h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've had another chat with the insurance company, and we've agreed that a claim will go forward, but that it will be done at a gentle pace. To my mind there is no point in hastening the death of my car whilst for my purposes, it works just fine despite being a future write off.

An interesting corollary of the accident is that I'm getting a bit more respect on the road. A couple of times this weekend when I've been playing the typical 'push and shove' that constitutes driving in this town, I've been in a situation where I could see the driver of the other car looking at the damage on my car, and coming to the conclusion that I was a driver who wouldn't take prisoners, so perhaps it would be better if he let me go first

So should car design include an element of artistic pre-battering? Rather like the fashion for stone-washed (and then frayed or even cut) jeans.

"I've been in a situation where I could see the driver of the other car looking at the damage on my car, and coming to the conclusion that I was a driver who wouldn't take prisoners"
That's a rather well known phenomenon GD, and should I ever decide to get myself a Texas driving licence and a car, I'm going to make sure it's mechanically sound and a good little runner, but looks as though it's been to hell and back. People will always think twice about taking on the driver of a car like that

Problems only arise when you meet a driver with the same sort of car

And I promise you, you would not be able to get away with driving cars in the UK that I've seen on the streets of Austin - missing wings, missing bonnet, big chunks of sharp metal sticking out, and on a slightly different tack - with all sorts of gee-gaws and who knows what stuck all over them in an attempt to make something 'arty' http://www.austinartcar.com/pictures.html

Yes, people really do drive these around town

Dude ham up your neck and claim for whiplash. You should get £1500- £2000 easy. That should pay for your new car.

<> Damn, I miss Texas.

Who's on pre-mod now ?

Its getting difficult to keep track - do I only subscribe to trouble-maker's journals or something ?

Fb check posts 15 & 19 in the backlog then GD's response.

I have known several people RL (not you, GD, this is in response to Hypatia's posting) who actively avoid insurance claims/insurers. Prefering to let dosh go rather than deal. Is it a phobia?

"Dude ham up your neck and claim for whiplash. You should get £1500- £2000 easy. That should pay for your new car."

So that's why insurance keeps getting so expensive.

I'm reasonably sure that an accident voids your MOT GD... Not that it's ever stopped me of course.

Glad you're OK GD - sounds as if you could have done much worse!

Also glad you're OK GD.

Claim for the car, the insurance company won't give you much more than it was worth and it will help you get a replacement.

My general feeling is that we pay for insurance for a reason and that we shouldn't be scared to use it, though obviously we shouldn't abuse it.

...especially as it is the lorry driver's company insurance that will pay out - so it shouldn't affect your premiums.

A friend of mine was hit by an uninsured driver. Her insurance covered the cost of repairs but because the guy wouldn't pay they increased her premiums because she had claimed. At the same time they said it wasn't worth pursuing the guy for the few hundred quid the repairs cost...so she went mad a them, complaining that because they wouldn't pursue the guy it was going to cost her hundreds of pounds extra in premiums. They sicced a solicitor on him in the end and he coughed up but this whole sorry mess just highlights what a scam the insurance industry is!

Glad you are in one piece though, and if your neck *does* stiffen up them do go to the docs and get it checked.

My parents car was hit by an uninsured driver (white van man, driving for a firm) the car was parked and my parents had got out to read a road sign which was covered by hedgegrowth - they were both at the sign when the van hit their car (it was a right-off).
The miracle is, my mother never gets out of the car unless they've arrived at their destination, or they've arrived home. She is also notorious for unbuckling her seatbelt as well, so there you go.
They left it with solicitors who pursued the firm for TWO YEARS but eventually got the car's value and about a grand for my parents' shock.

We all were just thanking our lucky stars that Mum had got out of the car.

(To the original post)... Wow! 60+ sideways, yikes! That could have been so bad. I'd still be shaking I think.


Oh, and BH... I love those cars. A lot of those come down here to Houston for the annual Art Car Ball and Parade. I have some friends who were involved in that. Just too much fun.

Finally, finally, finally, finally the claim on my crashed car has been settled.
- I'm to receive a cheque for £400 for the car
- I'll get a refund on my insurance which should be about £100
- I free up a parking space on my road -- now that's the really valuable bit

Traveller in Time confused
"You had to keep the crashed car available ?

Here it is illegal to park a non functional car in public view . Do you not have to pay insurance an tax even when the vehicle is wrecked ? "

The thing is the car wasn't wrecked, it was just badly smacked around. True, every panel was bent and none of the doors fitted properly, but the mechanicals(*) were fine and the car was perfectly driveable.

In fact from the date of the accident until the last time I drove it in September I'd put about another 8,000 miles on the clock.

I stopped driving it regularly when I'd got the new car ( F63554?thread=3305007&skip=31&show=20 ), and I stopped totally once the MOT ran out.



(*) one of the headlights did point in a slightly strange direction.(**)



(**) the other one didn't work on dipped beam ,so it was sidelights or full-beam only

Glad you got it settled, GD. That's one less thing for you to have to deal with.

Nice one

I was actually a little bit emotional when they took the car away. I've had that car for ten years, I've driven the equivalent of 5 times round the world in it, and despite the abuse that it's suffered in my hands it's a car that has refused to die.

She didn't need towing on her final trip. She just needed a little jump start from a fresh battery, and she was away. I was proud of her...