Car reversed into me while driving

Trooperboyo

Hi, hopefully I've put this into the right forum

This evening when I was driving in a shopping car park a car reversed into me while I was driving in the driving lane. This damaged the bottom corner of the back passenger door, warped the rim which resulted in the back tire getting punctured.

The reversing car had no damage on it. We exchanged numbers and names, I took the reg no. A local came on the scene just after it happened and witnessed the other driver saying his tow bar caused the damage.

To be honest this never happened to me, thinking of it now I really should have called the guards. I mean is it a case of my word versus his word?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thank you

visual

Trooperboyo wrote: »

Hi, hopefully I've put this into the right forum

This evening when I was driving in a shopping car park a car reversed into me while I was driving in the driving lane. This damaged the bottom corner of the back passenger door, warped the rim which resulted in the back tire getting punctured.

The reversing car had no damage on it. We exchanged numbers and names, I took the reg no. A local came on the scene just after it happened and witnessed the other driver saying his tow bar caused the damage.

To be honest this never happened to me, thinking of it now I really should have called the guards. I mean is it a case of my word versus his word?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, thank you

Take photos of damage and get on to your own insurance company. Should be cut and dried as he drove in side back door. Be very hard to dispute the facts from where both cars came in contact.

pippip

Does the shopping centre have any cctv?

Mary63

did you take pictures of both cars and their location.

Definitely ring the Gardai and ask them to check the CCTV in the shopping centre.I know someone who thought a parking space was a bit tight and genuinely didn't realise he had caused major damage to another car,I know!!!!!!!!!!!!elderly person who probably shouldn't be driving anyway.

The Gardai looked at the cctv and came knocking on the door,there was over a thousand euros worth of damage done and the driver paid up.

Trooperboyo

Hi all, thanks for your feedback!

I didn't have a phone on me at the time, got pictures of the damage after I got home.

Stores cameras won't show the area, they point inward. I asked in the store afterwards.

I don't think there's any point contacting thr guards now since the cars have moved?

I'm trying to get a quote today and get back to the other owner with a cost and see how he wants to deal with it. Not sure what to do if he refuses.

Got on to my insurance company and passed on all the details anyhow

Mary63

Did you get the witnesses name.
Maybe get a disposable camera and keep it in the car.
hope you get it sorted.

Gumbo

no point sitting there waiting on guards to come, its a civil matter with no injuries.
All they would have done is tell you guys to swap details, which you did already.

Chase up CCTV and obviously report the incident in the station for insurance purposes.

Trooperboyo

Yes chatted to the witness afterwards, they are more than happy to verify what happened on the day if it gets disputed.

Is there any point going to the garda station to tell them about it?

Mary63

I would get a written statement from the witness and go go the Garda station with it.
Send a copy of it to your insurance company.
The other drivers insurance company may tell him not to admit liability.
Does the other driver want to go through his insurance or pay for the repairs himself.

Rubberchikken

i was reversing into a parking spot over a week ago.
wasn't actually moving at the time, just putting it into gear when a guy came from the main road and hit my passenger door.
we swopped details. he did ask if i'd mind the gardai being called as he'd had a bad experience once before with a guy who rear-ended him and had insisted that there was no need for gardai as he'd pay him etc. long story short, the other guy came back to him with damage that couldn;t have been done at time of accident and this man was caught.

i'd no issue with garda coming and one did show up pretty quick. took details, said for us to exchange details and get on to our insc guys.

nearly two weeks later i've heard nothing yet from insc. never had any kind of claim/accident before so not sure when they'll get back but will happen eventually i guess:)

my advice to you would be to report it in your local garda station. no harm to do it for your own sake at least.

dr.fuzzenstein

Mary63 wrote: »

Did you get the witnesses name.
Maybe get a disposable camera and keep it in the car.
hope you get it sorted.

I think there's an antique shop in town that sells those...

Mary63

I saw them in the airport pharmacy type shop last week,i think I did anyway.
Tesco had them not so long sgo too and so did boots.

Trooperboyo

So the other driver has gone to his solicitor, and been told we're both at fault. That I tried to squeeze in behind him and I should have seen the danger ahead. He's willing to half's on the cost.

I disagree with it on principle, the costs wasn't that much. Not sure what to do next

ba_barabus

Just claim on his insurance and tell him to go halves with them

Tigger

Trooperboyo wrote: »

So the other driver has gone to his solicitor, and been told we're both at fault. That I tried to squeeze in behind him and I should have seen the danger ahead. He's willing to half's on the cost.

I disagree with it on principle, the costs wasn't that much. Not sure what to do next

did he tell you he'd gone to his solicitor or did his solicitor contact you
cos i've had loads of people tell me about what their solicitor said but it turned out it was what their friend thought

if he wants to use legal advice he should be using his insurances legal advice as should you.

Trooperboyo

He said that's what his solicitor said, i told I contacted my insurance and gave them an account of what happened and that he was at fault for reversing onto oncoming traffic

Story Bud?

He was reversing, he is the one who will be found at fault.

You didn't drive into him while he was reversing out. He reversed into your back passenger door, meaning he did not see you at all while you were fully behind him.

I would very nicely give him until the end of the day to decide whether or not he would like to pay in full for the damage to your car, if he doesn't confirm that he will be paying, you will take it that he would like to go through his insurance.

Don't get into it with him.

Johngoose

Story Bud? wrote: »

He was reversing, he is the one who will be found at fault.

You didn't drive into him while he was reversing out. He reversed into your back passenger door, meaning he did not see you at all while you were fully behind him.

I would very nicely give him until the end of the day to decide whether or not he would like to pay in full for the damage to your car, if he doesn't confirm that he will be paying, you will take it that he would like to go through his insurance.

Don't get into it with him.

Deal with his insurance company,the fecker is a chancer!

godtabh

Let the insurance company come out and assess the damage. If it is as you say should only be one conclusion

Tigger

i agree
he didn't go to a solicitor he's bulling you
give him till tonight to pay up or go through the insurance

CrankyHaus

Trooperboyo wrote: »

So the other driver has gone to his solicitor, and been told we're both at fault. That I tried to squeeze in behind him and I should have seen the danger ahead. He's willing to half's on the cost.

I disagree with it on principle, the costs wasn't that much. Not sure what to do next

Assuming the solicitor even exists, he's talking rubbish.

If the other party has gone to a solicitor then he's probably cooking up an injury claim.

You said you informed your Insurer so really they should be taking care of it from here.
If you haven't then contact his insurance and intimate a claim for the vehicle damage.

Don't take the shopping centre's word that no CCTV was recorded. Have a look at the area and see if any cameras cover it. If they do, put in a written request for footage from the time to be made available or at least saved and set aside.

Make sure your witness isn't going away or anything like that.

Don't let trying to do right by the other driver slow you down.
Don't waste time discussing liability with him either.
He has proven that he won't be reasonable or decent about this so just go over his head.

Trooperboyo

I know he's trying to pull a fast one. But my car is old and difference in costs not too much. I just disagree with it on principle.

If I go down the insurance route and if both insurance companies refuse, would it not end up in court as a civil matter? Just with solicitors fees and the hassle, I'm not sure if it's worth it

Tigger

Trooperboyo wrote: »

I know he's trying to pull a fast one. But my car is old and difference in costs not too much. I just disagree with it on principle.

If I go down the insurance route and if both insurance companies refuse, would it not end up in court as a civil matter? Just with solicitors fees and the hassle, I'm not sure if it's worth it

won't cost you a penny
if i reverse into your rear doors then you were fully behind me so its my fault
if i reverse out and you drive into me its 50;50 or thereabouts

alias no.9

This is why you always call the Gardai, they dont need to come out but they'll record all the details.

Each driver will be asked to produce their license and insurance at their local station. People are less likely to attempt to pull a fast one after this.

At this stage, the OP should just proceed with a claim on the other guys insurance, they've acted the bollix and have lost all good will.

CrankyHaus

Trooperboyo wrote: »

I know he's trying to pull a fast one. But my car is old and difference in costs not too much. I just disagree with it on principle.

If I go down the insurance route and if both insurance companies refuse, would it not end up in court as a civil matter? Just with solicitors fees and the hassle, I'm not sure if it's worth it

Go 50/50 on liability now and your position may be prejudiced if at any point in the next two years he has his solicitor send you a letter alleging his back hurts.

If you have comprehensive insurance then the hassle and fees of court are a matter for your insurer to worry about. Realistically they'll have no interest in letting something so minor roll into court.

If you don't have comprehensive cover just contact his insurer to claim for the vehicle damage. It won't cost you a thing to call it in and see what they offer. I wouldn't be surprised to find that he hasn't reported it to them.

The Bishop Basher

alias no.9 wrote: »

This is why you always call the Gardai, they dont need to come out but they'll record all the details.

Each driver will be asked to produce their license and insurance at their local station. People are less likely to attempt to pull a fast one after this.

At this stage, the OP should just proceed with a claim on the other guys insurance, they've acted the bollix and have lost all good will.

I got a lot of grief on a recent thread for adopting this position but having been burned once before i'll always call the guards in future.

They won't do a huge amount for you and calling them won't guarantee a fair outcome but you have a much better chance with them on scene.

Trooperboyo

Don't mean to keep dragging this on

I've reported the claim to their insurance. My question is would they always try and support their customer? Like why would they go to all the effort to getting an assessor to my car and investigate the accident?

It's just I feel the other guy will do everything he can to drag this out as much as he can

maynooth_rules

This is always the problem. Might seem cut and dried at the scene and the other person may say they were to blame there and then, but invariably once they get home this all changes. Protest yourself at the scene in every way possible, even if it seems OTT.
I got jackknifed by a speeding truck a few years back. He admitted liability to the guards when they came and I had two written reports from witnesses verifying he was 100% at fault. A few days afterwards he and his employer disputed every single event of what happened.

dodzy

Trooperboyo wrote: »

Don't mean to keep dragging this on

I've reported the claim to their insurance. My question is would they always try and support their customer? Like why would they go to all the effort to getting an assessor to my car and investigate the accident?

It's just I feel the other guy will do everything he can to drag this out as much as he can

The assessor is a normal part of the procedure. Just keep the pressure on their insurance company. Seems very clear cut. The location of the damage on your car, when viewed by the assessor will make this a slam dunk.

robbiew

have seen this happen so many times op.. when i'm driving in any car park my head moves 180 degrees like an owls head scanning for offenders,

Some are genuine accidents but some muppets should even be in control of a shopping trolley..

monkeysnapper

I'd go as far as to say I over look for incidents like this in car parks because there's every kind of person and scam artists around .
I'm so glad I got a new job that has its own car park for employees.

When I shop I park as far away as possible . the muppets will always keep driving for hours just to get a space as close as possible.

Trooperboyo

Hi all, just thought I'd let ye know this was settled two days after making claim. One person found entirely liable by their own insurance company. Damages totally covered.

Thanks a million for the advice, really appreciate it!