Collision with neighbour's car parked opposite drive

My son reversed his car out of our drive and collided with a neighbours vehicle which was parked partly on the road and partly on the pavement opposite our drive. The road is circular so this is on a bend. It's a residential road and therefore not very wide. Having a vehicle parked opposite our drive makes it very difficult to reverse out, however it was possible to do so and I had managed it earlier in the evening in a larger car. Is the accident fully my son's fault or could any of it be attributed to poor parking? (Our neighbour did apologise for parking there) We're keen to avoid it going through insurance if possible, but also keen to stay on good terms with our neighbours!

This situation happens all too frequently in cul-de-sacs and estate developments.  Sometimes there is a by-law forbidding householders to park other than on their driveways but this is frequently ignored and virtually unenforceable

Regrettably, a collision with a parked vehicle will almost always result in your insurers paying out the other party in full.  To stay on good terms with your neighbours, you may need to concede to the inevitable but it may be worth offering to pay the repair bill yourself if it is small, thus not involving your insurers.

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