she was getting her insurance company to investigate it to determine who was at fault. Needless to say I was livid considering I was completely without fault and she was now trying to weasel out of it.

If I hadn't taken photos and gotten the number of a nearby witness it would have been her word against mine and I would have most likely had to pay the full ?3500 myself.

I even helped her push her car in off the road, ran out into the middle of the road to drag her bumper in and offered to wait with her while the tow truck came.

When it comes money many people's morals go right out the window.

Best of luck with it OP.

5rtytry56

Quandary wrote: »

Make sure to have your versions of events recorded by your insurer.

^^do this asap OP

murfilein

5rtytry56 wrote: »

^^do this asap OP

I just called, but their offices are closed right now... I'll try again tomorrow morning, but i guess I'll have to wait until Monday.

AndyBoBandy

Also,

Invest in a dash cam.

Toots

murfilein wrote: »

I just called, but their offices are closed right now... I'll try again tomorrow morning, but i guess I'll have to wait until Monday.

There should be a 24 hour emergency number - I think it's 016133990

biko

The names, contact details and vehicle details of all party's involved.

You'd think a big company like Allianz would hire people to spellcheck their content.

beauf

Hopefully it wasnt a deliberate scam.

murfilein

beauf wrote: »

Hopefully it wasnt a deliberate scam.

i made one mistake: the woman admitted her fault in front of the police officer.

i should have written down the contact information/name of the officer and asked about a copy of his report that stated that she admitted her fault

ironclaw

murfilein wrote: »

i made one mistake: the woman admitted her fault in front of the police officer.

i should have written down the contact information/name of the officer and asked about a copy of his report that stated that she admitted her fault

Admission of fault doesn't absolve you or implicate her. Someone can be easily cohersed into a confession or admission on the roadside, and this is usually dismissed in any subsequent findings as people are usually in a high stress situation and make statements any which way. Basically, it means nothing unless you get something on paper or through your insurers accepting liability based on the facts of the case and evidence.

I feel for you though, I was sitting in a car park yesterday and was waiting someone to leave their space ahead of me. I was a good 20s waiting behind them and they still almost took my whole front off when they just slapped it into reverse, then got thick when I blew the horn to warn them..

murfilein

so i just called my insurance.

they asked me if i want to claim through my policy or through 3rd party?! wasnt sure what to choose. she said that if i do it through my own policy, my premiums may go up. what the hell?! but she also said that if it is decided in my favor i will be refunded the premium raise.

i have a crash repair shop close to me they say that they take care of all insurance stuff as well. they say on their website "We have experience in dealing with all major insurance companies and can handle the appropriate paperwork on your behalf."

should i go with them? i dont want to do anything wrong so i'd appreciate someone helping me in that regard.

i gave my insurance all my information and the womans information and made clear that it was her fault and what police station the policeman came from.

biko

You pay your insurer a lot of money each year.
If there is something you don't understand ring them again until they have explained everything to your satisfaction.

This stuff in new to you so don't be worried that it doesn't make sense right now. Keep asking until it all makes sense.

beauf

I'm open to correction but I don't think roadside admission to a Garda doesn't count for insurance. Though it will help.

biko

Roadside admission is pretty worthless as it can be explained away with the stress of the situation/minor concussion/something else.

Insurance companies always say to not admit liability anyway, just to make things easier for themselves.

I'm sorry to say but they are not your friends, and they have their own interests at heart before yours.

Canis Lupus

murfilein wrote: »

so i just called my insurance.

they asked me if i want to claim through my policy or through 3rd party?! wasnt sure what to choose. she said that if i do it through my own policy, my premiums may go up. what the hell?! but she also said that if it is decided in my favor i will be refunded the premium raise.

i have a crash repair shop close to me they say that they take care of all insurance stuff as well. they say on their website "We have experience in dealing with all major insurance companies and can handle the appropriate paperwork on your behalf."

should i go with them? i dont want to do anything wrong so i'd appreciate someone helping me in that regard.

i gave my insurance all my information and the womans information and made clear that it was her fault and what police station the policeman came from.

Are you sure they didn't say claim off the other person as a 3rd party. I had my first real accident here in Australia when I got rear ended. My insurance gave the impression that if I claimed through them they'd not likely be chasing the other party but they couldn't make any guarantees that it wouldn't​ affect my premiums...

The alternative was to call the other person's​ insurance and claim that way which I did and it was fairly painless.

Cordell

and they have their own interests at heart before yours

Indeed. I have realized that when in a rental there was an accident pack clearly marked as so, which was not a medkit as I naively expected. It was a pack with a disposable camera and some forms and a checklist.

murfilein

one thing that came to my mind: when i called the police and told them where i am, the guy on the phone asked "are in you in the micra?". and i drive a micra.

i didnt think of it at the time. but now i'm thinking - maybe there are cameras through which he saw me? maybe the accident is recorded somewhere with the police?

beauf

murfilein wrote: »

..., my premiums may go up. what the hell?! but she also said that if it is decided in my favor i will be refunded the premium raise....

Don't believe that. I had that before, no claim was made and I got the case closed after 2yrs. (after allsorts of shady going on by the other party) Then they wouldn't refund the increased premium.

murfilein

beauf wrote: »

Don't believe that. I had that before, no claim was made and I got the case closed after 2yrs. (after allsorts of shady going on by the other party) Then they wouldn't refund the increased premium.

is it a good idea to call the other parties insurance and tell them about it and claim with them?

beauf

I would just claim off the other insurance. If someone was going to pay for it out of their own insurance, they would most likely already have told you that. You could ring them as ask.

ironclaw

murfilein wrote: »

one thing that came to my mind: when i called the police and told them where i am, the guy on the phone asked "are in you in the micra?". and i drive a micra.

i didnt think of it at the time. but now i'm thinking - maybe there are cameras through which he saw me? maybe the accident is recorded somewhere with the police?

You keep using the term 'police', without sounding xenophobic, are you based in Ireland or from Ireland? Ireland has a very 'unique' insurance industry and likewise, our laws differ. I'd suggest you get your moneys worth from your insurer and ring them (As suggested a few posts back), go through all the details and make sure you are clear on your liabilities and likewise your rights, including the overall process

As regards the cameras, could be a coincidence of another accident in a similar location that was also crossing the desk at the time. That said, I would wander back and have a good look around at the houses and businesses in the area. There is a fairly high chance, if its in a commercial area, that CCTV may have seen the accident. But do this today, CCTV is not held for very long and has a shelf life. If you feel there is a camera that may have seen something, note it and ask the owner to review the footage. They don't have to nor give it to you, but if they say the accident is on the tape, you can ask the Gardai to request it. Data Protection in Ireland is a minefield, the faster you act here the better.

Speaking of which, where was the accident? Someone may know someone who was passing the area who may have a dashcam of the accident.

begbysback

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Unless you can prove it....

Hopefully the other driver isn't a d1ck.

I'd drop it into conversation about the dash cam in your car, even if it doesn't really exist - just to be sure

A little dishonest, but hey that's just me

murfilein

ironclaw wrote: »

You keep using the term 'police', without sounding xenophobic, are you based in Ireland or from Ireland? Ireland has a very 'unique' insurance industry and likewise, our laws differ. I'd suggest you get your moneys worth from your insurer and ring them (As suggested a few posts back), go through all the details and make sure you are clear on your liabilities and likewise your rights, including the overall process

As regards the cameras, could be a coincidence of another accident in a similar location that was also crossing the desk at the time. That said, I would wander back and have a good look around at the houses and businesses in the area. There is a fairly high chance, if its in a commercial area, that CCTV may have seen the accident. But do this today, CCTV is not held for very long and has a shelf life. If you feel there is a camera that may have seen something, note it and ask the owner to review the footage. They don't have to nor give it to you, but if they say the accident is on the tape, you can ask the Gardai to request it. Data Protection in Ireland is a minefield, the faster you act here the better.

Speaking of which, where was the accident? Someone may know someone who was passing the area who may have a dashcam of the accident.

it was in cork city center, the road northwards between the merchants quay shopping center and the bus eirann main bus station. just where the extra lane on the left starts that goes up the car park of the shopping center.

grogi

murfilein wrote: »

it was in cork city center, the road northwards between the merchants quay shopping center and the bus eirann main bus station. just where the extra lane on the left starts that goes up the car park of the shopping center.

Parnell Pl?! There are cameras all around there...

Get there today, talk to the staff the the bus station - not to release the recording, but just to secure it.

ironclaw

begbysback wrote: »

I'd drop it into conversation about the dash cam in your car, even if it doesn't really exist - just to be sure

A little dishonest, but hey that's just me

If a statement such as that is made and subsequently found to be false, your entirely credibility is undermined. Good luck if you go to court with that against you.

RWD

If claiming through the other parties insurance,you have the choice of getting your car repaired wherever you want,I'd recommend Cronin Crash repairs in Mayfield or Harringtons on Tramore road for a quote,hope you get sorted

murfilein

RWD wrote: »

If claiming through the other parties insurance,you have the choice of getting your car repaired wherever you want,I'd recommend Cronin Crash repairs in Mayfield or Harringtons on Tramore road for a quote,hope you get sorted

alright thanks.

i called my insurance a couple hour earlier and they said they will contact me in that regard and tell me what options i have now. still waiting for the call.

begbysback

ironclaw wrote: »

If a statement such as that is made and subsequently found to be false, your entirely credibility is undermined. Good luck if you go to court with that against you.

Sounds good, but not actually true, same as if you admit it was your fault at the scene of an accident and retract in court then it doesn't hold up.

Admit to the other party that is.

ironclaw

begbysback wrote: »

Sounds good, but not actually true, same as if you admit it was your fault at the scene of an accident and retract in court then it doesn't hold up.

Admit to the other party that is.

Emmm.. Admitting your liability at the roadside could be explained away as stress, cohersed or otherwise an output of a stressful event. You either have a dashcam or you don't. Its clear cut. Now, granted you may have one and it wasn't recording, but again, you'd likely be asked (Having admitted you had one) to supply the evidence or evidence it wasn't recording. A clever person will only admit to a dashcam if the video itself clears them of any liability.

If you don't have a dashcam, and you say you do, then your clever legal type will use that to paint you as an unreliable source. In lieu of any witnesses or evidence, you've undermined your own position for zero gain and made look like a right Walter Mitty. It would be the same as putting a gun shaped hand under your jacket and squaring up to the bank robber. You'd want to be sure they don't call your bluff.

begbysback

Fair point, but given the scenario, someone has reversed into you, there are no witnesses, no cc tv, and they say they didn't reverse into you, that you rear ended them, then the game gets a little dirty - it's bluff, or lose

ironclaw

begbysback wrote: »

Fair point, but given the scenario, someone has reversed into you, there are no witnesses, no cc tv, and they say they didn't reverse into you, that you rear ended them, then the game gets a little dirty - it's bluff, or lose

Except, no one can prove who hit who, but someone can clearly prove you don't have the dashcam you said you did, casting doubt on your overall claim even if you were being truthful of not hitting the other car. You are playing into the hand of someone who is being dishonest, you're aiding their case.

This video is well worth watching in relation to how investigations, criminal or otherwise, take place. Its not only applicable to America. I'm not anti cop or a legal eagle, but its a brilliant expose of how something you say, however small, can be used against you. I'd strongly suggest everyone watch it, you'll learn something.

grogi

ironclaw wrote: »

Except, no one can prove who hit who, but someone can clearly prove you don't have the dashcam you said you did

Did I say I had dash cam? I did not... Again my word against theirs.

begbysback

grogi wrote: »

Did I say I had dash cam? I did not... Again my word against theirs.

It was hypothetical based on the premise that the other person denies they reversed into the innocent party.

And I still hold that even if the innocent party went to court and stated that they lied about the dash cam in an attempt to prevent false claim it wouldn't look any worse than the situation already is, that of one car with rear damage, and one with front damage - one word against the other, sorry but imo car behind is always held accountable

grogi

begbysback wrote: »

It was hypothetical based on the premise that the other person denies they reversed into the innocent party.

And I still hold that even if the innocent party went to court and stated that they lied about the dash cam in an attempt to prevent false claim it wouldn't look any worse than the situation already is, that of one car with rear damage, and one with front damage - one word against the other, sorry but imo car behind is always held accountable

Absolutely. IMHO it is worth bluffing, one have very little to loose.

ironclaw

grogi wrote: »

Did I say I had dash cam? I did not... Again my word against theirs.

Very true, and no argument, but again, watch the video I linked. You are assuming, when you make that statement about a dashcam, that you have all the facts. What if, lets say, a week later it becomes the case that someone did overhear you say it? Someone stood behind you that you didn't see and make a statement to the Gardai to that effect? What if the other person started recording the conversation, unknown to you or overlooked by you in the heat of the moment? What if the other person has a dashcam within listening distance that you don't see and they don't mention?

Whats to gain by saying you have a dash cam when you don't? A confident scammer will still go through with the risk given the shambles we have for a legal and insurance industry in Ireland. They literally have nothing to loose, maybe a smack on the wrist. You, the upstanding citizen however, have everything to loose as you prove yourself into the hands of the other party that you are capable of lying. Their insurance company will clean you out, as will your own.

Too high stakes to bluff in my opinion. It has no up side.

murfilein

*sigh*

i'm going to the bus station (and possibly the garda) today to request any recording that may exist of that.

lets see how that turns out...

Muppet Man

good video to be honest... your man is like Saul Goodman...

murfilein

so an update

i send the quotes (2, they insisted on 3, but i have better things to do than to run around getting quotes), they said they cant pay and it has to go through the insurance. i dont care, i called their insurance and filed a claim.

now their insurance (prestige underwriting services ltd, in northern ireland) says they cant get their client on the phone, and until their client files a claim they cant do anything and it may take several months until something happens.

how is this acceptable?

i called just now and they said one of their technicians or someone will call me to arrange an inspection of the car to get an estimate themselves.

is this how it works?

i mean, what do i care if they cant get their client on the phone? i want my money. and my car is broken. they admitted liability, which is recorded in the garda report. there is surely cctv footage from around.

bazz26

Get onto a solicitor who is experienced in dealing with these sort of things. The insurance company will get their finger out very fast once they know there is a daily bill running up for your solicitor's time and car rental, etc. It's not your problem they cannot contact their client.

Patrick2010

murfilein wrote: »

so an update

i send the quotes (2, they insisted on 3, but i have better things to do than to run around getting quotes), they said they cant pay and it has to go through the insurance. i dont care, i called their insurance and filed a claim.

now their insurance (prestige underwriting services ltd, in northern ireland) says they cant get their client on the phone, and until their client files a claim they cant do anything and it may take several months until something happens.

how is this acceptable?

i called just now and they said one of their technicians or someone will call me to arrange an inspection of the car to get an estimate themselves.

is this how it works?

i mean, what do i care if they cant get their client on the phone? i want my money. and my car is broken. they admitted liability, which is recorded in the garda report. there is surely cctv footage from around.

Oh this rings a bell!
Came back to my car after a football match a few years ago to see that after I had parked my car someone had managed to squeeze in front of me, parking on a speed ramp.
As I approached I saw him reverse into my bumper and could hear the crunch as it cracked.
He continued to maneuver out despite me alerting that he just cracked my bumper and parked accross the road.
He came back over , examined my car and declared "thats old damage, I didn't do that, I'm getting the guards".
Have to see I was gobsmacked at his hard neck. Guards eventually came, took statements and we swopped details.
I rang his insurance company the following day to be told that policy number didn't match the car. Delighted with this news I rang hard neck and he said it was a mixup, it was his wifes disc he put in by accident.
Went on to add that there was no point in me claiming as he had witnesses to say he didn't hit me.
Long story short this went on for 5 months. Every time I rang the insurance company (it was the same for both of us) I was told that they'd sent out report forms to him but haven't received them yet.
I finally lost it and played the "I'm ringing Joe" card.
I said are you saying that all someone has to do to stop a claim is just to not reply?. Got a callback within the hour.
They'd spoken to hard neck who gave them his witnesses name, same surname coincidentally
Eventually got a cheque for 250, not great result but at least he had a claim against him.

murfilein

Patrick2010 wrote: »

I finally lost it and played the "I'm ringing Joe" card.

can you elaborate on that? i'm not irish so i'm not sure what exactly you mean by that

i did say that to the agent who received my call that its not really my problem that they cant reach their client, also that they dont reply to them or didnt file a claim screams "im dodging them because i know its my fault". didnt help, guy said they would have to wait until they retrieve the form back they send out or get a call from them...

Patrick2010

murfilein wrote: »

can you elaborate on that? i'm not irish so i'm not sure what exactly you mean by that

i did say that to the agent who received my call that its not really my problem that they cant reach their client, also that they dont reply to them or didnt file a claim screams "im dodging them because i know its my fault". didnt help, guy said they would have to wait until they retrieve the form back they send out or get a call from them...

Joe Duffy on the liveline

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057742754