I drove my car with pbuttenger out of a car park along a private track which lead to the public highway. Vehicles were moving slowly, as there was a very long queue. The car behind me was being driven erratically, and then "went round the back" of some parked cars, and a few minutes later ended up directly in front of me. The speed of the queue was increasing, approx 8mph max. The driver of the (a 4x4) then slammed his brakes on. It was a gravel track and I managed to stop immediately behind his, but the nose of my car touched his spare wheel cover. I believe he may have his handbrake to slow, as there was some dust raised, and his brake lights did not illuminate until the vehicle had already substantially slowed.
He got out of his car, approached me, and asked for my insurance details. I got out of the car and saw the vehicles had a very small gap between them. It was all so quick, I do not know if he moved forward at all to create the very small gap. He asked for the driver of vehicle behind me to be a witness, who obliged to him. He would not speak to me, but appeared to on friendly terms with the driver of the 4x4. From his viewpoint, he would not have been able to see the front of my car or whether the vehicles touched. There were no pedestrian witnesses. A woman and two children were in his car. My girlfriend, with whom I live, was the only pbuttenger in mine.
There is no apparent damage to either vehicle. He claimed he would have to get a new bumper fitted immediately, as it will have lost its integrity. I noted that he had been driving erratically, and I could not understand why he braked harshly, and that there was not even a scratch on either vehicle. I therefore did not believe that an accident had occurred, and that in any event there was no damage to either vehicle. We exchanged address details, and he gave me his insurer & policy number. I gave him the name of my insurer only. He then got very agitated and called the police (or says he did) as I did not have my driving licence or insurance details on me, and he felt he had no way of verifying who I was. Also he would not test that the brake lights on his vehicle worked for me, and he did not appear to brake-slow when eventually driving away.
I noted again to him, there was no damage, and actually saw that there is no was no way the front of my car could have touched his bumper, as looking in profile, my car would have had to smash approximately five inches through his rear-mounted spare wheel to reach it. I again noted there was not even so much as a scratch on either vehicle.
Fortunately (for me!) I had a reasonable (digital) camera with me. I have excellent clear photographs of both vehicles which show no damage to either. It does however, show white paint or some other substance stuck to his rear bumper. His vehicle (from checking the DVLA database online) was only registered in February 2005, so I am slightly surprised that it appeared to be damaged like that already - perhaps why he wants to make a claim on his bumper?!
I have already contacted my insurer, who noted that I don't believe an accident took place, and that even if the two vehicles did so much as touch, there is certainly no damage to either of them. They noted what had happened, and will be receiving the photographs, so they are aware there is no damage, no incident, no claim.
1007 5544Yes, but that is all you have owned. Most people moved past that, or have...
It is obviously the other driver's decision to make a claim - but I do not want to lose my no claims bonus when there is certainly no damage, and he is seeking to replace a part that it would actually have been impossible for my car to have touched without destroying-damaging a different element of his vehicle first.
The thought of me directly sending him copies of the photos in tomorrow's post to prove to him I have evidence that show there is no damage (and therefore no claim) has crossed my mind, but my gut reaction is to actually wait and see if he does make a claim, and letting my insurer's deal with it. I have the photographs, and I have made a written record of all the facts while still fresh in my mind.
Anyone ever been in a similar scenario?
It is opening my eyes to the possibility of someone fraudulently making a claim against another party. Is there anything further at all I can do?
I've never made a claim, or had any kind of incident, so I am unclear as to protocol-procedure. Any input welcomed!
