Rear ended - what to do now?

[KAgantua]

HI

I was rear ended in stationary traffic on Thursday on my bike. Only damage is rear mudguard bent in.

Woman admitted liability at the scene and we took pictures/ swapped details. I got a Triumph dealership to quote for a fix and it come back as £322 (New mudguard plus fixings and labour)

Woman does not want to pay cash so I have phoned my insurer (Bennetts as broker, AVIVA are the insurer).

Their third party (Fourth dimensions) have contacted me saying they will give me a loan bike (Which I dont want) and will need to take my motorcycle for an undefined period of time to assess damage and settle claim/ repair.

I am not really happy with that and would prefer if they just settled me up with paying for the repair I have quoted up.

Do I have the option of contacting the other insurer (Esure)

Never done this before and have heard bad thins about third parties racking up fees (e.g. Hire cars etc)

[airsafari87]

Slightly different story to you, but still insured with Bennetts, Aviva, Fourth Dimension as per your situation.

When I was involved in a nonfault accident (guy pulled out in to the roundabout infront of me, panicked when he eventually saw me and stopped dead in the middle of my escape route) a few years ago I was unable to ride the bike away due to the damage caused, which ended up being somewhere in the region of 6k.

Quick call to Bennetts at the scene and the bike was recovered, assessed and repaired within 5 weeks with zero hassle to me. Like you I didn't want a loan bike either.
The speed of the whole thing was likely helped by the guy immediately admiting liability to me, the police who stopped at the scene as well as his employer as he was driving their company vehicle.

For me, in your situation, and assuming you don't absolutely need the bike for the next couple of weeks, I would let them do what they have suggested, without taking up the offer of a loan bike.

[Hungrymc]

The frustration is that they add cost to the whole process even in a simple situation that doesn’t need their help.

But I guess you have to follow the instructions of the insurance. ETA… no harm calling her insurance.

[hiccy18]

Touch wood not been in the position with a bike but a couple of times I've been whacked in the car and suffered only minor damage so it was still driveable. My approach was to let the third party repairers assess the damage in my presence and told them to give me a shout when they were ready to repair so I only had a courtesy car for a couple of days each time.

[Tango13]

Not sure what your financial situation is like but I'd be paying the £332 out of my pocket and sending the bill to her insurer.

I would be amazed if your Triumph dealer couldn't fix it while you waited if you gave them a bit of notice too.

[JulianHJ]

Have you asked Fourth Dimension how long they'll want your bike for? My bike was with them for several months (July to September) for a few parts to be swapped over when I dropped it a few years ago (cosmetic damage only). Apparently they're very busy in summer.

As others have said, if I were in your position I'd liaise directly with the other party's insurance and get the local dealer to do the work.

[BobSaunders]

Don't ever take the hire bike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbHQMD0auzk

[carinaman]

I am not a confident filterer, my filtering differing significantly on the same return journey last week. On the outward journey I was queueing between two women driving mid sized SUVs. While queueing in traffic the woman in front managed to take off her denim jacket, which I took as confirmation that it was probably better to sit in traffic with the chance of being rear ended than try to squeeze through the narrower gap she left on her NS than on her OS and the central reservation.

Would you have been more out of harm's way if you'd filtered?

[MrGman]

I’d have fixed it myself if she wouldn’t. Now for the next 5 years whenever you take out car or bike insurance you have to claim to being involved in a accident.

[wa16]

just a polite letter to her asking her to pass the estimate to her insurer within seven days, acknowledging same

her insurer will not want 4th dimension's bill for damage they will want to deal with you

mine went to the 5th or 6th dimension it took that long, not too sure how a cracked radiator cowl on an adventure bike priced at £50 on Fowlers web site becomes £3600

"its repairs Jim but not as we know it"

[KurtFlew]

MrGman said:

I’d have fixed it myself if she wouldn’t. Now for the next 5 years whenever you take out car or bike insurance you have to claim to being involved in a accident.

I agree with this. Get her to cover the cost of the parts and do it yourself if it's just some plastics. I'd keep insurance companies out of it as much as possible.

[KTMsm]

You can deal with her company directly - they may not like it but I've always done it and have sorted claims for my mates too - much faster IME I've had payouts in days rather than weeks

[fred bloggs]

Id have dropped the bike, then lay on the floor screaming for an ambulance. Sadly its the only way to deal with incidents like this nowadays.
Either that or ridden off flicking her the bird. Anything in-between just makes life harder for yourself.