Somebody hit my stationary car drunk.

[dazza786]

Hi guys, i was looking for some advice when i found this forum. I've read a few threads and noticed that some people get really good advice on here; so hopefully you will be able share that knowledge with me and hopefully help alot!

 

(Just to let you know, I've just read this post and it took around 2 minutes! So don't be scared lol )

 

I'll set the scene so you guys know how i came to witness what happened.

 

Normally i work 9-5 in a job which is just about 10 minutes away, but today i was required to start at 6am due to meetings in other cities. So last night around 10pm i decided to get an 'early to bed, early to rise' approach. I went to set my alarm on my phone and realised i didnt have it, and that it was in my car. So i throw on a t-shirt and some joggers and make my way outside to my car which is parked 10 or so metres away from my door on the opposite side of the road. (The road is a narrow cobbled street in a built up area so it's rather busy most of the time.) After leaving my gate i crossed the road walking in the direction to my car when i heard a loud CRUNCH. Now i saw a car on the road further up from my house roughly where my car was so i stepped out into the road to take a further look... The car (a 08 VXH vectra) had reversed into the front left wing of my car (a 98 astra) whilst trying to fit in a tiny spot on the opposite side to my car. Before i had time to understand how or why that happened, the driver started to drive off.. only slowly, but still attempted to drive off. I instinctly sprinted down the road until i was level with the car and banged on the window until the driver stopped.

when the driver opened the window, straight away i could smell alchohol, and the woman couldnt even keep half of her face in line with the other half.

I told her she'd hit my car and asked why she was trying to drive away in which she initially replied 'have i?'.i replied 'yes, come and take a look and you will see the damage to both cars' in which she replied again 'have i?' for a few more times. this was buffered with unrelated babble until i eventually got her to pull over and get out to come and look at the damage. she saw the damage to her car and then stumbled over to mine and said 'i havent done that, f*ck off' and started to walk back to her car as if to drive off (got her keys ready etc)

ps. i feel like i'm writing a statement

anyway as soon as that happened i grabbed the phone from my car and phoned the police to report her for hitting me, being drunk and about to drive away. whilst on the phone a passenger got out of the car and the 2 women walked into a house 4 houses down from me! so anyway the police sent officers out to my location. i had a chat with these officers, they assessed the damage of both cars and confronted the driver (inside the house) and tried to take a breathiliser. she refused in an assaulting manner and they took her to the station.

 

So i was called later today to say that when she was at the station, she still refused to provide a sample for analysis, admitted to driving but denied hitting my car. I am no longer needed by the police to say she was driving in court and that my claim is going to be dealt with by both insurance parties (the officer gave me her insurance details).

 

so all in all, does this mean that if i want my car repaired, she would have to admit she hit my car? it seems highly unlikely that anyone would tbh. I can hope that she does on the basis that i live 4 doors down from her mate, or even asks to settle it without insurance. but what can i do if this isnt the case? i dont really know where to go from here.

 

I've been driving for 4 years since i was 18, had the same car for those amount of years and i havent had a claim or any points. I really don't want to lose money repairing my car / claiming from my insurance.

 

It was pitch black last night/this morning and my camera doesnt have flash on it. I managed to take some of my car this afternoon but none of hers as her car wasn't there

 

Any help and advice would be greatful; and if you've read this far, thankyou for taking the time!

 

daz

[gyzmo]

Unless you do not have comprehensive cover, there is nothing stopping you claiming on your policy. That will of course mean paying any excess, losing NCD (or a "life" if protected).

 

Your insurer, for this to be non fault, will need to identify the other driver, their insurer and obtain liability. Hopefully, a police report may go some way to determine all this.

 

You could notify your insurer of the incident and state that you are holding off on repairs until liability is obtained, in which case prepare to meet some opposition from claims advisors who have targets to get your car into one of "their" garages and the scare stories they may give.

 

You can of course go ahead and claim, and hope that liability can be obtained afterwards, in which case your policy will be reinstated to the way it was (as though there was no accident). But liability may not be obtained, and the claim will go against you.

[gyzmo]

PS - if reporting this to your insurer, "my parked car was hit by a third party" will be sufficient! If you go through all of that, you may find hear, halfway through your account, a dead tone over the phone on account of an advisor on targets for how long calls should last pressing the "end call" button. Accidentally on purpose of course....