Safe Speed Forums

No, really! I've got pictures to prove it!!

Last Friday night, on the M6, my wife was on her way home from visiting her father in hospital in Southport.

Just before the road works near Garstang, as she slowed for the queuing traffic, she was hit from behind on the drivers rear quarter by a Polish driver of a Nissan Primera, and shunted onto the hard shoulder.

Lancs BiB attended within minutes - not sure if anyone called them - and after they had taken a brief statement, and questioned the Polish driver - who spoke little English, they pulled the wheel arch away from the tyre, where it was in heavy contact with the wheel.
They then allowed her to drive it home - although I suspect the damage is more serious than it looks.

We have informed our insurance company, Direct Line, but firstly they want us to use the local Vauxhall garage to do the repairs even though the Peugeot garage is just around the corner.
Since we will be claiming against the Pole (hopefully) I hope we can we insist that our Peugeot dealer does the work?
Secondly, they have contacted his insurers, but it appears that he has not yet informed them!

How long should we have to wait for the other driver to admit his responsibility before starting a claim ourselves?
He is listed on ASKMID as being insured (with Norwich Union) and his insurers have been conformed by Direct Line, but there has been no other response so far.

BiB at the scene said the accident was clearly his fault, so when should I start making some waves to hurry things along - I suspect that the vehicle is more badly damaged than it looks - the rear door and boot can only be closed by levering them shut.
Her Pugeot 206 has a central fog light - which is bent inwards towards the driver side, although there is no other sign of damage to the bumper there - and which is unsecured at one side, and the towing hook has disappeared from view!

Today my wife has had to go to the doctors with severe back ache which started on Saturday night/Sunday morning - and which the doctor has put down to the effects of the accident.

Would it be right to worry about the other driver leaving the country? Should I wait for Direct Line, or claim off him myself?





The shock absorber top mount point is on the top of the wheel arch in the boot - which looks wrinkled - rear wheel pushed forwards?


She says the BiB were very helpful, and apart from releasing the bodywork from the tyre, they made sure she had all the other drivers details (including spelling his name correctly), an incident number, telephone number for them and a home to go to before they left!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Ernest, keep your sex life off the forum!

I wouldn't worry about the driver leaving the country, he's insured with a UK insurer, it shouldn't really matter.

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Regulation without education merely creates more criminals.

Claim straight off his insurers. If you get yours to pay for the work then it complicates things as they then have to pursue the other insurance company directly. Yours will also try and make you go to their crappy approved repairers. It will be much easier if you just tell them you'll be wanting the third party insurers to pay up. Get a couple of quotes then tell the other insurance company. They may or may not send out an assessor. Hopefully they'll just cough as it is pretty cut and dried. Tell yours that you are claiming straight off the other guy's insurance so they don't need to do anything.

You should reasonably expect a decent standard of repair so the peugeot garage that is literally around the corner from you doesn't seem at all unreasonable. Don't touch credit hire with a bargepole either as they'll just complicate things if they offer to handle the claim or offer a loan car. Insist the peugeot garage offers you a loan car while yours is being repaired. If they are a bit reticent then mention you might be looking for a new one and that'll probably tip the balance....

Leave 7 days. If he has not then informed his insurers and allowing for post and reports - he's broken the law.

Get doctor to report injury in writing. You will get compo here.


If he has not informed his insurers by Friday - get your insurers to show muscles as there is a legal obligation. Contact Lancs police to tell them he has not reported as this would also be illegal. They can put some pressures on this idiot.


Hope I help you and others in same boat.


By the way .. pm the fully geared up fountain of all knowledge to whom I measure all others

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We haven't long bought the little blue number off them! They might think it a little soon to be considering a replacement!
However, if they decide the car is a write off, then they may well get some business!

Presumably they could add the cost of the courtesy car to the bill to the other driver - my wife is going to be hospital visiting to Southport until the middle of next week, so WILL need a car while the blue number is off the road.

The panel gap at the rear door is obviously narrowed - the door wont shut once opened! The rear hatch wont shut either, without being pryed into place, and the wrinkle/bulge at the top of the wheel arch is on the outside of the position of the top shock mounting point inside the car.

I'm going to drive it tomorrow, so I'll know if the rear wheel is out - my wife didn't realise anything was wrong when the front suspension spring snapped on our old Renault, and the broken end speared the tyre, making it hard to steer right, or roll down a slope!

She does not have much luck with cars - some people get a nail in their tyre, or even a screw. My wife is the only person I know, whose puncture consisted of a 10/11mm spanner, clean through the middle of the tread which stayed half in half out, and flailed the inside of the rear wheel arch - and which proved very difficult to pull out, even after I had removed the wheel!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

I would get one of the many independent hire/claim companies to handle this for you rather than let Direct Line do it. It's obviously their fault just from the pictures and you have both witnesses and police attendance so it's not exactly going to be hard to get them to take on your case.

The reason for this is Direct Line have more say in what happens to your car, including the power to write it off if the repairs are too costly, also you will lose your no-claims while this is ongoing. Direct Line do at least have a thing where if the driver does a runner you'll get your no claims back when their investigation is complete, but if your renewal is due soon this will still cause you problems.

In the past I would have recommended HelpHire, but they seem to have been a victim of their own success these days, and have not handled their growth as well as they could. Someone on another forum is currently using Drive Assist, and they haven't been back to complain about them just yet . Obviously I can't personally recommend them because I haven't used them, and hope never to be in such a position.