Car accident

[bekah]

I drove into the back of another car yesterday at around 15 mph (low sun, didnt see him brake). I didnt do that much damage to the other car, and although mine wasnt too bad it will be written off due to its value. We took each others details and the other guy just drove off leaving me (a young girl) at the side of the road really shaken up with an unroadworthy car.

When I was picked up to be towed away, I noticed the guy was parked round the corner watching me, then drove away when I went past. His car was perfectly driveable, and only the bumper and back panel were dented.

However, when my partner called him just over an hour later to ask if we could pay for his car out of the insurance (were only third party) to save our no claims, he stated that hed been to the hospital with excrutiating back pain and was going to sue me for loss of earnings. He also stated that his car was completely undriveable.

How a guy can drive 30 miles to the hospital, be assessed and return home, with severe back pains, in an undriveable car is beyond me.

I know as I went into him, it will be classed as my fault, but why do people see the pound signs nowadays before seeing what was very simply a minor accident? He seemed very eager to leave the scene, only to park up round the corner and watch me, and how can somebody decide to sue me for loss of earnings only 2 hours max after an accident??

Has the world gone mad?

[flip-flop]

Sign of the times I'm afraid - no doubt he will claim he has whiplash, he will employ a no win no fee shyster, and your insurance will pay him between �2000 to �3000.

Undoubtedly it is a try on, but for �2000 to �3000 it makes economic sense for your insurers to pay without contesting.

Very frustrating but from a pragmatic view it does make sense.

[spaced]

flip-flop is correct im afraid. People these days try anything to squeeze an extra pound or to put blame onto someone else. If I were you I would do the same. Remember, whiplash pain does have a delay, so I would start complaining of pains. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. If hes gonna make money from your insurers do the same to him

[Toureman]

How can she claim damages from him? It was completely her fault!

[sholay]

That is so creepy. He was round the corner watching you??!

He's obviously trying it on to see how much money he can get, but surely if he'd been to the hospital there's be a record of his A and E assessment (which he won't be able to produce). I'd just leave it up to the insurers - you don't need the hassle. He sounds like a creep.

[JSB]

Make sure you write to your insurers promptly giving them details of what you saw him do. Leave out conjecture as to why he did it. Just stick to the facts. Your insurers will find it particularly useful in refuting his claim and you'll have the satisfaction that despite being the one 'at fault' you will at least have made his claim all the harder to collect.

Then forget about it all.

Best wishes from an ex-insurer!

[jake-the-peg]

JSB's right.

Very disturbing but if you dwell on it it'll just upset you and you'll lose out twice. Give the insurance company all the detail and just try to move on.

If it make you feel any better I had a similar accident in low sun yesterday