advice needed please

[NickE30singh]

Last night about 11pm i was picking up a friend, and while waiting for him i pulled up on a double yellow line on the right hand side of the road that everyone ignores. There was also another car waiting while he unloaded passengers in front of me plus various parked cars also on the same bit of road one parked up about 3 meters behind me too.

As he got into the car, another person i knew started talking to me though the window. After about 20-30 seconds of being there with lights still on and engine still on. A fiesta plows into the back of me.

The fiesta had also pulled up to unload passengers. I guess he was distracted on the phone or something and didn't see my cab.

The damage on his car was minimal with just scratches on his bumper whereas my bumper is bent and hanging. my rear panel and quarter panel also suffering and my boot is now not lining up.

My question is do i claim on his insurance for driving into a stationary vehicle or is it my fault for waiting on the double yellow? Anyone with any experience of anything like this?

Does any one know a good body shop in the Southampton area?

[clipper]

Double yellows are for "no parking", not for "no stopping". You were stopped, not parked.

Can't see that you shouldn't claim just because of that, best wait for the experts to post though.

[matto]

As above, you are allowed to stop on double yellow lines to allow passengers to board or alight from your vehicle so get a claim in and get your car fixed to your satisfaction, tosser should have been looking where he was going!

[pud1]

Its the old "piece of string" argument. What is "stopping" and what is "parking" and how does the insurance industry interpret the law. It tends to be 50/50 now unless you can give very strong, and corroborated evidence in your favor. Unless you feel you have a chance of losing the argument or its going to be cheaper and less trouble to do it out of your own pocket-think of the NCB!!- I would bang it in for a claim.

[Tom_Maverick]

It doesn't matter where you were stopped, it doesn't make it your fault that another driver is not paying attention and crashes into you, make the claim!

[E30BeemerLad]

The yellows make no difference, he has still collided with a stationary car and was not looking where he was going. Claim from his insurers.

[mrLEE30]

many years ago i was stopped in Plymouth on double yellows waiting for a mate to come out of his house. while there i noticed a nice old Kawasaki and a groupd of lads around it, then they went inside and as myt mate cakme out i was oading his junk into my boot and noticed the bike had been knocked over, broken clutch lever, bent shifter and some scuffs.

I thought nothing of it except it was a shame until six months later a letter appears through my door from the old bill for leaving the scene of an accident.

i called plod and was informed i had knocked the bike over, i only really remember as it was a GPz 550, same as the bike i saw outside mates place. (nice bike)

long and short of it is we went to court and they lost, but point was my stopping on double yellow lines had no bearing on the accident at all.