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Advice needed - car accident

Hi, looking for some advice if anyone can help.
I was involved in an accident on the m25 this afternoon, i ended up in the back of a jag which also hit a merc in front.
The merc was originally behind me but the traffic was slow due to an accident further along. The merc was getting frustrated and sped along the next lane and cut between a van and another car.
The van did not like this and zigzagged across the 4 lanes until he got in front of the merc and slammed his brakes. The merc stopped and the jag broke just in front of me. Unfortuntely my lil old fiat punto didnt react as quick and skidded across the tarmac. My car is a write off and the other two have scratches. The van was umharmed and sped off.
The merc was a rental car being driven like a twat as agreed by myself and the jag but in the eyes of insurers i am to blame. Police are suppoesedly checking for cctv in which case i may be able to fight it.
Has anyone had any dealings like this before or anyone have any advice. Im really panicking.
Cheers
Craig
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Comments

  • As a general rule, if you run into the back of another vehicle, you are liable. You should always drive at a safe distance.
    Proving the circumstances you claim, may be difficult and will not necessarily help.
  • edited April 2016
    All cases are treated on their individual circumstances, but the basic rule is:
    "You should not be travelling at a speed at which you cannot stop safely"

    Which boils down to - don't hit anyone up the back.

    If the CCTV tracks down the van, then the driver may be charged with an offence, but I am not sure this will alter the insurance view. Also, the cops will take ages to decide if charging the driver(s) is in the public interest, and even if he/she/they are in the wrong - it may not lead to a prosecution.
  • If you have a witness that supports your version of events this may help you. While it still may not go in your favour, it may give you a stronger position to negotiate from.
  • I lost track a bit of what actually happened, but don't that seem a bit like an insurance job?
  • Davo55 said:

    Davo55 said:

    And most importantly mate, you walked away safe and sound.

    A car is only metal, plastic, rubber and glass. Money is just money.

    In that case, please can I "borrow" a couple of hundred quid? :-)
    No, but I can give you a spare wing mirror tomorrow :smiley:
    Better than nothing...
  • Glad your okay. Chin up worse things can happen. Hope you manage to work everything out.

    Sorry I don't have any actual advice on the situation.
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  • Sorry your car is a write off. Bloody road rage that you weren't part off and you get the blame. It is what it is and you are still ok which is the main thing. Hope you're not panicking now, let the insurers get on with it and hopefully sort out another car for yourself.
  • There are more & more twats on the road these days, and is of the reasons why the dash cam has become so popular.
  • Sadly, even if the police find something wrong with the driving of the other cars it's not going to alter the insurance position as legally you are liable. The other drivers might get charged with careless driving or something but that won't make much difference to you. Glad you're okay though.
  • 3 strikes with insurance payout offers. Dont take the piss but don't let them either, you insure your vehicle for a certain amount and that affects the premium. You never get what you paid on a write off but don't leave yourself short on replacing it
  • Don't you just love the M25...avoid at all costs.
  • edited April 2016

    Don't you just love the M25...avoid at all costs.

    Come on, own up, your real name is Hastings Direct isn't it? You're just trying to reduce the level of claims aren't you?
  • Don't you just love the M25...avoid at all costs.

    I find that the A2 is worse than the M25 these days
  • There are more & more twats on the road these days, and is of the reasons why the dash cam has become so popular.

    Its a surprise that Car Insurance companies dont drop the cost of Insurance if you've got a Dashcam.

    At present I think only a handful do these yet having one would clear up so many issues for them
  • There are more & more twats on the road these days, and is of the reasons why the dash cam has become so popular.

    Great for filming road rage fights for me to watch on YouTube an all
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  • There are more & more twats on the road these days, and is of the reasons why the dash cam has become so popular.

    Its a surprise that Car Insurance companies dont drop the cost of Insurance if you've got a Dashcam.

    At present I think only a handful do these yet having one would clear up so many issues for them
    Why would they drop the insurance premium just because you own a sausage dog?
  • Chizz said:

    There are more & more twats on the road these days, and is of the reasons why the dash cam has become so popular.

    Its a surprise that Car Insurance companies dont drop the cost of Insurance if you've got a Dashcam.

    At present I think only a handful do these yet having one would clear up so many issues for them
    Why would they drop the insurance premium just because you own a sausage dog?
    Got a feeling your thinking of a Dachshund
  • Chances are the police won't prosecute as there was no injuries they tend to leave it to the insurance to sort out, which doesn't help you at all and should not be the case. Had something similar years ago in Blackheath Village some blanket overtook on the one way system, cut in on me and stood on his brakes so it wasn't as if I hadn't left enough space I did but he filled it and stopped dead. Should be a revison of this precedent because bad drivers get away with too much.

    I have to say as someone who drives quite a lot on motorways the incidents of undertaking are getting worse, we all know average speed cameras and the like are frustrating but it is so dangerous and some other poor said usually pays the price for someone elses recklessness.
  • My son had exactly the same on the A2 last year. White van man giving it large with another car, they all finished up in front of my son and then white van man slams on his anchors. The car he was fighting with went into the back of the van and my son went into the car.

    My son works for my company and he was in one of my company vans. Our van was a write off, the car in the middle suffered front and rear damage and white van man suffered a few scratches.

    Outcome: Our insurance (Full Comp) paid out on our van, the 5 people in the car in the middle are all claiming whiplash injuries and white van man gets off the best as he was at the front of it all and seen as innocent even though it was all his fault.

    Hope: I hope something catastrophic happens to white van man in the future.................wanker!
  • edited April 2016

    the incidents of undertaking are getting worse.

    But the question remains... Why is someone having to undertake...

    If its happening then it means the idiot in the right-hand lane shouldnt be there and should be in the lane your occupying so that when you need to overtake, you can then glide round then as per the letter of the law.

    As mentioned on another thread... There are too many idiots out there now who'll come down the slip road and jump straight into the second lane for the rest of their journey, finally just before their exit junction arrives they realise they need to come over and BAM!!
  • That is true as well Foreveraddicked but I see it enough three, sometimes four lanes on the M25 all travelling similar speed but there is always some tool who fills the sensible gap you have left between you and the car in front. I agree that lane discipline is terrible in this country nonethless to start weaving in and out of lanes is both stupid and dangerous.
  • That is true as well Foreveraddicked but I see it enough three, sometimes four lanes on the M25 all travelling similar speed but there is always some tool who fills the sensible gap you have left between you and the car in front. I agree that lane discipline is terrible in this country nonethless to start weaving in and out of lanes is both stupid and dangerous.

    I drive from Strood to Orpington (A2 / M25) for work every day and used to try and drive @ 70mph wherever I could, I quickly learned that all I was doing was wasting fuel so now just do 55mph yet sit in the left hand lane...

    Quite often I'll poodle past cars stuck in lane traffic because of terrible lane discipline but I'll always keep a good distance between myself and the car in front of me (slowing down when an idiot takes the sensible gap to recreate it), its frustrating (yet sometimes fun) when I get a car up my backside because they don't like the speed I'm going so I simply slow down some more to teach them a lesson.

    Whenever there is an accident the first reaction is... Why the hell were you speeding but speeding is probably the last cause of an accident, tailgating and lane discipline are going to be much higher on the list because your not being aware of your surroundings!!

    P.S. If ever anyone is on the A2 between Strood and the M25 and see a Driving Miss Daisy in the form of a Honda Civic, give me a toot... I'll always give a friendly wave (sometimes a friendly "wave") back
  • Unfortunately could be at fault, if your vehicle was not maintained to a satisfactory level to which you would be able to stop if the car in front were to make an emergency stop.

    Or if you don't react quickly enough to stop safely.

    It does sound like you were travelling too fast, especially having seen a driver up ahead driving erratically.
  • Don't you just love the M25...avoid at all costs.

    I find that the A2 is worse than the M25 these days
    Both are a dream compared to the North Circular
  • The A2 is a nightmare between Falconwood and the Danson junction with people shooting up the quieter almost empty left lane which becomes the turn off.
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