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Police car causes an accident & they try to blame it on my wife

The policeman got angry & tried to scare her saying that she was driving at a high speed.

BHPian ndp88 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Sharing an incident that happened with my wife just yesterday in Mumbai.

She was driving alone in the afternoon in the city on the left-most lane when an idle Police SUV parked on the edge of the road suddenly entered the lane without indication or bother looking if there was an incoming vehicle from behind.

Police vehicle dashed pretty badly to our SUV, throwing it off balance and fairly causing deep damage. When my wife got down to check, Policeman got angry & tried to scare her saying you were driving at high speed. She being a far more expert driver than most gave proper peace of mind to both police officers explaining the point of impact, city speed regulations, street-side parking rules and their authority over traffic.

While they tried to flee, she insisted they file FIR & exchange insurance information. Unable to respond and seeing this lady won't budge to their threats, they agreed to settle the matter at the nearest Police station. Over there the Station in charge tried to play judge and dismiss the matter as 'thik hai, ho gaya'; and to the point, all of them re-tried to play high-speed angle & deny any blame. Now my better half demanded they prove it in court and file FIR right away.

With no sign of budging, they finally agreed to an Accidental damage report to get the repairs done through insurance. Again, in the report, they tried to play it down saying the accident happened & 'scratched' a civilian vehicle. But my champ made them write full details of the extent of damage (including wheels, tyre, all 4 panels etc). This report is important because Insurance companies will find every reason to deny or reduce the claim amount (especially for older vehicles).

Now the car is at the service centre, insurance survey is underway. We won't get it back for another 15-20 days for sure. Yet to know how much we'll have to pay out of pocket despite insurance coverage. Forget money and time lost, the harassment and trouble because somebody from Govt authorities did not follow road regulations is a unique horrible experience.

This incident could've very well gone to a different conclusion. I wonder what made it less horrifying? Is it sheer luck we're in Mumbai and authorities here are less rowdy than in other cities? Was it the presence of mind that she was able to counter them with logic? Was it because she was calm in the moment of distress when a Policeman of all people exhibited road rage instead of showing maturity? Has the internet/media made authorities less of a bully? Why even today in developed places of India, do accident results in 'settling it on street' than following guidelines?

Please be careful everyone, the roads are full of bad people. Know your rights.

Here's what BHPian AYP had to say about the matter:

What does insurance mean here exactly? The third-party insurance of the police SUV? Or is it something else?

Here's what BHPian ndp88 replied:

Yes. This was 3rd party damage by the police car to another vehicle. They have a liability to compensate for damages caused (which is usually covered by mandatory 3rd party insurance). My insurance company will pay for damages on behalf of one who caused damage through a central pool of money collected from all mandatory third-party insurance. Exchanging this information with a proper accident report makes the process a little easier.

The accident report helps insurance companies know the details of damage caused in the accident. In case the report is not detailed, the insurance company may reduce the claim stating that a few particular dents on my car are not from the accident; they were present prior to the accident hence invalid for compensation.

Here's what BHPian NT_GT had to say about the matter:

Wow! This is truly inspirational. Bollywood might be interested.

At the risk of sounding sexist, I think the driver being a woman helped a bit in this situation. If I travel with my wife in the front passenger seat, the police stop us less on highways compared to if I travel alone or with a male companion. Heck, a woman also pays a lesser amount of insurance premium in India which is the opposite of what happens in some other countries. Women also pay lesser car loan interest. So, there is a general perception that women are calmer and safer drivers.

Perhaps this is also supported by statistics otherwise insurance companies won't be a part of it.

Here's what BHPian IndigoXLGrandDi had to say about the matter:

Sorry if I sound pessimistic, but how come the policemen allowed your wife to take back the vehicle without keeping it for 8-15 days at the police station?

Also, I guess most often Police Vehicles (Cars, SUVs, Vans) don't have valid insurance after the original one gets expired.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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