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Thread: Car Crash - advice needed

  1. #1
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    Car Crash - advice needed

    This morning on the way to work, my son was involved in a multi-car accident on a A road. The vehicle two cars in front of him braked sharply, and then so did the car in front of him. My son rear ended the car in front of him; the car at the front wasn't hit and ddn't stop. The car behind my son rear ended him, and the next car back hit that one. Fortunately no one was injured. The Police have attended and left the scene.


    Anyway, his 9 year old Fiesta with front and rear damage will be a write off - the main question is where to get it recovered to? Home address I guess, so that it's readily available for the insurance assessor?

  2. #2
    Grand Master SimonK's Avatar
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    I'd have thought call the insurance company and ask them - maybe they will want it at one of their approved garages?

  3. #3
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SimonK View Post
    I'd have thought call the insurance company and ask them - maybe they will want it at one of their approved garages?
    Sounds sensible.

  4. #4
    Master unclealec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    This morning on the way to work, my son was involved in a multi-car accident on a A road. The vehicle two cars in front of him braked sharply, and then so did the car in front of him. My son rear ended the car in front of him; the car at the front wasn't hit and ddn't stop. The car behind my son rear ended him, and the next car back hit that one. Fortunately no one was injured. The Police have attended and left the scene.


    Anyway, his 9 year old Fiesta with front and rear damage will be a write off - the main question is where to get it recovered to? Home address I guess, so that it's readily available for the insurance assessor?
    Up here it would be taken to a depot operated by the recovery company, who then set the meter running with storage charges.
    Make sure that all personal possessions are removed asap.

  5. #5
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    His insurance will take care of that.
    Not to your place but to the recovery company’s until it is assessed. If it is written off you may want to get your trusted mechanic to look at it: insurance companies usually price all work needed including new parts so a second hand car is very quickly written off. If the impact leads to think the damage may be structural (airbags gone, but not only) then it should go unless your son wants to sell the parts himself.
    If it’s just bodywork you may consider buying it back. It will have lost most of its value on the resale market but not its ability to fulfil your son’s transport needs.
    If the chain of events is clear (i.e. your son is responsible for the pile up) then so be it. If not (i.e. he was hit first, or at least it’s arguable) don’t let him accept liability.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  6. #6
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    Front and rear on a 9 year old car would surly be a write off I’d have thought
    Gladly no one was hurt

  7. #7
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saint-Just View Post
    If the chain of events is clear (i.e. your son is responsible for the pile up) then so be it. If not (i.e. he was hit first, or at least it’s arguable) don’t let him accept liability.
    Surely he would only be responsible for the car he hit and everybody behind him would be responsible for their own inability to stop in time?

  8. #8
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave+63 View Post
    Surely he would only be responsible for the car he hit and everybody behind him would be responsible for their own inability to stop in time?
    Yes indeed. But if he stopped in time to avoid the car in front and then was thrown forward by the impact his insurance would turn to the driver's behind him to claim back the damages they paid to the car in front I believe.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  9. #9
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Car Crash - advice needed

    Quote Originally Posted by Saint-Just View Post
    Yes indeed. But if he stopped in time to avoid the car in front and then was thrown forward by the impact his insurance would turn to the driver's behind him to claim back the damages they paid to the car in front I believe.
    Agreed, it was your comment about him being responsible for the whole pile up assuming he hadn’t stopped in time which I was questioning.

  10. #10
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    Update: His car is being recovered to the local Copart. It's not clear what their storage charges are or who will pay them. Does anyone know?


    Regarding liability, I'm assuming he will be liable for hitting the car in front. Not sure about the one who hit him, but that's all said and done now anyway ...

  11. #11
    Grand Master snowman's Avatar
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    Responsibility might depend.

    Some years ago, I was in an accident - The car in front of the car in front of me braked suddenly, I came to a halt and then was hit twice from behind in very quick succession.

    Turned out the car behind him, had hit him and, presumably continued to accelerate, hitting him again, causing him to hit me twice!

    The insurance was all covered by the car at the back (Admiral, I think) who were in contact the next morning to ask me to take my car (which suffered only a cracked bumper) to their repairer - They had it for a couple of weeks and replaced the bumper.

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    Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    Anyway, his 9 year old Fiesta with front and rear damage will be a write off - the main question is where to get it recovered to? Home address I guess, so that it's readily available for the insurance assessor?
    You'll have more control of the process if you get the car recovered to your home.

    Oops - too late.

  13. #13

    Car Crash - advice needed

    Seen stories over past year of elderly Fiestas in particular being stolen (or even stripped whilst parked) for spare parts so could be some value left in it.

  14. #14
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    The circumstances sound a bit fishy. Hopefully the car in front didn’t have five adult occupants all with whiplash. Seems to be a common tactic going on years now where car 1 brakes suddenly causing car 2 to break, then you’re in car 3 and hit car 2 and car 1 drives off into the distance.

    https://youtu.be/V758npfi-w4

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    The circumstances sound a bit fishy. Hopefully the car in front didn’t have five adult occupants all with whiplash. Seems to be a common tactic going on years now where car 1 brakes suddenly causing car 2 to break, then you’re in car 3 and hit car 2 and car 1 drives off into the distance.

    https://youtu.be/V758npfi-w4
    Not sure why you need the guy in front though - it's down to the person behind to keep a safe distance although maybe they feel it looks more plausible if any dash cam ?

  16. #16
    Grand Master Dave+63's Avatar
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    Presumably so the first guy hit doesn’t have to answer awkward questions as to why he braked suddenly. And neither does the guy at the front as he’s long gone.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    Update: His car is being recovered to the local Copart. It's not clear what their storage charges are or who will pay them. Does anyone know?


    Regarding liability, I'm assuming he will be liable for hitting the car in front. Not sure about the one who hit him, but that's all said and done now anyway ...
    It’s hard to tell. Did he hit the car in front because he was rear ended? In the moment it’s impossible to tell. But, it’s possible all cars were stopped and the last car caused it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  18. #18
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    The guy at the front was alone in a council 'Highway Maintenance' vehicle. The car at the very front that braked heavily, started it all off and wasn't hit may be unaware of what happened behind him.

    The guy my son hit said that he'd been in lots of accidents* and in his experience any injuries might not really make themselves known until the next day.


    The insurance company are looking at joint liability between my son and the woman who hit him.








    *Mostly as a passenger in council vehicles

  19. #19
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hogthrob View Post
    The guy at the front was alone in a council 'Highway Maintenance' vehicle. The car at the very front that braked heavily, started it all off and wasn't hit may be unaware of what happened behind him.

    The guy my son hit said that he'd been in lots of accidents* and in his experience any injuries might not really make themselves known until the next day.


    The insurance company are looking at joint liability between my son and the woman who hit him.

    *Mostly as a passenger in council vehicles
    I would suggest your son should start looking at market value of his car and of as many spare parts he can find on as many websites possible. That will give him an idea of "collectability" of his model/year. This is usually not taken into account in car valuations.
    The car will be assessed by an expert in the coming days, and w/o if cost of repairs exceeds (or are near) car value.
    Depending on his insurance he may have access to a courtesy car for a limited time.
    His AA may agree to move the car from where it is to where you want it should he decide to buy it back from the insurer once written off, subject to my first sentence.
    He can unfortunately expect a higher premium at renewal.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  20. #20
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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  21. #21
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Ouch!

    How is his neck?
    The whole body is usually sore, not so much from the impact itself but because of the intense muscle contraction at that time.
    Forget buying the car back IMHO (not a qualified professional advice I hasten to say)
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  22. #22
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    I don't think he was actually going that fast by the time of the actual collision. The air bags didn't go off.

    He was out before I got up this morning, so I didn't get chance to speak to him.

  23. #23
    Grand Master hogthrob's Avatar
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    An update - the insurance company have offered a very fair settlement figure (significantly higher than WBAC), and he should have the money in a couple of days. Overall I've been very impressed with them (Hastings Direct).

  24. #24
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    Good news. It's nice when it gets sorted quickly.
    Having the accident is annoying enough in itself without having to jump through hoops for days on end after.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  25. #25
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MB2 View Post
    Not sure why you need the guy in front though - it's down to the person behind to keep a safe distance although maybe they feel it looks more plausible if any dash cam ?
    I’ve never understood that either but most of the YouTube videos seem to follow the same format. You’re probably right and it’s to do with dash cams.

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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    I’ve never understood that either but most of the YouTube videos seem to follow the same format. You’re probably right and it’s to do with dash cams.
    Dash cam is essential these days given the number of scammers on the road.

  27. #27
    I’ve was a Defendant RTA solicitor in a previous life. If you have any difficulties or questions, drop me a PM. I’ve helped a couple of members with advice in the past.

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