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CoC Not Required - Part 2


Rob Roy
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Well it was nice while it lasted! We re-registered the car Monday of last week and received the new Carte Griste last Thursday morning. In the afternoon we took some new wood for fence posts over to a friend in our trailer and when returning we had to stop in a local town as a tractor and trailer wanting to turn across the traffic had blocked the tractor in front of us from turning left into his driveway. This tractor had to put his brakes on, but because a plastic petrol can (as we found out later) had got in the way he couldn't depress the pedal so started to roll backwards (we were all on an incline); there were 4 or 5 cars behind us, plus our large trailer and we had nowhere to go so the tractor, complete with a log splitter attached to the back, rolled into our car. Watching it roll gently backwards, thinking at any moment he would stop, was quite surreal - I kept thinking that at any moment he would stop, he was even looking back at us over his shoulder! He freely admitted it was all entirely his fault, which was lucky as not one of the other cars bothered to stop and offer to be a witness to the accident.

My husband was booked to go and visit his mother in the U.K. yesterday and take her to a family birthday celebration at the weekend, so we've had all the hassle, plus added expense, of hiring a car for him to go away in. We have heard this evening that we can either have the car repaired, as it is just on the limit of what they will pay for, or have it written off and take the insurance payout; we will get a letter with all the details in the next few days. However, as the car has not been stripped down yet the assessor's report is based on what he can see and if there is more damaged than first thought then we would have to stand the extra costs.

My husband, who was a panel beater/classic car restorer in the U.K., thinks the car is more badly damaged than can be seen initially; he thinks the front chassis legs are bent due to the way the wings and bonnet have been pushed back. In which case I think it might be a case of accepting an insurance payout and starting again.

Sorry if this has been a rather long post - it has been a fraught week to say the least!
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Bummer.

Sounds like the tractor driver is taking the responsibility this time but even so in such circumstances it's wise to take photos of the witnesses cars and reg numbers [;-)]

People have been known to change their stories in the cold light of day and without witnesses suddenly it's your word against theirs, did he sign the accident statement showing him as at fault ?

BTW if you're thinking to buy a replacement in UK be aware that you can no longer legally drive it out of the country because you won't be able to tax it.

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I didn't have a camera on me at the time. Luckily the man seems very straight and genuine; he took us into his house, gave us his name, address, phone number and insurance details, filled out the accident statement, rang our insurance agent and admitted he was at fault, rang the insurance breakdown number and arranged for the car to be collected, has kept our trailer until we can collect it and even rang us on Monday to see if we were OK..

We have been advised by French friends that we should write to him and tell him we've incurred extra expenses having to hire a car for my husband and ask him to cover the cost of it as the insurance won't.
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