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I was taken out this morning on my commute in this morning.
Firstly and main thing. I am fine. A couple of cuts but all good really. It was at quite low speed so got quite lucky. I was more concerned for the driver to be honest as she had serious shock.
I have got the accident on a rear facing camera, however she came at an angle where I didn't get her car reg. After the event of trying to calm her down and pumped full of adrenalin myself I forgot to get her car reg. I got her number etc.
Anyway, my bike is pretty trashed, need a new wheelset and possible shifter, rear mech and 'guards. Plus an expensive jersey I wear is trashed. The drive has said she will replace everything. We have exchanged details and she seems genuine.
I was under the impression we will just sort it between us and her insurance will cover it. I.e no need to involve the police. Someone at work said she should have informed the police really. I don't know, I suppose that's up to her. But now I am concerned about getting my stuff replaced / repaired and the cost of it :/.
I was going to call her this evening. 1) To make sure she's ok and 2) To ask how she want's to play about getting stuff replaced / repair. I.e go to a cycle shop she wants or do one I want. Is this the way that I should go?
Seems genuine - until she discovers how much bike parts and clothing cost.
Report it to the police so it's recorded. Useful if she changes her mind about paying for things, and also helps identify dangerous road layouts.
Yup, a lot of people think a bike costs about a £100 and so replacing bits will be pretty cheap.
First off, are you a member of Cycling UK/British Cycling? If so, they have advice lines for this sort of thing. You may also have legal cover as part of home insurance, so check that out.
Secondly, I'd start with a phone call, and explain to her how you want to play it - you will take the bike to a shop of your choice and ask them to price up the repairs/replacements, then it's her call as to whether she just coighs up or hands it over to insurance.
I'd also inform the police. They won't do anything, but then at least you're covered for doing everything by the book just in case it gets contested later.
Bear in mind that if she or her insurance start squabbling about cost, you are actually only legally entitled to your stuff's current value, not what it costs to replace new - extreme example, but even if the wheelset cost you a grand, say, if it's old and tatty and would now only fetch £50 on eBay, you're only entitled to £50.
Thanks.
She was saying how her husband is a cyclist over and over as if it was supposed to help. BUt I put it down to shock, she as shaking quite a lot and I had to make her sit down for some time!
I am a member of both CyclingUK & BC so that's good. I have full insurance on my bike too.
The wheelset were brand new which is a bummer!
I shall call the police anyway and then at least they have a record of it.
You can probably report it online, you can for Met Police
You may be more injured than you realise at the moment (hopefully not) in which case you must report it.
She must report it to her insurance company regardless of whether she claims or not.
she as shaking quite a lot and I had to make her sit down for some time!
Yeah, when I got hit I was a bit concerned that the elderly lady who hit me was going to have a heart attack...
And, unfortunately, like others have said, prepare for the genuineness to fade once she calms down. I had the husband of the lady trying to get me to go 'knock-for-knock' after I told him that, after she'd broadsided me on a roundabout and an ambulance was called as I was struggling to walk and in a lot of pain, I'd like £90 for a replacement wheel. I, obviously, told him to do one and he said I was "a hard man" and reluctantly paid up
Report it to the Police so there's a record of it.
Then contact Cycling UK and let them sort it out.
They took a while sorting things for Mrsstu when she got hit by a car but it all went through in the end.
Oh and don't forget some injurys can take a while to show up so hold of claiming you're OK for a few days.
It's not 'up to her'; I believe by law you have to report to police if there is injury, as others have said these can take time to show after adrenaline wears off, and you said "a couple of cuts but good really" - so injured.
Do it now, it's not vindictive, just making sure that you are covered if later on it turns out you have done something to yourself.
After that - shop for a report on the repairs / replacements, advise her of the cost, she can decide if she wishes to claim. She also is supposed to report to insurers anyway, failure to do so may invalidate her policy. People who have accidents are statistically more likely to have future ones and they need the info to price the risk.
Its really not unusual for faulty drivers to backtrack on liability once everything settles. Happened to my Mum a few weeks ago, clearly the other drivers fault, they admitted liability, offered to pay everything. I advised my Mum to report it to her insurers anyway which she ignored. Sure enough, a few days later other driver sends over a bill for damage to her car.
Don't rely on goodwill, follow process with police and insurers.
Thanks for the advice all. Reported now.
So she should report it to the police - any collision involving an injury requires to be reported to the police within 24 hrs. Whilst you are saying "a couple of cuts but all good" it counts as an injury in the eyes of the law. I can't recall if that obligation only applies to the driver of a motorised vehicle or a cyclist too in which case you may also have the same obligation. Whilst its a nuisance to find an open police station, personally I'd pop in with a note of all the details and get acknowledgement of reporting it so that you are squeaky clean if she gets home and someone convinces her it must be the cyclist's fault, or there's an issue with insurance cover etc.
I assume you are accepting that whilst it was her fault, the manner of her driving doesn't warrant police involvement? You see sometimes the reason people don't like to involve the police is that they are sitting on lots of points or weren't licensed/insured etc. Obviously, lots of people just make rare mistakes and think they are being helpful to you by keeping it simple.
I wouldn't ask the driver how they want to sort it. I would tell them how much they need to pay me, and by when. Sorry if that seems harsh, but I wouldn't be inviting a debate about anything or suggestions to buy stuff on eBay.
Try not to rely on phone calls. It would be good to get their reg number, street address, email address if you can. At least text her after your call "as discussed...". Any contemporaneous written record is better than nothing.
Any CCTV covering the spot where it happened?
Glad you are okay. I wouldn't assume she is going to be slippery, just prepare in cash she does. For what it's worth a minicab driver bumped into the back of my mum's car, and he immediately drove with her across town to the sprayer he uses, paid cash up front, and had it repainted on the spot. Most people are good, and some are great.
@Poly tbf to the driver, it was me that didn't think the police needed to be involved due to me being fine. Albeit that was naivety by reading now. I just assumed because it was a little bit of road rash and no need for ambulance they wouldn't be interested and it would be a case of her insurance sorting it out.
I have reported it to the police now and I have got a shop on with a quote now.
Make sure you've told the shop exactly what happened so they have a good idea what to check.
Spoken to the police today and they said I was correct to report it. I have sent them footage which they're going to review and they are going to speak to the person who hit me. They basically said they will review the footage and take it from there.
Apparently the majority of cases are dealt with via insurance and the other they're done for driving with undue care and attention / dangerous etc.
As others have said, be prepared for a sudden change in attitude when the driver discovers that bikes can cost more than £100 at Halfords. When a driver offers to pay (especially in the immediate aftermath, the shock of it all etc) they're expecting to pay £50.
When you hand them a bill for a £500 set of wheels, the "oh I'll make it good for you" attitude is immediately replaced by a "you must be ****ing joking!" attitude.
Glad you're OK and best of luck.
Glad you're okay, hopefully the driver will be honest and pay up or at least give you their registration. Meantime I'd be checking my bike insurance to see if they'll pay out even though it's the drivers fault.
Might just go and check my own now come to think of it
Glad you reported it. Wait for stories to change when they see the bill.
How are you today ? Stiff/sore etc. Go get checked out at GP or walk in.
Been there and got badges. GMP just said 'your insurance will sort it'. I was left with a broken spine and 4 ribs and major bruising and a lengthy hospital stay. Driver got a slapped wrist, no points, nothing.
Unfortunately all our insurance policies had to pay out a fair amount.
The wheelset were brand new which is a bummer!
Of course it was 😉
And you damaged your Rapha top & bibs too?
Then contact Cycling UK and let them sort it out.
Isn't it the case that BC/Cycling Uk's advisers are not interested unless there is injury you plan on claiming for involved? It's not quite the useful membership perk most of us think it is.
report to police, write everything down, weather forecast, time of day, speed limit of road etc. , detailed pictures of injuries and damage, make notes on a calendar
google map screenshot and info on yours and their position. write down what was said,
British cycling should be your first call.
even if it doesnt go through the insurers they need notifying.
always get a camera out and take pictures.
i got knocked off 6-7 years ago , it took 18m to resolve. in the end the no win no fee lawyer called time and pushed the 'we want to settle now' or you risk loss. its a ballache
ps. whiplash can develop later on. adrenaline can disguise symptoms.
is your helmet marked, aches and pains may develop from hitting the ground , if you did..
I think most people don’t realise that redress for injuries sustained in an accident are more important than the cost of the bike bits. If you have cuts and bruises you need to get them seen to
/assessed. Then after that work about the bike bits i.e. get a bike shop to assess and quote for repairs, replacement including your damaged gear.
It is true that lawyers won’t take on your case if it’s just for the price of a bike or set of wheels. So make sure you get your injury treatment recorded.
I’ve been “taken out” a couple of times. Both times I went through BC and had a positive result. The cost of replacing the bike was minor in both events. Great to hear you have reported the event to the police.
Isn’t it the case that BC/Cycling Uk’s advisers are not interested unless there is injury you plan on claiming for involved?
It's because lawyers get paid out from your award now and can't just load all their costs on the losers insurance. It was a change a few years ago to stop the worst practices of ambulance chasing lawyers charging enormous fees for insignificant claims.
This is my recollection, could be a bit wrong.
Don't you always need to report these things to the police to at least get a reference number for insurance company to actually pay out.