Where did all the cars go?

[Gavin Scott]

I've had a right sore neck after going on a roller coaster - but they've disclaimed against it several times by the time I climb aboard.

Perhaps if you had a dislaimer to the same effect on the side of your vehicle, other drivers would give youa wide berth.

That would be no bad thing.

[cdd]

I had the most pathetically minor of car accidents (a slow motion scrape with a truck) earlier this month. The whole insurance business was fairly painless (or at least until the premium renewal comes round...) but once they had established that it "might" not be my fault I have been rung persistently by a firm of solicitors who engage in a line of questioning along the lines of:

"We hope to get you some money for the trouble of being in an accident which, let's be honest, you deserve don't you. Can you just ask a couple of minor questions... have you been injured at all? (No.) OK well have you noticed any bruising or redness (No.) OK well have you noticed any soreness or any stiffness at all (No.) Not even any stiffness - just a little bit of stiffness around the back of your neck? (No.) OK so has everything been completely fine. (Yes.) Are you sure because if you have been at all injured we might be able to get you some money. (Yes I'm sure.) OK so has the accident inconvenienced you at all, made you take time off work (No.) But it must have caused you some trouble..."

Then they discovered (from my insurance company who had obviously passed on the details) that I had a passenger in the car, extracted her details, and wrote to/telephoned her with all the same questions (only I suspect offering the chance for her to sue me/my insurance company as well).

All presumably salivating at the thought of giving the other person's insurance company a hefty bill.

It's easy to see how that line of questioning might turn some otherwise honest people dishonest.

I think making TV adverts/solicitations for personal injury lawsuits would be a pretty positive thing that could be done to that effect. Unless it's this chap.

[scottishtv]

I was genuinely shocked to hear on the TV recently that the ABI states whiplash claims add an extra £90 a year to the average motor insurance premium.

So premiums are going up despite reported accidents actually going down, mainly due to all this personal injury stuff.

[Jamesypoo]

You're right, cdd. You've said all I've wanted to say but without me making any effort at all (are yours all from Liverpool?).

I had the exact same thing happen to me during Christmas 2009 and they are still pestering me asking the same questions each time. I've sent them countless cease and desist type letters but to no avail. My other half was the driver and he's not been badgered half as much.

The most pathetic thing is when you answer "no" to all of their questions and you eventually tell them you're not going to lie. Invariably the reply is "We don't want you to lie! We just want you to understand you could get some money if you were injured, so I'll ask you again..." and they actually do.

[james2001]

Maybe I'm quite lucky in this regard- I had an accident in November 2011- a woman hit me from behind while I was waiting at a roundabout- and I told the insurance company I wasn't injured, and that's the last I ever heard about injuries or claims. As all this selling details on to claims companies and getting pestered for months, if not years, afterwards seems to be so commonplace, I'm pleasantly suprised it didn't happen to me. Of course, the fact my insurance went up even though I wasn't at fault, and claimed through the other drivers insurance company is frustrating.

[Pete]

I was hit from behind last year at reasonably low speed. They asked if I was injured when I called up to report the accident, I said no.

Three days later a solicitors Direct Line has a partnership phoned me to ask if I'd had any loss of earnings or similar due to the accident (specifically, NOT injuries). I said no. They said OK and said to phone them if my circumstances changed. That was the end of it.

If anything I got more bother from *his* insurer trying to get me to get them to fix my car / use their hire car service to save them the additional fees that DL would likely charge them.

[all new Phil]

I was hit from behind last year at reasonably low speed.

*MATRON*

[iSon]

I was hit from behind last year at reasonably low speed.

*MATRON*

Damn, you beat me to it. *HEY HO*