[Closed] motorcycle accident - reporting to police and insurance

Just ring insurance to report it. Ask if the shops have caught the accident on CCTV and if you could have a copy. Insurance will go up if renewed before the claim is settled but will normally be refunded afterwards but need to pursue it.

id prepare for a fight ..... id be sure the insurance will counter with ..... motorbike was too close for him to be seen by mirrors.

50:50  - even if the guy has accepted blame , blames not his to accept.

so make sure his stories water tight - hell  write it down .

Just a heads up - not victim blaming - i have just seen insurance companys at work.

id have been happier if my lad had got him to sign somethings to that effect

Glad your lad is okay; could have been a lot worse! No need to report to police if details have been exchanged and there are no serious injuries. It’s for the insurance companies to sort now.

will his premiums go up as hes been involved in an accident even if no blames attached?

Sadly, most definitely. Insurance companies don’t need any excuse.

Insurance companies say never admit liability so the bakery van driver would be nuts to sign anything.

People say you don't need to get the police involved, but the two accidents I have had, both not my fault, the insurance companies have asked me for a crime number. It makes it easier for them as statements have been taken and are available. Also it makes it lhader to change their statement later I guess.

well, he rang the police and they just said tell the insurance company, no crime number or anything.

yeah might have been a bit naive expecting a signed admission, im just well aware that insurance companies are arseholes to deal with and may try and twist it, so anything my lad can get to help would be beneficial.  ive looked at the photos and it would be piss easy for the van driver to say "i wasnt moving, he just drove into me".  if id just seen the photos with no knowledge of the incident thats what id guess would have happened.

ironically, he says the van driver gave him some gingerbread men as he felt sorry for him 😀  my wife had just bought him some while she was out, double gingerbread whammy! 😀

thanks

Great gingerbread news! Hope it all works out okay 🙂

ironically, he says the van driver gave him some gingerbread men as he felt sorry for him

Make sure that's included in his insurance claim - they'll probabably regard it as an effective admission by the van driver that it was his fault.

I'm about to have some fun and games this year with my renewal - turns out being hit by a car whilst on my way to work on my push and injured badly enough to bother to make a claim (I needed surgery to put it right) now appears on my insurance renewals as a motor accident.

I can't wait to hear how being hit by a car on my way to work on my pushbike - that I commute on everyday - increases my risk of having an accident in my car....

One also has to wonder if being hit by a car whilst on a horse or as a pedestrian has a similar effect.

Fortunately the renewal that it popped up on was for my motorbike, and they didn't use it to up the premium, which was nice of them, but they were a baffled as me as to why it would be there...

Sorry, I know it doesn't help but I'm still chuclking at him chasing a bakery van to get a sausage roll 🙂

well, the van drivers insurance have paid out and hes bought another bike (derbi senda, see my 125cc bike thread for pics if interested.)

he was third party anyway so no claim himself. he sorted the new insurance out over the phone on his way back from picking the bike up and today tells me theyve rang him up, asked a few more questions and upped the price considerably.

firstly they asked him if he used it to get to work, he said yes, they said he needed business on it.  secondly they asked if hed been involved in an accident lately, he didnt want to lie so told them, but also said wasnt his fault, no claim etc.  they upped it even more.

so...... first question is, this business use.  i assume nobody could prove he was commuting if he had a crash, he could say he was on his way to his mates house, so has he been a bit naive there?  yeah i know, honesty the best policy but this is an insurance company we're talking about :-/

secondly, is that how they see it then?  hes been in a crash through no fault of his own but because hes been in a crash hes more likely to do it again?  he didnt have to answer that question on application, just have you made any claims.  do they all follow up with Q&A's?

thirdly, i assume the 14 day cooling off period applies (purchase over phone or internet?), so if theyve been a bit keen with the questions, and he can find cheaper elsewhere and doesnt have to say hes been in a crash, can he ring em up, cancel at no cost (apart from extortionate admin fees maybe?) and go with someone else?

thanks.

Standard requirement for business cover if you are commuting. Some insurers have a social domestic pleasure and commuting option instead. Accident  records are shared amongst insurers, so they will know even if you dont tell them - they may only check once you have an accident however and invalidate the insurance. Similarly if they have any doubts it wouldn't be hard to prove he was using the bike to commute if they wanted to do so.

The risk of not declaring it is finding out you're not insured when you need to claim again. Think what would happen if your son had major injuries and there was no cover, or he injured someone else significantly, and the insurance company of the injured person were taking you to court to reclaim their costs. Not to mention that insurance fraud will make it nigh on impossible to get insurance again...

There's a difference between Business Use and Commuting. Some insurers don't include the latter in a normal SD&P Policy though.

In theory, by having an accident he's proven that he's in a place likely to be involved in more accidents. I'm not saying I agree with that logic but that's how the statistics mount up.

The normal questions asked will be "have you made any claims...." AND  "have you been in any accidents....". Lying obviously nullifies any policy.

Unfortunately MIB (motor insurance bureau) database is now available for all other insurers to view. No hiding now.

The insurance companies always take the view, even if its a 'no fault' accident, you will always be likely to have another. (Its their pricing logic).

Commuting to work is not business.  That's social, domestic, pleasure, going to work.

Business is if you are travelling in conjunction with your work (not job), unless he is self employed.

Don’t most cars have SD&P in thier policy ? And an option of “when using for business trips” ?

Don't really know anything about motorbikes, but would expect something similar.

As mentioned, it’s the not declaring that’s the main issue here. Insurance companies will easily drop any claims if they find out you’ve not been true & fair when in disclosure mode.

On the commuting and business side of things I was told by the insurer commuting was travelling too and from one place of work where as business meant travelling to a number of places of work,  so he might not necessarily need business. I had the swap mine from sdp and commuting to business when they started sending us to different stations

ok thanks, so honesty probably is the best policy here then.

he IS self-employed and travels to wherever they have a contract for a few months (painter and decorator).  so is that still business?  or social, domestic, pleasure and commuting?

and what about the 14 day cooling off period?  if the goalposts have moved and he finds better elsewhere now, can he just cancel and swap?

thanks

14 day cooling off. Yes, he should be able to cancel by may forfeit a % on pro-rata terms for cover used to date.

To me it's commuting as he's not moving to various locations on a daily basis but I'm sure they'd argue otherwise

thanks chaps

almost comical, it was a well-known bakery van, the boy fancied a sausage roll so followed him,

Is your lad binners??

I think that's business use I'm afraid. Doesn't sound like he has a fixed place of work so it's not commuting.

Commuting is usually defined in the policy as travelling to a fixed place of work. As he's self employed, the only fixed place is home. Another measure which might contribute is whether your paid expenses or travelling time; does he quote a price for each job or is he sub-contracted on a rate?

If he's "not at fault" can he not claim the increase the in premium from the other party?

I think that’s business use I’m afraid. Doesn’t sound like he has a fixed place of work so it’s not commuting.

Commuting is usually defined in the policy as travelling to a fixed place of work. As he’s self employed, the only fixed place is home. Another measure which might contribute is whether your paid expenses or travelling time; does he quote a price for each job or is he sub-contracted on a rate?

looks like it probably is business then.  hes self-employed but just travels to whichever job theyve got on.  no paid expenses or travelling time.  hes subcontracted on a daily rate, they take his tax at source etc.....

If he’s “not at fault” can he not claim the increase the in premium from the other party?

never heard of that before and i would doubt it, hes already been paid out so i assume thats the end of that?  happy if thats not the case tho 🙂

Times may have changed, but back when I needed personal non-business insurance the terminology was "social, domestic and pleasure, and to and from work."  I don't recall the word "commuting" ever being used.

Times may have changed, but back when I needed personal non-business insurance the terminology was “social, domestic and pleasure, and to and from work.”  I don’t recall the word “commuting” ever being used.

Times have changed  - at least for some insurers who specify commuting as a separate use. I always check the quotation and the policy.

Both commuting and business tend to always be extras on bike policies, as many bikes are only ever used for recreational purposes.  Likewise pillion cover is usually an extra these days as well, so if you've got a two-seater, don't assume you're covered to take a passenger.

Times have changed  – at least for some insurers who specify commuting as a separate use. I always check the quotation and the policy.

likewise pillion cover is usually an extra these days as well, so if you’ve got a two-seater, don’t assume you’re covered to take a passenger.

See, this is why I HATE insurance companies. Heaven forbid we forget to tell them about the bumper sticker that your 6 yo stuck on because it might be considered a modification; heaven forbid that you forget that your car was dinged in a carpark four years ago, that’s dishonest and can invalidate your cover. But it’s totally okay to advertise insurance and place it in comparison sites no doubt that DOESNT ACTUALLY COVER YOU for reasonable use of your vehicle! Going to work on a rod vehicle that you own is hardly ****ing unreasonable! Carrying a passenger on a vehicle designed to carry a passenger is NOT unreasonable! Why the bloody hell WOULDN’T you be covered for these things?!? “It’s in your policy schedule sir, sorry” absolutely disgraceful business.

a contract of utmost good faith? Ha! Don’t make me laugh. 🤬😡🤬