Oh Well That's Just Effing Marvelous

[Negative Creep]

Taking my usual route home from work, in the 2nd of 4 lanes approaching a major roundabout. Slow moving traffic but a few cars ahead a HGV tries to pull into our lane, causing a fairly sharpish emergency stop for me and the few cars ahead. Still a tut to myself and we keep moving. Lorry driver then makes a second attempt at changing lanes - except the problem is I'm now in his blimdspot. You can probably guess what happens next.

 

It was a Portuguese lorry so I would have been in his blindspot, did hit the horn but to no avail. Luckily it was only a few mph so no major damage and no injuries. Try to talk to the guy but instantly obvious he can't speak a word of English. Even more luckily a Police car just happened to be driving past so I waved them down. Police were very helpful and professional and eventually managed to get his insurance details. Looked to be something dodgy about his lorry as they were carrying out more checks when I left.

 

Damage isn't bad - pushed the bumper back in but its still scuffed, slightly loose and misaligned. Small dent and scuffs on the wing, wheel trim and wing mirror (although the latter may have already been there). Still perfectly driveable but I'm not sure what to do now. As the car has such low value even a new bumper will effectively write it off, not to mention increased premiums and the difficulties of getting a company in Portugal to pay for the repairs. But on the other hand it needs a new bumper now so why should I pay for it? Plus the Police are aware so I could be committing an offence if I don't inform my insurers

 

 

[STUNO]

Nasty. and harder to fix than it looks, but it sounds like there was the potential for much worse.

And my Rover as had much worse ! But from the rear, insurance will fix it. But touch and go for a write-off.

[Alexg]

Oh Well That's Just Effing Marvelous

 

Thats proper annoying mate. Best inform your insurance company though and hopefully you can contact the hauler and settle outside of this.

[dollywobbler]

I'd counsel against informing your insurance. They'll punish you whether it was your fault and if you claim or not. Insurance is a world of pain, so I'd just try and get on with life. Yes, it's annoying - but do you really want this to become something that drags on for ever and a day?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I agree with wobblah, i would let it go. looks annoying rather than problematic, thats half the point of driving shite innit.

[Volksy]

Inclined to agree with mr wobblar on this. However, if it's not your fault how can his insurance company write your car off?

[Guest]

We really shouldn't allow LHD lorries on our roads (or vice-versa) - the blind spot scenario just leads to things like this happening over and over. On arrival at the docks they should have to swap the container onto a RHD lorry for the rest of its journey. It's common sense really.

 

On the insurance scenario, I wouldn't bother informing yours, though it might be worth giving theirs a nudge to see what happens.

[Negative Creep]

Problem is that his insurance company are in Portugal so contacting them directly would be rather difficult. I know a lot of LHD lorries have larger mirrors to prevent this kind of thing but this one didn't. I never stick beside them on motorways or roundabout but had no choice in this instance. Plenty of horror stories about people being killed when one of our continental friend decides to change lanes without indicating

[dollywobbler]

I've had it happen myself - when we did that ridiculous '660 miles in a day' in the 2CV. No problems in France, Luxembourg or Belgium but hit the M25 and a left-hand drive truck almost swipes us off the road. Pleased my reactions were still good after over 16hrs of travel that day, though I'm still not sure how I avoided the cones at the side of the motorway.

[hairnet]

get in touch with his ins co direct and tell them the police are involved.............

 

maybe they settle without pain to you............

[CIH]

I wouldn't inform insurance. Honestly it won't achieve anything.

[HillmanImp]

I don't think its a legal requirement to inform your insurance company is it? I think you need to tell the police (or is that just with an injury or something) but I don't think anyone ever does. Or I might have just made all that up?

 

*edit* bad luck BTW. Glad it was only a bump.

[AnthonyG]

I don't think you have to inform your insurers of a no fault accident, particularly as there is no injury. It's not telling them about previous claims they get upset about! IIRC I think you have to inform the police of an accident which causes injury.

 

TBH I would leave it, but if you do get them involved don't let the insurers take the car away at any point.

[Spottedlaurel]

.........but if you do get them involved don't let the insurers take the car away at any point.

 

This is good advice. It'll just disappear off to a yard somewhere and you'll never see it again. Which would be a shame.

 

I think that Tokyojoe guy who posts on OJC is/was breaking a T72 or two.

[retrogeezer]

Chalk it up to experience NC, as already said, you won't get anywhere with the portuguese insurer so your insurer will end up paying out and your premiums will go up. It just ain't worth it.

 

Why didn't you just hold back if you could see he was trying to change lanes?

[stuboy]

wouldn't bother insurance informing ,,,, mate hate 2 incidents like this when he's driven through dover

[Negative Creep]

Chalk it up to experience NC, as already said, you won't get anywhere with the portuguese insurer so your insurer will end up paying out and your premiums will go up. It just ain't worth it.

 

Why didn't you just hold back if you could see he was trying to change lanes?

 

 

I was already alongside when he started indicating and moving, couldn't have let him out if I'd wanted to. Might be able to sand back and repaint the bumper. Will try to take it off at the weekend and see if there's any damage behind

[retrogeezer]

Slow moving traffic but a few cars ahead a HGV tries to pull into our lane

 

Ah, I see...

 

When you say a few cars ahead you meant you were actually already alongside the trailer bit but I read it as the truck was further down the road ahead of you.....doh!

[coalnotdole]

Another vote for avoiding insurance companies like the plague... Unless your obliged by law I would not tell them (I'm not sure of the exact rules.)

 

I'd definitely try and chase the other sides insurers though even if it amounts to nothing its got to be worth a go.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I wouldn't talk with your own insurance company, but you aren't going to lose much writing a letter to Portugal. Furthermore, even if the Portuguese don't seem to be the most sophisticated people on the continent, it's likely that the insurance company will be able to find at least one person that can understand English and can thus decode your letter.

 

If the claim gets settled directly between yourself and the Portuguese company, it won't be visible to British insurers so, if you were less scrupulous than I am, you could conveniently forget about declaring it in the future.