Accidently left the scene of a minor accident

Jedi_Archivist

Just to firstly state, i am 100% in the wrong here and am in now way trying to shift blame.
This happened this morning as I was heading to work. I live in a rural area and was running late. As I came to the cross road, a large bin lorry started turning up towards me, the driver didn't see me at first and was turning wide. So he had to reverse to allow me out.
I was going straight through the cross anyway, so in a moment of pure stupidity, I drove out around the back of the truck and kept going. I remember the guy on the back looking as I passed.
It was only when I got to my destination that I saw the scratch/dent. I had clipped some part of the truck that was sticking out and it tore my paintwork down to the metal. I honestly never felt/heard anything at the time.
And now I don't know what to do next. I know this company, they are the people that collect my bins. And they surely would have gotten my details. Do I contact them, to see if there was damage to their truck? I am fully intending on repairing my car myself, it was entirely my own doing. I am in no way trying shake liability, but I'm very upset and panicked in case I have the guards at my door! Which is deserved.
Anyone know what the best thing would be for me to do? Thanks

Stanford

My advice is to contact them and try to work things out, if you intend to put your own repair costs through your Insurer you are obliged to notify them also, it is an offence to leave the scene of an accident without exchanging insurance details but once you do this, there is no obligation to call the Gardai if its just a fender bender, do the decent thing and find them before they find you, remember the truck crew have to report the damage to their Employer

Fracture

If you did damage to the lorry they will get on to you, they obviously know who you are. I would contact them and just explain what happened. No one got hurt and no serious damage done. In all likely hood you probably only damaged your own car, but you never know. Just tell them you didnt hear or notice anything happening at the time and that when you seen the damage to your own car, you connected the dots. I'm sure they will be happy that you contacted them.

yoke

If it really was just a scratch on your car, I doubt there was any damage to the bin truck.

It all boils down to whether it is believable that you didn't notice hitting the truck as you drove on, or not, based on the scrape on your car.

if it is believable then I doubt you have anything to worry about.

I wouldn't bother contacting the bin company unless you actually believe you damaged the bin truck, it's far too likely to just result in a couple of "whiplash" claims by anyone sitting in the truck.

[edit] That said, if you do honestly believe you have probably damaged the truck enough for there to be an issue of compensation, then you should contact them rather than have them contact you or go through the gardai

Jedi_Archivist

yoke wrote: »

If it really was just a scratch on your car, I doubt there was any damage to the bin truck.

It all boils down to whether it is believable that you didn't notice hitting the truck as you drove on, or not, based on the scrape on your car.

if it is believable then I doubt you have anything to worry about.

I wouldn't bother contacting the bin company unless you actually believe you damaged the bin truck, it's far too likely to just result in a couple of "whiplash" claims by anyone sitting in the truck.

I should just clarify for people; when I hit the lorry I definitely didn't feel any impact. There probably was a noise, but I'm partly deaf and had the radio on a loud volume as a result. So I couldn't have heard it.

Fracture

Jedi_Archivist wrote: »

I should just clarify for people; when I hit the lorry I definitely didn't feel any impact. There probably was a noise, but I'm partly deaf and had the radio on a loud volume as a result. So I couldn't have heard it.

excuses excuses :P

yoke

Jedi_Archivist wrote: »

I should just clarify for people; when I hit the lorry I definitely didn't feel any impact. There probably was a noise, but I'm partly deaf and had the radio on a loud volume as a result. So I couldn't have heard it.

I would think that you would have felt the bump if it was going to damage the back of a bin truck!

_ZeeK_

Jedi_Archivist wrote: »

I should just clarify for people; when I hit the lorry I definitely didn't feel any impact. There probably was a noise, but I'm partly deaf and had the radio on a loud volume as a result. So I couldn't have heard it.

Metal on metal is very loud.

If you couldn't hear that, can I first suggest you turn down your radio. Secondly, maybe you could seek some medical assistance with your hearing - a hearing aid perhaps?

What if it was a child's leg you ran over and heard nothing?

seamus

Yeah, I'd just get in touch with the company and explain that you didn't even notice the damage to your vehicle until you got to work. I wouldn't get too worked up about it, the Gardai aren't going to prosecute you.

It's unlikely you did any damage to the truck tbh. The lads probably had a bit of a chuckle about the fecking eejit who wrecked his car trying to get past.

yoke

_ZeeK_ wrote: »

What if it was a child's leg you ran over and heard nothing?

So what you're basically asking is, "what if the bin truck was actually a child"?

Or is it "What if the bin truck had already ran over a child, and it's leg was sticking out from under the truck, and then you went over it"?

Fracture

_ZeeK_ wrote: »

Metal on metal is very loud.

If you couldn't hear that, can I first suggest you turn down your radio. Secondly, maybe you could seek some medical assistance with your hearing - a hearing aid perhaps?

What if it was a child's leg you ran over and heard nothing?

What if'ery,

metal on metal doesn't have to be loud. you can easily scrape your car and not hear a thing.

If he ran over a childs leg and heard nothing then he ran over a childs leg and heard nothing, but that didn't happen, you can have the best hearing in the world and still run over a childs leg and drive on because you didnt notice or hear a thing.
There is also a massive difference in turning hard and scraping your car and running over a childs leg.

TheBoyConor

You're car is highly unlikely to have damaged the truck. The back end of a rubbish truck would be very robustly constructed. You could probably drive your car into the back of if at 40-50km/hr and completely write off your car but the truck would probably have little or no damage save for some scratched paint, which isn't of any importance on a truck anyway.

10pennymixup

TheBoyConor wrote: »

You're car is highly unlikely to have damaged the truck. The back end of a rubbish truck would be very robustly constructed. You could probably drive your car into the back of if at 40-50km/hr and completely write off your car but the truck would probably have little or no damage save for some scratched paint, which isn't of any importance on a truck anyway.

I get your initial point but I'd like to think that paint scratches on a truck are of importance.

The OP recognized the owner because of the trucks livery. The paint on the truck cost money to be put there in the first place, quite a bit in some cases. While on the truck it prevents rust and the overall paint job represents the company. To the owner of the truck. a bit of paint is important.

To the driver it's important also as he/ she is the one who has to explain it to the boss and be believed by the boss. People have lost their jobs over "some scratched paint"

seamus

10pennymixup wrote: »

I get your initial point but I'd like to think that paint scratches on a truck are of importance.

The OP recognized the owner because of the trucks livery. The paint on the truck cost money to be put there in the first place, quite a bit in some cases. While on the truck it prevents rust and the overall paint job represents the company. To the owner of the truck. a bit of paint is important.

To the driver it's important also as he/ she is the one who has to explain it to the boss and be believed by the boss. People have lost their jobs over "some scratched paint"

I can guarantee you the edges and sticky-out bits of any bin lorry will have no paint on them half an hour after leaving the depot. The driver won't be explaining anything to his boss.

I would still get in contact with the company, but they really won't care.

daheff

can you post up a picture of the damage to your car?


and are you 100% sure it was the bin truck that did the damage (not something else & you only noticed now)?


Also if you are hard of hearing please turn down/off the radio so you can concentrate better on the road around you (or get a hearing aid if that solves the issue).

10pennymixup

seamus wrote: »

I can guarantee you the edges and sticky-out bits of any bin lorry will have no paint on them half an hour after leaving the depot. The driver won't be explaining anything to his boss.

I would still get in contact with the company, but they really won't care.

I'd love a boss like you, drive a company vehicle that costs the boss thousands to paint into anything I want and never have to answer for it and never have my driving skills questioned.

TheBoyConor

We're not talking about the cosmetic paint on the cab. We're talking the paint on the " business end" of the truck where the bins go because that is where u said u hit.
No-one cares about the paint on that end. As said above, that paint has bins hopping against it all day every day and usually a lot of it is worn off and scratched up within weeks of the truck coming into service. It's normal and expected. This paint work isn't too anywhere near the same standard of workmanship that's used in the panels of the cab or on a car body. It's a completely different application - it's machine paint.

You are over analysing this. It's a non issue.

listermint

10pennymixup wrote: »

I'd love a boss like you, drive a company vehicle that costs the boss thousands to paint into anything I want and never have to answer for it and never have my driving skills questioned.

have you been around a bin lorry before ?

Ever ??

Fracture

10pennymixup wrote: »

I'd love a boss like you, drive a company vehicle that costs the boss thousands to paint into anything I want and never have to answer for it and never have my driving skills questioned.

It's the business end of a bin lorry, it gets abuse all day long. Its not a well painted panel on a new volkswagon. The back of those bin lorrys are built to withstand abuse. Would you also complain about the paint getting scratched in the bucket of a digger?

10pennymixup

I think that you might be just jumping the gun a bit there folks. Unless you three were all witnesses to the OP's accident and know exactly where the point of impact was.

TheBoyConor wrote: »

We're not talking about the cosmetic paint on the cab. We're talking the paint on the " business end" of the truck where the bins go because that is where u said u hit.
No-one cares about the paint on that end. As said above, that paint has bins hopping against it all day every day and usually a lot of it is worn off and scratched up within weeks of the truck coming into service. It's normal and expected. This paint work isn't too anywhere near the same standard of workmanship that's used in the panels of the cab or on a car body. It's a completely different application - it's machine paint.

You are over analysing this. It's a non issue.

Op said they didn't know if they even hit the truck, they are assuming it. How come you're so sure it's the "business end".
I spoke of the livery, not machine paint. No cab is painted in machine paint.
And I never hit anything, I'm not the OP, you're mixing up the posts.

listermint wrote: »

have you been around a bin lorry before ?

Ever ??

Have you ever been around the front end of one? Or the sides?

Ever??

Fracture wrote: »

It's the business end of a bin lorry, it gets abuse all day long. Its not a well painted panel on a new volkswagon. The back of those bin lorrys are built to withstand abuse. Would you also complain about the paint getting scratched in the bucket of a digger?

No one said the back end, it was just as likely the sides or even the front. And on some trucks that could cost more than a VW panel. Your digger bucket analogy doesn't hold.

Also I didn't reply to the OP's post. I replied to another post that said scratched paint is of no importance and mentioned livery. If paint was scratched it must have been there in the first place to be scratched, ergo, not the unpainted back end that receives the abuse.

If you want to argue that if paint is missing off a place on a vehicle, a place where someone decided was a good place to paint and paid well to get the job done, is of no importance, then maybe some one could suggest a more appropriate forum than legal discussion. Motors?

ebbsy

I would wait and see if anything happens first.

You might get away with it.

BorneTobyWilde

Damage the back end of a bin lorry lol . Can't get much rougher than it already is, I'd say they are the ones worried you'll claim off of them. Just move on, they won't wish to hear from you that's for sure.

tom_k

One thing is certain, the driver and personnel on/in the bin lorry have already filled an incident report with their office. This would be in their interest in case the OP was to contact the company saying that the bin lorry reversed into him.

This report may be handled in several ways the most likely of which will be (a) sit on the report and await contact from OP or (b) inform garda that an incident occurred where a vehicle made contact with bin lorry, caused no damage and continued on their way. Guards will decide how they want to handle it.

In any case unless the OP was driving a large tractor or truck, there will be little damage done to the rear of the truck unless she collided with the lifting equipment. If that had happened and driver fled once guards were informed there would be a knock on the door within a short time.

coylemj

I scraped a bin truck and didn't notice until later.

Q. Am I in serious trouble. Will the cops break down my door and arrest me?

A. No and no.

Bin trucks are made to take punishment, they have wheelie bins crashing into them every day of the week. Trying to see where you impacted the truck will be impossible because it's probably covered in dinges and scrapes.

paleoperson

10pennymixup wrote: »

No one said the back end, it was just as likely the sides or even the front.

You may not have replied to the OP's post, but did you read it? He clearly stated he went around the back of the truck as it was turning. Was what you got out of it "Hey guys I hit a bin truck"? Not only that but it was some bit sticking out of the back side of the truck that only just scraped the car. lol.

OP do not say anything, I hope you learned your lesson and act a lot less dangerously in future.

dense

coylemj wrote: »

I scraped a bin truck and didn't notice until later.

Q. Am I in serious trouble. Will the cops break down my door and arrest me?

A. No and no.

Bin trucks are made to take punishment, they have wheelie bins crashing into them every day of the week. Trying to see where you impacted the truck will be impossible because it's probably covered in dinges and scrapes.

The back end of a bin lorry is the business end, so if a hydraulic hose or a lift weight sensor was damaged it could mean the truck being taken out of service until repaired.



Cost of repair, replacement vehicle, lost revenue etc. Could add up.



Depends what part the OP hit or thinks they hit.......

Eggs For Dinner

The fleet manager will want to account for every scrape on their vehicle, especially bin lorries. It's not because they want to keep the business end in pristine condition, but you would not believe the number of claims that come in from people alleging a truck hit their parked car on narrow roads etc.

coylemj

dense wrote: »

The back end of a bin lorry is the business end, so if a hydraulic hose or a lift weight sensor was damaged it could mean the truck being taken out of service until repaired.

There is no vulnerable piece of equipment on a bin truck at the level where a car could damage it. Anything at that level is being thumped by wheelie bins on a daily basis.

Next time you see a bin truck with a lift weight sensor sticking out, please take a photo and post it here.

NUTLEY BOY

I am not familiar with the mechanics of bin lorries but I have noticed that they seem to have CCTV. So, there might be a chance that this incident was actually recorded.

To keep in the right OP should contact his own insurers as obliged to do (under statute and under contract). Take their advice as to what to do. Remember that it is actually a breach of policy conditions to go negotiating with other parties without consent of the insurer.

10pennymixup

paleoperson wrote: »

You may not have replied to the OP's post, but did you read it? He clearly stated he went around the back of the truck as it was turning. Was what you got out of it "Hey guys I hit a bin truck"? Not only that but it was some bit sticking out of the back side of the truck that only just scraped the car. lol.

OP do not say anything, I hope you learned your lesson and act a lot less dangerously in future.

As I said I didn't reply to the OP post

But since you ask, how aboutypu read it again yourself, and then show where the OP said he/ she hit the truck. Not where they drove their car, but where they hit the truck.

You won't be able to. The Op themselves has mentioned more than once that they didn't know at the time that they even hit the truck, using protestations of partial deafness, loud radio etc.

If they didn't know they hit the truck, how can they know where the point of impact was, never mind how do you know where it was.

osarusan

10pennymixup wrote: »

If they didn't know they hit the truck, how can they know where the point of impact was, never mind how do you know where it was.

Seems fairly obvious that as they drove round the back of the truck, it seems extraordinarily likely that the place they made contact was at the back of the stuck, and not 'just as likely' the front.


I don't really get what point you think you are making.



OP, if you did some damage to the truck that they need to repair, they'll come looking for you. Otherwise, they probably won't. As mentioned, the back of a bin truck is going to be covered with superficial scratches and the like.

nuac

Mod
Jedi Archivist seems satisfied that (s)he contacted the truck - refers to marks on JA's car.
Therefore accepting that there was contact between the two vehicles, can we just discuss issues arising from that?

coylemj

BattleCorp wrote: »

How do you know you hit the truck if you didn't hear or see anything? Is it possible that the scratch on your car occurred somewhere else?

The mods have have spoken ex cathedra and declared that a collision between the OP's car and the truck did happen. See the post above yours.

So it would be boardies heresy to speculate otherwise.

BattleCorp

coylemj wrote: »

The mods have have declared ex cathedra that a collision between the OP and the truck did happen.

So it would be boardies heresy to speculate otherwise.

Fair enough. I deleted my post.