I am gutted as it was my fault :( i pulled out and then a renault 19 ran into me, when i got out i ouldnt bare to look at my car as the renault 19 has a crumpled bumber mashed headlight crushed wing and bonnet damage but mine didnt have any!!!!!

all it susained was a scrape on the front side of the bumper where the renault made its impact...i cant get over how strong these cars are!.

The thing i want to ask is mine is a MK1 octy on a 1998 s reg plate if they have to replace the bumper would they write the car off as this is the only area thats been damaged.

Why did the old renault 19 not hold up as well?

Thanks guys

I had a Renault19 once and you could press the panels in with your finger!

Sorry to hear about that mate,i wouldn't of thought your car would be written off

Be carefull, as although there may not appear to be any damage to yours, you could have snapped/squished the sub-frame/crumple zone underneath.

Renault's of that year were made of tin-foil and lasted just as long

Here i the link to my damage... will this be a write off...cant get over how the renault suffered so much damage but yet it hit my plastic bumper.

Here is the link....

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/justinbarrow/Cardamagepic2.jpg

Poor photo that - can't actually make out where the damage is!

Get the car checked over, make sure it hasn't sustained any damage you can't see.

Steve

Have to agree with Steve, Make sure you get the bumper off and have a good look under for any hidden damage,

Glad by the sounds of it that no one was hurt though!

Yeah i know I keep beating myself up thinking i should of taken more care but then i suppose it could of been a lot worse in the sense it could of been a cyclist or biker, then it would of been worse or even a police car then i would of looked a prat.

The damage in the photo is on the side of the bumper as you look at it there is a slight scrape.

I still cant get over that the renault 19 crumpled metal panels when it hit my plastic bumper.

I will be ringing the insurance tomorrow lucky i ave protected no claims just worried that they may write it off like stated you never know whats lying underneath.

Im still shaking from it all and keep replaying it in my head.

Will let you know how i get on tomorrow.

Thanks

Try not to worry too much about it mate,whats done is done ,we all make mistakes believe me iv been there

Just have a good nights rest,im sure you'll feel better tomorrow !

Dont worry about your car it ent that bad at all,it wont be a write off it'll be ok:thumbup:

Just incase you cant see the damage imy Octy has i have circled it at this link...

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/justinbarrow/Cardamagepic3.jpg

If i had done this on a lampost in a car park i would live with it, because another car was involved i have to go thru the insurance and can almost be certain that they will be claiming everything suh as whiplash and los of earnings.

What a nightmare.

Try not to worry too much about it mate,whats done is done ,we all make mistakes believe me iv been there

Just have a good nights rest,im sure you'll feel better tomorrow !

Dont worry about your car it ent that bad at all,it wont be a write off it'll be ok:thumbup:

Thanks for that mate.

how about settling out of insurance? just buy thema car as it'll probably be cheaper. the only damage to yours appears to be caused by the tyre rubbing.

from memory thats not a lot to damage just there and if anything major was damaged then the shut lines would be messed up.

Like everyone has said mate, it could have done some damage not viewable until you look underneath.Glad you ok though, it may have been a lot worse.

get it checked out, i had a rover that got shunted from the rear, we checked it at the scene at looked like no damage. a few days later i tried to open the boot and it was jammed. once the boot was opened and you lifted up the floor to the area where the tyre is stored you could see all the damage.

It didn't. It hit the end of the steel beam inside, side on, while braking I expect which put all the soft stuff in line with your beam. IF it was accelerating, it's front menber would have been in line and you would have looked a lot worse.

DO get the bumper removed and the reinforcement/mounts/underside checked, also have the front end checked for alignment as it can easy push the chassis out a bit and you can't tell by looking.

Hopefully you'll just need a respray or at worse a hammer out of the reinforcing member and a new bumper skin. Not expensive, not a write off.

Try to get the guy to pay cash and get it done at a good independant, no insurance then or you'll find you'll get hammered even though the claim wasn't your fault.

Greg.

Here i the link to my damage... will this be a write off...cant get over how the renault suffered so much damage but yet it hit my plastic bumper.

Here is the link....

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj41/justinbarrow/Cardamagepic2.jpg

if u have protected no claims i wouldn't worry too much. insurers ensure they charge u enough to cover for all the American style claiming in an accident. don't worry too much at all!

Judging the damage to yours are you sure the renault 19 piece of junk you hit wasnt already banged up? Just a thought.

Glad your ok though m8

Yes, dont dismiss the fact that the renault may already have had frontal damage.

Try to get the guy to pay cash and get it done at a good independant, no insurance then or you'll find you'll get hammered even though the claim wasn't your fault.

Greg.

It was his fault - see OP :(

Remember, whilst the Insurers will prolly have to settle the TP's damage, it isn't necessary to have your own damage settled by them.

I'd suggest you get an independent body shop to have a look at it, particularly regarding the alignment etc. and give a "rough" quote for the repair. You can then decide whether to claim for it and take a chance on the car being written off, or whether to pay it yourself.

Also, even if you initially decide to claim, and then back off if they threaten to write it off, you can withdraw the claim later.

Discuss it with them before making any decision.

If no-one was hurt except an R19 (ex-R19 owner), I'd call that a result!!!

I agree with Bengie.

For your car - take it to an accident repair garage they'll say if there is any further damage and if they can repair the bumper or spray up a new one.

£150 ish for repair £300 ish for new sprayed bumper.

£500 for replacement Renault....

£500 for an R19; £50 would be more like it. They are cheaper than car hire!

Thanks everyone for the advice, It did cross my mind if the renault was already damaged but i suppose its to late now.

Anyway i contacted my insurance to tell them they were ok just said dont worry cars can be replaced and asked if i wanted my car repaired i told them that i had a scratched bumper and taking it to be independantly checked which im doing after i finish this post they said if i did decide to gt my car repaired i would have to pay my £250 excess, but if not i wouldnt have to pay any even though i am imforming them it was my fault. (Which they asked me if it was me at fault)

I have left it with them, then i get a phone call off the woman that i hit saying if i had contacted my isurance i said yes then she said how she woke up this morning with a bad back and sore neck and has been to her GP this morning and how her husband had to bend the panel further as it was scrubbing on her front wheel then how her radiator was pouring out water (no water at the scene of the crash) and both cars were driven away.

I knew it would be a case of making it look worse i told her that they would write it off anyway being so old, then she says she cant work because of the pain.

I just left it with her but i knew that a personel injury claim against me would be coming

Just awaiting a letter from her legal people now :confused:

The insurance asked me if there were any injuries and i said no but that was at the time, I wished they were driving an octavia then it would be just a case of a few touch up pens for the 2 cars!

Rigt im off to get the car checked over so will post back when i get in and let you all know whats what.

Forgot to add, my insurance asked me if i was employed which i replied not at the moment because of a familly death (one of the reasons why my mind wasnt thinking at the time of accident)

Why do they ask this? whats the difference then they asked if i was on any tablets that would affect my driving ability which i am not...Just seemed a bit strange or is it just they way they work.

Cheers:thumbup:

Seems odd to me; I've never been asked either of those questions ref a shunt, either as a principal or as a witness, and I've done both more than once.