Accident when Gendarmes don't attend

[Tony F Dordogne]

Last evening was driving through local town when a guy in a huge 4x4 drove out of a small road on my left and rammed the side of my Picasso.  My door well and truly stove in, window gone, bit more body work damage, he even left a tyre mark on the side of the car.

He immediately said it was his fault, didn't see us because of the column on the front of his car where windscreen meets side, profuse apologies.  Which neither J or I believe because he stopped at the junction when he initially saw us coming, I think he was trying to pull across road into road on our right, sort of cross roads and just mistimed the whole manouvre.  Luckily it's such a pigging awkward junction, several roads joining up (outside the Mairie in St Cyprien for those who know the area), priotite a droit throughout (which meant me), I'd slowed right down in case somebody was coming out the road he was going into and he was starting from stopped so neither of us at speed.

Nobody injured so G men declined to attend, I'm a bit shaken and mighty p****d off about the whole thing because it means more running round sorting another mini-crisis.

We're both with the same assurance company at the same local office, so I'm off there this morning to start the process and luckily we have second car.

Any ideas what the insurance co is likely to do?  Not been through this process for ourselves in the past so whole new crisis to manage.

If he's admitting liability etc does that mean under the French system I loose my no claims etc or does he take the hit for the whole thing?  Or is it better just to have him pay for the whole repair quietly and keep the insurance company out of it?

[Will]

Did you both fill in the 'constat' form?

If you make a claim as a result of a no-fault incident you will not lose your bonus, but you will most likely gain a malus (i.e. an increase in premium).

[Tony F Dordogne]

Neither of us had a 'constat' form so he suggested we visit the assurance office today to get things moving.

Spoke to a French chum this morning who knows the other driver (driver comes from the next village along from us) and she is inviting him to meet up for a coffee this morning to see whether we can do this on an 'amicable' basis rather than through the assurance.

[Sunday Driver]

An amicable resolution is usually to the benefit of the party at fault and not necessarily to you.

If you agree to this, then if you had sustained an injury which does not manifest itself until later, then the lack of an insurance report may present you with difficulty in pursuing any compensation.  If the repairs that he is paying for are not carried out in a satisfactory manner, then you could be left in a weak position.

Difficult call, given the circumstances and the involvement of your friend....

 

  

[Pierre ZFP]

A door, window and bodywork repair even on a Picasso is going to cost several thousand euro, and if it's not done to the standard you expect then where do you go if the other driver pays on the quiet?  At least you have some recourse through the insurance co.

[jc]

Had problems in the past when both drivers insured with same company-didn't make it easier-right hand/left hand problem.

[Val_2]

I had a tourist not give way to my right exit last year and consequently I drove into his side as he appeared to slow to let out but decided to keep on going, with my Picasso(not lucky cars it seems). It was obvious it was his fault and my neighbour saw the whole thing, we just filled in our forms there and then and I went straight to the insurers who paid out to have the car repaired at no cost to me whatsoever, no franchise or loss of bonus either. Make sure though that the "expert" does a good report as I found some spots on the front where the paintwork had not been replaced but then that was my fault for not checking upon leaving the garage. One thing, the old Picasso stoved in his Scenic passenger door but only dented my front bumper which then crinkled the paintwork but the airbag never went off. We didn't call the gendarmes because no one was hurt and the tourist admitted stupidly it was his fault.

[Tony F Dordogne]

Thanks for the replies folks .........

Update:  Been to insurance company, have form, chum spoke to other driver this morning who is apologising profusely, says it was all his fault (so admitted to third party), insurance company says no detriment to me at all and I will phone other driver later to get together for him to sign the form.

Expert will come after I drop the form in.  Luckily second car - my little Saxo - is a good runner, just 4 years old and has only 11000k on the clock but need to go to Bordeaux next week and only use the littly as a run around until now!

 

[trumpet]

Interesting Val-2. Can you please clarify as to why they have the give way to the right thingy. I did read in my local (French) paper that the authorities want to ban this law as sooooooo many accidents.

Thanks.

[Val_2]

The exit from our road onto the main road is a x-roads and you can only look one way safely to turn left so it is the rule, there is a panneau installed as well warning drivers that they MUST give priority to the right(my road).Giving way to the right where applicable has not been banned here.

[trumpet]

Thank you. Must take a lot to make an air bag go off then.

[Tony F Dordogne]

And finally folks .........

Three weeks ago was asked to take car to local main Renault dealer for their expert to look at it.  They're also the local body shop.  Asked to leave car there, profuse apologies, summer, will take up to 4 weeks to repair plus I wanted a couple of dings reorganising nd a gash where OH hit a big rock which I needed to get done.

Phone call yesterday, car ready.  Went to pick it up and apart from the gash, no charge, all down to AXA and the other driver. Not even charged for the dings.

Not sure where (I think it is) Wen had trouble with her/his motor and the tractor but seemed to work just great here - and no impact on my no claims bonus either cos the other guy was admitting he was at fault.