Mrs Skip hit a child this morning in the car, can we claim off them??

Right, let me set the mood.

Mrs Skip was driving to work this morning. She’d just gone round a round about and was going up a slight hill in a line of traffic when a child of 12 ran out from between parked cars. It just happened that my mrs’s car was there.

Kid bounced off the car, got up to run off, took a few steps and then went to the floor in pain. Mrs Skip is a nurse and took care of her, called the ambulance and then had half an hour with the police. They were happy with everything including driver behind who supported her side of the matter. We have several witnesses including the girls gran that saw her run without looking straight into the road.

Car is now at the body shop and will be needing a bonnet, front grills, bumper and a couple of other little bits.

So i know we have insurance for these types of things but this is going down as her fault when it wasn’t. Are we able to chase them for this off their home insurance maybe? Not holding out much hope of it all and i now expect to get called all names under the sun for asking this but just thought i was worth a shout.

Thanks

Oh, and for those of you wanting to know how the girl is….mum says shes fine and is bragging about it all over facebook. Mrs Skip is still in shock.

Blimey! sounds like a pretty substantial child. Bit of a porker?

All of the office said the same when i got into work!! She left a right dent on the bonnet.

Blimey! sounds like a pretty substantial child. Bit of a porker?

😀

I have concern for the future of humans as a species

Legally, I’m sure you can.

Ethically, I think you can.

Emotively, that’s where i now expect to get called all names under the sun for asking this might occur.

People can make a fair old dent in things, you’d be (and apparently are) surprised.

As for claiming – they would have to have insurance, wouldn’t they? Unless you want to bankrupt some poor family cos their kid wasn’t watching what they were doing.

And so the name calling starts…..

cheers Der

Ace OP. Ace, ace, ace. 😀
Bravo.

I’m sure there are PLENTY of companies only too willing to help you out with your claim…

thats what insurance is for,

Just think of the headlines, nurse runs over 12 year old child and then sues the childs family for damages to car.

Did the kid accept blame on the spot?

Could the bragging over facebook be used in court to prove fault?

Purely from a legal perspective I hasten to add, not sure on the moral/ethical side of things myself…

This happened to me once. The kid was visiting from abroad, and the teacher with him was trying to persuade me to drive off and not call the cops, I guess as he should have been supervising them better.

Terrifying and I sympathise with Mrs Skip, seriously worst few minutes of my life until the kid got up and kind of grinned at me.

Anyways, I was more worried they might sue me, so got a few names of witnesses. The Police were very helpful and even drove my van home cos I was so shakey.

I left the dent in the van to remind me to always pay attention when driving. Could have been so much worse.

oh and most cars are made to deform when hit by another object, if they didnt have some giove, the injured party would be more badly injured.

Molgrips, just smarts a bit on both ends thats all. We’re having to payout for the work while our new “robust” 12 year old friend is hard as nails on facebook.

My mrs is now at her dads as she didn’t want to be left on her own. She keeps re-playing it over and over again and then bursts into tears. Not wanting to bankrupt a family just asked if it could be done.

If there was any mileage in it, do you not think your insurance company would be pursuing it?

I would just pay to get the car fixed and be thankful nobody got hurt. Not your fault of course, but sometimes bad things happen.

Just to play devil’s advocate, as I understand it:

1) The accident was not Mrs Skip’s fault, it was the girl’s
2) The child is thankfully unhurt
3) There is substantial damage to the car
4) A claim on Mrs Skip’s insurance will doubtless cost money in increased renewal cost

Why should they not ask the family of the girl to pay for the damage to the car?

EDIT I would just pay to get the car fixed and be thankful nobody got hurt.

So would I, I’m just asking the question

“It is very rare that a driver would claim against a pedestrian for vehicle damage, but there is theoretical right to do so. It would depend totally on the facts of the accident and also whether the pedestrian had the means to pay for such a claim. Often building and contents insurance might be able to pay for such claims.

Where the pedestrian is a child it would be even more rare and as a claim would have to be made against the child pedestrian direct it is very unlikely the child would have the means to meet any claim subject to being included under the parents building and contents insurance.”

I think you have an obligation to sue.
If the family can’t pay, you get to keep the child as a slave (or have it put down).

When I was a little younger than now I rode out in front of a car whilst on my paper round. I made a similar mess of the car which hit me and the driver successfully claimed against my employers liability insurance and I had the excess docked off my pay for a few months. I thought it was a fair cop at the time and my folks thought it taught me a valuable lesson.

Have times changed so much?

Have you asked over on mumsnet yet?

M-I-L did something similar to a 14yo coming the wrong way round a roundabout. No police,but witnesses etc there. Little scrote tried to sue HER.So why should you finish out of pocket? They would be right into you if the boot was on the other foot.Especially when she is so contrite that it is on FB.

Thread of 2012

Kids can be arseholes, but they are not the ones that foot the bill. I don’t think you can make a claim dependent on whether or not they are insured, to be honest.

Would you accept a tenner to not take it any further? 🙂

Just as a matter of interest, what happens when you hit a deer that jumps out of a hedge?

Does your premium go up?

Have you asked over on mumsnet yet?

Post a link when you do, actually scratch that, we’ll be able to see the mushroom clouds as thousands of angry-middle class Mums heads explode!

rightplacerighttime – Member
Just as a matter of interest, what happens when you hit a deer that jumps out of a hedge?

Does your premium go up?

Posted 31 seconds ago # Report-Post

no I-Deer

Pretty much the same thing happened to my Sister. Fortunately there was no none hurt in her situation either. The Police advised that the family involved where liable (and might be covered under their house insurance liability cover).

Obviously she was concerned for the child, but ultimately why should she be liable? That’s what insurances are for right? Anyway, I think she just had a chat with the family and they paid for a new bonnet.

Having just thought about this a bit more – I’m coming round to the “isn’t this exactly the sort of thing that your insurance is supposed to cover?” point of view.

Yikes. Lucky the kid was ok. In my view I’d only go as far as asking the parents face to face if they could contribute toward the damage, but I’d feel pretty embarassed about doing that.

Just sort it and thank god no one was seriously hurt or worse.

no I-Deer

Oh deer…

rightplacerighttime – Member
Just as a matter of interest, what happens when you hit a deer that jumps out of a hedge?

Does your premium go up?

Posted 31 seconds ago # Report-Post

no I-Deer
And if you kill it?
Still No I-Deer.

I went into the back of a car on my bike once and put the back windscreen in with my shoulder. Just as much my fault as this girl’s here, by the sounds of things. I paid £100 for the replacement. I thought that was fair enough.

Kind of get the feeling that the insurance company may be looking into it.

We are glad that the girl is ok. Mrs skips said that she is just thankful that she hasn’t got the death of the girl to deal with for the rest of her life.

Don’t fancy a slave higgo, so may just opt to have her put down!! 😉

Count yourself lucky

take it out of their pocket money £2 a week over 6 years should cover it.

My only accident (as an adult) was riding my MTB out in front of a car – it hit my bike, I went airborne and my head hit the windscreen on the way down – I must have caused loads of damage to the Golf.
I was covered by home insurance, but the bloke never claimed against me. I think he was just relieved I was alive and ok.
(Still feel a bit guilty about it actually!)

Same payment terms as the criminals get then!

It’s a tough one but why should you be out of pocket when it’ not your fault!
I suggest a polite approach to the family and if that fails a claim through your insurance company, failing that a County Court Judgement via the on-line ‘my money’ service which only costs £50 if you loose…simples!
I think people (and children) should take responsibility for their actions the poor driver is always being made to pay.

Holds breath!