Two years ago, I had to carry out a rapid stop to avoid a van coming out from my left.
I stopped OK, the car behind me stopped with good clearance, sadly the driver in the third car did not stop in time and ran into the back of the second car pushing it forward. My car was not damaged in any way. My wife and I helped calm the other drivers' nerves and cleared the road of debris. Names and addresses were taken, mine as a witness not for any damage etc.
I have now received a letter from a firm of solicitors informing me that as I crashed into another car and forced that car into another I am liable for damages. This is patently untrue.
On ringing the solicitor's claims department, the young man actually confirmed my version of events and gave me a car reg. number that I have never owned.
I propose to reply to them to outline the series of events as it happened informing them I am only a witness and the car is not mine. I shall then send a copy of this letter plus theirs to my insurers.
As these matters can gain a life of their own, what advice can the BR's give to me so I may rapidly resolve this case to my satisfaction?
Thank you in advance.
Peter
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I'd telephone them again, and ask what they're going to do about it, and whether they'd like a letter from you. Someone's made a mistake.
Otherwise, sounds like a good plan.
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On ringing the solicitor's claims department, the young man actually confirmed my version of events and gave me a car reg. number that I have never owned.
I propose to reply to them to outline the series of events as it happened
In your shoes, I would write to them [recorded delivery] asking them to refer to the conversation you had [giving date & time] with their [named] young man. Say no more than that. Close your letter by stating that you expect a reply from them confirming that they have made an error, and that you now consider this matter closed.
If they do not do so, next time they contact you you should notify them to stop harassing you, and that you will only respond if they supply you with the evidence on which they are basing their false claims.
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I propose to reply to them to outline the series of events as it happened informing them I am only a witness and the car is not mine.
Since the collision happened behind you, I doubt if you saw what happened and therefore you probably weren't a witness. tinyurl.com/4ro7oj
Edited by L'escargot on 26/09/2008 at 15:54
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Put nothing in writing about what happened.
As somebody else suggested, write back pointing out that the car to which they refer was not yours.
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As somebody else suggested write back pointing out that the car to which they refer was not yours.
And to make everything clear, also point out that you weren't driving it.
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Put nothing in writing about what happened.
I'm not sure why not, if it's the truth. Should anything be done about it, "what happened" would come out anyway.
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I'd forward it to your insurance and let them sort it out. I gather you have informed your insurance of what happend?
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Be carefull in dealing with this, there are a few solicitors who make it their living chasing this kind of thing working on behalf of one of the persons involved in the accident.Thier aim is to try to get compensation from you either for the damage to the car or physical damage . In the accident I was caught up in several solicitors said they were acting on behalf of X tried to get me to complete a half filled in form which was carefully constructed to shift blame. We advised our insurance company and forwarded any comunication direct to them and advised solicitor to cease harassment.
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Why should he have informed his insurance? From what I can tell, no one hit his car.
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Why should he have informed his insurance? From what I can tell no one hit his car.
He was involved in a traffic accident. Irrelevant as to whether his car was damaged or not.
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He was involved in a traffic accident.
How?
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> Two years ago, I had to carry out a rapid stop to avoid a van coming out from my left
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He avoided an accident. Neither caused nor suffered damage. We all do that: its called defensive driving:) His only other part in the play was to be a witness.
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> Two years ago I had to carry out a rapid stop to avoid a van coming out from my left
I disagree - he did not cause the accident and was he not involved in it in any way.
If the person in the second car behind the OP couldn't stop in time he/she was either driving too close, too fast or simply not paying attention. Certainly the OP was and is not at fault.
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> Two years ago I had to carry out a rapid stop
J1mbo - By your definition the UK's insurance industry would be completely bogged down dealing with everyday occurrences of excellent defensive driving but which you think are "accidents".
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>He was involved in a traffic accident.
How? <
Apparently by being dragged into it (perhaps maliciously) by other parties?
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Apparently by being dragged into it (perhaps maliciously) by other parties?
Hence the solution, as suggested by Mapmaker and others, to drag the OP out of it all is for him to:
"Put nothing in writing about what happened.
As somebody else suggested, write back pointing out that the car to which they refer was not yours."
p.s. It seems the OP has left the backroom after making his first post.
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jbif, OP has made some 190 posts.
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