open car door clipped

[bundleone]

A man was putting his baby into the car seat, my husband clipped his door while driving past, no damage to the other car, our car has some damage, who is legally to blame.

[baileybird]

I should think it is your husband as he has hit a stationary object. Really not being funny here just interested if there is more detail but how can it be the other guy's fault? Did he open door suddenly?

[redcrx]

your husband. always leave room when passing cars.
at least it wasnt the car seat or the father

[baileybird]

no but it will annoy you that the local farmer has been cautioned about a mud and diesel spill on the road!!!!!! Why do you think my lad was speeding - I mentioned no age and he is not a kid!

[IggyB]

when a moving car hits a stationary object it would usually be the moving drivers fault unless there are some exceptional circumstances

[baileybird]

Hey forgot to mention Absolutely No Knowledge of this or alot of other things, another car did exactly the same thing on Saturday afternoon on the same bit of road. Middle aged woman - no doubt she was putting her llippy on.

[bundleone]

Thanks for your answers, it just happened that a policeman came along just after the incident and stopped to see what was what and he told my husband and the other car owner that it was an offence to open the car door on the offside even to put a child in, this dosent seem right to me but I cant find anything written about this,, I am on the other persons side and have managed to convince my husband to take full responsibility, so now he has put in a claim on his own insurance and not mentioning another car but saying he caught it on our driveway wall,thre is about �600 damage

[baileybird]

Hope it works out for all of you. These things happen - at least no one was hurt.

[redcrx]

Would it not be cheaper to fix the damage without going through insurers? Ive just had a massive dent in my car fixed and painted for �170, my dad hit it and it was miles cheaper than just his excess

i cant see how the policeman is right at all. What if you have 2 children to strap into seats? you have to do that from both sides. lol, maybe a parent has to strap one child in on the pavement side then either leave the second child on path whilst parent goes and turns car around, or puts child in car without strapping them in then drives to turn car around. lol

and if you think about it, when parking at night you have to park in left hand lane, therefore the drivers door is in the road. How do people get out?

and police exit their cars like that everytijme they pull someone over lol

[QueenOfAmber]

Sorry but it was your husbands fault as he hit a stationary object which, in law, is technically his fault.

Just out of interest: What type of car have you got? What type of car was the man-putting-the-baby-in's?

[bundleone]

I also think my husband was in the wrong, and if a policeman had not intervened he would have just acceptted that he was, but then he started doubting his guilt, the man came to our house to talk about it and I could see his point, and I felt very sorry for him, he has another child and a wife who was putting the other child in the other side.,my husband is basically a fair man,
by the way, he has a merc and the other driver has a vauxhall astra I think,

[sandmaster]

I cannot comment on the legalities but common sense would say the policeman is wrong. However, it seems you and your husband are a rare breed these days, honest and caring, and you've taken the right stance. Well done!!

[horselady]

Exactly the same thing happened when my son-in-law was putting the baby in the car, a lady collided with the door. She was not so reasonable as your husband and said it was all his fault for having the door open. She was very, very elderly so he was quite kind to her, but insurers sorted it out and she was found to be to blame.