Rear ended into another car - What to do

discombobulate

Leaving my business estate this evening. I was sitting still in the car with foot on brake about a metre or so back from the car in front and got rear ended which in turn sent me into the car in front of me. Very little damage to car in front. Dark so was hard to make out if there was any.

Small crack in my bumper, cracks in front grill and the paint on the bonnet is cracked.

I took pictures etc.and got the driver behind me's insurance details. They admitted that their foot slipped causing them to go into me so I assume that makes liability easy. Very apologetic etc. The driver in front of me took my details and the other drivers.

What happens now. I assume my insurance company to make them aware then start a claim through the other drivers insurance company? I'd be happy enough to get a quote for repair and give them the chance to just pay that but i'd be afraid if the driver in front of me claims it could get messy.

Had only put my car up for sale 2 hours beforehand

Also if I claim from them what are my options. I assume they send out an assessor who puts a cost on the repair? Do I then have the choice to take this amount and get it fixed where I want?

Tigger

discombobulate wrote: »

Leaving my business estate this evening. I was sitting still in the car with foot on brake about a metre or so back from the car in front and got rear ended which in turn sent me into the car in front of me. Very little damage to car in front. Dark so was hard to make out if there was any.

Small crack in my bumper, cracks in front grill and the paint on the bonnet is cracked.

I took pictures etc.and got the driver behind me's insurance details. They admitted that their foot slipped causing them to go into me so I assume that makes liability easy. Very apologetic etc. The driver in front of me took my details and the other drivers.

What happens now. I assume my insurance company to make them aware then start a claim through the other drivers insurance company? I'd be happy enough to get a quote for repair and give them the chance to just pay that but i'd be afraid if the driver in front of me claims it could get messy.

Had only put my car up for sale 2 hours beforehand

Also if I claim from them what are my options. I assume they send out an assessor who puts a cost on the repair? Do I then have the choice to take this amount and get it fixed where I want?

car in front claims off you
you claim off car behind

discombobulate

Tigger wrote: »

car in front claims off you
you claim off car behind

Does my insurance then claim from theirs for any claim driver in front of me puts in? They sent me me into the car in front and have admitted liability.

McCrack

Have you suffered any injury?

discombobulate

McCrack wrote: »

Have you suffered any injury?

No

Tigger

discombobulate wrote: »

Does my insurance then claim from theirs for any claim driver in front of me puts in? They sent me me into the car in front and have admitted liability.

yes but its complicated
talknto your insurance

I think you're supposed to maintain enough safety distance and handbrake that a rear end shouldn't send you into another car and therefore you're liable for car in front , and car behind is only liable for you

Henry Ford III

bluewolf wrote: »

I think you're supposed to maintain enough safety distance and handbrake that a rear end shouldn't send you into another car and therefore you're liable for car in front , and car behind is only liable for you

The car at the back (who caused all this) will end up liable for all damages.

3 cars - A, B and C. C hits B, and the impact drives B into A.

B is responsible for A's damages, but recovers these from C who is also responsible for B's damages.

discombobulate

bluewolf wrote: »

I think you're supposed to maintain enough safety distance and handbrake that a rear end shouldn't send you into another car and therefore you're liable for car in front , and car behind is only liable for you

I pretty much stopped and as I stopped got hit so couldn't put on handbrake. I have an auto handbrake so when I do come to a complete stop its always on. I always make a point of never getting too close to a car in front of me.

Presume my insurance company first in the morning then there's and hope the lad in front of me doesn't go to the bother.

What about the assessment part. Do I get the chance to take what the damage is assessed at and use my own repairer if I want? Want to get it all sorted as fast as possible to get the car sold

JohnBoy26

discombobulate wrote: »

I pretty much stopped and as I stopped got hit so couldn't put on handbrake. I have an auto handbrake so when I do come to a complete stop its always on. I always make a point of never getting too close to a car in front of me.

Presume my insurance company first in the morning then there's and hope the lad in front of me doesn't go to the bother.

What about the assessment part. Do I get the chance to take what the damage is assessed at and use my own repairer if I want? Want to get it all sorted as fast as possible to get the car sold

There could be underlying damage done to the car you rear ended especially with the amount of damage done to your own car.

Isambard

discombobulate wrote: »

I pretty much stopped and as I stopped got hit so couldn't put on handbrake. I have an auto handbrake so when I do come to a complete stop its always on. I always make a point of never getting too close to a car in front of me.

Presume my insurance company first in the morning then there's and hope the lad in front of me doesn't go to the bother.

What about the assessment part. Do I get the chance to take what the damage is assessed at and use my own repairer if I want? Want to get it all sorted as fast as possible to get the car sold

Don't worry about the handbrake, you aren't to blame. Talk to your insurance company

SBPhoto

bluewolf wrote: »

I think you're supposed to maintain enough safety distance and handbrake that a rear end shouldn't send you into another car and therefore you're liable for car in front , and car behind is only liable for you

Not True, Car that rear ended is liable for all damages

CiniO

bluewolf wrote: »

I think you're supposed to maintain enough safety distance and handbrake that a rear end shouldn't send you into another car and therefore you're liable for car in front , and car behind is only liable for you

Any law supporting that hypothesis?

Vic_08

Tigger wrote: »

car in front claims off you
you claim off car behind

Every time this type of scenario gets posted someone always posts this nonsense.

The only person who should be claimed against is the liable party, in this case it is clearly the 3rd car in the queue.

Vic_08

Vic_08 wrote: »

Every time this type of scenario gets posted someone always posts this nonsense.

The only person who should be claimed against is the liable party, in this case it is clearly the 3rd car in the queue.

This would seem logical but at least when I was in this sort of accident (passenger) it didnt happen his way.
We hammered on the brakes and were pushed into another crash.
5/6 cars in all.
The car was written off but the driver had to claim on his own insurance and then claim back.
It dragged on for 12+ months until it was sorted.

Toyotafanboi

discombobulate wrote: »

What about the assessment part. Do I get the chance to take what the damage is assessed at and use my own repairer if I want? Want to get it all sorted as fast as possible to get the car sold

You take the car to your preferred repairer and get an estimate done.

Then you pass that estimate on to thr insurers you are claiming from or you can ask the garage that done the estimate to send it to the insurers on your behalf provided a claim has been opened.

The insurers may try to send you to one of their "approved repairers" which is fine if it suits you but if you are claiming off someone else, you can get the car repaired where you wish.

Once the insurance company have received the estimate, they will want to "agree figures". For heavy damage they may send an assessor out to view the car but for light damage they would often agree figures based on photographs emailed to them with the estimate to avoid sending someone to view it.

Once figures are agreed and liability is established with the insurer you are claiming from you can go ahead and repair.

MrCostington

I had a similar case about 25 years ago!

Driving at about 40 mph in a line of cars, a dog crossed the road in front of the car ahead of me (no kidding!). Car ahead stops, I stop a few feet behind, but the car behind me hits me with enough force to push me into the car ahead.

A lot a damage was done to all cars but there was no claim against me - third car paid for all.

Not sure if things have changed in that time.

CiniO

CiniO wrote: »

Any law supporting that hypothesis?

Nope, that's why i said i think.
It's good to know i was wrong as i had been told otherwise a long time ago

AudreyHepburn

discombobulate wrote: »

Does my insurance then claim from theirs for any claim driver in front of me puts in? They sent me me into the car in front and have admitted liability.

But you should not have been close enough to the car in front to hit it.

You're liable for the damage to the car in front, the car behind you is liable for the damage they caused you.

Your best course now is to contact your insurer and let them guide you.

samih

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

discombobulate wrote: »

Does my insurance then claim from theirs for any claim driver in front of me puts in? They sent me me into the car in front and have admitted liability.

But you should not have been close enough to the car in front to hit it.
.

So in your opinion if you stop say 5 car lengths from the previous car and then then a fully loaded lorry hits you from behind and you hit the car in front of you it is your fault as you didn't leave enough space in front of you?

All the fault lies to the driver that hits a stationary car from behind.