Week Old Car Got Rear-Ended by a Bus - Chance of a New Car from Insurance?

frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 12:34
Last edited 04/04/2020 - 17:56 by 1 other user

Sister was driving week-old car and cut-off a bus (public run bus) as she was changing lanes - got a honk for her troubles.
Short while later as they approached an intersection where she had stopped the car, bus speeds up and rams her from behind. Damage is shattered windshield and rear is dented badly. Car still drives.

There is dash cam footage, and have already reported to insurance. Any chance:

  1. Pushing for a new car via insurance - anyone know what we can say to achieve this outcome?
  2. Going to police to report the bus driver for negligent driving.

https://youtu.be/iidUOKXXCaA

Footage above. Just looks like it’ll be handled through insurance.

Automotive

Comments

  • bobbified on 03/04/2020 - 12:37
    +24

    chance of a new car from insurance?

    Yes - if you have new-for-old insurance and your car is assessed as a write-off. Otherwise, no.

    • frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 12:38

      Do have new for old, but don’t think it will be assessed as a write off

      • bobbified on 03/04/2020 - 12:39
        +22

        Then, no.

      • Grissallia on 03/04/2020 - 13:19
        +5

        Got rear-ended in our Daihatsu sedan by a Ford Territory. Small bang. Car was completely driveable. The boot lid was a bit dented and wouldn't shut properly.

        Car was a write-off. The entire body was warped.

        Insurance assessors will take a look at it, and if it's deemed unsafe, and not economically repairable, even if it feels like it drives OK, they'll write it off.

        YMMV.

      • spackbace on 03/04/2020 - 14:14
        +16

        but don’t think it will be assessed as a write off

        Well if the damage wasn't worthy of a write-off then why are we discussing it?

        • Xenocaust on 03/04/2020 - 15:01
          +4

          Because someone is looking to blag a new car.

    • nomoneynoproblems on 03/04/2020 - 14:21

      Not necessarily. I know someone that had their 10 month old sports car written off. Insurance offered "market value" which was 15k less than the purchase price or a brand new car as a replacement. You can guess which option they chose.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 04/04/2020 - 19:06

        It should be in the PDS.

        But it may worth the insurance to get it fixed instead

  • WreckTangle on 03/04/2020 - 12:38
    +18

    I have got to see that footage…

    • frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 18:54
      +1

      Easiest way to upload footage somewhere? Actual video size is large but can do a video of a video.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 03/04/2020 - 18:56
        +3

        YouTube is your friend

        • frank1416 on 04/04/2020 - 18:11

          Uploaded

          • John Kimble on 04/04/2020 - 18:21
            +1

            @frank1416: Decent hit it seems? Oulton Ave and Homebush Bay Drive?

            Wife got love tapped in the exact same spot by a car many years ago.

  • Nalar on 03/04/2020 - 12:38
    +1

    can we see the dashcam?

    • John Kimble on 03/04/2020 - 12:49
      +23

      I'm more interested in the footage

      • Nalar on 03/04/2020 - 13:07
        -2

        This is very close to a jv post. Be careful

        • John Kimble on 04/04/2020 - 18:28

          JV rarely posts on the forums.

  • bdl on 03/04/2020 - 12:43
    +4

    angry bus

  • John Kimble on 03/04/2020 - 12:50
    +5

    Was Sandra Bullock driving the bus?

    (public run bus)

    Why this extra piece of unnecessary information?

    • frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 13:32
      +7

      You're right - not necessary.

      Was Sandra Bullock driving the bus? Why this unnecessary question?

      • John Kimble on 03/04/2020 - 13:36
        +7

        Touché..was an unnecessary joke!

  • Seni0r El Cheapo on 03/04/2020 - 12:50
    +2

    MS Paint diagram?

    • MS Paint on 03/04/2020 - 15:26
      +24

      Cbf

  • Euphemistic on 03/04/2020 - 13:15
    +1

    Bus speeds up and rams her or car stops at intersection suddenly and bus can’t stop?

    • frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 13:18
      -1

      Bus speeds up and rams her. There was a safe distance between bus and car.

      • pjetson on 03/04/2020 - 13:34
        +13

        Although you do say that "a short while" earlier, she cut the bus off. Perhaps her judgement of a safe distance for a heavy vehicle isn't as good as it could be?

        • John Kimble on 03/04/2020 - 13:39
          +1

          You would think unless the bus driver snapped/road raged or had a medical episode, chances are that they wouldn't have been at fault given their training and their lively hood being on the line.

          The dashcam footage would help here, but it doesn't look forthcoming.

          • pjetson on 03/04/2020 - 14:01
            +3

            @John Kimble: I don't think there's a heavy vehicle driver anywhere who hasn't wanted to ram into some idiot car driver at some point in their driving career :-)

      • brendanm on 03/04/2020 - 17:33

        I think the odds are significantly against this. Occam's razor suggests she cut the bus off, and the bus (with a much greater stopping distance), has then hit the car.

        • Euphemistic on 04/04/2020 - 18:59
          +1

          Footage shows bus speeding up. Not so much ramming, which sounds deliberate, as accelerating and not expecting the car to be stopped. Looks like the bus anticipated the car to pick a gap in the traffic, but it didn’t.

          • John Kimble on 04/04/2020 - 19:03

            @Euphemistic: Yep, it's a turn left with care. Wife got hit in the same spot in the same scenario, but a car, not a bus.

            Liberty Grove, New South Wales
            https://maps.app.goo.gl/kCZ3uWgfthuybj3h8

          • whooah1979 on 04/04/2020 - 19:06

            @Euphemistic: It looks like a slip lane which could mean that the bus didn’t have time to stop in time after coming around the bend.

            • frank1416 on 04/04/2020 - 19:25

              @whooah1979: It is a slip lane but bus had ample time to stop. Assumption is that they thought car was intending to turn left.

              Had been following the car for a while.

          • frank1416 on 04/04/2020 - 19:12
            +1

            @Euphemistic: Fair enough - I think this sums it up.

  • 87percent on 03/04/2020 - 13:21

    does she have comprehensive insurance?

    • frank1416 on 03/04/2020 - 13:28

      Yes - they already arranged for repairs. It's clear bus is at fault so not too worried about premiums or excess.

      Just wondering if I can push for a new car, but doesn't seem likely.

      • GG57 on 03/04/2020 - 14:20
        +13

        If the insurance company has already arranged the repairs, you have no hope of a new car.

      • 87percent on 03/04/2020 - 14:27

        who is the insurer? Check your PDS and see if it has new for old.. i know mine had 6 months new for old

  • Hithere on 03/04/2020 - 13:25

    Police probably won't be interested unless someone is hurt.

    Without seeing the damage and if the car is still drivable chances of it being a writeoff and getting a new car? Your insurance company will decide but IMO very very small.

  • Simoneee on 03/04/2020 - 13:51
    +2

    You reporting bus driver for negligent driving? Didn't you say your sister cut off the bus driver?

    • Daabido on 03/04/2020 - 16:39
      +1

      Only the footage of the accident is relevant. The Police would never rest if they fined everyone who cut off another driver.

    • CMH on 03/04/2020 - 17:12

      Lets just say I won't be surprised if it comes back as the sister's fault.

  • chumlee on 03/04/2020 - 14:07
    +8

    Just spray some new car smell in your car and all good

  • [Deactivated] on 03/04/2020 - 14:34
    +2

    Damage is shattered windshield and rear is dented badly.

    If it is only this bad, they will replace parts and repair.

    If it is that bad, they will write it off.

  • nubzy on 03/04/2020 - 17:36

    Bad luck. Hope you had choice of repairer?? If you don't, all i'll say is check the repairs thoroughly. They bank on the fact that most people wont notice and complain, but if you have an eye for detail you'll pick something up. Paint defects are very common.

  • Nutrino on 04/04/2020 - 04:59
    +2

    Give us the footage mate… Then we ll talk…

  • Euphemistic on 04/04/2020 - 07:06
    +3

    You are only getting a new replacement vehicle if the repair cost is going to be above the threshold that writes the vehicle off. The cause of the incident is irrelevant to this.

    Assuming it is a hatchback, replacing the tailgate, window and bumper will not add up to a new car cost. If there is structural damage, that changes things.

  • MontyMacaw on 04/04/2020 - 11:08
    -4

    I would be worried about two things:
    1-WHY would you post on here saying your sister was responsible for bad driving while looking for advice and more importantly
    2-The chassis of the car is the most vulnerable part as far as the future value of the car is concerned. If the chassis is damaged in any way I would be wanting a write off. It’s hard to prove but you will hate yourself later if you don’t look into this should they decide to repair the car.

  • whooah1979 on 04/04/2020 - 11:14

    This sounds like the driver of the vehicle changed lanes when it was unsafe causing a collision with a bus.

  • OzHunterNSW on 04/04/2020 - 12:03

    NO

  • solidussnake on 05/04/2020 - 06:53

    Cuts off a bus and it's the bus drivers fault good lord.. 🤦‍♂️ your sister is going to get herself killed one day

    • frank1416 on 05/04/2020 - 07:59

      Happened earlier and whilst it wasn’t the right thing to do, there was no accident.

      Bus hitting the car is a completely separate incident.

  • FlexBargain on 05/04/2020 - 07:08
    +2

    YouTube video set to private?

    • solidussnake on 05/04/2020 - 09:16

      Back up now

      • jelko on 05/04/2020 - 11:08
        +1

        Still private

  • gimme on 05/04/2020 - 08:07
    +6

    Why oh why ppl come here with these questions and get the usual dumb responses. Who cares what some tard on ozbgain thinks, just find out from your insurance company who have the final say. If not happy then go to the ombudsman to adjudicate

  • mezje on 05/04/2020 - 08:48
    -1

    New car it is possible this will be written off pending the amount of electronics destroyed in the crash, inital value of car etc - pretty much what everyone else said. If it were fixed I would flog it ASAP, that car will have gremlins for the rest of it's life.

  • No ONE on 05/04/2020 - 08:50
    -1

    My take is, the bus driver was so pissed off from initial incident that made him just ram your sister from behind.

  • photonbuddy on 05/04/2020 - 10:09
    +6

    After looking at the short video posted, and the follow-up google maps link by another poster (which just confirmed my initial thoughts), it looks like the bus driver was looking right to see if traffic was coming, saw some, but thought "If I speed-up a little, I can make it!"

    Meanwhile, Sister decided to stop and wait for traffic.

    To suggest this was some sort of payback for being cut-off earlier is ludicrous. Bus drivers would have that happen dozens of times a week.

    • trev likes bargains on 05/04/2020 - 10:12
      +3

      If the sister was giving way at a situation where even the bus after her was able to go, she might be a pretty bad driver.

      Her first car?

      • cbastien on 05/04/2020 - 11:04

        Thx @photonbuddy for the explanation.
        @trev, not sure what you re trying to imply, bus driver still 100% at fault. You clearly have to be ready to stop, (even more if not first in line). but yeah, no way he did it on purpose, he won't get his accident free month bonus because of this.

  • Vote for Pedro on 05/04/2020 - 10:24

    public run bus

    Incorrect. Private bus operator providing an on demand service to the Government under contract.

    Likely operator for that region is Transit Systems, a private for profit company

  • grasstown on 05/04/2020 - 10:47

    Yep looking at the footage and the google map of liberty grove posted, looks like the bus driver assumed your sister would go but your sister stopped.

    If insurer decides it costs more to fix than write off (whether agreed or market) im pretty sure they will fix. They will go for whatever is cheaper for them.

  • ankor on 05/04/2020 - 11:08
    -4

    meh.

    Your sister is at fault
    the bus driver is at fault
    they are both partly at fault

    Pick one of three.

  • Plug on 05/04/2020 - 15:45

    Put the video back up

    • photonbuddy on 05/04/2020 - 16:28
      +1

      Not sure why it's been made private.

      Perhaps OP gave out more information than necessary to have their question answered, and is now regretting it.

      The actual video clearly showed the bus was at fault.

      • Euphemistic on 05/04/2020 - 17:05
        +1

        Who is at fault doesn’t have much to do with wether the car is replaced or not. That is all down to how much damage has been caused by the incident.

        • photonbuddy on 05/04/2020 - 20:45
          +1

          That's also true. There was really no need to post the story at all. Posting pics of the damage was really all that was required for anonymous people to post their opinions on the costs to repair the damage.

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