Maffoo Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Right, had a bit of a bad time on the M25 today (apologies to anyone stuck clockwise this evening!) and someone drove in to the back-right corner of my car going a little to fast. It's my first crash so I need some advice. - I have back ache and two of my passengers don't feel great - one might be concussed and the other might have whiplash in her shoulder. We didn't say anything to the Highways Officers at the time. Will this hinder any claims made if we have to miss work? - The accident wasn't my fault, the guy drove in to the back of me at high speed after I slowed down. According to the small print on the back of my policy paper, it says that I must pay the excess even if the accident isn't my fault. Is this true? And can I claim this money back from the other party? - I'm not a mechanical person when ti comes to cars. Judging from the pics, would you say this is a write off or repairable? There are at least 5 panels that need replacing, the rear axle has pretty much snapped, the handbrake is defunct, parking sensors broken and the alloy has buckled. Not to mention untold problems under the hood and possible chassis damage? - I got home from the garage we were towed to just after Admiral's claims line closed so am calling them in in the morning. I've discovered this website - http://accidentmanagement.co.uk - and was wondering if they were worth considering? - One final thing - I also have GAP insurance, is it worth notifying them I've had an accident or shall I wait until Admiral have assessed the damages? Here's some photos. Doesn't look too bad, but there was quite an almighty bang when we were hit... :( Poor Eric! Any help/advice is appreciated :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNath Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 When making a claim you have to pay your excess which you then get back when/if you're found to be the innocent party. Not mentioning pain at the scene of the accident should have no affect as it can take days/weeks for symptoms to appear. I'll let other people more qualified answer the rest - just glad you're in one piece and hope you feel better soon! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driver6005 Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 hi. sorry to hear about your accident. first off have any of you been to hospital/gp to be checked for these injuries. were the police involved as if this was an injury collision they should have been. on the point of the excess yes you do usually have to pay this regardless of fault and have to claim this back off the tp insurance company. your insurer will help with this if you have legal cover. on the case of wright of i wouldnt like to say but i wouldnt think so unless the frame or shasi is nakerd. sorry for spelling. on the gap insurance ask admiral about that. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark M.K Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I can't see that being a write off, the damage from the pictures dont look too bad. For the impact speed, the car stood up very well :) I think with GAP, you only need to tell them if the car is written off, but as said above, ask your insurance company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola 88 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Good thing the damage to you and your passengers wasn't worse, they must have been tailgating you to have driven in to the back of you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark t Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Yes, you only need GAP when written off, as the insurance will only give you what the car is worth at time of accident, the GAP makes it up to what you paid for the car in the first place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Tierney Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I need some advice.- I have back ache and two of my passengers don't feel great - one might be concussed and the other might have whiplash in her shoulder. We didn't say anything to the Highways Officers at the time. Will this hinder any claims made if we have to miss work? It wont as said above, this wont hinder any claims. Most insueres these days have legal expenses cover and im sure you will get a letter or phone call from they nominated solicitors(do tell if its Irwin Mitchells LLP :) ). Just a note(and I dont know you so Im just saying this), please dont pretend your in such pain if your not(all well and good if you are) just to get a claim in, even simple traffic accidents can take years and costs Tens of thousands of pounds overall but you might only end up half what your expecting or what your mate down the pub says he got. I work in a solicitors and spent 2 years in the RTA side of things. Fake claims mean that insures have to pay the solicitors and medical experts and repair the car and deal with court fees etc and that is a large reason why insurance prices are going up. - The accident wasn't my fault, the guy drove in to the back of me at high speed after I slowed down. According to the small print on the back of my policy paper, it says that I must pay the excess even if the accident isn't my fault. Is this true? And can I claim this money back from the other party? Yeah the excess will have to be paid- get a recipet and it will be the first thing your solicitors ask for proof of and if its found to be a not at fault accident the other side will pay that for you. - I got home from the garage we were towed to just after Admiral's claims line closed so am calling them in in the morning. I've discovered this website - http://accidentmanagement.co.uk - and was wondering if they were worth considering? These will be just solicitors I cant get onto the site? as said you will prob's have one appointed but if for some reason you dont want the appointed ones you can have the case transffered - One final thing - I also have GAP insurance, is it worth notifying them I've had an accident or shall I wait until Admiral have assessed the damages? Only notify GAP insurance providers once/if your car is written off by admiral. Hope this helps! Good luck and glad everyone is almost unscathed :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithC Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 As the other questions have been answered, the one point I will address is third party accident damage companies. They offer you nothing that your insurance won't apart from they will try to bleed as much money out of the guilty party as possible. You may think this is a good thing, but what you have to remember is that they don't do this for nothing, their fees will also come from the guilty party. At the end of the day, they are ambulance chasers and the only people who do actually pay are us, the consumer, that's who the insurance companies offload their costs to. So, by all means use them, but don't complain in the future about rising insurance costs, because along with fronting, false claims etc, these are another reason for high insurance costs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maffoo Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Spoke to Admiral this morning and it was such a relief :) They agreed I wasn't at fault and are waiving my excess (he's insured by the same company) and I won't lose my no claims - such a relief! And as for the injury thing, I pride myself on being an honest person and hate insurance cheats (the reason my premiums are so high in the first place!) so I'm going to my Gp today to see what's what. I've had bad back problems in the past and I'm worried this could bring on worse again. Thanks for the help guys :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_60 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 has the car been written off The back axle must be bent for that wheel to be swivelled that way. Is that a dent in the rear Quarter panel. Did the Side Airbags etc go off Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musketter Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Glad you are OK, but I am just wondering if it was a clever idea to stand in the fast lane of the M25 taking photo's, especially as one person had already hit you because he was going too fast ? :o Is the rear panel dented between the rear wheel and the door, I am not sure if it is a dent or a reflection ? I know it's dented by the bumper ? I wouldn't worry about not mentioning any injuries, as the adrenaline would be flowing, this is why people can be seriously injured but not notice straight away. Just to repeat the warning above, insurance companies are now experts at spotting false/inflated claims so warn your friends as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonyJ Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 The main thing is you're OK and there shouldn't be any argument as to who's to blame. - I'm not a mechanical person when ti comes to cars. Judging from the pics, would you say this is a write off or repairable? There are at least 5 panels that need replacing, the rear axle has pretty much snapped, the handbrake is defunct, parking sensors broken and the alloy has buckled. Not to mention untold problems under the hood and possible chassis damage? ... Here's some photos. Doesn't look too bad, but there was quite an almighty bang when we were hit... :( Poor Eric! The damage doesn't look that bad, but in the end all that matters is the assessment from the garage and the loss adjusters. The body will need to be checked/straightened on a jig, and the quarter panel, wheel, tyre, sill extension, bumper and axel will definitely be replaced. Have you looked in the boot to see if the floor or rear panel are damaged? I'd assume they are and will also need replacing. My car was hit last summer in the rear and needed a similar level of repair (but no mechanical damage in my case) and that cost £4000, which is nowhere near the point where they'd write it off. One thing you need to be careful of is the courtesy car. People will be all over you to get you to take their car, but you have a choice as you can claim reasonable costs from the other party. Some of these courtesy car providers have a bad reputation, but you can get a car from any hire company you want. I hope it all gets sorted out soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirst88 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Hi, Sorry to hear about your accident. If you do decide to claim for compensation always do your homework, as insurance companies never pay out as much as you are entitled to. I work for a PI firm and we get alot of clients that tell us the daft offers the insurance have offered and we normally get alot more money for them. But as you say honesty is the best policy and do what you think is right. I hope this helps x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antman99 Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Maffoo, Hope you and all the passengers are ok, I have seen an older Citroen have this happen to them but they were unlucky they went flying across 4 lanes into the central barrier, I must say when i see pictures of the fiesta like this it does make you feel safer that it can take such a clout and survive with just metal damage! Even if it is a write off dont worry mate not your fault metal can be replaced people cant! Hope you all feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Tierney Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 ALl good poitns from the above posters :) I Agree with Kirst88 the other side will drag thier heels and give you rubbish offers. Though, this might be different, as the other side is still admiral! So They going to be paying themselfs out. Im glad to hear about the NCB not being lost as sometimes a non fault claim can effect it. Im with Admiral myself. Your appointed solicitors will advise you on the value of your injuries/Loss of earnings if you have any etc Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Some great advise from the above posters. I think everything has been covered, All I can say is I hope that you made a bigger mess of his car, and hopefully it was a bit more expensive and shiny than your car, because its going to cost him an arm and a leg, all because he was speeding to close. Hope you and your passengers are all well, and just take it easy for the next few weeks. As mentioned above, and as you will probably be advised by your GP, injuries can develop later, once the shock has worn off. dont be afraid to pester your doctor, they would rather tell you your ok, than see you unwell. As for the car, it looks like there is no right off there, your car is new enough! my guess, after respray and replace, and potentially a new axle, I suspect the bill will come close to £2500 - £3500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dLockers Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 has the car been written off The back axle must be bent for that wheel to be swivelled that way. Is that a dent in the rear Quarter panel. Did the Side Airbags etc go off Jamie He must have done a good job on crashing it to bend the rear axle, been as though the Fiesta doesn't have a rear axle - lol. Hopefully its just your hub thats bent, if the beam is kinked then its a mother to get lined up properly as no adjustment is possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordpartsman Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 He must have done a good job on crashing it to bend the rear axle, been as though the Fiesta doesn't have a rear axle - lol. Hopefully its just your hub thats bent, if the beam is kinked then its a mother to get lined up properly as no adjustment is possible. Of course it has a rear axle. As youve said its called a BEAM AXLE. Its not independant suspension on the rear therefore its an axle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strutter Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Not sure from that pic but it looks like the back quarter panel mid section in front of the arch and torqued in badly, that could be a twist in the chasis looking the way it does and would possibly write it off as they usually dont try and fix that. Just how the picture looks to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maffoo Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Wow lots of replies... I've spent half my day in A&E after my housemate's GP sent her for Xrays and prescribed her pain killers (whiplash and concussion) and I've now got a lovely little limp going on (fantastic! :/ ) Yes that's a mother of a dent behind the door and not a reflection :/ And to be honest I think all the panels around that corner will need changing. I'm still waiting to hear from the garage about a courtesy car (it's being arranged and paid for by my insurer), but as Admiral have said they've emailed me the details twice (which I haven't received) I'm still in the dark about the car. And I'd love to say that it was a chav in a BMW or Merc or something that hit me, but it was just a normal businessman in a 2003 Skoda Fabia... His left wheel was borked and the tyre had gone bye bye, but other than that it didn't look too bad... I'll keep you informed :) And thanks for all the best wishes, I really appreciate it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Evening ! sorry to hear about the fiesta, but out of interest did you buy your car from an evans halshaw franchise? I ask becuase im pretty much in the same boat as you, as somebody has just driven into the back of my fiesta yesterday, and similarly, have been to the hospital and confirmed to have whiplash. Same as you with being insured with admiral, but i have been in touch with Evans Halshaw Assistance (only any cop if you bought your car from there) which I know i got free for one year when I purchased my car last May. Was told by the advisor that it was 100% their fault due to being a rear end shunt, and that there would be NO excess to pay, and costs of a hire car would be recovered from them, not only that but it definatley would not affect a no claims bonus. To top that, they also offered to liase with admiral and guarantee that it would be repaired quickly in a ford garage, as opposed to the Brooklands bodyshop that admiral are contracted to in my area. So in all, if you did buy your car within a year, from evans halshaw, would DEFINATLEY give htis a go :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dLockers Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Of course it has a rear axle. As youve said its called a BEAM AXLE. Its not independant suspension on the rear therefore its an axle An axle: http://www.google.co.uk/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1ACAW_ENUK340&q=define%3A+axle&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq= The Fiesta has a stub axle hub assembly, not an axle at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Call them and double check the email details they have on record, also ask them to CC you into all further emails to another email address. That way hopefully if one doesnt get there, it should get to the other email address. Good luck with Admiral! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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