WHATS WRONG WITH PEOPLE GT bingle .

[gtfpv]

wife was involved in a minor accident in the GT on the way to work today. she was exiting a motorway on an exit road and turning right at a red light this is a 2 lane exit . and both lanes turn right , when the light went green she was in the right side lane turning right and a truck was in the left lane turning right . the truck turned too shaply and the trucks back wheel bumped the front of the GT. the truck driver kept going for 3kms . my wife tailed the courier and pulled him over 3 kms later . she told him he hit her car turning back at the lights , to which he replied , i dont think so lady. then she said it was a fair hit i'm dumb founded you did not stop there is damge to my car and paint on the wheels of your truck have a look. , the truckie then said he didnt do it , she must've tried to overtake him and ran into him , after a while my wife demanded he get out of the truck and veiw the damage and show his licence and details . at 1st he refused then said he is an ex cop. then he produced his licence , and the company he worked for and the bosses number. he did not apoligise or admit to his mistake . i told my wife to go staight to the police and report the accident , including him failing to stop at the scene .
the police refused to take a statement on the basis that the laws have changed and it isnt thier job . the insurance does all this now take it up with them . so my wife rang our insurance company and explianed all over the phone . they gave her a claim number and said they need to make contact with the truck ( company owner) and look inot the situation .

what will become of this . any hunches . a witness did not stop or follow my wife. it's an accident minor and it happens why do people always denigh responsibility these days , and why cant the law ( or lack there of even take a statement ) i have had mijors that are my fault and instantly admitted and paid for repairs . thats why i have insurance and a conscience to do the right thing. any hunches on what will happen here .
i hope the guy is honest and faces his mistake ( as logically this is the most likely of what occured) we cant do anything else accept wait to what the insurance company instructs us to do
the guy turned his truck into another lane around a corner damaging the bumper bar of our car , failed to stop, then denied it happened , and passed over details and drove off . he mentioned that if anything happened it wasnt intentional, and made referance to the fact that he was in the police force .
if it was me i would've gotten out and apoligised , given my details and admitted fualt , and paid my dues . i dont know what is going to happen here .the rest is up to the insurance company.
the samsh repairer said we have done all we can and they should track the other party down to settle a claim and said that leaving the scene goes against him .

[bangm001]

My bet is that you have have to pay the entire excess to get it fixed. Its crap but thats what will happen IMHO. The police report will count for nothing, and with no other witnesses, the driver saying it wasnt him and if there is no damage to the truck this will definately be the case.

A family member of mine was involved with a hit run by a drunk moronic driver in a BMW, after doing a burnout and coming off of the curb, he hit my old ladies EF. He then drove off, & went home, when the police caught up with him, turns out he was ****ed (he claimed he was drinking at home for the 30 mins he was there prior to the cops getting there), the car was un registered, and he was unlicenced. Turns out WE had to cop the excess despite having a full police report, witnesses, etc and the family member involced was not moving at the time, was at the lights waiting for it to go green. Also took CGU 6 months to sort all of this out for me to finally get my car fixed, and for them to waive the excess. Many Lessons Learnt.
Feel sorry for you mate so good luck.

[gtfpv]

one more question . should i ring the truck (company owner) as we havent as yet . or should we just leave it with the insurance company to chase up. ??

[Gaz]

I would of gone straight to the HQ and spoken to the the owner.

being a truck it would be fairly easy to show how the truck caused the damage.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Gaz

I would of gone straight to the HQ and spoken to the the owner.

being a truck it would be fairly easy to show how the truck caused the damage.

thanks i didnt think of that . i wasnt there at the time . it was my wife . i think i might ring the owner and offer phone pics of the car or offer to go and see him /her.

[2fishingdogs]

Same thng happened to me a few years ago and was told by the police that the truck has don't overtake turning vehicle for a reason. I had to pay for the damage. Mate a couple of weeks ago was hit by an ambo and they straight out said it wasn't us and good luck in proving it.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by 2fishingdogs

Same thng happened to me a few years ago and was told by the police that the truck has don't overtake turning vehicle for a reason. I had to pay for the damage. Mate a couple of weeks ago was hit by an ambo and they straight out said it wasn't us and good luck in proving it.

i understand this , but my wife was stationary the truck took off and my wife gave way the truck hit the car.
but thanks for the advice . it is a little upsetting to hear people arent concerned with others anymore , i rarely come across people with a conscionce anymore . whilst its too early to predict an outcome here . the hurt from this outways the cost. i'm naturally very untrustworthy of people , validating reminders hurts . i cant let others take the blame for my actions . i dont know how nearly everyone i come across can allow others to take the blame for thier mistakes . i'd love to have someone do right by me rather than read about it hapening to someone else . however , come to think about it , how often do we read about that . hardly ever.

[platinumXR]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

the police refused to take a statement on the basis that the laws have changed and it isnt thier job . the insurance does all this now take it up with them

It's not that they would 'refuse' it's just that police don't get involved unless the collision is a 'major' one which means the other vehicle leaves the scene entirely - which means no details were exchanged at all, any of the vehicles are towed from the scene, any occupants are transported to hospital with injuries or there are drugs or alcohol involved. Otherwise it is a 'minor' collision and they are not obliged or needed to become involved. Sometimes police can not explain this sufficiently.

If he was a cop then he was not a very good or honest one. I would ignore that.

If you're wife has the rego and drivers details and you have given them to your insurer then they will issue a demand to the registered owners insurer.

You're insurer will chase them up and you will pay no excess as he is at fault. This is NSW we are talking about here too.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by platinumXR

It's not that they would 'refuse' it's just that police don't get involved unless the collision is a 'major' one which means the other vehicle leaves the scene entirely - which means no details were exchanged at all, any of the vehicles are towed from the scene, any occupants are transported to hospital with injuries or there are drugs or alcohol involved. Otherwise it is a 'minor' collision and they are not obliged or needed to become involved. Sometimes police can not explain this sufficiently.

If he was a cop then he was not a very good or honest one. I would ignore that.

If you're wife has the rego and drivers details and you have given them to your insurer then they will issue a demand to the registered owners insurer.

You're insurer will chase them up and you will pay no excess as he is at fault. This is NSW we are talking about here too.

your right mate, thanks . in the scheme of things it is just an unfortunate day. hopefully it pans out ok . i'll let people know the outcome .

[LowEL2XR8]

I hope your wife took phone pics of the paint on the truck. That will stick them in it.
Otherwise if she didn't and they clean up the truck it will be impossible to prove if the driver continues to deny he did anything.

I do wish you all good luck in this matter. I hate to see anyones pride and joy get damaged needlessly.

[platinumXR]

Yeah, good luck. Hope it gets fixed properly too - such a shame when cars like yours get damaged.

[mik]

i don`t like your chances of getting satisfaction from the the truck company, these type of fender benders happen quite often, and i think most truckies are decent drivers with the odd exception, but many car drivers get caught out because they just have no clue about trailers cutting in on turns, i`m not saying that is what happened in your wifes case, i`m pretty sure the do not overtake turning vehicle sign is basiccly a get close to a semi trailer at your own risk ,as an ex semi driver i can tell you people try to drive under your wheels pretty often, you have to think for yourself and motorists as well because many of them are just clueless, unless you have a witness to back you up, the only thing i can think of is if there was a traffic camera at the intersection might possibly show a photo, hope it turns out ok for you.

[fiery]

You could try a short letter describing the incident (time, date, exact location) to a local newspaper.
See these kind of letters all the time and have heard that witnesses have come forward. You may just find that the vehicles behind the truck or your wife did see it but didn't know what to do at the time to help out.

Also going and seeing the owner of the truck (company) would be a good idea but I would possibly suggest you take another person with you as it is always better to have a conversation heard by another person.

Good luck and hopefully it can be sorted without it costing you the excess.

[FPV GT40]

Did the truck have "do not overtake turning vehicle" signs on the back??

If it did you do not have a leg to stand on...sorry but thats the way it is.

Police have no interest in taking the report , as only major accidents get investigated by police, ie someone gets injured or killed, vehicle gets towed or driver is drunk.....if the drivers exchanged details, and drove away, police do not want to know about it (thats in NSW, not sure about other states).

At best it will be conflicting statements, and since there is no independant witnesses to corobborate her statement thats all there will be. In that case the law states each fix your own....I know it sux, but thats the way it is, I have been in that situation before in the past and I was not happy.....

And if you have ever driven a truck you will realise that the driver probably had no idea that he made contact with another car, as he would not even notice it, or hear it especially if he was listening to the radio...

[BIGJB]

Originally Posted by FPV GT40

Did the truck have "do not overtake turning vehicle" signs on the back??

If it did you do not have a leg to stand on...sorry but thats the way it is.


And if you have ever driven a truck you will realise that the driver probably had no idea that he made contact with another car, as he would not even notice it, or hear it especially if he was listening to the radio...

That's the one.
Also worth mentioning that if the truck was over 7.5meters long
(from memory that's the legal length to have those stickers)
the driver was well within his legal rights to use both lanes when turning.

[LTDHO]

Hope this helps.

When driving a heavy vehicle the driver will not feel a minor bump, it is the the drivers responsibility to ensure that they are clear when making a turn, this applies to both drivers not just the truck driver (as most people assume). A vehicle on the inside (right lane of right turning lanes) should allow for heavy or long vehicles, as they can legally us both lanes to turn.

It’s natural not to admit fault of an accident, especially if not aware of it.

The police will only attend (at least in Vic) if there is injury. Simply reporting it is wasting your and their time.

The insurance companies will look at the damage to your GT and the possible point of impact on the truck and try and determine who is liable.

Apology after an accident means nothing, sometimes event the non-guilty person will say sorry. Depends on how sympathetic you are.

Also, when did this truck driver leave the scene. Nothing you have said actually states he did. To ‘leave the scene of an accident’ firstly you need to be aware that one has occurred.

Do not ring the truck company, once you have lodged a claim you are no longer representing yourself in the accident, you may void your claim.

[Dr_Hoon]

Originally Posted by platinumXR

It's not that they would 'refuse' it's just that police don't get involved unless the collision is a 'major' one which means the other vehicle leaves the scene entirely - which means no details were exchanged at all, any of the vehicles are towed from the scene, any occupants are transported to hospital with injuries or there are drugs or alcohol involved. Otherwise it is a 'minor' collision and they are not obliged or needed to become involved. Sometimes police can not explain this sufficiently.

I thought accidents needed to be reported and given a police number if the damage exceeded some set figure (I con't rememebr what it is) 2500 or 4000 or something

[GTP owner]

Just as an aside - if he said he was an "ex-cop" i would follow that line of inquiry. Impersonating a police officer is a very serious offense, and to portray yourself as an "ex cop" would carry similar penalties.

[OLDFORDNUT]

i was doing volantary work for the St Vincent DePaul Society a few years ago and they gave me a sheet of paper in plastic with instructions that if involved in an accident never admit fault even if you back truck over them,needless to say after several disgusting things i saw them do and say that were very un-charitable i stopped volunteering for them

[Sam_Boss260]

I had a similiar incident about a year ago when I had the XR6. Wife was driving the car, and a custom ute (you know the one with a custom tradies tray) changed lanes and swiped my front guard, bonnet, bumper and headlight. He claims that the wife merged into him, whilst wife claimed the truth.

And he was driving a company truck as well. All we did was give all the details to the insurance. They came back a few times as they were given conflicting stories, they gathered all the evidence and made their decision in our favour.

Did you wife take a photo with her phone of the trucks wheel with your paint on it? We provided as much evidence to the insurance company so that they could make the right decision, you should try and do the same.

Sorry to hear the news regardless mate.

[2fishingdogs]

Even most insurance companies tell you not to admit to anything, even when your in the wrong. And as the community becomes more americanised this will happen more and more sadly.

[RG]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Hope this helps.

When driving a heavy vehicle the driver will not feel a minor bump, it is the the drivers responsibility to ensure that they are clear when making a turn, this applies to both drivers not just the truck driver (as most people assume). A vehicle on the inside (right lane of right turning lanes) should allow for heavy or long vehicles, as they can legally us both lanes to turn.

It’s natural not to admit fault of an accident, especially if not aware of it.

The police will only attend (at least in Vic) if there is injury. Simply reporting it is wasting your and their time.

The insurance companies will look at the damage to your GT and the possible point of impact on the truck and try and determine who is liable.

Apology after an accident means nothing, sometimes event the non-guilty person will say sorry. Depends on how sympathetic you are.

Also, when did this truck driver leave the scene. Nothing you have said actually states he did. To ‘leave the scene of an accident’ firstly you need to be aware that one has occurred.

Do not ring the truck company, once you have lodged a claim you are no longer representing yourself in the accident, you may void your claim.

That's about as good advice as you'll ever get. This bloke obviously knows what he is on about.

[XR Martin]

Your policy will clearly say to never admit fault in an accident, they can actually void a claim if you do so. (although ive never heard of it happening)

[rustyheaders]

Originally Posted by GTP owner

Just as an aside - if he said he was an "ex-cop" i would follow that line of inquiry. Impersonating a police officer is a very serious offense, and to portray yourself as an "ex cop" would carry similar penalties.

second that... i have two highly ranked cops in my family and when i was younger i made the mistake of mentioning i know the law, my sister is a cop while being harassed by a real w*nker of a cop... he was trying to get me for wreckless driving for going over a speed hump side ways claiming i was on the wrong side of the road. it was my own quiet street with no lane/line markings - so it was bullsh*t. anyway as soon as i mentioned my sister he slapped me with the wreckless driving and two hours later had a call from my sister super ****ed at me as she got into big trouble over what i said as the cop made an official complaint against her

even being an ex cop has no relevance in this case and he definitely cannot abuse that title to intimidate your wife... used it for your own advantage.

[TZH]

Originally Posted by 2fishingdogs

Same thng happened to me a few years ago and was told by the police that the truck has don't overtake turning vehicle for a reason. I had to pay for the damage. Mate a couple of weeks ago was hit by an ambo and they straight out said it wasn't us and good luck in proving it.

Sorry to heard this :togo:

[platinumXR]

Originally Posted by Dr_Hoon

I thought accidents needed to be reported and given a police number if the damage exceeded some set figure (I con't rememebr what it is) 2500 or 4000 or something

You are right, and I think it is around $2000 or something. A quick ring to an insurance company would clear that up.

What I should have said is that if the collision is a minor one then the driver/registered owner has no legal requirement to report it to police.

Anyone is welcome to (and should) ring PAL (Police Assistance Line) and report the minor collision and they will get what's known as an Event Number - which is basically the report number to give to their insurer. If it is some vehicle worth a dumptruck full of money and a scratch will cost $5000 or more to fix then the insurer would ask the police to become involved.

As I mentioned in my previous post sometimes this information is not explained properly.

[GTP-814]

Based on everyone’s input, I would leave it to the insurance company. I presume you have photos of your car, which would be supported by your wife’s statement of, advice to the insurance co along with his licence & rego no. This in fact proves that he stopped at (or after) the accident scene & swapped details. He would have done so if he did not believe he was involved. That is all you can do for now. Harassing the truck company into admitting fault will not get you anywhere & even if they do omit fault it will your word against theirs.

Worse case you may have to pay the excess, which sucks, but hopefully your no claim will remain in tact. Let us know the outcome as it will prepare others who may be in the same situation one day
All the best

[XR Martin]

If it had either of these, you really wont have a leg to stand on.

[fpbabe]

GTFPV said his wife was stationary and had given way when the truck hit her, so i'm not sure how a truck having 'do not overtake' makes a difference when she wasn't moving, therefore not overtaking? but if this is the case i plan on never driving next to a truck again.
anyways, i always have my camera on me just in case something happens.

[Sam_Boss260]

Yes, but if there are 2 lanes turning, and you are well within your lane is that considered overtaking?