Driving without due care and attention: help!

[chocolatedigestives]

Short story: drove into another car, my fault, other driver injured but not seriously. I was doing about 4mph, dont know about other driver as I didnt see the car before I hit it as I was concentrating on another vehicle at the junction I was using. Have given police a statement, told the truth, etc. Have been told it will be passed for processing and the worst that will happen will be a prosecution for driving without due care and attention.

Does anyone have any experience of this? what happens at magistrate's court? should i get a solicitor? what's the fine/points likely to be? I was totally ok but now I am a bit frightened about the whole legal thing

TIA

[Collaborate]

I got 3 points and £180 fine around 20 years ago. Nothing to worry about if you get convicted. Very minor. My insurance premiums weren't affected too much.

[sneezecakesmum]

Its a bit on a par with a speeding fine, talk to your insurance company for a bit of reassurance, you have to inform them anyway in case it effects your premiums. They just issue you with a summons and you plead guilty.They just get you to send off your licence and issue you with a fine.

here seems the likely outcome.

[fluffles]

wait and see what happens. i was told this when i gave a statement at an accident i had but the police decided that i did not have a case to answer.

[headfairy]

How did someone get injured when you were only doing 4mph?

Sorry I don't have anything constructive to add, but I'm just curious. Are you sure they're not pulling a fast one ('scuse the pun)

[nickschick]

Apparently its quite a common thing dh reckons 3 points and about £120 fine he thinks you can do it by post so wont have to go to court...easily done though we all get a bit thoughtless.

Glad your not hurt.

[chocolatedigestives]

Thanks everyone! The law-abiding goody-two-shoes in me feels terribly ashamed of myself

It does sound mad when I was doing not much speed; basically I stopped and drove across the other side of the road in order to turn right. There were cars coming out of the road I was turning into so I was watching them. The injured person was coming towards me on the main road when I drove across her path. she might have been doing anything from 30-60 mph when she hit me. Her injuries were caused by airbag deployment.

[sneezecakesmum]

ouch..oh dear that happened to me and it was a lorry in my path!. DS and I were injured by more than the airbag, and my 6 week old car written off. The lorry driver also was done for due care and attention, not sure of the penalty but he opted to take additional driver tuition to save his job, so probably not many points. (personally I though he should have been hanged as DS hit the windscreen and I couldnt walk for a 3 weeks!) I don't like lorry drivers.

The injury of the other driver may unfortunately increase your fine and points and result in a magistrates court appearance. The accident you describe is not minor - if you imagine driving into a brick wall at 30mph - that's what its like hitting a semi stationary car. It only takes a momentary lapse of attention and I've also done silly things, like most drivers, its just one of those things but it makes you a more careful driver in the long run