A little bit of car insurance related justice

[Chems]

(Disclaimer, I have nothing really against cyclists and am aware there are good and bads ones about in equal measure!)

Over a year ago when I first moved to the city, a young cyclist rampaging through traffic on a wet dark evening around a bend. I was turning right and as I edge out between traffic I saw said Cyclist hurtling down the hill right alongside the traffic rather than over in the cycle lane provided, I saw him but he didn't see me and was going to fast to avoid and fell off and hurtled into the nose of my vehicle. Needless to say my well made steed showed no damage from said idiot on the bike, however I took pitty on him and gave him my details just encase and a lift home.

I was then very surprised when my insures got in contact saying a personal injury claim had been made, I only gave the boy my details because its the law, and other than he got a little wet he was fine as was his bike.

I've spent the last year complaining how cyclist can go on the road with no training or insurance but claim off those of us who do.

With an open claim on my policy and my NCB slashed in half my insurance rose up for when it was renewed a few months later.

However justice has been done, it seems my insurer at the time has told the fraudster to take a hike, meaning no outstanding fault claim on my policy, my full NCB has been restored plus the year its been going on. And the best bit, my new insurer will refund me the extra I had to pay last year for having to declare the incident and lower NCB! The good news, my insurance drops to the tune of £200 or so pounds!

I think there may be some justice in the world!

 

[Karl]

Similair thing happened to me. A young lad pulled out on his bike from between two parked cars. Thankfully I was only doing about 15mph (speed bumps in a 30 zone), but he pulled out, drove into my front wing and cracked his head on the windscreen. Wasn't a very nice experience for him nor me. I was breathalised (well actually I would have been, but the copper didn't have a machine with him but thought it was ok "cos you don't smell like you've been drinking").

Lorraine is an insurance broker, and said that it had to be reported to the insurers in case he made a claim on my insurance - if I hadn't reported it, they could refuse the claim and I would be liable to fight it out in court with him. So I reported it, only to find out that on renewal 6 months later they'd whacked up my policy because of the claim "held on file" - even though there had been no attempt to claim, and no correspondence whatsoever.

Thankfully they backed down and pulled the claim off my record and I was left with a lower premium (which was already high - Calibra 4x4 Turbo - best car i've ever owned!).

Cheers

Karl

 

[Chems]

I think a certain problem with cyclist is that they often do things a car driver wouldn't do just from experience, but the large reason that people are on bikes is because they don't drive. My lad, he was doing great speed, down a hill around a bend where cars are always turning right, a car driver would be cautious of that in traffic.

As much fun as I'm sure the Calibra was it doesn't sound like it'd fit as many good tool purchases in as your focus!

 

[Max Power]

In a similar vein but without the cyclists, a bloke approached me one day to say he had been injured by one of our companies vans.
When I asked what happened, he said he had been walking home from the pub and had walked into the back of the van in the dark :roll: and had injured his leg and had to take time off work.
I thought that was the end of it, but a couple of weeks later we got a letter from one of those no win no fee scam merchants asking for the vehicle details. :shock:
Wrote back to them informing them that the van in question was owned by the driver and he no longer worked for us and had moved out of the area, never heard anything else from them

 

[RogerS]

..... one of those no win no fee scam merchants asking for the vehicle details.....

You can thank Tony and Gordon for that.

 

[Chems]

f those no win no fee scam merchants asking for the vehicle details. :shock:

I feel their days must be numbered now with the economy the way it is.

 

[RogerS]

f those no win no fee scam merchants asking for the vehicle details. :shock:

I feel their days must be numbered now with the economy the way it is.

As many will know, I am a vociferous objector to these no-win-no-fee parasitic scum and vermin. I had hoped that the Coalition would ban advertising like this. Sadly looks as if they won't be.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/oct/ ... nal-injury

 

[Finial]

Over a year ago when I first moved to the city, a young cyclist rampaging through traffic on a wet dark evening around a bend. I was turning right and as I edge out between traffic I saw said Cyclist hurtling down the hill right alongside the traffic rather than over in the cycle lane provided, I saw him but he didn't see me and was going to fast to avoid and fell off and hurtled into the nose of my vehicle.

Sorry Chems, can you clarify your original post please. It sounds as if you were coming out of a side road into the path of moving traffic, causing a cyclist (who you had seen) to hit your car. Is that right? If so, perhaps you are lucky there was no serious claim! And how do you know he didn't have injuries that became apparent later? If he was going too fast to stop before hitting your car, it would be surprising if there were no damage.

Terry

 

[Chems]

No I was in the road turning at a junction. The only reason I think there was no vehicle damage was because he fell off his bike and slid into the car rather than hitting my car.

Edit: My overall meaning of the post was not to point blame really, it was a nothing incident, accidents do happen and I did take the lad home which I felt was right regardless. It was more the injustice of from a nothing incident someone can take you for an expensive ride with the insurance company over nothing. Its just good to see that in the end the insurers saw it for what it was in the end.

 

[Finial]

So you turned into the path of oncoming traffic while the cyclist was overtaking in that lane?

There may have been nothing obvious at the time, but it could easily be that injuries and damage to the bike were apparent later. So it still sounds as if you were lucky! You may not be placing blame, but you did say some unkind things about the cyclist!

Terry

 

[Chems]

If we are going to be specific, he was undertaking in a bus only lane, when there was a cycle lane provided beyond that lane.

As for injury I have worked as a firefighter and fire paramedic so feel I'm probably somewhat qualified to say this was a nothing incident having attended countless real accidents, however I feel that you may be one of these cave dwellers that are just after a rise, so I think we'll just leave it there and say I am very happy and lucky that nothing ever came of it.

 

[Finial]

Careless motorists cause far too many accidents to cyclists, and I know from my own experience that injuries and damage may not be obvious straight away. Too many drivers want to blame cyclists for accidents that are caused by their own inattention. Even though you said you are not pointing blame, you accuse the cyclist of rampaging down the hill and of trying to make a fraudulent claim. Perhaps you are right, but from what you say, I'm not so sure. I'm not trying to wind you up, just putting things in a different perspective.

Cycle lanes are not mandatory, and bus lanes are ok for cyclists to use unless specifically designated otherwise. Drivers should not be surprised to find a cyclist passing slow moving vehicles in a bus lane.

I'm not pointing blame either, maybe the cyclist was at fault. There are good cyclists and motorists, and bad ones. It's the motorists that are the most dangerous though.

Terry

 

[doorframe]

Wasn't this guy, was it??


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDAYkdlKEGI&feature=related