In trouble because of "accident"

[kicker12]

Ok guys, it was about 2 weeks after i bought my car and i had JUST changed my plated to my personalized ones from my old car (sweet!)
The following fay i drive a mate somewhere and take him home again. While getting out of the carpark, i notice i got very close to someone (or so i thought) who began reversing the same time as i did but didn't hear any noise or feel anything, nothing (and my music wasn't loud or anything).

About a km later i get worried so i pull over, hop out and check for damage at the back. Nothing. Awesome.

About 3 weeks later i saw the rear bumper in a different light and i see a scuff mark about 1-2cm wide and 10cm long---OH NO!

I take it to a friend of mine who is by no means a professional detailer, but he's good with that stuff and has the right materials.
After 2 minutes of a cut and polish and wax, it has been reduced to a very very faint line which he said he could get out next time around.

Here's where it all goes wrong.

3 days ago i receive a letter from an insurance company claiming this customer of their's car was damaged in an accident at fault of me.
They said the claimed amount it would cost to fix was $450.

450!!! This includes 280 for paint and 140+ for labour.

The labor includes re-alignment and repair of the rear bar?

I am just amazed, and shocked, and annoyed.

I realize my chances of getting out of this are very slim, but i have asked for proof of the damage from the insurer because if my damage can be buffed out i just don't get what is going on.

I know i should have gotten out when it happened, but i legitimately didn't think anything happened, and i think it was also as much her fault as it was mine.

I dunno, what do you guys think? This really sucks because i was very close to closing a deal on some nice 19" rims but i doubt i'll be able to afford it now.

Cheers guys, sorry to vent-i just thought some of you may have had similar problems at one point or another.

[TVR-190]

if the damage to their car is bad pay up, if its something that will buff out then do it. is one of you actually at fault or were you both in the wrong/ right

[And_ROOS]

Send THEM a letter claiming they damaged your car, but depends on if you were at fault of not. If you were further reversed out of your spot then the other person was, i would say she is at fault then get on the front foot in paying your friend for labour and materials.

[Calaber]

If you were both reversing at the same time, the blame is shared equally. In a situation such as this, it is the responsibility of both drivers to reverse with all due caution and if a collision occurs, responsibility is shared. Neither party can claim on the other for damage sustained.

Obviously, she has claimed that you reversed into her whilst she was stationary. Are you sure she had actually started to reverse from her parking spot? It is only her word against yours, unless she had witnesses with her. Did you have any with you?

I would write back to the insurer, stating that bvoth vehicles were reversing at the time and whilst you were aware that the vehicles had been very close, you heard no impact and believed that no collision had occurred. For this reason,you did not stop at the time and only found very minor damage to your vehicle some time later, which you have repaired at your own expense. She obviously took your number, whilst you didn't bother to get hers, which is a concern. For this reason, some sort of impact must have been obvious to her. However, unless she has witnesses who can state categorically that the accident happened and that she WAS STATIONARY AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, I would be telling the insurer to get stuffed, politely, as both parties were at fault and you consider that liability is shared.

Good luck. (I wouldn't be paying up as she has to prove your responsibility - not easy under the circumstances.)

[kicker12]

Thanks for the quick responses guys. We were about 4 cars apart i think and we were both reversing, but i can;t remember if she stopped and then i continued to go.
The friend i took was in the car at the time and didn't hear anything either. I was definitely more out of my spot than she was, because i was able to drive off before her.

I rang the insurer (which also is the same as mine as it happens) and they said they wrote a couple of notes of what i said and asked me to ring on monday to take it up with the claims tech department, i'll let you all know how it goes.

Thanks again people

[ClairBear]

i notice i got very close to someone (or so i thought) who began reversing the same time as i did but didn't hear any noise or feel anything, nothing (and my music wasn't loud or anything).

About a km later i get worried so i pull over, hop out and check for damage at the back. Nothing. Awesome.

So firstly you try to convince us that you didn't hit anyone. So why would you pull over down the road and check? Not normal practice for most drivers, unless you have some sort of guilt, because you know you hit someone.

I know i should have gotten out when it happened, but i legitimately didn't think anything happened, and i think it was also as much her fault as it was mine.

So now further into your post you admit you knew you hit someone, as you now claim you should have got out when it happened, then the most incredible part..... you want to hang some of the blame on the poor motorist whose car you hit!!!!!!!!

Pay up and next time do the right thing at the time and stop at the time instead of hoping they don't track you down. Glad she was able to get your number. People like you that try to get out of paying up annoy me.

[kicker12]

Ok, relax. I'm not trying to convince anyone of what i did, all i am saying is that i didn't think i hit them, and neither did my passanger, if i thought i did i would have gotten out and sorted it then.

I genuinely did not think i hit the other car, i don't have to try and convince you of what went on in my mind

[Calaber]

So firstly you try to convince us that you didn't hit anyone. So why would you pull over down the road and check? Not normal practice for most drivers, unless you have some sort of guilt, because you know you hit someone.




So now further into your post you admit you knew you hit someone, as you now claim you should have got out when it happened, then the most incredible part..... you want to hang some of the blame on the poor motorist whose car you hit!!!!!!!!

Pay up and next time do the right thing at the time and stop at the time instead of hoping they don't track you down. Glad she was able to get your number. People like you that try to get out of paying up annoy me.

Sashyre

Haven't you ever done something, then thought later on "Gees, I wonder if there's any chance...? and gone back to check on something?

The other driver could have been reversing simultaneously. It happens in car parks every day. Who hasn't had a near miss when two vehicles reverse out in car parks?

[ClairBear]

Sashyre

Haven't you ever done something, then thought later on "Gees, I wonder if there's any chance...? and gone back to check on something?

No, because I don't try to live in denial - I front up to my problems/issues/situations and deal with them.

Why would you get a distance down the road and start worrying? Simply because he knew he hit something. So if you are suggesting he hit someone and his brain failed to comprehend that, at the point he stopped to consider possible damage, why not return to the scene?

Simply because he was hoping he got away with it. Reason he stopped was he wanted to be far enough away from the scene to check damage. However luckily for justice, the other driver noted his rego as he fled the scene of the crime lol.

Pay up buddy - do the crime, do the time. Next time have the balls to admit you hit someone.

[kicker12]

You read far too much into things, mate, but whatever makes you happy

[Calaber]

No, because I don't try to live in denial - I front up to my problems/issues/situations and deal with them.

Why would you get a distance down the road and start worrying? Simply because he knew he hit something. So if you are suggesting he hit someone and his brain failed to comprehend that, at the point he stopped to consider possible damage, why not return to the scene?

Simply because he was hoping he got away with it. Reason he stopped was he wanted to be far enough away from the scene to check damage. However luckily for justice, the other driver noted his rego as he fled the scene of the crime lol.

Pay up buddy - do the crime, do the time. Next time have the balls to admit you hit someone.

You've obviously made your mind up that only one party was in the wrong. I'm prepared to see the grey issues here - it's not just black and white.

[anonymousmoose]

So firstly you try to convince us that you didn't hit anyone. So why would you pull over down the road and check? Not normal practice for most drivers, unless you have some sort of guilt, because you know you hit someone.

So now further into your post you admit you knew you hit someone, as you now claim you should have got out when it happened, then the most incredible part..... you want to hang some of the blame on the poor motorist whose car you hit!!!!!!!!

Pay up and next time do the right thing at the time and stop at the time instead of hoping they don't track you down. Glad she was able to get your number. People like you that try to get out of paying up annoy me.

Wow harsh words mate... I dont think kicker12 was trying to pull a fast one on us or on the driver of the other car. I agree with you that if in doubt get out and have a look before driving away yet most of us were young and inexperienced at one time.

I'm gonna give kicker the benefit of the doubt and my advice to him would be to stop and look next time something like this happens.

You probably will have to end up paying for this one way or the other Mr Kicker. It will be hard to prove against whatever she says because you didnt stop and look. But still tell your honest side of the story.

As for the repairs she claimed... I too would claim as much as I could on someone elses insurance if the same thing happened to me, but I would try to get in contact with the other driver before filing a claim.

Also; depending on your driving record and past insurance history you gotta decide if you want to pay for the damages our of your own cash or use your insurance and risk future premiums and no-claim bonus deductions.

Let us know how it goes mate

[VrWagz1]

If your mate was in the car, then he is a witness and can verify your claims which means alot as far as convincing the insurance company of your claims. I would say its a simple car park bingle where both were at fault and each should pay their own costs.

[Morton]

Say you have no idea what they're talking about, you weren't there, and they have the wrong person.

[STEALTHY™]

Say you have no idea what they're talking about, you weren't there, and they have the wrong person.

LOL. Play dumb, best advice yet!

[Morton]

Just make sure there isn't a hint of a scratch on your car An old lady ran into the side of my old Mazda 626 back in the day. I claimed against her, and she told my insurance company that there was no damage and she had no idea what I was on about. They went to have a look at her car, and it was practically a writeoff... so they told her to shut up and pay.

[vlv8vic]

No, because I don't try to live in denial - I front up to my problems/issues/situations and deal with them.

There is a big difference between being in denial and re-thinking a situation a little later, or thinking about it more carefully and checking it out. I do agree the story is a little fishy but i doubt there is a need for the onslaught of anger - try and relax a little.

OP - fight it as far as you can. there will be a point where they wont fight it any longer and you might have to pay. in that case it unfortunately ends up being a case of 'shut up and pay'. My other half had this happen recently - someone backed into the side of her car and because it was in an intersection we were found majority at fault and had to pay. They simply refused to talk to us in the end and said we had to pay and that was it. NEVER deal with Amanda at RACV claims - she is terribly incompetent.

[Reaper]

It really depends if the other person was reversing too. I'd probably fight that one.

Reaper

[Travy]

As said earlier in the thread, if you were both reversing then blame is shared.

My brother reversed out of a car park, half way out he sees this silly lady reversing back down the road, he stopped reversing out and held his horn on.. (didnt have time to drive back in the park) she reversed straight into the rear 1/4 of his car.

Cops and everything got involved as she rekoned it wasnt her fault..

Long story short... they were made to pay for their own cars as both were at fault (apparently... ) which was a crock of **** cos I was in the car at the time and there is no way she should have got away with not paying for my brothers car...

[kicker12]

Ok, good news for me..
I called up the insurer asking for visual proof of the damage this morning, and they got back to me just then stating that the client had withdrawn the claim, don't exactly know what went on there, but yeah, all good!