RTA :(

Anything about BXs
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stuart_hedges
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RTA :(

Post by stuart_hedges »

Visiting friends, who live on an NSL A-road. Their driveway is literally on the A-road. People are never expecting you to stop on an A-road so I always make sure to signal and brake very early. It's a straight stretch of road without any hedges at the roadsides and visibility is good.

I checked my mirror and saw a car waaaaaay back in the distance. Started to signal left and very gently braked. Slowed to a crawl (because my friends' drive is actually grass, going into a field) and started to turn. Next thing I knew everything was going sideways.

The driver of the car behind totally failed to see me signal and slow. He originally claimed my brake lights weren't working, but very quickly retracted that.

He says he tried to swerve and go around, but the impact on the back of my car is the left side of the numberplate, so he hadn't swerved very far. He also hadn't managed to slow very much - the impact spun us around 180 degrees. My girlfriend, who was also in the car, had a 20mph accident six months ago and she reckons it was a LOT faster than that.

The BX's bootlid is cracked, and the rear panel stove in. The spare wheel hanger is dangling down. It drove away and into my friends' field under its own steam and will stay there until the insurance assessor comes round.

K and I (and the other driver) are fine except for whiplash. Poor K is in a lot of pain as she still isn't over the whiplash from the last accident. I am aching and stiff but not too painful. We went to A&E, of course, and have been given plentiful strong drugs. I also have some grazes and bruises on the right side of my body where I was flung against the door and B-pillar.

I'm about to call the insurance company now. They'd better not write it off...
tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Ahh shit man. Hope you and the g/f are ok, did you get the police involved?, not wishing to be the bearer of bad tidings if its bent the boot floor it will be a very expensiverepair purely due to the cost of labour to replace it, lift the boot carpet and see if theres any damage, plus make sure the rear doors open and close ok.

DEFINATLY go to the hospital and get a check up so that its "on record" if a whiplash claim arises and of course you arent too badly hurt.
Stewart (oily!)
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Post by Stewart (oily!) »

Bad karma mate, at least there are no serious injuries to anyone, though whiplash can hurt like a bugger, make sure you get those whiplash injuries recorded and then set about buying the motor back from the insurers.
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tim leech

Post by tim leech »

Definatly, everythings fixable!
mountainmanUK

Post by mountainmanUK »

That's real sh1t Stu! :shock:
Thankfully no-one seriously hurt, but like Stewart & Tim said....get yourselves checked out thoroughly at hospital. Things can sometimes start showing themselves much later, so you really need to have everything on record.
Check out the boot florr for any creasing etc., and keep fingers crossed that the Assessor doesn't just write it off! Explain the rarity etc of a good nick Mk1, and hope!!
If you're lucky the damage might just be limited to easily fixable bits, like the tailgate and some "fettling" of the back panel.
:wink:
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stuart_hedges
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Post by stuart_hedges »

Thanks guys.

Police attended the scene and we've been to A&E so everything is documented. Like I said, no serious injuries but K is clearly in a lot of pain with this on top of her last accident (also not her fault, incidentally).

I haven't opened the boot to look at the boot floor.

I opened one of the rear doors to get my jumper out when the shakes set in and noticed that the weld in the wheelarch has popped open. Not a good sign. The door open and shut OK though so maybe it'll be OK.

I have photos but I've been advised not to put them on the internet just yet - I'll post them here after the claim's gone through and everything's settled.

Mountainman is right that the car's rarity will help matters. Can anyone remember exactly how many Mk 1s attended the National? That will be a useful figure on my claim.


The guy who hit me must have had his eyes off the road for a good 30 seconds to a minute in order to have done this. You just can't let your attention be taken away from the road for that long when you're driving.

Drive safely guys - but remember, however safely you drive, there's no protection from some random idiot driving up your jacksie.
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cavmad
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Post by cavmad »

What a bummer Stuart, glad to hear no-one was seriously hurt though. I'm afraid rarity might not come into it when the insurance come to see it. If the damage is more than something like one thrid of the vehicle's value they write them off I think. However I bet you could tie a deal in somehow where you either get the salvage or take a little extra and it doesn't get written off.
Hopefully you will be able to sort something out and I hope your g/f is feeling better sooner rather than later.
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stuart_hedges
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Post by stuart_hedges »

cavmad wrote:However I bet you could tie a deal in somehow where you either get the salvage or take a little extra and it doesn't get written off.
The only problem with this scenario is that I am, as always, broke.

I finally got myself a vehicle in good nick - as such, it is worth its weight in gold to me, but a mere £500 to the insurance company. I won't find anything nearly as nice for £500 and I don't have the money or the skills to do the repairs myself.

If I can't persuade the other driver's insurance company to do its duty, this rare BX will be scrapped and I will be wheel-less again :(
M

Post by M »

If you claim directly against the other chaps insurer rather than involve your own, (who WILL write your car off). Stick to your guns and you can quite legally insist the insurance company (his) return your car to its pre accident condition - no matter how much this costs in relation to the "value" of the car.

Be warned - it will be a LONG and tedious task and they will try all sorts of ways to wriggle out of this - I would advise getting yourself a solicitor.
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Post by jeremy »

If you have a whiplash injury make sure you investigate the question of arthritis is later life. This sounds morbid - but I've an arthritic neck which is probably the result of an injury or two many years ago and means that I can't turn my head properly.


Chiropractors seem well up on this subject - and some internet research may help as well. If arthritic changes are likely your damages for the whiplash should be more than nominal.
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Post by AndersDK »

jeremy wrote:If you have a whiplash injury make sure you investigate the question of arthritis is later life. This sounds morbid - but I've an arthritic neck which is probably the result of an injury or two many years ago and means that I can't turn my head properly.


Chiropractors seem well up on this subject - and some internet research may help as well. If arthritic changes are likely your damages for the whiplash should be more than nominal.
I was about to say exactly the same.
Damages from such incidents have a very nasty tendency to show up later in your life, pushing you into hell of pains.

All my best to you and K.
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Post by Terry »

I'm sorry to hear your news, mate, truly sorry. We're all in danger of *rsehole drivers these day, no one is proof.

Admin, how about if we start a fund for Stuart, pledges of a bit of cash, or mechanical help or parts. All donation to Admin and private so no one can crow. As they come in, Admin, pass them to Stuart.

How about it fellas, if you like I'll start the ball rolling. All we need to know from Stuart is job done, he and the girlfriend is OK.

Come on, how about it!!
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stuart_hedges
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Post by stuart_hedges »

Marty wrote:If you claim directly against the other chaps insurer rather than involve your own, (who WILL write your car off).
That's interesting. Anyone with experience of such matters, I'd be grateful to hear your stories. I've never had an accident or made a claim before so I'm a bit out on a limb here.
Jeremy wrote:If you have a whiplash injury make sure you investigate the question of arthritis is later life.
Thanks, and sound advice. K is already seeing a chiropracter after the last accident - it's worth noting on the claim. And, indeed, making an appointment with him for myself.
Terry wrote:Admin, how about if we start a fund for Stuart, pledges of a bit of cash, or mechanical help or parts. All donation to Admin and private so no one can crow. As they come in, Admin, pass them to Stuart.
Thanks for the thought Tel but I'm not quite a charity case yet! If I can't get the car fixed up I hope someone on here will buy it off the insurance company and fix it up for themself, but I'd feel very bad about taking charity.
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Post by Terry »

Sorry Stuart, I didn't mean to imply you were a charity case in any way at all. Please accept my apologies. I've been through a number of disasters myself and a helping hand here and there...

Again, my apologies.
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Post by cavmad »

Stuart, if it came to it mate you wouldn't have to actually lay any money out. They'd deduct whatever price you might agree with them for the salvage of the car from the amount they pay out to you.
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