May well be in Swansea but I would hope they might realise that it is not the case everywhere - but I am not confident. I assume that Specsavers got the contract because they are national. Maybe someone there thinks that the whole of the UK needs to visit Swansea for an eye test!
It had my details a few weeks ago but has now never heard of me. This illustrates that something is going on. it leads me to confirm that it is now all out war with them. I will write another snotty letter to them next week. Just shows that I was right to not do what they ask and return my license. Keeping it proves that I had a full driving and motorcycle licence (with many other categories). No doubt the next trick will be to deny that I ever passed a test. I have said to my sol in the email that I have sent here, that I find it really depressing. I am supposed to be the innocent party here, yet I have to fight every step of the way.
Specsavers in Filton (my nearest branch that does the DVLA test) is open. I get more accurate information here than from the DVLA. Letter No.7 to the barstewards follows...
Well, I may of peeved them but there is no way that I regret it. I have got scans of my license and I have sent them that but because I don't trust the bar-stewards. I am glad that I still have the original. They can't claim to have "lost" it, now. This fiasco with them claiming that Specsavers are closed, when they are not, just goes to prove (to me) that the DVLA are untrustworthy liars. Returning my license is equivalent to me just flushing it down the bog!
They know they’re liable for the damages as their insured driver was at fault that’s why they’re paying for those things, what your solicitor is negotiating with them now is the total amount of the liability which cannot be quantified at this stage due to your ongoing medical issues eg eyesight.
Yes, my sol is waiting to find out more before she gets too strong with Hastings. She's not worried at all. I just find it frustrating that Hasting don't just come clean and admit fault. This is the way that it works, it seems. You deny any liability irrespective of the facts and with the knowledge that we can always summon the other driver who will admit fault anyway. And being a prison officer, I doubt if she would relish a day in court! If I was her, then I would be incandescent with rage as she has probably had her premiums bunked up already because she has an accident and driving conviction on her insurance record. Maybe that is why my sol is not worried - just make clear that if it goes to court, she will call the other driver as a witness! It may be that my sol knows that she can always call the other driver who will cheerfully dump Hastings in the crap. Knowing this, it just becomes about a figure. We are not ready with a figure yet but I hope it's enough for me to retire on - coz I already have!
It’s not a matter of whether Hastings are at fault or not, there is no ‘fault’ that applies to them in this matter. Their insured driver was at fault. They know they have to meet the costs of the claim, but no-one knows the extent of those costs at this stage hence the file cannot be closed and a final settlement made. Even when the full extent of the costs and damages are assessable they will negotiate to get that figure as low as they can. It’s not a case of Hastings having to admit liability.
Yes, my sol is preparing for that. Hastings will admit nothing and offer nothing until threatened with court action or taken to court. They will probably want to go to court to argue as this is what they seem to like doing.
DVLA are a bunch of prats. I bought my new BWM R21250RS tax free and rode it to the ferry to exit the UK with it within hours of taking possession. I paid the French VAT and have now got the French plate on it. The handwritten temporary logbook from the UK has a tear off bit that I have to fill in and post to the DVLA. Who posts stuff these days? Besides I have no intention of giving them my French registration number. I went onto their website to see if I could notify them over the web that the bike was gone from the UK, but nothing there. I wrote a nice message giving all the information, when the bike left, the UK tax free registration number, my name and said that I was notifying them that the bike was exported. I got an email back telling me that I must do this and I must do that, well that got my back up. I answered their email and pointed out that they have no authority to tell me what I must or must not do. The email bounced back saying that I cannot write to that email address. They obviously don't want the information that I am trying to give them, there is nothing in it for me so they can sod off. PerryL, I wish you only success and the last laugh in the end.
My sol only takes on cases that are obvious wins (or else she doesn't get paid) but last year every time I phoned the office, her staff to me that she was not there as she was in court that day. I always used to wonder WTF she was doing in court! They must find something to argue about!
A mate has just bought a BSA that was originally sold in the USA and then exported to Belgium (I think) in the 60s (I think). He is trying to register it here with an age related plate that bears his initials and old navy number - something like HJW 1912. If he is successful with that before I get my driving license back then I will be mighty p1ssed off!
Last word (until you get my next one): I've decided to say "feck the DVLA"! If they ever get back to me then I might ( or might not) do the eye test. I can get electric assisted cycles from specialist shops in both of my nearest towns (Stroud and Dursley). I'll consult my sol but I'll get thousands more by saying that I lost my license due to the accident!
And I've had terrible nights for the last five! Wandering around at 3am looking for paracetamol to neck is not fun! But, I've been catching up on films! Anyone seen "(still) The Enemy Within" about the 84/85 miners strike? I vaguely remembered this but the film is shown from the miners point of view. Apart from the biased Tory Thatcher government at the time, it shows the biased Police, BBC, and Tory press at the time - quite an eye opener! And one good thing about being awake at 2-5 in the morning!
Some advice for others (but too late for me!) My sol is getting me to and answer lots of questions about my life and earnings. This is a pain as I did the bare minimum to keep HMRC off my back. She is thorough and is doing this in preparation of the fight ahead. She is expecting that even if the other side admit blame (which she doubts) they will say hat I deserve comp of 1p as my life was so sh1t before. Being an abject failure makes me quite undeserving of the accident and their liability is 1p. Now, feck off! Not only motorcycling but driving, or just living your life, can put you in danger of being in my position. So, my advice is: keep records and copies of anything to do with your financial income and your health and well-being. You never know if you need it and it is a right pain having to do this after the accident - where your focus should just be getting better. Hopefully, you'll be wasting your time. When I was in the madhouse at Wheatridge Court, a guy in the next room used to be a contract roofer. He was cycling to work and a car driver knocked him off and he was in a wheelchair. I'm not in touch now and I assume that he's in a similar position to me on compensation. His sol will have to fight the (I Assume) insurance industry standard by claiming that even though he used to be a fit cyclist and roofer, really his life was crap and so no real harm done.
‘* You need to make a list of all the things you did yourself that you cannot do anymore. That you now have to pay someone to do, decorating get quotes from decorators for painting your house. Digging the garden, cleaning windows, cleaning gutters etc. Add these to the expenses you will incur as a direct result of the injuries you have suffered. These will not be a one off, so the amount needs to recognise future costs.
A bit of advice to go with the list above.... .....I wouldn't mention compensation for stress and suchlike; unless my solicitor made the submission...... .....companies being sued and the courts always look upon stress as being the main reason for the claim...... .....but pain and discomfort from injuries should be included if properly backed up by a medical professional.
I think that I've mentioned it before but I will mention it again. The pain and suffering is a big, big factor. Pain-wise, I've never experienced anything like it. The strange thing is that pain is worse now. It was my idea to wean me off the really strong stuff because I thought that long-term it was not the answer. BIG, BIG, big mistake!
