Windscreen damaged...not my responsibility surely.

lpryanm

I was driving in Limerick yesterday and a car which I noticed had been driving pretty erratically came up behind me blowing his horn flagging me down. I pulled in on the side of a busy road out of the way and he pulled in behind me. When I went back to see what was up the guy was saying that something had fallen from my car and hit his windscreen cracking it. I had no way of knowing if this was true and didn't show any sign that I was going to take responsibility. The guys friend in the car said it happened at a round about. I had just passed through three roundabouts and I had actually first noticed this car driving erratically before these when he swerved onto the exit ramp of a dual carraigeway at the last moment.
Maybe something fell from the car, I don't know, I don't see anything as being obviously missing, maybe it was something that flew up from a tyre as I drove over it or maybe the guy was chancing his arm trying to get some cash out of me then and there. He backed down after I didn't give in to being responsible.
If it was something that had obviously fallen from my car and done damage then I would have let the insurance company sort it out.

If my windscreen got damaged I've windscreen cover and if I didn't I'd expect to be paying for it myself unless as I said it was obvious someone else was very responsible....which it wasn't from my point of view at least in this case.
What do ye think?

B00MSTICK

Not your responsibility, if he didn't opt for windscreen cover that's his problem.

Although if someone was driving erratically and flagging me down I don't think I'd stop unless he had blue lights.

Max Power1

lpryanm wrote: »

I was driving in Limerick yesterday and a car which I noticed had been driving pretty erratically came up behind me blowing his horn flagging me down. I pulled in on the side of a busy road out of the way and he pulled in behind me. When I went back to see what was up the guy was saying that something had fallen from my car and hit his windscreen cracking it. I had no way of knowing if this was true and didn't show any sign that I was going to take responsibility. The guys friend in the car said it happened at a round about. I had just passed through three roundabouts and I had actually first noticed this car driving erratically before these when he swerved onto the exit ramp of a dual carraigeway at the last moment.
Maybe something fell from the car, I don't know, I don't see anything as being obviously missing, maybe it was something that flew up from a tyre as I drove over it or maybe the guy was chancing his arm trying to get some cash out of me then and there. He backed down after I didn't give in to being responsible.
If it was something that had obviously fallen from my car and done damage then I would have let the insurance company sort it out.

If my windscreen got damaged I've windscreen cover and if I didn't I'd expect to be paying for it myself unless as I said it was obvious someone else was very responsible....which it wasn't from my point of view at least in this case.
What do ye think?

I've highlighted your first mistake - shouldnt have stopped. There was no accident and (presuming the other party was not a member of AGS etc) you were under no obligation to stop.

IMO not your responsibility anyway - although I'll let others elaborate as Ive no legal basis for my opinion

2 Espressi

He sounds like a chancer, I'd run a mile...

Max Power1

2 Espressi wrote: »

He sounds like a chancer, I'd run a mile...

+1

@OP I hope you didnt give any details to the other party btw?

KamiKazi

If I saw someone behind me flashing and no blue lights on I'd be giving it a fistful of throttle and getting the fvck outta there.

langdang

lpryanm wrote: »

I was driving in Limerick yesterday and a car which I noticed had been driving pretty erratically came up behind me blowing his horn flagging me down. I pulled in on the side of a busy road out of the way and he pulled in behind me.

No way I'd pull over in this situation! I don't think there's anything that would "fall off" a car that would bounce up and hit another cars windscreen. (might happen off a trucks load all right but hardly from a car?)

PCPhoto

you cannot be held responsible for "loose chippings" - these generally get kicked up by tyres and hit traffic behind them.... sometimes causing a chip - very unlikely to cause a crack.

either way - if he wants someone to blame - tell him to blame the council and claim there was no "loose chippings" sign - ignore the guy and if he persists on contacting you - refer him to the gardai.

doubtfir3

At a guess I'd say its pretty certain that its Childers Road.

OP afaik in cases like this its generally advised that you drive to the nearest garda station - if an unmarked car is pulling you over and you don't see lights then you can clear it up at the station, if its someone who's chancing his arm or intends to rob you/hijack car etc etc.. then they're not going to follow you into the station.

Problem solved.

lpryanm

It happened near the Cresent Shopping Center in Limerick, I was coming in from the dual carriageway.

I didn't give him any details so he won't be contacting me again. Hopefully I don't meet him anytime soon or that he doesn't see my car parked anywhere and decide to take it out on my car.

I stopped although my first though was not to, he drove in the wrong lane on the outside of me blowing his horn on the way round... It was a busy road, I don't think I would have stopped if it was quieter.


While I was talking to him another car stopped in front of me and the driver came back to me...I thought they new each other first of all...but it was just someone looking for directions which I gave him.....phew my girlfriend was having a panic attack in the car at that stage....well she was getting a little worried anyway about what was going on....

-Chris-

langdang wrote: »

I'd say a stone flew up and hit him. Although the Limerick natives do have a penchant for lobbing rocks at cars - did this happen somewhere near Childers Road by any chance? Anyone driving around Limerick without windscreen cover is very naive!

Unnecessary generalisations, no more thanks.

langdang

lpryanm wrote: »

It happened near the Cresent Shopping Center in Limerick, I was coming in from the dual carriageway.

I'd say he was a pure chancer, you couldn't have been doing much speed near any of those roundabouts, doubt you'd throw up a stone with enough force to chip a windscreen.

-Chris-, fixed now

-Chris-

langdang wrote: »

I'd say he was a pure chancer, you couldn't have been doing much speed near any of those roundabouts, doubt you'd throw up a stone with enough force to chip a windscreen.

-Chris- unfortunately I'm talking from experience. Check out the Limerick City forum for the regular "stone throwers are at it again" updates from other people. Childers Road area is known for it.

Well, I'm asking you to stop please.

bazz26

langdang wrote: »

No way I'd pull over in this situation, especially in Limerick! I don't think there's anything that would "fall off" a car that would bounce up and hit another cars windscreen. (might happen off a trucks load all right but hardly from a car?)
I'd say a stone flew up and hit him. Although the Limerick natives do have a penchant for lobbing rocks at cars - did this happen somewhere near Childers Road by any chance? Anyone driving around Limerick without windscreen cover is very naive!

God above, that is some amount of ill informed nonsense. :rolleyes:

I have never had my windscreen put in by flying rocks as you describe and I have lived in Limerick all my life, I've even dared faith and ran the risk of not having windscreen cover in the past but maybe I've just been extermly lucky or extra brave. In fact the closest encounter I had to this was when a stone luckily bounced off my windscreen that was thrown by a buch of little scuts from a nearby housing estate close to the M50 but I'm sure they were probably just up from Limerick visting for the day. :rolleyes:

Some people should really stop believing everything they read in the Sindo.

Now back on topic.

-Chris-

bazz26 wrote: »

God above, that is some amount of ill informed nonsense. :rolleyes:

...

Now back on topic.

Thanks for the back-seat modding, I'm not sure if he got my point... :rolleyes:

Raiser

bazz26 wrote: »

God above, that is some amount of ill informed nonsense. :rolleyes:

I have never had my windscreen put in by flying rocks as you describe and I have lived in Limerick all my life, I've even dared faith and ran the risk of not having windscreen cover in the past but maybe I've just been extermly lucky or extra brave. In fact the closest encounter I had to this was when a stone luckily bounced off my windscreen that was thrown by a buch of little scuts from a nearby housing estate close to the M50 but I'm sure they were probably just up from Limerick visting for the day. :rolleyes:

Some people should really stop believing everything they read in the Sindo.

Now back on topic.

Just for balance and in case anyone would ever consider driving in Limerick without windscreen cover....

I have had rocks thrown at my car multiple times - Halting Site on Childers Rd. beside Retail Park with Dunnes, Atlantic Homecare etc. is worst area. Made shít of the front left wing of a car a while back.

Also Flyover near Southill, the First Flyover as you leave Finnegans Roundabout heading towards Dooradoyle and once near Chawkes Filling Station on the Dublin Rd.