First of all before I start my story I am 17 years old so I see some people (maybe even the insurance company) will have a natural bias against me because I'm young. :) Do excuse the long post, it takes some explaining my incident.
So the other day I was just about to drive out of my college car park, it is a big one, I've tried to explain the layout of it below!
//////B
///// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
A-----
///// |
///// |
///// C
Point C is the car park exit onto the main road, Point B is the path up to the college's front doors and A is a side car park section where I was emerging from.
I had just been to the shops with my friend (via foot), this is important as he was present and a therefore a witness. As he walked off to the front of the college I got in my car and went to drive off. I stopped at the junction at POint A (put my handbrake on). I stopped to adjust my seating position as it wasn't quite right, I wasn't in anyone's way as it was 2 in the afternoon and everyone's in class and the carpark was baron.
Then all of a sudden this Black Seat Ibiza charges down from Point C and just scrapes my front left bumper (I was looking down at this point at my seat so didn't see her coming). I hear this so I look up in surprise and I could see by the position and movement of her car she slammed her brakes on (as the rear of it jolted upwards, so that's an obvious indication of speed) I quickly noticed my friend had turned around and see this, he has since confirmed he saw it. At first I didn't notice anything but we both got our cars and I had a slight go at her. I told her she was going too fast in a car park and she replied with "I was doing no more than 20", and this car park has liek a 5mph limit.
My car had the lightest of scratches on the front left (something only noticeable if you put your eyes within a few cms of it). But her car had some visible light scratches (nothing more than 5 cms, like 3 or 4). So anyone with common sense would be able to deduce that the scratches on her car occured because the side of her car scraped across mine, which means she hit me. (Common sense right)
Firstly no one admitted fault (I know that's something you should never do, and I wouldn't anyway because it wasn't my fault!) We exchanged details and I said I wasn't going to pay as I didn't believe I was in the wrong and she said she wanted me to. I told her I would ring her in the evening as I actually had to get home to wait in for a delivery. (I completely forgot but didn't receive a correspondence by phone in the next 5 days anyway so I assumed she didn't want to pursue it any further)
She text me this afternoon and said that the garage she went to is charging £120 for repairs and she asked if I would like to go through insurance or pay in cash and not file a claim. Now I don't admit fault so I don't want to pay, plus £120 I can't pay in full I would have to over several weeks (I don't earn a huge amount :D). Now I don't know why she text me as I told her on the day of the incident I didn't want to pay .
Now I know you're supposed to apparently report all incidents to insurance companies even if they are minor, but I haven't done so yet. Something like that anyway.
So sorry for the long post. But my predicament is: Do I pay the £120? Do I maybe try and negotiate to split the bill for £60 each? Do I inspect the damage further and see if £120 is a fair price for repairs and go from there? Do I go through a claim? My main problem with going through a claim is that they see me as a 17 year old the natural bad driver and I will have my premium hiked up etc.
Many thanks, hope someon can sort this out!
So the other day I was just about to drive out of my college car park, it is a big one, I've tried to explain the layout of it below!
//////B
///// |
///// |
///// |
///// |
A-----
///// |
///// |
///// C
Point C is the car park exit onto the main road, Point B is the path up to the college's front doors and A is a side car park section where I was emerging from.
I had just been to the shops with my friend (via foot), this is important as he was present and a therefore a witness. As he walked off to the front of the college I got in my car and went to drive off. I stopped at the junction at POint A (put my handbrake on). I stopped to adjust my seating position as it wasn't quite right, I wasn't in anyone's way as it was 2 in the afternoon and everyone's in class and the carpark was baron.
Then all of a sudden this Black Seat Ibiza charges down from Point C and just scrapes my front left bumper (I was looking down at this point at my seat so didn't see her coming). I hear this so I look up in surprise and I could see by the position and movement of her car she slammed her brakes on (as the rear of it jolted upwards, so that's an obvious indication of speed) I quickly noticed my friend had turned around and see this, he has since confirmed he saw it. At first I didn't notice anything but we both got our cars and I had a slight go at her. I told her she was going too fast in a car park and she replied with "I was doing no more than 20", and this car park has liek a 5mph limit.
My car had the lightest of scratches on the front left (something only noticeable if you put your eyes within a few cms of it). But her car had some visible light scratches (nothing more than 5 cms, like 3 or 4). So anyone with common sense would be able to deduce that the scratches on her car occured because the side of her car scraped across mine, which means she hit me. (Common sense right)
Firstly no one admitted fault (I know that's something you should never do, and I wouldn't anyway because it wasn't my fault!) We exchanged details and I said I wasn't going to pay as I didn't believe I was in the wrong and she said she wanted me to. I told her I would ring her in the evening as I actually had to get home to wait in for a delivery. (I completely forgot but didn't receive a correspondence by phone in the next 5 days anyway so I assumed she didn't want to pursue it any further)
She text me this afternoon and said that the garage she went to is charging £120 for repairs and she asked if I would like to go through insurance or pay in cash and not file a claim. Now I don't admit fault so I don't want to pay, plus £120 I can't pay in full I would have to over several weeks (I don't earn a huge amount :D). Now I don't know why she text me as I told her on the day of the incident I didn't want to pay .
Now I know you're supposed to apparently report all incidents to insurance companies even if they are minor, but I haven't done so yet. Something like that anyway.
So sorry for the long post. But my predicament is: Do I pay the £120? Do I maybe try and negotiate to split the bill for £60 each? Do I inspect the damage further and see if £120 is a fair price for repairs and go from there? Do I go through a claim? My main problem with going through a claim is that they see me as a 17 year old the natural bad driver and I will have my premium hiked up etc.
Many thanks, hope someon can sort this out!