Hi guy's i was involved in an accident right out side my home. What happend was that i was stopped on the right hand side of the road stuck on reverse, as a way of letting people see i whanted to reverse and waiting for a neightboor of mine who was on my left side waiting to move on to another road. After she moved away i checked my mirrors and started moving back, has i did this a car comes off a road behind me on my right and we colide. after talking with the guy and taking pictures where his car is clearly in the road and in my path and because he whanted to claim on his insurance to see what "was fair" i called up my brookers (HSBC) and decided to make a claim.

Yesterday i get a letter from my insurer (Zenith) saying that they believe it was my fault the accident and that they whant to proceed to the repairs to the other car and blame me for an accident i clearly feel it wasn't my fault. So i called them up and they said because i was reversing that the acident was my fault and that in a "court of law" i whon't have a chance. So i told them i would get soem legal advice has i had legal cover in my policy, which after consulting with HSBC does not cover legal advice on claims ( more disapointment and frustration) so i am currently looking at soem legal advice.

For me this is a joke and i feel that my interests are no being looked after. are they right and i don't really ahve a choice or are they just trying to capitalise on the increase of a primium on a driver that on his next policy will be 21 and would have had 2 years no claims bonus, and taking the hit of painting a bumper and replacing a headlight as that was the only damage on the other vehicle?!

Generally if you are reversing then an accident is deemed as your fault so its probably not worth arguing.

You will be surprised how much the actual cost will be to repair the damage, there is a good chance other parts that were not obvious will also need replacing.

P.S Zenith are not a great company, try and transfer to a decent one at renewal

fair enought i realised that they are not great now. i am still going to get some legal advice. If anything a 50-50 would make a lot more sence. This is a hard one to swallow because i was reversing on a outer angle and he pops in into my path and catchim it's my fault all of the sudden.

Its almost certainly your fault.

If it goes 50 50 you will still lose your no claims bonus

this is a strike. i have another car with bonus that is not my worry

50 50 is also regarded as a fault accident, I cannot understand why you want to fight to get it 50 50

i just don't believe that this was my fault just because i was reversing. someone poped out from a road with out cheking what was happening and into a roa where he had limited vision unsafely, plus i am thirdparty fire and theft they don't fix my car any way just the other, if it's 50 50 they don't fix anything no expenses thereby no reason to not give me a no claims bonus.

If it is classed as 50 50 in Insurance terms this means each Insurer pays 50% of each others claims to each other, your Insurer still pay out so you loss your no claims bonus. Its a discount for not having any claims

Losing a possible 2 years NCB at your age could cost you quite a few quid over the next couple of years. Why don'y you have a word with the other driver and get a quote from a smaller body repair shop for replacement headlight and labour needed to make good the bumper.

When I was cabbing the insurance was expensive and I had full NCB but paid out myself for £280 of damage to another car when we had a little prang. That probably saved me £700 to £800 over the next couple of years in higher insurance.

that is one of the reassons why i wana get legal advice. don't really think it was my fault however if it goes down as me i do have a backup plan for next year. this is just really frustrating because he popped out with out looking properly. ill have to speak with a lawer any way's.

digdj1988

I agree with previous comments that in these circumstances there is little point disputing fault. The best you can achieve is 50/50 but this will still be counted as fault by Insurers and reduce NCD. The other driver and their Insurer will fight back as they will not want 50/50. This would mean the other Insurer paying out for damage to their own Insured's car and the other driver having a fault claim which may affect their NCD.

Also your Insurers have already admitted fault and I doubt they will back down. They will pay for the 3rd party damage whether you like it or not and it will affect your NCD. Even if you managed to pursuade your Insurers to stop the claim until 'fault' is reviewed, you will then have the 3rd party, their Insurers, their lawyers and your own Insurers on you back. This could delay matters for months, which your Insurers will not allow to happen as they could be subject to a higher 3rd party claim for additional costs e.g hire car.

As ATM suggests the only option is for you to pay for the damage to your own and 3rd parties car yourself. I think this will cost you more than the loss of NCD over the next few years. Find out the cost of repairs and ask your Insurers for approximate additional Insurance costs that you may incur over the few years, until your NCD is built up again. Your Insurers may not be willing to estimate additional cost, so you may have to roughly calculate this yourself.

I agree with dacouch, that fighting this is futile. Take it on the chin and put it down to experience. If you do fight this and convince everyone that the other driver was at fault, please post back.

Good luck

Huckster

like i said i haven't had any legal advice yet the letter zenith sent me was saying that if i had no objections from me in 7 day's they will take the blame and repair the other car my car they don't repair because i am thrid party fire and theft, however the damage in my car is minor just a litle scratch on the bumper. i am going to get legal advice on monday and from the lawers/solicitor point of view i will make a decision.

this really is gutening, that you can get into a main road with out looking properly colide with another car that was in there first and not get blamed for it. arghhh we will see what will come out of here.