Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 02:54
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - mondeo69

I hit by another car causing damage to my car. She is claiming that she did not hit my car. It was where two lanes go into one. She tried to push down the side of my car after her lane had ended but the was no space. I was in the now single lane and she was straddling the the double white line heading towards oncoming traffic. When I was aware of her proximity to me I tried to avoid her but braking and moving as far over as possible. This resulted in me clipping the curb (buckling my front passenger wheel) and she still hit my drivers wheel arch damaging both cars. This dishonest woman is claiming she never hit my car and the damage to hers was done in a previous accident. She fled the accident leaving us to follow her for over a mile thus preventing us getting any witnesses.

My car is a MK3 Mondeo, the other parities car is a Corsa C. The damage to my car was a caved in and scratched wheel arch. The damage to her car was minor, her plastic wheel arch was deformed and half hanging off. My insurer sent a Engineer to look at her damage and said looking at the damage to my car he thinks its unlikely her car did it as her damage is minimum. A part from the fact I know she hit me I think the damage is consistent as its no surprise my metal wheel arch caved in and her plastic wheel arch designed to take impact just popped out. Are there any cleaver/experienced people on here who can tell if: In a Metal wheel arch v's plastic wheel arch scenario if it normal for the metal wheel arch to cave in and the plastic one to pop out?

Does any one know if measurements of the height from the ground of where the damage occurred on both cars can help prove if these two cars hit each other?

Can anyone know/think of any other ways it can be proved she hit my car from photos of the damage?

Photos of the damage to both cars is the only real evidence I have she did hit me. I really thing the engineer has not bothered looking into this and is fobbing me off.

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 09:07
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - craig-pd130

Are there any traffic or CCTV cameras in the area were the incident occured?

If so, you could advise the police about it and ask if they could obtain images from around the date & time when it happened.

If not, it's going to be very difficult to prove as it is your word versus hers, even though the incident was potentially lethal and she fled the scene. You have reported this to the police, yes?

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 10:11
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - RobJP

The problem here is that you are saying she pushed in, and she may well be saying that you deliberately blocked her from merging with traffic when the 2 lanes turned into 1. You are supposed to let traffic merge, and if that means coming to a complete halt, then you do so.

The simple fact that the collision is on the FRONT wheel arch of your car shows that she was probably ahead of you, that you probably had a better view of her than she had of you, and that you should have therefore probably have been more able to take avoiding action (by coming to a complete halt sooner), due to your view. So if she took that argument, then you could find yourself being held fully liable for the accident.

Be careful just how far you push this, in other words.

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 10:35
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - Andrew-T

... I really think the engineer has not bothered looking into this and is fobbing me off.

My instinct is that the engineer thinks the damage is relatively minor and not worth making into anything a lot bigger. Perhaps more of a blame-laying exercise?

Edited by Andrew-T on 30/07/2014 at 10:36

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 21:14
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - Cyd

My wife learned this lesson the hard way, this is what the Police advised:

You should not have followed her for any longer than was absolutely necessary to get a note or photo (taken by a passenger on a phone) of the other car and its details (incl VRN). Then stop (in a safe place) and report the other driver to the Police for leaving the scene of an accident. Give the Police as much detail as possible about where when how etc. They will get back to you once they have been to see the other driver. They will also give you a crime number which you can give to your insurance company.

Something similar happened to me many moons ago when a car rear ended me and she drove off. the Police visited her in the small hours that night. They visited me the following day at work. A visit by Dibble with the threat of a Purgury charge if they continue to lie is usually enough to solicit the truth!!

I think your failing to report the matter has weakened your case. Why not just get a secondhand fender the right colour and have it fitted.

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 21:44
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - Manatee

Surprising how many people will come out with a bare faced lie, often after admitting responsibility at the time. I couldn't do it. You can only conclude that a lot of people have absolutely no "moral compass".

As for getting the details...in 1999 I was clipped and the car didn't stop. I followed it for a mile or so, easy to follow, but it was going at a silly speed on a narrow bendy road and I was afraid there would be a massive accident so I noted the number, went home, and rang the police.

Of course the registered keeper had sold it. But the police came to my house and spent an hour going through my licence, insurance, MoT etc. They couldn't trace the car, I found it myself a few days later outside a phone box. When the driver left the phone box I followed her to the nearby council travellers' camp.

When the police deigned to visit her, she said she had lent the car that day to a man called Jimmy, surname unknown, believed to be from Liverpool, address also unknown. The car had no tax, insurance or MoT. Case dropped.

I took it on the chin, and my insurance went up £300. Unknown to me, my insurers had set the legal cover in train. The first I knew of it was months later when they sent me a letter, closing the case, and saying that they had been informed that Jimmy, still unidentified and no address, had died!

I decided if it happens again I will follow it, run it off the road, and torch it. I don't suppose I will though:)

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Wed 30 Jul 2014 21:35
Mk3 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI - ACCIDENT BODY DAMAGE INVESTIGATION HELP Insurance - Avant

The OP has E-mailed us reporting their own post as offensive!

Looks OK to me - no names mentioned. I don't want to hide it as people have taken the trouble to reply. But I'll allow another day for any further comments, then make it read-only so that the thread slips down the page.

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