Young lad drives into my car.....

Pleased no one was hurt lucky but infuriated by insurers. We had a similar issue four years ago, even with a protected no claims it takes years before shopping around for insurance is easy. You are right not to let this take over but I wonder, is it worth printing the photos and sending them with a letter (signed for to have evidence it arrived) insisting, politely but firmly, the photos are assessed? You never know it may help. I don't understand how dash cam evidence is acceptable and photos are not. We were previously involved in a head on accident. The police were able to prove the other driver, young without permission in his parents car, was at fault from skid marks on the road. He was prosecuted. The insurers didn't argue, but that was over 20 years ago. Times change I guess but it doesn't make current insurer attitude right.

LuckyGirl I am glad you and your family are OK. I had a young girl drive very slowly into my car in an urban situation, it was a blind turn but she was going too fast for the circumstances. Later her DH rang to say she was driving his car uninsured and would I say that he was driving. I felt sorry for them but said no. Apart from anything else I too was driving my DH's company car (with permission and insured!). It was not just dishonest, but also a crime.

It does somehow seem wrong though that the outcome is arranged to suit the mutual convenience of the insurance companies with no recourse to honesty or justice.

I think this happens a lot. Knock for knock. It means both insurance companies save a bit ...on excess, and sometimes, no claims. Sorry this happened to you, Luckygirl.

Lazy indeed. Apparently I should have had a dashcam.

If they go down the road of shared fault I will lose £100 excess; but not my no claims bonus as my insurance includes protection for this.

So annoying to think there is no way I can establish that I did nothing wrong - indeed this young man is alive because of my quick action!

I keep offering them the photos and no-one is interested. Hmm.

It's always the same...these 'legal' bods just want an easy life and always try to go for shared liability. Lazy!

Do you have no claims protection, Luckygirl?

Jolly annoying if you have to go knock for knock and lose your no claims bonus when it wasn't your fault.

Car is OK - scratches and dents, but I drove it home and have driven it this morning.

Call from insurance company's legal company (!?) suggests that they will not even try to lay the blame on this young lad as there were no witnesses and it is his word against mine - what can I do? - nowt!

I offered my photos at the scene which, from the skid marks, leave little doubt as to what happened, but he didn't seem to want them and suggested I wait till the insurers get back to me and offer them the photos.
Feels a bit like a fait accompli and I can do nothing.

Hey ho; not worth getting in a stew over - life is too short.

Thank God no-one was hurt, is your car a write-off?
The young man who ran into the back of me last year was probably going too fast, but I was half asleep so it was more my fault.
Hopefully it was a lesson for him, and you won't lose out on insurance. After all you took evasive action.

I am entirely realistic about this. I know that even if he recognises he was going too fast (which I think he does), his insurance company legal folk will persuade him to say he wasn't. I fully expect there to be a bit of hassle, but I will leave my insurance company to deal with it. I do not know what the outcome will be; but the only outcome that matters to me is that my DGSs are fine.

I have taken photos at the scene, so that may be of help.

So glad you and your DGC are ok
You are a luckygirl
A friends young daughter was in a car with a lad of 18 who had recently passed his test.
He was obviously driving too fast and left the road,
They ended upside down in a field.

He thankfully was able to get out and release my friends daughter from the vehicle
The air bags had gone off and they were virtually unscathed

As you say a lesson learned.
Fingers crossed!

I don't know how the insurance premiums will work out as it was his mothers car. .

But both incidents could have had a much worse outcome.

I can see why new young male driver's insurance is quite high.

A similar thing happened to me years ago when a young lad hit me sideways on while I was waiting to turn right out of a junction. He was going to fast to take the corner. There were no witnesses and his insurance company (and his parents) wanted to go 'knock for knock.' The lad had told them I was over the white line. I refused because I had taken a photo of his skid marks which showed he was the wrong side of the road when he hit me.

The garage who repaired the damage to my car wrote a statement to back up my evidence because they could tell
by the angle of the damage that I was in the correct position for turning right.

His insurance company took me to court but my insurance company backed me and I won.

I'm afraid I wouldn't have been as trusting as you, Luckygirl. Make sure you have your evidence stacked up because if he has damaged his car he may be influenced by others to try to lump the blame on you.

Lucky this exact same thing happened to me.The young man/ teenager was 19 and was going hell for leather on a narrow country lane.Totally his fault and he said so, he was concerned that the children were ok ( they were ) and we exchanged phone numbers as he couldn't remember his insurance details.The next day he rang and gave me his details but now said he was only going at 30 and it was both our faults! He then handed the phone to his father, who said in his view it was a 'knock for knock' incident ( even though he wasn't there so didn't know!) I said a few choice words and put the phone down. I reported my side of the story and they reported theirs and of course it had to be treated as if we were both at fault so I had to pay the excess.Grrrrrr. so much for him being nice and concerned, so I hope that your story has a happier ending.

Glad you're all ok. It says something about you that you were concerned for the lad too, not everyone would think like that x

I think he has learned his lesson - he looked very subdued indeed.

Glad you are all OK; it is the shock as much as anything.

At least he was insured. So many young men who have just passed their tests are far too reckless on the roads.

Good - and very glad the children and you were OK. As you say, his premiums will go through the roof now.

Yes - got all that; no problem.

Hope he gave you his insurance details.