Knocked off my bike this morning- Write off?? Advice?? Fault??

[Pinbin]

Hey all!

Kalkhoff Agattu 8speed 18Ah.

I'm beaming that I'm still here to be able to type this...

I was waiting by a give-way this morning, when a giant, 3 liter BMW 4x4 went smack into the back of me, sending me flying into a main road. The driver (f) was extremely apologetic, however she was obviously not watching the road as I saw her approach and put up my hand- "STOP" to alert her to my presence- to no avail.

Thank the Lord, I'm not too badly injured, (helmet, gloves thank you!)- just the usual bumps and bruises- however my bike seems to have taken the brunt of the collision.

My question is as follows- I spoke to someone at 50cycles, who advised me to take it to a regular bike shop to get a quote for repair. However, I am worried about the electrics part of it.

Will they be able to tell if the chassis is damaged?
Can they tell me whether all the wires inside are still intact, and none are stretched/pulled/worn etc- only to break down in 3 months?
What qualifies a bike to be a write off?
Is there anything else I ought to be aware of....?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

Pinbin.

 

[flecc]

Sorry to hear of this experience, it must have been a horrible shock.

These Panasonic power units are extremely robust and it's highly unlikely to have been damaged. All the internal connections are very secure on this later unit. It's the handlebar unit you need to check for physical damage and the cable from that to the unit. If you can't see any damage on those it should be ok. Likewise the battery.

Does the frame need to be replaced?

 

[Mussels]

Sorry to hear about that. I thought all the electrics in a Panasonic based bike were contained in one unit, so a regular bike shop should be able to repair it well. Your LBS will also tell you if the frame is knackered.

 

[Pinbin]

I suspect it does- it just looks wrong, perhaps buckled slightly.

In any case, I'm worried about the future. I know in the case of car accidents, they advise replacing child car seats and the like, as the integrity of the structure may have been compromised, albeit not noticeably. Likewise with bike helmets etc.

It is this that worries me more- once I have taken a payment from her insurance, I cannot go back to them and reclaim due to damage coming up later...

 

[danfoto]

perhaps buckled slightly.

Sorry to hear of your misfortune. What odds she was on the phone?

Anyhow, just a thought - personally I wouldn't be happy with the idea of any part of an aluminium bike frame being straightened after it's been biffed.

And might it not be wise to get yourself checked over by your GP just in case? You can bet your life that if your assailant was rear-ended, she'd be claiming for a whiplash injury ...

 

[flecc]

Yes, if the frame or forks are buckled, they must be replaced. All the other parts are easily transferred across.

 

[Pinbin]

Okay, so I will take my bike in to be looked at- a hugh pain as I cycle to work every day...

What type of cost are we looking at to replace frame, wheels, etc?

Also about the whiplash- I was so shaken when it occured, I couldn't feel a thing! It didn't make sense to me that I had fallen from my bike, at speed, hit the ground and not felt even a bump, but as time goes on I'm beginning to feel it come through.

 

[flecc]

It's common to get a delayed response after an accident, the shock insulates you from pain for a while. That's why it's important to get a medical check-up asap, to ascertain if there's any concealed damage.

I can't guess at a cost, there are too many unknowns at present. If the frame needs to be replaced it will be quite substantial, but that's a matter for the insurance of course.

 

[Kudoscycles]

If she ran into the back of your bike to cause the damage to the bike and yourself then surely you should not be considering whether the bike is damaged...she must be insured,she run into you from behind...unless there are other factors you should be claiming for a new bike,why should you take further risks....insurers will be relieved that you are not claiming for whiplash injuries,mental problems etc etc...just submit a claim to her insurer,with a write off from 50 cycles....our experience at Kudos is that these bikes are just not economic to repair if a frame change is required,it takes very little damage to an e-bike to write it off because our labour rates in the Uk are so high.
Dave
KudosCycles

 

[eddieo]

Okay, so I will take my bike in to be looked at- a hugh pain as I cycle to work every day...

What type of cost are we looking at to replace frame, wheels, etc?

Also about the whiplash- I was so shaken when it occured, I couldn't feel a thing! It didn't make sense to me that I had fallen from my bike, at speed, hit the ground and not felt even a bump, but as time goes on I'm beginning to feel it come through.

have they agreed to pay for damage? while I dont genrally agree with this sueing culture, in this situation you probably have no choice. whip lash normally reveals itself after a day or so......

I would try one of these companies that will pursue them on a no win no fee basis.

 

[Pinbin]

while I dont genrally agree with this sueing culture, in this situation you probably have no choice. whip lash normally reveals itself after a day or so......

I would try one of these companies that will pursue them on a no win no fee basis.

I agree on this one, my car insurance has rocketed in the past few years due to these type of claims.

That being said, my bike is damaged, and like you said, I don't need to suffer due to her concentration lapse (mobile/make-up/ipod/radio etc.)

 

[eddieo]

I agree on this one, my car insurance has rocketed in the past few years due to these type of claims.

That being said, my bike is damaged, and like you said, I don't need to suffer due to her concentration lapse (mobile/make-up/ipod/radio etc.)

you where hit from behind..... her fault, end off. what she was doing irrelevant

I will ask again, did you get her details AND did she agree to pay

 

[Pinbin]

I got her details, sure- and took a picture of her car just for the sake of it.

What happens from here on is dependent on her insurance I suspect, I just need someone to certify that the bike is indeed a write off.

 

[Eaglerider]

That's rotten luck Pinbin. Farbeit for me to generalise, but in my experience a blonde in a large BMW X5 or the Huge Audi thing/Range Rover are the most likely murderers of cyclists.

Glad you are OK. I would suggest that you contact her insurers direct and drive the process forwards. The same happened to me on a motorcycle. The dumb Blonde was very sorry at the time, but on her claim form said I had reversed into her at speed, on a motorcycle fer crissakes! When I told the idiot at her insurers that bikes don't have a reverse gear, they paid up at once, and even gave me £500 for my inconvenience. Best of luck with it all.

Do not sign any correspondence which states a "full and final settlement" of your claim, long term injuries can appear weeks later, so keep your options open.

 

[mike killay]

I know it sounds awful, but in these sort of circumstances, the best is to lie on the road, use your phone to call an Ambulance and Police and let them cart you off to hospital for a check up.
The Police will take details, so you have an independant witness to any admissions etc.
Too often, dumb blondes, after consulting their husbands/boyfriends, change their story.

 

[Pinbin]

I know it sounds awful, but in these sort of circumstances, the best is to lie on the road, use your phone to call an Ambulance and Police and let them cart you off to hospital for a check up.
The Police will take details, so you have an independant witness to any admissions etc.
Too often, dumb blondes, after consulting their husbands/boyfriends, change their story.

You're right there, I actually have booked a GP appointment for tonight; as the day goes on I'm feeling sorer and sorer...

I spoke to the woman on the phone, and she can't understand how a "small bump" can cause so much damage blah blah.... I said "lady, you hit a bike with a 3 tonne car- need I say more?"

As for your suggestion: normally when an accident like this occurs one is so shaken, and just grateful to be alive that you don't think to do these things...

Hopefullly, there won't be a next time.

 

[spiritburner]

glad to hear you are sort of ok, bear in mind under the road traffic act if any party to a road traffic accident is injured i believe you have a duty in law to advise the police who will investigate, the driver could have been on the phone, under the influence of drugs or alcohol or just plain stupid, in addition, the hospital/dr you go to will require you to provide details of the other drivers insurance as the NHS will seek to reclaim the costs of your treatment from them in accordance with statute.

It sounds like in this instance you were very very lucky, imagine if a car had been going across the junction as you were hit! I would imagine that this driver would probably be cautioned and charged with careless driving as a minimum.

You should report it if only so that it brings to peoples attention that us cyclists have as much right to be on the road as everyone else and vehicle drivers should open their eyes.

You will be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering from any injury, all reasonable costs and disbursements required to get you better and of course repair or replacement of your bicycle, helmet and any clothes that were damaged, a bike helmet is like a motorbike helmet, land on it once and replace it ***get yourself checked out***

Document the damage of your bike and personal effects preferably with a camera, (and yourself) , any cuts, bruises as they develop, you should check your household insurance to see what cover you have and you should also contact her insurance company and ask them how they wish to repair your bike.

Remember costs involved in doing this will be a payable by her company, but at all times you should mitigate your loss, this is your duty, bus fare as against taxi for example.

Get proper advice from your broker/insurance company/lawyer and seek recompense. You don't have to claim for injury but you should ensure you are not out of pocket for your loss. Good Luck and get well soon

Neil, Retired Lloyds Broker.

 

[eddieo]

I know it sounds awful, but in these sort of circumstances, the best is to lie on the road, use your phone to call an Ambulance and Police and let them cart you off to hospital for a check up.
The Police will take details, so you have an independant witness to any admissions etc.
Too often, dumb blondes, after consulting their husbands/boyfriends, change their story.

during last summer my wife was was stationary in a que of traffic leaving a car park and a black cab decided to reverse out into the side of our car. extremely polite and admitted his fault but all that changed immediately once insurance notified

took 8 months to get the excess back but still no admission of responsibility

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Sorry to hear about your problems.

In case your not aware: If you're involved in an accident that involves an injury (that might be as small as a bruise or cut or strain), you're obliged to report it to the police immediately, and if that's not possible, within 24 hrs - whether it's your fault or not. The police will take statements that should help you in your claim. If you don't report it to police, apart from committing an offence, you'll have difficulty claiming for an injury. When you report it, the police will ring her up and demand that she comes in immediately to make a statement and tell her off for not already reporting it. So at least you get that satisfaction.g

As Mike says, when you have an accident, if anything hurts, you should wait for the Police and medical help. unless you know you're guilty of something. Don't be brave and pretend it doesn't hurt because later you'll have real difficulty claiming for injuries - even if quite serious - and often they change their story which makes any claim difficult.

Apart from all that, you should seek the help of a reputable claim lawyer, who will guide you through what to do and help with negotiating with the insurance company, who will do everything they can to avoid paying even though they're liable.

All the above, I have learnt through my own bitter experience.

 

[tillson]

I don't need to suffer due to her concentration lapse (mobile/make-up/ipod/radio etc.)

......... publicaly breast feeding a goat on the back seat. Its her right to do so, don't ya know.