Car Accident at Carpark (at Fault and Insured)

fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 01:37
Last edited 02/06/2023 - 17:06 by 2 other users

Hi guys, never involved in accident before so asking for few suggestions before I lodge my claim. Please help me and give me some genuine/helpful advice.

Wife recently got her Red P and was driving (white car as in shared pic). We were about to go shopping, car park was our residential carpark.

I know it's my wife's fault obviously but when I looked at the video frame by frame, other driver pulled his car towards left (side of impact).

Also, I took couple of pictures at that spot, I couldn't see any or recall seeing any scratches.

Tonight, we thought to go and have a look at the damage again, since we share the car park. It looks more worse with horizontal scratch. What's your thoughts on it? Was I thinking too much? Also, other car didn't had headlights on and it was pretty dark.

Any help or suggestion is highly appreciated.

My excess is $695 plus $200 voluntary. She is listed driver.

But does it mean I need to pay say inexperienced driver excess too?

I have included photos and videos here.

Update: Yes, I admit she was wrong and we are at fault.

Would this be better off settling outside insurance claim? I had a chat with my mechanic he said would be cheaper to replace the door. My insurance will sting me $895 for normal excess plus $400 for inexperienced driver excess. (She is 23 though).

Automotive

closed Comments

  • AngoraFish on 02/06/2023 - 01:52
    +37

    Seriously, you have no defense. Your wife T-boned another car at a T intersection. You can't avoid the inexperienced driver excess if she's an inexperienced driver.

    A driver has a right to use the full lane, whether they moved a touch to the right or the left is neither here nor there.

    Issues such as lighting and visibility are irrelevant. Your wife has a responsibility to drive to the conditions and to give way when approaching a T intersection. If there is any doubt, come to a complete halt. If visibility was so poor as to make it impossible to see oncoming traffic (it wasn't) she shouldn't have entered the intersection in the first place.

    TLDR: Yes, you are thinking too much. Submit the claim, pay the excesses and move on with your life.

    • fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 16:22

      Thank you.

  • Unorthodox on 02/06/2023 - 01:54
    +8

    Very clearly she is at fault - you are trying to rationalise it to not be by making very poor excuses. It was well lit, she clearly didn't pause to see if there was an oncoming vehicle, probably faster than necessary.

    My advice, pay the excess and stop thinking too much into it. Learn the lesson which is to drive slower in parking lots, places with tight corners and have a pause before turning if you don't have line of sight.

    Yes she likely falls into the inexperienced driver category if she's over 25 and held a driver's licence for under 2 years.
    Best to check your PDS definition.

  • Gervais fanboy on 02/06/2023 - 02:12
    +6

    Also, other car didnt had headlights on and it was pretty dark.

    Unless your dashcam video lens is way more enhanced than your own naked eyes, that other car was clearly visible and driving at a very reasonable pace.
    Was your wife distracted or something?

    • jumpypotato53 on 02/06/2023 - 07:41

      Kind of agree. Have a look if headlights should be mandatory in this situation.

  • Euphemistic on 02/06/2023 - 04:53
    +6

    It’ll be more than $895 for the repair. Just claim on insurance and you’ll get your car fixed too.
    If you were getting your own car repaired ‘just a door’ might be cheaper, but for someone else’s car you can’t just ‘get it done cheap’.

    • Ocker on 02/06/2023 - 08:52
      +1

      Repair may well cost more than OP's $1,295 excess, but aside from the excess cost one needs to consider the extra cost to future years insurance premiums because of the claim.

  • AustriaBargain on 02/06/2023 - 05:16
    +13

    Your wife is lucky it wasn't a kid or old lady walking by. They also wouldn't have had their lights on…

  • FocusRider on 02/06/2023 - 05:31
    +5

    Prob wouldn’t let her drive again after seeing that video.

    Lucky it was where it was and not on the road at a higher speed.

  • randomusername2017 on 02/06/2023 - 05:35

    Nice parking 👍

  • cashless on 02/06/2023 - 06:55
    +4

    Go through insurance, send wife on defensive driving course, get on with life.

  • Muzeeb on 02/06/2023 - 06:55
    +12

    That is really poor driving. Your wife obviously didn't even look for another vehicle to the right let alone assume a car could be coming from that blind corner.

    Just pay your excess so you can also get your car repaired on the cheap. Don't upload that video as evidence to the insurance company.

    You are about to have one very angry neighbour because that shitbox Nissan Pulsar is about to be declared an economical write off.

    It looks more worse with horizontal scratch.

    That scratch is the least of the problems in this whole situation.

    video frame by frame, other driver pulled his car towards left( side of impact).

    Because they have another car coming from the opposite direction so they are making extra safe space. If you can't work that out then maybe you should both hand in your licences.

  • Hardlyworkin on 02/06/2023 - 07:07
    +8

    I suggest an older wife would be a saving.

    • Motek Benzona on 02/06/2023 - 07:12
      +3

      haha my wife is 20 years younger than me and got her license only 2.5 years ago at 33. I swear she drives like this guys wife! Its scary being in a car with her sometimes

    • randomusername2017 on 02/06/2023 - 08:19
      +3

      Maintenance costs on the older models might negate the savings…

  • [Deactivated] on 02/06/2023 - 07:13
    +2

    Would this be better off settling outside insurance claim?

    It's highly unlikely you're repairing both cars for less than the excess. It's also highly unlikely the other party would want to waste their time dealing with you when they are also entitled to free car hire while their car is being repaired etc.

    Please help me and give me some genuine/helpful advice.

    Report it to your insurance and be honest. Yes, you are 100% at fault, and yes, you will have to pay the inexperienced driver excess.

  • Motek Benzona on 02/06/2023 - 07:14
    +5

    How fast was she going when she left the car spot to leave too? Seems she is one of these "i must do 50 in a car park to get out quicker" kind of drivers. Unusual that your A129 is not recording the speed on the display .. hmmmm

    I would destroy that video and pay the excess without a seconds thought.

  • WreckTangle on 02/06/2023 - 07:33

    Failure to give way to the right.

  • singlemalt72 on 02/06/2023 - 08:32
    +3

    There is not just damage to the door, the guard will also require work; fill, prep, and paint match and blend, that alone will be another $400 - $500 or more. Also was there any impact to the B pillar or have the hinges transferred force into it to cause damage? Just go with your insurance, you will find the total cost will exceed your excess and other costs. Also it will allow repairs to your front bumper in the one claim.

  • kerfuffle on 02/06/2023 - 08:36
    +4

    Your wife needs her eyesight checked.

    And it's stuff, not stuffs (in reference to the Google Drive folder name)

    • Muzeeb on 02/06/2023 - 09:42
      +3

      I like that the main video title is 'copy copy'.

      • fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 16:20
        +1

        Wasnt thinking straight. I edited and trimmed videos and rushing to post. Being broke and needing to fork out another $1k was not appealing.

        Sure, I will take some file naming classes too :)

    • fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 16:19
      +1

      Sure. I will take some English classes :)

      • Muzeeb on 02/06/2023 - 16:21

        You speak good English in one of your linked videos

  • Ghost47 on 02/06/2023 - 08:50
    +4

    Wth is this driving? Why is she in the middle of the driveway?

    Whoever gave her her probationary licence needs to be fired.

    Hilarious how your car has hardly any damage and you’re still trying to weasel your way out of it.

  • xuqi on 02/06/2023 - 09:03
    +7

    Firstly, congrats on having insurance.

    Quite sure the P plate isn't for the benefit of avians. Move it from the bonnet and attach it horizontally to the front window where it can be seen by drivers….

    No chance anyone else other than your wife was at fault in this instance. Chalk it up to inexperience and move on.

    "Also, other car didnt had headlights on and it was pretty dark." Irrelevant, your wife has eyes, area was well lit, your car headlights were on, yet still T-boned the other driver.

    She made a rookie mistake of not checking her right, from video it seems she was looking directly where she was intending to turn.

  • Seraphin7 on 02/06/2023 - 09:27
    +11

    That's some shocking driving.

    At this stage, your best bet for saving money will be to take your missus off the road. Just pay whatever you need to pay now and focus your energy on getting her to the licence shredder … that's where real savings will be made.

  • Soundwave on 02/06/2023 - 10:01
    +3

    Yeah, you're definitely reaching with the excuses/scenario.

    When I looked at the video frame by frame, other driver pulled his car towards left( side of impact).

    We drive on the left side of the road. So the other driver did no wrong. They were in their lane and are in the right. Might be camera placement but it looks like your wife was in the middle of the road at the start instead of sticking to the left and in the video you can clearly see directional lane arrows on the floor.

    Also, other car didnt had headlights on and it was pretty dark.

    Well your wife had headlights on, so she should have seen better and you can clearly see a overhead light at that intersection. Plus, why isn't she looking for oncoming traffic at an intersection?

    You were better off posting - Had a car accident, based on my insurance/excess and damage pictured here, should I go through insurance or pay out of pocket.

  • KaTst3R on 02/06/2023 - 10:19
    +2

    Definitely need retraining and go back to L. If she cant avoid an object as big as a car, she will definitely miss an old granny or kid crossing the road.

  • oleglap on 02/06/2023 - 10:29
    +2

    When I looked at the video frame by frame, other driver pulled his car towards left( side of impact)

    You can see that there was a silver car with its lights on in front of the speed hump on its right. The car you hit moved to the left lane in preparation to pass that one. Exactly what most drivers would have done - drive in the middle (safest place to be) unless there is a car coming towards you.

    It's unlikely that replacing other car's door and your front bumper will be less than the excess but it's worth getting quotes. Other party does not have to cooperate with you so they can choose to do a not-at-fault claim with their own insurer (if they have comprehensive) and then their insurer will go after you/your insurer for costs.So if you want to settle without lodging a claim, be nice to them.

    One thing I'd recommend doing is to contact your Owners Corporation and ask them to install convex mirros like this. They are pretty standard around most car parks and allow you to see around the corner for these exact situations. Cheap to put in and require no maintenance but can help prevent accidents like this. Thankfully it wasn't a person walking and noone was injured.

    • trapper on 02/06/2023 - 12:51
      +2

      If the wife didn't notice this other car passing directly in front of her then no amount of mirrors is going to help.

  • mbck on 02/06/2023 - 10:45
    +5

    Interesting how you've admitted she was at fault, yet still try to find other excuses to defer blame (other car pulled to the left, no headlights).

    The no headache way is just call your insurer.

    The more headache way is to call every mechanic and get a quote.

  • blitz on 02/06/2023 - 11:08
    +2

    I know its my wife fault obv but When I looked at the video frame by frame, other driver pulled his car towards left( side of impact).

    It's your wife's fault. It doesn't matter what the other car did, your wife should have stopped at the intersection. Your wife clearly drove into the other car.

  • Leanne59 on 02/06/2023 - 11:20
    +1

    I know with most insurance companies there is age excess ie. drivers under 25 excess of $400 as well as the inexperienced driver excess of $400 so more than likely you will be paying an additional $800 excess on top of your normal excess.

  • Nugs on 02/06/2023 - 11:30
    +3

    I like how clear the video is
    .

  • freefall101 on 02/06/2023 - 11:40

    Would this be better off settling outside insurance claim?

    If the other driver has any sense, why would they agree to this? They have zero reason to avoid insurance and every reason to make sure it's done properly - i.e. not through some guy you know.

    Tell your insurer, move on with life.

  • blitz on 02/06/2023 - 11:53

    Would this be better off settling outside insurance claim? I had a chat with my mechanic he said would be cheaper to replace the door.

    If I were the other party, I would not care about the cost, seeing as how I would not be paying for it. I'd want the best repair possible, for the same reason.

  • carlJack on 02/06/2023 - 12:11
    +1

    Looking at the way your wife drives…you will be paying a lot of premiums and excesses in the future. She defnitely needs more training.

  • trapper on 02/06/2023 - 12:48

    Get your wife some more driving lessons, she needs them…

    She didn't even seem to hit the brakes at all. Very odd, was she playing with her phone or something?

    • skid on 02/06/2023 - 14:08
      +1

      She was looking to the left. I've encountered drivers like this while walking on a pedestrian crossing in a shopping centre car park. Scary.

  • [Deactivated] on 02/06/2023 - 12:54
    +1

    Did you teach your wife how to drive?

    ;)

  • Drpepper666 on 02/06/2023 - 14:04

    kudos for being brave enough to post such a video lol

    • photonbuddy on 02/06/2023 - 16:13

      kudos for being brave enough to post such a video lol

      Seems to have been removed, so you'll have to remove your kudos …

  • Taro Milk Tea on 02/06/2023 - 14:20

    lol what is the purpose of posting this? It's an obvious fault for you.

    Are you expecting one of the bikie gang here to DM you and help you out?

  • Mistymoo on 02/06/2023 - 14:22

    I'm more concerned about your wife's eyesight - there is no way it was possible to miss seeing that car approaching.

    Her driving is shocking - please don't let her back in a car til she's taken several more lessons. She didn't even slow down for the intersection.

  • RSmith on 02/06/2023 - 16:10

    Everything's been deleted.

    • Muzeeb on 02/06/2023 - 16:23
      +1

      All G. @pegaxs downloads a backup copy for the ozbargain archive and future ozb-museum.

      • pegaxs on 02/06/2023 - 16:29
        +1

        *cough*

        Sorry, you were saying?

        • fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 16:33

          Hi Pegaxs, Could this be not shared until, I get insurance sorted if possible please?

          Thank you. Claimed has already been lodged.

          • pegaxs on 02/06/2023 - 16:52

            @fantoo: There is no personal information nor identifying information relating to either party in the photos that I have uploaded nor any reference back to this site or this thread in particular (I removed your number plate and have not uploaded the second video of the number plate of the not at fault drivers vehicle.)

            This information was archived because it is in the public interest for the continuity and reference for this post.

            Feel free to use the report button to report my post/link to the mods if you feel there has been a breach of site rules, legal obligations or whatever reason you require and they will make the determination.

            Also, feel free to submit a take down request with Imgur using the link at the top of that page to "Request Deletion", again if you feel it breaks legal obligations, site terms and conditions or any other reason you may see fit.

  • fantoo on 02/06/2023 - 16:18

    Thanks for awesome insights.

    She got her licence just weeks ago and learned another great lesson.

    I did claim via insurance as mentioned by many.

    Thanks all

    • Muzeeb on 02/06/2023 - 16:24

      learned another great lesson.

      Oooooof. Sounds complicated. All the best op.

  • bob smith on 02/06/2023 - 16:43

    Good work on having insurance.
    Could have been worse.

  • bobbified on 02/06/2023 - 16:50

    If this thread can be deleted that would be awesome :)

    Ha!! you wish!

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