Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 13:58
Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout - happyface

In Nov 2014, (at about 8pm at night) I was driving my husbands car. I was on my way home when I was waiting at a roundabout, because a car was coming from my right. A young guy about 19 years old driving a Vauxhall Astra slammed into the back of my car. My 6 year old child was in the back and started wailing immediately. I jumped out (adrenaline pumping) to get to my kid int he back and he couldnt be more apologetic and said his "brakes had failed" and that he was "sorry" and "was my child ok". We drove round the corrner slightly to get a better look, and to get out the way of the rest of roundabout. It was so dark I couldnt see much apart from my bumper being bent. I took his number, name, city he lived in (because he didnt want to give me an address) and his phone no. Then we left and took my daughter to hospital to get checked over.

My husband reported it to his insruance etc that night. We got booked in at a local garage a week or so later and needed a hire car etc. The guy who fixed the car said it was quite a lot of internal damage and took him quite a while to fix. The 19 year old had apparently admitted liability.

All was fine until now, 7 months later, the little s*** is now saying he has "changed his mind" and he wasnt even the one who crashed the car. When you google his details, you see that he sold the accident damaged car just over a month ago.... and thats when he magically changed his mind about what happened.

He probably got his car insured by mummy and daddy, and they werent impressed he admitted liability, so he is just denying the whole thing now.

Does anyone have any advice...? I generally dont claim through insurance etc, as accidents happen. I once got a more severe car accident (not my fault) and didnt bother claiming cos the car was a piece of poop anyway. But this time, the car was from a lease comapny so we HAD to go through the insurance.

Obviously because he took so long to "change his mind" I cant go get CCTV etc becuase the council only keep them for 3 months! :(

Edited by happyface on 12/06/2015 at 14:01

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 15:10
Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout - FP

If the damage has now been repaired and paid for by your insurance then that's what insurance is for and you are not seriously out of pocket except for any excess or loss of no-claim bonus.

You are at liberty to take the guy to small claims over the latter, provided you can get his address. Any photos you took (I know it was dark, but your mobile might have had a camera with flash?) will help.

Alas, the story of people changing their minds about accepting responsibility is all too common. It is morally disgusting, but you have to get on with life and deal with it as best you can.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 16:24
Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout - RobJP

If there is evidence online about him selling his accident-damaged car, then you could always print it off, and send him/his parents a copy of it, and remind them that the offence of perjury normally carries a prison sentence. If he continues with his claim that he was not driving, then take him to the small claims court, where, if he continues with his denials, you can produce the evidence, and enjoy watching him being led to the cells.

PS. if you do that, then make sure you give him a jar of vaseline at the start of the day "just in case" he will need it that night.

PPS. I'm joking about the tub of vaseline. But it would be funny, in an abstract way

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 18:01
Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout - slkfanboy

Sadly this is all to common as others have said. I realise that your daughter was the priority and it would have not have been later that you starting thinking about getting the car fixed, hence the issue.

Anyone who refuses to provide details is breaking the law i.e Name,Address and Insurance details.

While the police would not thank me for saying this. If your in any doubt call them and also get amburlance to ensure people get safely checkout, rather than driving them yourself, in most cases this can be done at the scene.

Solution to your problem is complex. You can try with small claims to recover your losses and this has a good change if you can provide details of him and his car. Photos would also help. You need to provide on the balance of probabilities it was him.

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Fri 12 Jun 2015 22:29
Honda Jazz - Rear Ended at a Roundabout - Palcouk

If your insurance Company paid for the repair and car hire, let them handle it.

If you are saying you informed your insurance Company but didnt make a claim but paid for all repairs/hire your self.

You write to the individual by recorded deleivery informing him you will be making a claim at court and remind him the perjury caries a prison sentence

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