Home     Links     Contact Us     Bookmark  
 
   Homepage      News      Legal Forum      Dictionary  
Home : Legal Forum : Insurance & Registration

Can they get away with this??
Find answers to your legal question.





Can they get away with this??

In April my younger brother bumped into a police car whilst waiting at some traffic lights. They were both stationary and he took his foot off the brake and rolled into them. The copper went mad at him and then took his details but stated that as NO DAMAGE WAS CAUSED it was not a massive deal. A month later he got a letter saying no further action would be needed but be more careful in the future.
7 months later he gets a call from his insurance company telling him the police have put in a claim against him. This is for damage to the offside rear.
A) The police themselves stated there was no damage
B) He did not hit the offside rear
C) It was 7 months ago!

It seems to me that they have reversed into something and have decided to pass blame to somebody else.
Can they really get away with this?? How can you argue against the police??
Additional Details
Thanks for all the replies guys.
He did have a couple of friends with him at the time but like everybody says, it's the police's word against a few 18 year old boys.
No contest!
I'm sure he will fight it as much as he can though. I will be encouraging him too anyway.


    




leaptad
Rating
He needs to take that letter to the insurance company. I doubt the statute of limitations has run out in just 7 months, and the police stating there was no damage at the scene doesn't matter much (he can always claim he found it later). However, the fact that he didn't hit the part of the car they claim was damaged means that he shouldn't have to pay. The insurance company should be taking care of this claim and he needs to work with them.


sanjay
Rating
ask the legal dept in the insurance co to help him..send copy of that letter. has he any photos


dadn33
Rating
Speak to CAB or get a lawyer. Police have their own laws and you won't win with your word against theirs.


charlotterobo
Rating
The first thing he needs to do is find the letter they sent saying no further action was being taken .
Secondly , i find it hard to believe that it has been 7 month`s here's why , Every day before a police officer start`s his routine he has to do a visual check of his vehicle tyre`s/light`s / damage etc he then has to log that vehicle out and sign for it !
When the vehicle is returned at the end of the shift The next officer does exactly the same thing , these log sheet`s are stored on computer by the officer who is in charge of the issuing vehicle`s ,
As all Police vehicle`s are on a lease They get inspected every 3 month`s by the dealership they came from ! IE: Jenning`s/Reg Vardy etc , ( so this is an independent inspection from the police ) Any damage is then logged and repaired before it is returned to the police ,
The fact you are saying that is has been 7 month`s just cannot be true !
I would speak to your Brother and ask him the truth about what really happened as what he is saying just does not make any sense at all !


PAUL H
Rating
I'd be inclined to send a copy of the letter stating no further action to whoever signed it (probably an Inspector) with a copy of the letter from your insurance company and ask how can this be? It seems they are trying it on. CAB or a solicitor should be able to advise you further. Good luck.


greydays
Rating
If the police are claiming for damage they would have to produce documentation issued at the time and they will not be able to do this so they cannot claim

Ask the insurers to seek documentary evidence
it does beg the question how did they get his insurance details, because thye must have had reason to ask for them at the time and documented them?


smokey
yea they can get away with wat they want!the police are not always doing things in the law always they take the piss coz they know they can,not only r they useless in most cases but when u need them they take 4eva to get there and when u dont need them there always there if u know wat i mean!i just walk down my street or anywere and i get stopped they write down wat im wearing colours of my clothes search me for nothing every time i see the police they always stop me for no reaosn so i personally hate them!!!!! and that is wrong wat they r doing to u but u wont be able to do nothing about it coz who r they gonna believe u or the police who done it??im sure we all know the answer to that!goodluck anyway...


realkool01
you cant and there nothing you can do i have a cop Friend and he think he walks on water at times hes wife got into an accident a while back and the guy she hit got locked up cus he was yelling at her go figure this one out


brucemanontario
Rating
Hey there i'd be talking to a lawyer because its a bunch of B.S 7 months down the road they deside to take action LOL they should have done something right then and there i know its not going to be easy to win against the police now did your brother have anyone with him at the time for a wittnes that may help or just take your losses it will be cheaper then trying to fight it but take that letter to a lawyer stating no further action would be needed and see what the lawyer has to say about it now i'm guessing to cop did something to his patrol car and now is blaming it on your brother cops are shady like that well not all cops but most of them


Hunny Bun...
this is a tricky one to answer, his word against the police? ask yourself who would the minority believe. the police are able to get away with all manner of actions by using there power of authority. good luck i hope your brother comes out on top.


scragette2000
Rating
If he still has the letter saying that no further action will be taken then take it to a solicitor or citizens advice.
Without it not much hope, ask to see photographic evidence of the actual crash and the damage.


Jez
i dont think so good case.


Logan
Rating
First of all, how old is your brother? Because if he's a minor of course they will try to screw him over! (I know this because I am a minor and I was driving my dad's car home from wall mart and a cop pulled me over cause my dad's car didn't have insurance, the cop had no reason to even check me out besides that fact that i look young! And now I'm on 5 months of probation and have a $200 ticket!) My advice is to get the paper work that states "no damage was caused" and if so, where he actually hit it. Also state to whoever is sewing/filing a claim against him, that it happened 7 months ago. Besides that, cops are not out to protect us, they are screwing us over like they did to me!


Bandit600
The police are screwed. If they are involved in an accident (with or without blame) they cannot take any legal action themselves. They should have got an officer who wasn't at the scene to investigate the accident no matter how minor. They are trying to bully you into admitting guilt. Get yourself a lawyer.


c.j.davies
Hope he has kept the letter


Lucy
Rating
does he still have a copy of the letter this would help


quick8stang29
Rating
Produce all documentation (copies) to the insurance companies and this will not hold up. I am a cop and I dont think it will stand. Raw deal though.


cowgirlrust
Believe it or not they (think) they can do & get by with just about anything! Guess what else WE THE PEOPLE PAY THEIR CHECK AND LET THEM DO THE THINGS THEY ARE GETTING BY WITH. People don't want to say anything anymore........they don't want to get involved or cause any havic that might cost them extra time or stir up stuff. I say we need to step in and up and say hey wait a minute you guys need to remember that you are being paid by the people to SERVE and PROTECT the PEOPLE. Not make your quota, or run EVERYONES licence plate that you get behind in traffic just because you're bored! Or blame someone else for your mistake.


Dan J
Here is the answer to your question:

Your brother damaged the police car. Simple as that.

The fact that it has taken 7 months for the insurers to contact you is irrelevant. What is likely to have happened is that the vehicle was repaired straight away and the insurer or claims handling agents for the police force aren't the speediest of companies and have only just got all their documentation in order and presentated it to your brother's insurers.

7 months really isn't a long time in claims. By law, you have 6 years to put in a claim for property damage.

I see this happen ALL the time at work. People "think" they caused no damage to the vehicle they have hit. Yet 99% of the time, they have caused damage.

Does your brother know for certain he caused no damage? Is he a qualified motor engineer? Did he get underneath the vehicle and check that the rear bumper was still aligned and attacthed properly? No he didn't

Modern cars are VERY easy to damage. Most bumpers are plastic, and can be damaged simply by pressing hard on them with your hand. Now imagine what damage your brother's 2 ton car could cause simply by rolling into one.....

There is also a common misconception that "all insurance companies arte out to rip you off" Well they're not. And if your brother's insurance company have any doubts about the police's claim, they simply won't pay it.

However, do you really think a police force are going to commit fraud by putting in a false claim??

As difficult as it may seem to believe, your brother has caused damage to a third party vehicle through his own negligence. This is why he has insurance, to cover him when he makes a mistake!





 Enter Your Message or Comment


User Name:  
User Email:   
Post a comment:




Legal Discussion Forum

 I got 6 points driving a car without insurance and now i want to insure my motor bike, do i have to tell the?
i got 6 points driving a car without insurance and now i want to insure my motor bike, do i have to tell the insurance company that i got 6 points driving. which will increase the policy. or r they ...


 I was rear-ended - what now?
Yesterday my 2003 Kia Rio hatchback was rear-ended by a Verizon phone-company truck. No injuries, thank God, but our car is almost certainly totalled - the tailgate was *twisted* and it looks like ...


 Is it illgeal to drive a friends car with there permission?
i was at the airport dropping a friend off and drove her car back to her house. I didnt come to a full stop at a stop sign but i didnt even see the stop sign. Then i got pulled over and got a ticket, ...


 People i need asnwers!?
if i already took drivers ed and passed the driving portion of drivers ed, whan takind the license test will i have to do the driving portion?...


 I lost my dirver's license (it expires in 2013). Do they take another photo or not?
...


 How do i get a car i just bought to my house?
ifi buy car today thats like an hour away from my house, how do i get it to my house? it doesnt have plates and such yet..
Additional Details
im buying it from the owner, not a ...


 Insurance Claim?
Parked my car last night outside friends house between two parked cars. Was a tight space but was a good bit of parking. I nudged the car behind at 0.001 mph, literally a light nudge. Neighbhour ...


 I have been sent a tax disc for the people that used to live in my flat - Can I cash it?
I have no way of contacting them, they have left no forward address. The car tax looks like its from a lease company.

My question is 'legally' can I cash it in?
Additional ...


 How long do you need to have a full driving license before you can teach driving?
...


 Ive got 8 points on a provisional uk what does this mean ?
...


 I got a letter from the police!!?
I got a letter from the police about my car being involed in an incident and have been asked to provide the usual details. Thing is i have somehow missplaced my insurance cover note - when i rang ...


 My car was broken into last night, my mother's insurance claims to cover her driving any car...?
If she puts a claim in regarding my car stating she was using the car that day (she is not specifically insured for my car, her policy just says "any car") will it be successful? A door ...


 Can I drive my car after buying tax on line while waiting for the disc to arrive?
...


 Does your auto INSURANSE go up if you get a speeding ticket?
...


 My girld friends husband was in a car accident he lost control of the car and killed himself and his g/f.?
My question is if he was at fault can the family still sue the insurance co.
Additional Details
Guess what all you nay sayers we are going to try to get paid....


 MOT & number plates?
My car just failed MOT cause the number plate didnt have the postcode of the issuer on it. Does anyone know more about this?, as no one I know has heard of that....


 Can you find out someones address from their car reg?
...


 Do i need insurance to drive my sister's car with a provisional licence?
I have a provisional licence and just passed my theory test. My sister was going to take me out to practice driving before going with an instructor but do i still need insurance?...


 How long do you have to change your address on your drivers licence when you move?
I moved a few months ago and still haven't changed my address on my license. Neither has my husband. My husband got stopped for speeding last week, and the cop told him that if he saw him on ...


 Driving permit?
Does anyone know if you can take your drivers test to get your permit 6 months before your 16th birthday?...




Copyright (c) 2009-2011 Wiki Law 3k Sunday, May 27, 2012 - Trusted legal information for you.
Archive: Forum  |  Forum  |  Forum  |  Links
0.014