So I had my first run in with a Pajero yesterday arfternoon on my way home from work.
( The old no look left turn across the bike lane trick )
Had no where to go, but into the side of it.
We exchanged details & took note of the damage.
It was the first day out on an old 531 Ron Bates Royal Star I just picked up last week.
Its now got a nice big kink in the TT & I suspect the rest of it is not very straight.
I didnt hit the deck, so no bark off, but have a ‘big stiffy’ on most joints along with
usual small bruises and still a slight head-ache.
I’m off to the Doctors just to have a check over in case anything arises down the track.
But know what happens with getting something sorted for the damage to my bike?
I spoke to the cops last night, but Krispy Kreme’s were fresh, so they didnt want a bar of it
and told me to write her a letter of demand with quotes & hope she passes it on to her insurer…
Anyone had any experience or what I should do…
I’ve only got 17 bikes now, so I need it fixed soon…
Things are a little different in WA, but I filed a Police Report and Insurance Commision report online. This then covered all my medical expenses… I then got a quote to repair (replace) my bike off Gypsy. And kept ringing the douche that hit me making sure he submitted an insurance claim, using the, ‘I dont want this to draw out or get ugly/legal’ type lines and that he was lucky I didnt call the police at the scene because I was injured and have to take time off work as a result.
He submitted his claim and I got the claim number from him. I have been ringing his insurer every day since checking on progress. He was deemed at fault and I am ready to be paid out, except he still hasnt paid his excess… some further follow up by me, and he claims he will be paying it at 9:30am tomorrow (2 weeks after the incident)…
Just stay on them, and if the offending party refuse’s to submit a claim, take the legal route, letter of demand for compensation + injuries/associated costs.
They will quickly realise that their sub $1000 excess is cheaper than all your medical/bike repairs.
get some physio done, it’s covered by compulsory third party insurance, and even if you don’t feel too bad now, you may feel worse later. i’m still doing physio 1 1/2 months after my accident.
also don’t try to settle the bike outside of insurance, the guy probably has some scratches on his car that he can claim, and your bike will be more than his excess anyway.
the cops should also do something about it, but you are required to make a statement anyway if the damage is over $1k or someone is injured. i’m not sure if you can press charges but the police should take some sort of action. in my first accident, the woman was warned, second one the guy did a runner, and my most recent one she was charged with failing to give way (without me having to pursue any police action against her).
get a checkup from the doctor, that way you know for sure if there is an injury or not. if it goes to court youll likely need something anyway.
ask the police to take a report. ask again. escalate if you dont get any love. point out its for use in a civil matter, not criminal if that helps. i am dealing with BV down here and they were insistent about making a report.
Sorry to hear bro, hope your injuries aren’t too bad. May or may not be worth fixing the bike, you’ll find out.
Like what everyone else says, fuck the police … make sure they file a report and have all the details. Any witnesses? I ask because it happens that the driver sometimes changes their story and this can be a hassle.
Write down everything now. All the details, the date, the car, time, take pics of everything including the road and where the accident took place. Get everything in full detail as you’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget or get mixed up. It’s you against them and the insurance will try and fuck around with you, and sometimes the driver will deny responsibility which can mean a small claims court hearing.
Again, police report counts. Get a statement from the doctor regarding injuries. Repair and damage quotes from bikes shops and framebuilders. For a really rare or collectable frame sometimes its worth running a eBay auction (with a super high reserve price that doesn’t get met) to ascertain what a fair market value from something is. ie … Cinelli track frame from the 1950’s is gonna look like some $35 crusty gaspipe frame to an insurance company. It’s up to you to prove the value and have them take you seriously. Some people do this for home contents insurance estimates (I have).
You’ll be ok. Just don’t take anyone’s word and know the insurance company will fuck you around.
…most importantly, don’t give up! It took me a year and a trip to the small claims court , but I got everything back plus some from Logan City Bus Service. By the time it got to court they didn’t even bother turningup, just waited for the ruling and paid up…‘judge’ even increased my claim because of the inconvenience caused to me (and him,I think)
