M
Mdm Tang
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Van Vechicle Number and Hp ??? :(:(:(
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http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_621273.html
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ST Forum
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
Jan 7, 2011
Dishonesty wins, Integrity loses
LAST week, while driving to work, my car was hit from behind at the junction of Jurong West Avenue 1 and Corporation Road. The rear of my beige Toyota Vios was hit by a dark blue Peugeot van.
The driver, a man in his 40s, apologised and said that his van had rolled forward while he was picking up something from the vehicle floor. He had forgotten to engage his handbrake, he said.
I checked the rear of my car while he kept assuring me that it was a gentle knock which could not have caused much damage. There were some slight scratches on the bumper and its right side was dislodged.
The driver knocked it back into place, saying it was just a clip. I asked for his contact number and wrote down his identity card number and vehicle plate number. He did not ask me for the same.
When I arrived at work half an hour later, a friend joined me to inspect the car more closely. She pointed to a 10cm crack on the rear bumper. I sent the driver a photo of the damage via Multimedia Messaging Service and said I would need to go to Borneo Motors for the repairs as my car was still under warranty.
He called and discouraged me from going to Borneo Motors as he was sure it would escalate the price of repairs. He asked me to send my car to his workshop in Kaki Bukit instead. I decided to go to Borneo Motors for an assessment and quotation first before meeting him at his workshop at 3.30pm.
At Borneo Motors, the motor claims assessor advised me that I had to replace the bumper and realign the boot door. The repair would take three days and cost $1,358. She reminded me that any repairs done at other workshops would void the car's current warranty on the repaired part.
She also cautioned me that there may be leakage problems in the car boot if repairs were not done properly.
I reiterated that to the driver. He questioned how it could be possible that the boot alignment could be affected by a gentle hit. "You must understand that I am only an employee, I don't earn much. I don't want to cause any trouble to my company (he was driving his company car)", he said repeatedly. He would pay only if the repairs were done at his workshop. In the end, we agreed to report the accident to our insurers. I would claim third party insurance from his company.
A surveyor's inspection was planned on Dec 30 and the day before, a staff member from Borneo Motors informed me that the third party insurer had rejected my claims as the driver's report was in conflict with mine. His report stated that I had reversed my car and hit his car. I was appalled.
I called his cellphone four times but my calls went unanswered. I used my friend's phone to call him and he picked up the call. He was stumped when I asked him about what he had stated in the accident report. He defended his stand and told me he would leave it to the insurance company to take care of it before hanging up on me.
I was naive and did not anticipate the driver distorting the truth to reduce his liability. With only his word against mine and no statement from independent witnesses, it is likely that I will have to withdraw the claim and pay the full amount of $1,358 myself. Otherwise, the losses to me will be greater in the long term if I claim from my own insurance policy, which has a 50 per cent no-claims discount.
If justice decides it will do me a favour this time, I may be lucky enough to find a witness to the accident through this letter - failing which, all I can say is that a man's integrity is priceless.
Tan Siew Khoon (Ms)
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http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_621273.html
.
ST Forum
Home > ST Forum > Online Story
Jan 7, 2011
Dishonesty wins, Integrity loses
LAST week, while driving to work, my car was hit from behind at the junction of Jurong West Avenue 1 and Corporation Road. The rear of my beige Toyota Vios was hit by a dark blue Peugeot van.
The driver, a man in his 40s, apologised and said that his van had rolled forward while he was picking up something from the vehicle floor. He had forgotten to engage his handbrake, he said.
I checked the rear of my car while he kept assuring me that it was a gentle knock which could not have caused much damage. There were some slight scratches on the bumper and its right side was dislodged.
The driver knocked it back into place, saying it was just a clip. I asked for his contact number and wrote down his identity card number and vehicle plate number. He did not ask me for the same.
When I arrived at work half an hour later, a friend joined me to inspect the car more closely. She pointed to a 10cm crack on the rear bumper. I sent the driver a photo of the damage via Multimedia Messaging Service and said I would need to go to Borneo Motors for the repairs as my car was still under warranty.
He called and discouraged me from going to Borneo Motors as he was sure it would escalate the price of repairs. He asked me to send my car to his workshop in Kaki Bukit instead. I decided to go to Borneo Motors for an assessment and quotation first before meeting him at his workshop at 3.30pm.
At Borneo Motors, the motor claims assessor advised me that I had to replace the bumper and realign the boot door. The repair would take three days and cost $1,358. She reminded me that any repairs done at other workshops would void the car's current warranty on the repaired part.
She also cautioned me that there may be leakage problems in the car boot if repairs were not done properly.
I reiterated that to the driver. He questioned how it could be possible that the boot alignment could be affected by a gentle hit. "You must understand that I am only an employee, I don't earn much. I don't want to cause any trouble to my company (he was driving his company car)", he said repeatedly. He would pay only if the repairs were done at his workshop. In the end, we agreed to report the accident to our insurers. I would claim third party insurance from his company.
A surveyor's inspection was planned on Dec 30 and the day before, a staff member from Borneo Motors informed me that the third party insurer had rejected my claims as the driver's report was in conflict with mine. His report stated that I had reversed my car and hit his car. I was appalled.
I called his cellphone four times but my calls went unanswered. I used my friend's phone to call him and he picked up the call. He was stumped when I asked him about what he had stated in the accident report. He defended his stand and told me he would leave it to the insurance company to take care of it before hanging up on me.
I was naive and did not anticipate the driver distorting the truth to reduce his liability. With only his word against mine and no statement from independent witnesses, it is likely that I will have to withdraw the claim and pay the full amount of $1,358 myself. Otherwise, the losses to me will be greater in the long term if I claim from my own insurance policy, which has a 50 per cent no-claims discount.
If justice decides it will do me a favour this time, I may be lucky enough to find a witness to the accident through this letter - failing which, all I can say is that a man's integrity is priceless.
Tan Siew Khoon (Ms)
.
i am pleasantly surprised. at least 1 honest taxi uncle ard. 
