FSO raped by Focus updated 22/3/13 Alfa Purchase

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Unless I am missing something - and I probably am:

 

"Caroline was parked on the side of the road minding her own business and got swiped by the focus"

 

Caroline is either the car, or the driver. Was someone in the car, or not? If Caroline is the driver, and was parked like that with no lights on, then Mr Focus has a free get-out-of-jail card.

[SambaS]

Caro-line is the car. No one was in it while it was parked.

[Guest]

I guess I should have made clear that Caroline is the car, it probably would have prevented confusion and potential ill feeling.

 

Sorry

[KruJoe]

Ouch Ben, that's nasty! Is Caroline ok? She must be properly shaken up by it.

I "think" Caroline is the cars name Joe...

No ill feeling Ben, my bad. Is your suspension ok?

[carlo]

I guess I should have made clear that Caroline is the car, it probably would have prevented confusion and potential ill feeling.

 

Sorry

 

But well done for not rising to the bait. Even if it wasn't clear, there's never any need to post in such a hostile fashion. Best of luck with the car.

[cobblers]

Caroline is the driver, and was parked like that with no lights on, then Mr Focus has a free get-out-of-jail card.

 

Give me strength! Of course he hasn't! whether there was someone in the car or not and regardless of if it had any lights on, how can a parked car cause an accident? even if it was parked across the flipping junction, it's still a stationary object and as such the pillock that aimed his car at this stationary object (whether he could see it or not!) is at fault!

 

If a car parked with no lights on could cause an accident, don't you think all these CRASH 4 CASH boys would just drive into parked cars all the time instead of staging these elaborate accidents on motorway sliproads etc?

 

 

Benno - you should be able to insist on cash in leui of repairs for the car - Take it for a few quotes and send them to the other drivers insurance Don't let the other insurance company take it away to inspect it, they can send someone out if they like, but once it leaves your driveway on the back of their truck you'll be lucky to see it again.

[Guest]

Thanks all for future reference I'm "sad" enough to give all the fleet names, my other half is actually called Karin and thankfully was nowhere near Caroline at the time.

 

With regards to getting quotes is it OK to drive the car on the road or will it be a matter of taking photos, Cyanide Steve of this parish has offered to do the work but I am unsure as to what i can expect the third parties insurance company to cough up, I have the figure of £750 in my mind. I rang mine to notify them of the accident and they said hypothetically for them it is a total loss claim. I am going to ring swift cover on Monday and say I want to get it repaired and I want some money to go towards it etc.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Caroline is the driver, and was parked like that with no lights on, then Mr Focus has a free get-out-of-jail card.

 

Give me strength! Of course he hasn't! whether there was someone in the car or not and regardless of if it had any lights on, how can a parked car cause an accident?

 

For Christs sake.

 

Let me explain, and hopefully you might understand and view it from the point of view of the Focus drivers insurance underwriters:

 

1.) Parked car, nobody in it. Car runs into it. Cut and dried case. No room for doubt.

 

2.) Parked car, someone in it, engine running, lights not on. Car runs into it on a main road in the fog - a whole new ballgame with both insurance parties trying to wriggle out of it. The Focus driver could be carefully coerced by the insurance company to say 'actually, it wasn't all my fault. It was foggy and a car was stationary in the road with no lights on". It's no longer so simple, and they might end up with like for like. Comprende? Excellent stuff.

 

 

Not that it matters because it's scenario 1. No offence benno, good luck.

 

I would also echo Cobbler's comments about retaining the car. Don't send them the MOT, V5 etc unless you absolutely have to - that will hopefully prevent the car becoming a category C.

[Guest]

It was my fault for not being clear who "Caroline" was

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I am going to ring swift cover on Monday and say I want to get it repaired and I want some money to go towards it etc.

 

Once again, please do e-mail them and keep everything in writing. They are an insurance company, and a shite one at that. You don't want to get into a 'he said-she said' type of argument with them a couple of weeks down the line. Do it for Caroline's sake.

[Guest]

OK Luxo advice taken, sending email now

[Lankytim]

Benno is married to a car?

[Guest]

lol feels like it sometimes

[trigger]

Benno is married to a car?

 

[Guest]

lol nice one trigger, im the same but sometimes go bareback

[SambaS]

*speechless*

 

Benno is married to a car?

 

[Split_Pin]

Meh thats very bad luck indeed, I'm sorry to see this. I was surprised at the damage to the Focus though!

 

Hope you take up CYANIDE_STEVE's offer, sound like he has the right Porta_Powerage to see the car good again

[Guest]

Yes I have Iain, hopefully will be sorted before long

[RichardMoss]

I remember when my MGC GT was swiped by a Winnebago whilst parked on double yellow lines (after a brake problem). The Police said "no problem, you were stationary, he was moving - his fault".

 

Hopefully the Caro will be back in action soon but I would reiterate the advice to keep it in your possession and not to be afraid to refuse their first offer. Remember, unless you sell the car to them (through an insurance settlement) they have no rights over it.

[Guest]

this all reminds me of that you tub vid where that chap was masturbating over his maestro

[Albert Ross]

I reckon the theory of it being your fault for parking it there, is utter bollocks. I take it the other 372 million cars using the road that day, managed to see it and avoid it..... Otherwise there would be a queue of solicitors knocking on your front door.

Also, to avoid confusion, try to source a RHD country rear lamp unit. If none in the UK, Malta maybe? Otherwise you will end up with no foglamp.....

[fordperv]

it always makes me sad to see crumpled shite, at least she gave as good as she got, hopefully as others have said should be pretty simple, your shite was minding its own business having a rest whilst you were working, then the sex offending focus decided it wanted to anally rape the sleeping car thus making it full fault of focus regardless of if it was foggy/raining/snowing/the driver was getting oral (my dads parked avenger got written off by a taxi whilst the taxi driver was receiving a good old bj )

[Guest]

An update of sorts, they expected me to take the car to a garage at least 30 miles away from where I live for an assessment. I of course refused this, they then said they would collect the car, I said no for fear of never seeing it again. I then said that I wanted to keep the car and I wanted a cash settlement in lieu of repairs. They said they could do this but it would need to be seen by one of their engineers. I said I didn't want this to happen so I am waiting for them to call me back.

[Lankytim]

Surely it needs to be inspected for them to assess the damage and work out a settlement figure?

[Guest]

Sorry to hear this Ben.

 

As for the insurance procedure, I went through this a couple of years back when my 2CV was rear ended. I contacted the other insurance company, and informed them that I wanted to make a settlement with them outside my company. Then I informed my company, and told them I was dealing directly with the other company.

Insurance companies really rape each other in the event of an accident with all sorts of hidden charges for the at fault party. Due to this, the other company were literally falling over themselves to settle without involving my company. I refused an assessor, and made it quite clear I would be keeping the car and repairing it. They were very happy with this arrangement, we agreed a price and they posted me a cheque. They never even saw photos of the damage, let alone assess it, and I kept the car which I then sold on Ebay for restoration.

 

As has been said, whatever you do don't let an assessor near it because worse case scenario it will be made a CAT B and can't go back on the road, and best case it will be made a CAT-C which will mean taking it to the local DVLA for a VIC check, which is extra hassle you can do without. I would price up the new panels you need (possibly imported from Poland?) and how much it would cost to get them fitted to the car and painted etc. Make sure they know how rare the car is as well.

[nigel bickle]

They need to at least see it Ben,

 

I had similar, about 2 years back when a 17yr old ploughed his (4 up) Fiesta into 3 of mine, parked up outside my house -around 11pm.

 

His Insurers (Quinns, in N Ireland -young persons spoecialist) sent an Assessor quickly, to sense the extent of the damage (totalled Fiat 1100r, rear ended Barkas & knicked Colorale). It makes it easier for them if you retain the vehicle (your right as 3rd party, anyway- they cant insist on removal unless you are 1st party).

 

Then it was just down to negotiating -me supplying proof (suitable alternates) of my claim. Once agreed, cheque received 3 days later.

 

Very amicable.

[Guest]

Thanks Nigel, sorry to hear you were in the same boat, I've offered the gold one on ebay as an alternative so I'm hoping they will give me a settlement to fund the purchase of that. Parts for the repair to the the other have been sourced and is off next Friday to cyanide steves for work to begin.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

E-mail them saying that they are welcome to visit you in order to inspect the car- as Nigel said, there isn't any risk of losing the car, and your co-operation is going to speed up the process.

[Guest]

They wont come to my house to inspect it, "they don't do this", they want me to take it to a garage in Loughborough

[fordperv]

you can request they send an engineer to visit the car at your home, at the end of the day they must respect your wishes i would ask to speak to someone higher and put your point accross