Someone (works wagon) has just crashed into my car – I have a reg. number and details of the vehicle but not a definitive of the business name.

Cheers

Plod?

Yep. Report to the police did they leave without providing details? That’s a crime.

Failure to stop? Just report it to the police and they’ll give you the details and hopefully the perp will get into trouble.

Fail to stop / report is an offence under Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Report to local police. They won’t tell you who the registered keeper is but are duty bound to investigate.

If the works wagon has local company details /livery, a quick visit to their premises with a camera to record corresponding damage before it is repaired works wonders for proving your case.

Yeah I have reported to the police and have a crime number. Hopefully I will get the details back quickly on the registered owner and I can make a claim on their insurance – otherwise I will be footing the cost.

FFS

https://www.gov.uk/request-information-from-dvla

You need to fill out the form and send it by post so it might not be any quicker than waiting for the police.

surely your insurance company will be able to find out who is responsible for that vehicle.

surely your insurance company will be able to find out who is responsible for that vehicle.

Yeah I am sure they can – I was initially going to try not to involve them but clearly it would be more hassle than it is worth.

I was initially going to try not to involve them

Failure to disclose material facts to your insurer – could invalidate your insurance if you don’t tell them, even if you have no intention of making a claim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uberrima_fides

Yeah I am sure they can – I was initially going to try not to involve them but clearly it would be more hassle than it is worth.

Why?

You have to inform them and claim off your insurance they will peruse the other owner for the claim if they are to blame.

I mean, that is literally why you buy insurance.

Report to police and your insurers, insurers have Motor Insurers Database, gives them the insurers of the vehicle and they will then speak to that insurer. If no action is taken then your insurers can request the owners of the vehicle from the DVLA

Point taken everyone – it didn’t take me long to realise that I should be official and do it all through insurance despite it inevitably meaning my premiums will go up next year….

Hopefully I will get the details back quickly on the registered owner and I can make a claim on their insurance – otherwise I will be footing the cost.

plyphon – Member

I mean, that is literally why you buy insurance.

Covers it really. Report, sit back, relax (but not too much in case your insurer needs occasional prodding)

And remember to use your legal cover (if you paid for it) to persue the third party to cover the costs of increased premiums for the next 5 years.

Yup – have legal cover but hadn’t considered that so thanks for the suggestion 🙂

do it all through insurance despite it inevitably meaning my premiums will go up next year….

Can’t you reclaim that loss back as part of the claim, or something?

Police will be able to provide their insurance details, and they should also be paying them a visit (based on my own experience). Independent witness would be helpful though as it’s your word against theirs.

That and the physical evidence on their own vehicle.

So I did some sleuthing yesterday – the witnesses said the lorry had ‘Tempur’ written on it so I went to the bed dealers around the corner from work and asked if they had had a delivery from Tempur that morning. They had and they also had CCTV (which they gave stills of to me) showing the lorry and timestamp putting them in the area. They also gave me the details of the transport manager at Tempur so I called them. They confirmed the reg. plate was one of their lorries and called me back later confirming their driver said ‘he thought he may have hit something but couldn’t see any damage’ so drove off (in fact he pulled over but didn’t get out – he just drove back off – presumably because he didn’t think there were any witnesses).

So anyway they have now accepted blame and hopefully that is the end of that!

Just come off a call with the police. As I now have the owner details they said they will close the case – saying that as the driver stopped (albeit momentarily and without even getting out of his cab) and also claimed that he checked and couldn’t see any damage that it wouldn’t be worth pursuing as CPS would throw it out. Now I am not entirely bothered as I have what I need but I am surprised that the police aren’t interested in it. They said they get hundreds of cases like this and they really aren’t worth bothering with 🙁

Still, what with current events this week, I guess they do have other much more important things to focus their attentions on.

Failure to disclose material facts to your insurer – could invalidate your insurance if you don’t tell them, even if you have no intention of making a claim.

especially if you do nothing but the driver of the van claims you hit him to keep himself out of the sh*t

the police aren’t interested in it.

They said they get hundreds of cases like this

Hmmmm…. 😕

the police aren’t interested in it.

They said they get hundreds of cases like this

Bit like bike thefts then!

No-one hurt, pass it on to the insurance and get on with life 🙂

No-one hurt, pass it on to the insurance and get on with life

Yeah, as I said I am not bothered as I have what I need but it seems a shame that people can get away with this so easily.

they said they will close the case – saying that as the driver stopped (albeit momentarily and without even getting out of his cab) and also claimed that he checked and couldn’t see any damage that it wouldn’t be worth pursuing as CPS would throw it out.

That’s not stopping, he’s left the scene of an accident. If you were accused of a hit and run and your defence was “well, I did stop, then I drove off again” I doubt you’d get very far.

That’s not stopping, he’s left the scene of an accident. If you were accused of a hit and run and your defence was “well, I did stop, then I drove off again” I doubt you’d get very far.

The policeman I spoke to said he could claim he did stop and CPS would throw it out.

the police aren’t interested in it.

a while back somebody pulled out into traffic and hit me. tried to claim my fault, I called the police, not interested. Told the guy my dashcam footage contradicted his story, I’d be passing it on to the insurance company and telling porkies on an insurance claim is fraud. Dealt with by insurance company. I need to get a dashcam in case that happens again.

Be prepared to fight to get it through. Vaguely similar happened to me aaages ago, I was in my folks’ car, stationary, when a truck reversed into us. My brother was in the passenger seat. Driver admitted liability at the time.

But of course that changed when the insurance got hold of it, and claimed we had hit him. Our insurer was useless and wouldn’t chase it. We had to go to the small claims court, which we won as the company just ignored us. We had bailiffs sent to the company, but they got nowhere. It was only when we applied to make the company director personally liable that they caved in and gave us the money. I can only assume it happens a lot and this was their standard approach, because most people just give up at the first hurdle.

I need to get a dashcam in case that happens again.

8)

Be prepared to fight to get it through.

It is a national company with a good reputation so I am hopeful I will get a positive outcome. I have to say that, up to date, my insurance company (Hastings) have been great – fantastic communications, prompt and easy to deal with 🙂