First Accident in my Audi A3 :(

[Tomas Sears]

So, due to the M1 being closed near and around Northampton last night, I decided to take the back roads home, as Google Maps was saying it would be over 1 hour to drive one junction!
While on my way I was waiting at a roundabout, then to my surprise someone came straight into the back of me! but not only that, he was coming at so much pace, he pushed me into the car in-front of me!

At first the driver of the car in front of me got out and asked what I was doing, to which I just pointed behind me to which he realised it wasn't my fault. We all pulled over and shared insurance details, we all agreed it was the car which hit me which was at fault for damage on all cars. I have contacted my insurance and they said I wouldn't be at fault for the car in front of me as it was the guy who hit me is at fault.

I'm just worried that somehow I will end up having to take responsibility for hitting the car in front! I have spoken to the guy since that was driving the car in front and he told me that when he rang his insurance he said the guy at the back was at fault for all the damage, so should be OK. But was just wondering if someone has ever been in a similar situation?

 

[Tj 0785]

Happened to me on the m6 4 month ago as long as he was insured your alright it didn't effect my no claims or anything

 

[Tomas Sears]

Great stuff, Yeah he was insured, he was driving with trade plates as was delivering a car!
Just annoying as i know when i come to insure later this year, although it wasn't my fault, my premium will still go up a bit

 

[MrMCT]

Oh dear, sounds nasty. Was there much damage to yours?

 

[Tomas Sears]

The guy that hit me was the worst - Was a 65 plate Golf and whole front end was pretty damaged
My back-end had quite a few dents and scratches, but no where near as bad as I thought it would be, front end is not too bad, few scratches. My car is going to the workshop on Tuesday, so hoping there is no internal damage.
The guy which my car hit had a 14 plate Jaguar, but wasn't much damage at all

 

[Tj 0785]

Golf driver's! that's what hit mine a old fella (65+) in a brand new gti main thing is that you walked away to drive another day

 

[Tomas Sears]

I know! People always make out Audi drivers to be the bad guys! I had a bit of neck pain which I got seen in a&e, but feels OK today. Insurance asked if I wanted to make a claim for whiplash, but I'm not one for making mountain out of a molehill! Had someone claim whiplash against the mrs a few months ago, which they finally dropped a year later as there was no damage to either car and the accident happened at about 0.5mph!

 

[Stuart B]

Whiplash usually doesn't hurt until a week or so after. You certainly should claim it will be 2-3k and take a year or so.
Your insurance has a responsibility to ensure you get physio-therapy and are checked mentally.
I am surprised about your damage overview as your whole car moved enough to hit the car in front.

 

[Stuart B]

By the way it's the insurance companies lawyers who suggest a claim for whiplash. It wasn't against your Mrs per-se her no win no fee lawyer suggested it.

 

[Alex C]

if you don't feel the need to claim for whiplash then don't - people claiming for whiplash when its not that bad only serves to increase insurance premiums for everyone else. If it has actually caused damage and needs treatment then sure claim whiplash.

I hit someone whilst doing 60mph after they pulled across the front of me; flipped and rolled over three times down the verge in my A3. My neck was stiff for a few days but no need for a whiplash claim and I was back at work a couple of days later. I had people telling me to claim whiplash in order to take advantage of the system as it was 'free' money; dishonest IMO.

 

[Stuart B]

In 10 years you might find you have all sorts of problems physically and mentally + flashbacks, guilt, anger. if you start getting a stiff neck you will always wonder whether it was that idiot who caused your accident. To be honest most insurance companies would look to blame you for not stopping in time, unless they hit you. I got hit on motorbike in 2010 and need a knee replacement as soon as I can't walk more than 50 metres. Took a generous payment in 2014 which is about a tenth of what I was expecting for ruining my life. My disadvantage is I can work without legs and continued to work in the 100 days I spent in hospital and worked from home everyday for a year whilst trying to grow back my bones, hence no compensation for loss of earnings or potential loss of earnings. Also family members cannot be classed as victims of the accident so no claims for them getting depressed and failing exams or leaving their jobs, paying for fuel or parking to visit in hospital etc. I still take increasing morphine everyday oxynorm - and have received about 500k in nhs care, procedures and medication.

Claim when needs be but don't just assume you are going to be okay just because you feel okay.

I expect the driver of this thread is going to be very wary of any car looking like they are approaching them too quick when waiting at a junction, just like you and I don't trust cars at t junctions anymore.

 

[ayfreetee]

FIRST accident, I hope you don't intend on having any more.

 

[Alex C]

In 10 years you might find you have all sorts of problems physically and mentally + flashbacks, guilt, anger. if you start getting a stiff neck you will always wonder whether it was that idiot who caused your accident. To be honest most insurance companies would look to blame you for not stopping in time, unless they hit you.

No I hit them and yes they tried to pin it on me. He pulled out into my lane from a T junction on the right hand side of the road; I looked ahead and there was no one coming the other way; so I went to overtake continuing at 60mph. He then decided he wanted to park his car on the verge, the verge on the right hand side of the road, so he pulled across the front of me with no indication to park his car as I was passing him at 60mph. I hit him; ripped his front drivers side wheel out and my car flipped and rolled over several times. Witness (former Met officer) fully supported me and in court it was deemed 100% the other guys fault. He's lucky I didn't T-bone his drivers door else we'd both be FUBAR'd. This was 7.5yrs ago

Claim when needs be but don't just assume you are going to be okay just because you feel okay.

I think you have up to three years after the accident in which to claim for injuries arising from the accident.

 

[Mark Greenall]

Claim whiplash if you have had it. I was a passenger on the way to work years ago. A car turned into our path and it was a good impact. I went to work and didn't claim. Iv had a damaged muscle in my shoulder below my neck ever since. I wish I'd have claimed.

 

[Stuart B]

No I hit them and yes they tried to pin it on me. He pulled out into my lane from a T junction on the right hand side of the road; I looked ahead and there was no one coming the other way; so I went to overtake continuing at 60mph. He then decided he wanted to park his car on the verge, the verge on the right hand side of the road, so he pulled across the front of me with no indication to park his car as I was passing him at 60mph. I hit him; ripped his front drivers side wheel out and my car flipped and rolled over several times. Witness (former Met officer) fully supported me and in court it was deemed 100% the other guys fault. He's lucky I didn't T-bone his drivers door else we'd both be FUBAR'd. This was 7.5yrs ago



I think you have up to three years after the accident in which to claim for injuries arising from the accident.

So are you paranoid over the ability of other road users since? the ones that seem to approach a give way t junction too quickly, whilst you are driving along with a right of way, or don't seem to be looking at you and about to pull out in front again? if not, you are lucky that it has not affected your trust in other road users, if you are wary then it has mentally affected you - like 95% of other people where a car half pulls out in front of you, then you go to go around the front of their stationary car and they "slip off the clutch" or assume you were turning left or stopping and causing an accident by going into the side of you or similar. What if you had a baby in your car and they did this to make your car roll? you did nothing wrong and were a victim of their negligence - this is why solicitors chase this up not for 2K but because even a simple thing can have a life long impact on someone. I had PTSD treatment (EMDR) to stop hallucinating the accident whilst I was simply walking the dogs - your brain doesn't know how to file the accident as you don't understand why it happened - so it is filed using flashing lights and beeps and reliving (forced dreaming).

All accidents come with a full mental health review and physio-therapy. you don't get any compensation for being affected - just treatment to sort you out.

whiplash is a tiny claim, and < 10K is basically paid out without question, hence why cowboy solicitors claim it for their customers, but it allows the full evaluation of the victim.

 

[voorhees]

I have been hit by a car when I was in my (old) car and it was not that bad so no claim needed,but a person I know seems to be a magnet for cars/lorries and has claimed a few times and has had a few grand for whiplash injuries which from what he has said is not 100% honest,as Stuart said be wary

 

[Tomas Sears]

Hi all, thanks for all the advise it really helps! and im sorry to hear about the accidents you have had - they all seem alot worse than mine!
I was really surprised on how little damage there was, i was expecting to get out and see my front and back end crushed, but there was just some big dents and scratches. As someone mentioned, i'll leave it a week or so and see how it feels. Feels fine at the moment and has done since the day after the accident.

I have another accident a few years ago, in my old car, was pretty much the same, a woman went into the back of me at a roundabout (She told me it was because she was wearing flip-flops!), i made a claim for damage and got a cheque of £200, only to find out my insurance increased by £200 the following year even though all my no-claims were in tact, so im always weary of anything I claim for, im not looking forward to my renewal date!

If October comes and my renewal does increase due to this accident WHICH WASN'T MY FAULT! can i claim for compensation from the guy that hit me for the increase? sorry for the capitals, but it angers me that insurance companies think because i had a non-fault accident, im more of a risk
Maybe i could have activated the drone attached to my car to lift my Audi above so there would have been no collision...

 

[Stuart B]

"(She told me it was because she was wearing flip-flops!),"

that is illegal

 

[Tomas Sears]

I thought it was, I told my insurance company, so I wonder if they took it further!

 

[s3mad_dude]

I know it's illegal to wear flip flops in Spain and drive but for the UK I'm not so sure we have this law as I've tried finding it before and I couldn't find it.

 

[Stuart B]

it is interesting - I was also told driving bare foot was illegal too but that also seems to be an urban myth.

 

[Tomas Sears]

I heard from the body workshop today, they got the go ahead to repair from my insurance company so are ordering parts and booking it in for next week. They will be replacing both the front and back end which is good! This is the beauty that Adrian Flux have given me to drive around in for the next week!

 

[Tomas Sears]

Got my car back! All been repaired, I asked what they replaced which was the rear bumper, rear lower bumper and the front grill. They have done a really good job, just looks a bit strange as the new bits are really shiny and the rest of the car isn't! What you guys think?

 

[Erikn89nl]

What you guys think?

I think youre in the wrong section mate
Looks good though

 

[Alex C]

yeah was sympathetic till I saw it was an 8P chassis; get out!

 

[Tomas Sears]

Ahhh crap - sorry guys!

 

[Alex C]

ha no worries; car looks in good health