First, greetings - and how is everyone? How is the Car4play community?
I've not looked in for a couple of years, but something very weird has just happened to me, and I thought I would ask for advice.
In September, I was involved in an accident. Sitting at a roundabout, with just one car between me and the roundabout, and eager to make progress, I did something stupid. I saw a gap in the traffic, assumed the car in front would move off, and put my foot on the accelerator, then realised the car in front had not moved off - and so I braked hard. Alas, I was not quite fast at braking to avoid bumping him. We both got out, and I had a look at his car - a neat, clean Ford Focus about 10 years old. There was slight marking on the rear bumper (which, I believe in plastic). There wasn't a mark on my car.
We pulled off in a lay-by a couple of hundred yards away, and exchanged email addresses and mobile numbers. He was probably in his 30s, and seemed a bit anxious about the whole thing. Having done that, I drove to my destination a few miles away, and, since I had a spare moment, I texted him just to confirm my email number. I then spent the rest of the day kicking myself for being such a complete idiot as to start moving without checking that the car in front had moved. However, I have accidentally bumped other cars over the years, and most owners have never bothered doing anything about, and I thought that this might be the case this time - though the guy had seemed remarkably concerned about his vehicle.
I expected him to get back to me and tell me what the garage said - hoping that the garage would have just shrugged and said that it wasn't worthy doing anything about it.
And I didn't bother informing my insurance company, since it seemed pretty minor.
Well, this morning, my insurance company telephoned me, and told me that the guy was apparently injured in the incident, and has not worked since, and has put in a big claim for lst earnings.
And I'm thinking. "Hold on. If you are sitting in a 2008 Ford Focus, wearing a seat belt, and someone bumps you from behind at about 10 miles an hour, how can you be injured - so seriously as not to be able to work?"
It wasn't as if there was any sign that he was hurt at all when it happened - just seemed remarkably concerned about the bumper of his car.
Anyway, I'm responsible for the incident. I just wait to see what the insurance company comes back with. But I just don't know what to make of it all - or if there is anything else I should do.
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