Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by thirdcrank »

There's a brief explanation here of the difference between a loss adjuster and a loss assessor

http://riskheads.org/difference-between ... assessors/
David9694
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Joined: 10 Feb 2018, 8:42am

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by David9694 »

Do get yourself properly checked over by a medical adviser in case there is long-term harm to you; you can get physio for any injuries you sustained.

Get a Professional adviser on the case for you as has been suggested already. Don’t deal with the dad or the driver any more than absolutely necessary. I assume you’re able to put your adviser in touch with your witnesses. What they have to say is important.

I was knocked off 11 years ago and felt the same cluelessness as to what to do as you when you initially posted and I learned the foregoing as I went along. in my case the driver, while fully acknowledging what had happened at the scene rapidly changed her tune and basically tried to lie her way out of it - she lied to the police for certain, and probably her own insurance. They settled in the end and picked up the cost of a private medical assessment of my injuries and physio.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
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Redvee
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Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by Redvee »

Injuries can add a quite significant amount to any payout, get yourself checked out regardless of how you feel. If the OP insurance company is involved they may ask for a medical report too, if not get your insurance company to arrange one. The accident I had 15 years ago was 25% bike and 75% injuries to myself in the payout for an accident similar to yours. The injury that got the payout was a broken bone in my nasal passage, don't know how I broke it cause my face/head was fine despite no helmet.
Slaterider
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Joined: 27 Jun 2018, 9:25am

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by Slaterider »

I still do not have the insurance company details although he has sent a message stating they will be in touch.
Feels a bit odd that the accident happened nearly 2 weeks ago and in that time I have managed to get the bike quote sent to the drivers father and have not heard anything from their insurer?
Am I within my rights to ask again for the details or can I just phone Admiral (their insurer) and go through it with them?
Regarding injuries I knocked my shoulder badly (have photos of gravel rash and bruising) knocked my head that resulted in a very small lump above my right eye and hurt my wrists (slight cuts and swelling but now look fine. Only have pics of the shoulder though unfortunately.
The triage at the hospital following the accident checked my wrists and sent me on my way.
Bearing in mind the above do I have any grounds to claim for injuries on the claim or shall I just stick with the current bike quote and be done with it?
Don't want to come across as greedy but do feel a bit put out that I got knocked off and have been without my bike for what could be up to 5 weeks!

Any help appreciated thanks.
eileithyia
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Location: Horwich Which is Lancs :-)

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by eileithyia »

Just remember it is not in the insurance co's interest to pay full amount or indeed to pay anything if they can avoid it... they will also prevaricate and spin it out (money in their coffers is earning interest for them etc). Where they have no choice but to pay they will want to pay quickly and as cheaply as poss. So they will make you an offer... that might well be unreasonably low. But you feel that you 'have' to accept. Don't you are not obliged to.

I would also suggest consider other costs; clothing, travel expenses,injuries. These are the sort of added extras that will help make up the difference between what they offer you for bike (taking depreciation etc into account) and what it might actually cost to replace.

Beware of them trying to reduce the pay out in regards to 'your' negligence. My last claim they were going for contributary negligence on my behalf in that I 'failed' to see the vehicle indicating a maneouvre and subsequently failed to take avoiding action.
I was left hooked by an overtaking car... by the time I saw the side indicator the vehicle was directly alongside and there was nowhere to go to take avoiding action.
I stand and rejoice everytime I see a woman ride by on a wheel the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood. HG Wells
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chris_suffolk
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Joined: 18 Oct 2012, 10:01pm

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by chris_suffolk »

Slaterider wrote:I still do not have the insurance company details although he has sent a message stating they will be in touch.
Feels a bit odd that the accident happened nearly 2 weeks ago and in that time I have managed to get the bike quote sent to the drivers father and have not heard anything from their insurer?

Am I within my rights to ask again for the details or can I just phone Admiral (their insurer) and go through it with them?

Any help appreciated thanks.


Yes, contact them direct. That's what I did in a similar situation, where the car that hit me hadn't even reported the accident to his insurer - which they were pretty annoyed about as they had to deal with me on the fly rather than having their insured's side of the story first. They basically just admitted liability even though their insured person denied it (I was hit from behind)

I guess they are more likely they will take your side if they see that the insured has been trying to avoid the whole incident for 2 weeks.
Postboxer
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Joined: 24 Jul 2013, 5:19pm

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by Postboxer »

If you've been well enough to ride a bike, claim for loss of use since the accident, which is £10 a day for cars, if you haven't, you could claim for personal injuries. Get a quote for hiring a similar bike then phone Admiral and ask them if they would like to meet it or if they wouldn't mind hurrying up and sorting out repairs/payout for your bike.
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Redvee
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Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by Redvee »

My claim was settled after three offers, the first offer was half of what I ended up receiving.
hemo
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Location: West Sussex

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by hemo »

The father interfering isn't right, can't see how his insurance will cough up for his daughter's accident unless it is a multi cover one, me thinks the father is playing for time and keeping you sweet and that eventually it will be swept under the carpet.

One way or another seek professional help and claim for injuries as well, there will be details on record of your hospital visit and treatment for insurers to verify

If indeed it is Admiral contact them direct and give full details inc car registration involved and drivers name, but me thinks better to go thru your insurers if you have a policy who will expidite the policy on your behalf. You and your insurers will be claiming from the other persons policy and not yours so you should have no reason to expect any insurance premium hike at next renewal.
thirdcrank
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Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by thirdcrank »

hemo wrote:The father interfering isn't right, can't see how his insurance will cough up for his daughter's accident ...


It's common for motor insurance policies to cover the policyholder + named drivers. One area of concern to insurance companies is so-called "fronting" which involves a better-risk driver who merits cheaper cover taking out a policy in their own name while having the main user as a named driver because they would be seen as a worse risk and so be charged a higher premium. Dad insuring their child's car is probably the best example of this. From the POV of anybody with a claim, this is irrelevant. The fact that the insurer may invalidate the policy and try to claw back what they can from the policyholder is immaterial to a third party.
Slaterider
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Joined: 27 Jun 2018, 9:25am

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by Slaterider »

Just a quick update.
Once I got the insurance details I received an offer of 4k within a few days.
Most people advised not to take first offer but I had not expected anything for my injuries and they offered approx. 1.5k over the cost of bike repair, clothing etc. and wanting to draw a line under it and move on I have accepted the offer.
Not to say I would go through it again for the money but happy enough to get bike fixed, replace clothing and get a bit for my trouble so all good.
Thanks for all the advise on here much appreciated.
hemo
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Joined: 16 Nov 2017, 5:40pm
Location: West Sussex

Re: Knocked off bike - Insurance questions

Post by hemo »

You got some compo and a fixed bike, as long as your happy with the outcome then all that well - ends well.
I wish you well for the future and be careful out there.
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