Motor Minor Tip this morning - person going to claim

Brenno123

Registered User
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94
hi all
hoping someone can help me fairy urgently.

i had a minor tip this morning in the icy weather. was stop on the decline of a hill in bad traffic, when we went to move off again and tehn stop again the breaks failed and i slid into the back of car in front. it caused a jolt but we were goin at like 2 miles per hour. There wasnt a scratch on either cars.

The person was claiming pain in her neck etc immediately. I requested assistance from gardai so as to cover myself but she said no that she needed to go to work as she was late. she said she would text me if it was sore later.

i have since got a text saying tehy are in hospital getting an xray.

any ideas what to do in this case?
 
If she remembers the make/model/colour and even part of the number plate of your car, and she has your mobile phone number, her insurance company will be able to track you down.
 
thanks husker im aware of that...but i suppose my question is if i totally deny what happened as there is no evidence, what can she really do...there are no marks on either car
 
Hi Brenno123. That is the problem: nobody witnessed what happened. You should have stuck to your guns and rung the guards. However, should I, would I, could I is not going to help you. I think you should ring your insurance to make them aware of this anyway and the best thing you can do is to sit tight and wait for that person to contact you.

I was in a similar situation a few years ago when I rear ended someone. Although I am not a doctor, I can assure you that injuries claimed by the other party seem disproportionate to what really happened. 3 years on, the case is still open as this person is claiming all sorts of injuries...It is very frustrating. I don't mind being penalised for my actions but it has to be fair...
 
If the impact was so small that there were no marks on the car and also if she is going to get an x-ray and nothing appears, then, she can not do anything. Medical records if requested in a claim would include the date/time so unless she is planning to go bungee jumping in the meantime: the medical records would not lie. Again, in the meantime, ring your insurance and make them aware of this. It will be recorded and if not action taken, the case will simply be closed!
 
If you have a solicitor would making a statement asap to them recounting that the person started claiming a sore neck immediately be of assistance with any claim?

Though of course usually what happens is that your insurance company will not contest the claim and you'll end up with higher premia, perhaps notifying your own insurance company might be an idea too.
 
thanks husker im aware of that...but i suppose my question is if i totally deny what happened as there is no evidence, what can she really do...there are no marks on either car

If she makes an insurance claim and she has enough details to identify you and your car and her insurance company contact your insurance company ( I assume that they can find this out from the reg number) and you lie and say that she invented the story, what happens then ?

How are you going to explain how this blank stranger has your mobile number ? Is she a very good stalker ?
 
my insurers seem to think it not a certaintly they will pay out.
there seems to b very little evidence of anything. the person was silly enough to send me a text sayin they are at hospital as work said the person should go. they refused medical attention at the scene. so they didnt even go out of concern for themselves and i have that on record. im just goin to pass it to my insurers now. my no claims is protected anyway so i dont think i have too much to worry about. i am just disgusted people can be like this.
 
you need to inform your insurance company immediately.
They will send someone out to inspect your car and make an assessment of a any impact.

Go to the nearest Garda station ( have insurance and licence with you ) and report it as well.

with all this done , you sit and wait for any comeback .

she won't get anywhere with this but it wont stop her trying.
 
the guards witnessed my car there and took a statement. they laughed when they seen car and dont think i have anything to worry about. she refused to get a guard and ambulance at the scene so surely that would go against her
 
if she is going to get an x-ray and nothing appears, then, she can not do anything. Medical records if requested in a claim would include the date/time so unless she is planning to go bungee jumping in the meantime: the medical records would not lie.
I think the problem is that soft-tissue injuries like whiplash won't show anything one way or another on an x-ray - so it comes down to the doctor's perception of what the person is telling them - howling in pain and apparent inability to turn her neck will all be reported in the medical report. It's a sickener but it's why made-up claims often get paid out.
 
but do they not take into consideration also the fact that the cars were stationary, then moved off slowly so were goin no more that 5mph when the skid happened, there is no damage to either vehicle also? surely the insurers can prove it happened at rush hour traffic on a very busy road in icy conditions so the traffic was not moving. surely howling in pain etc can be be proved to be inconsistent with the conditions described above?

well if she does try and claim she will never have any luck in life that is all i can say.
 
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but have seen a couple of similar cases and have a relative in the insurance business. If the person was talking about having pain at the time, and is now having x-rays, it's a practical certainty that they are going to claim against you. And they will definitely win. Soft tissue injuries are notorious -- there is no way a doctor can contradict their claim that they are suffering ongoing pain. Your insurance company won't contest the case either. You may as well get used to the idea that you are going to end up paying for this through your insurance, even though that seems ridiculous (and it is). I know one person who actually did suffer whiplash in a rear end collision, and didn't claim because they didn't consider the injury warranted burdening the other party with a claim. You don't come across many people like that. The lure of money is generally too strong, especially in these straitened times. Personal injury claims are up dramatically since the recession. Nothing fair about it, I'm afraid.
 
but do they not take into consideration also the fact that the cars were stationary, NO WITNESSES/PROOF then moved off slowly NO WITNESSES/PROOF so were goin no more that 5mph NO WITNESSES/PROOF when the skid happened, there is no damage to either vehicle also? surely the insurers can prove it happened at rush hour traffic NO WITNESSES/PROOF on a very busy road NO WITNESSES/PROOF in icy conditions NO WITNESSES/PROOF so the traffic was not moving NO WITNESSES/PROOF . surely howling in pain etc can be be proved to be inconsistent with the conditions described above?
The lack of damage to the car is about the only thing that could save the day but you can be sure that there's an expert witness who will testify that it is possible for whiplash to occur even with minor damage to the cars - and with a medical report confirming pain/lack of movement, it is very likely that a determined claimant WILL get awarded money.
 
Contact the Fraudulent Claims Section of the Insurer,s association for advice, sorry I don,t have their number @ hand .
 
Could we all calm down a bit.

The OP, and we, have no idea what the woman is going to do, and if she makes a insurance claim , if she is going to lie about the extent of her injuries and if she does, if she is going to be believed and offered an excessive amount of money.

If it does happen, the OP has evidence that there is no damage to his car and a strong case that he was driving dead-slow ( I assume it was morning rush-hour somewhere where traffic volumes are very high).

If she does lie through her teeth,of course the OP and his insurance compnay should put up a good case and maybe Fraudulent Claims Section of the Insurer,s association is appropriate but its a bit premature to getting the lunch mob ready
 
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