23 replies to this topic

[hvass]

.. er coz you were looking the other way luv

Commute this morning might have spelled the end of my TDM, filtering along the usual line of slow/stationary traffic.
ye oldie inbuilt radar lit up when saw a white van ... pulled up next to it (vespa nearly ran up my arse)... I had guessed right... white van had flashed a lady turning right to pull out of a road on our left.
Clutch in feet down.
She takes off full pelt looking left waving and thanking the oncoming cars to her left for stopping, cuts the corner misses the van and plows straight into me.
As the front wheel folds under the bumper and valance I really thought I might be able to hold it up as she pushes me backwards but she does not stop (I think she either hit the accelarator or let the clutch out fully) her front wheel hits mine pushes the bike over she continues to ride up the prone wheel and it pops me backwards over my top box like a tiddly wink.
My bike gets pushed into the vespa stopped behind me who drops his bike onto the van that flashed the lady to pull out.
I spend half an hour in an ambulance (crew were excellent) police 'forget' to brethalise the woman & took down vespa's details wrongly
I spend rest of the day on the phone guessing vespa registration number until get it right, mobile number police recorded is still one prawn short of a sandwich ... just like the ...
Now I can hum a complete round of music on hold ... I learn that it cannot be a no fault claim even though I was stationary becuase the van will claim on the vespa the vespa will claim off me...
I get a free courtesy bike except I dont becuase the same accident management company are acting for the vespa who had already got there first while I was in the ambulance .... and cannot help as conflict of interest
Funny I was not feeling too great so did not bother to entertain police man with basic physics that he appeared to be struggling with.. woman claims I was moving fast she did not see me... durr so how come I am thrown backwards as opposed to sticking my head through her windscreen... 1000kg car 200kb bike, 90kg rider, bike centre of gravity say 0.5m or 0.25m above front axel, my centre of gravity 1.2m above seal level now solve for different values of car and bike speed given I was thrown back over my top box and end up in the road a few metres in front of her car... aw forget it
Anyway for some lite amusement at what damage you can still do to yourself standing still with a 6000lumens HID and full hi viz jacket....
R&G Rollers £62.50 (i kind of knew fitting these last week might attract trouble)
Hand Guards £98.60
R/H Exhaust £516.30
Front Fender £59.67
Lower Steering Stem and Bearings £215.88
Front Forks Complete £375.80
Cast Wheel £733.62
Front Axle £35.40
R/H Faring panel £248.27
Headlight £374.83
Top Cowling £427.82
Taillight £63.22
So with vat and labour £4,142.29

Insured value was £4k so I am just dreading they will want to cat d write it off and dredge up some courtesy bike that a sucession of plastic people have attempted to rev the nuts off with a shagged C&S that a dealer is moving on for a few grand in the trade.

Now insurers want to ship the bike off to Bristol to their approved repairer 'Drive Group' but I am sticking out for the local Yam dealer on the basis that I want someone to fix it then have the balls to test ride it themselves ... not just a car repair shop who will skimp on the 'minor things' like the lower steering stem and make it pretty again.

Ho hum.. all the defensive riding still not enough to protect us from the 'nice lady' intent on gbh... I know she was a 'nice lady' because the the police man told me she was a 'nice lady' dont know whether this was as a reason for failing to breathalise her... now I thought I had watched enought cheap TV to know that they breathalize everyone as a matter of routine... unless of course it is a 'nice lady'.. who tries to kill you... sorry still feeling a bit bitter.... it will take me a while before I can rationalize 'at least I was not hurt' as satisfactory recompense from the jester upstairs.

[Robodene]

[quote name='hvass' date='Tue 8th Mar 2011, 01:37 AM' post='198032']
.. er coz you were looking the other way luv

Immediate re-action to your tale is to say how sorry I am that this happened to you. And I am glad that you're around to write it up. That said, its blood boiling time - again. There are far too many people around who don't give a monkey's about anyone else - most of them hairing around the roads in complete mental isolation. And the police...? I'd better stop there! So now, I wish you the speedy return of your bike in great order and you to biking again. I should be out biking myself tomorrow; I'll be on the lookout, as usual of course...
Rob

[LewisBlackburn]

Effin idiots should be banned from driving.

Glad your ok, hope you get a good result.

IF you cant get a courtesy bike from 'your' accident management company there's nothing stopping you going to another accident management company. Just make sure you keep on top of the communication as working for an insurer I know accident management company's cause a load of ball ache with not reporting stuff to insurance company's. Especially when they dump the PH and say, sorry we cant do anything for you as the liability changed (in other words, piss off we cant make any money out of you)

Just be careful what you tell them and make sure you claim as much as possible,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but your premium will go up. Regardless of it being a none fault, (kinda) get the 5K PI (personal injury) and put it towards the new bike/premium. (that's not official advice btw )

BTW good on you sticking with the YAM dealer, Insurance garages are supposed to be specialist accident repair centres, BSI kite marked, (PAS125 certified and give a guarantee) but there not, there shit, some people may have a good experience but most people don't have a 100% smooth repair process. Best at a garage you know, again, just make sure you keep ontop of contact. I know it should be the accident management companies job but if you dont you could go weeks without anything happening.


If you need any help/advice or have any questions ask me and i'll be happy to give you some impartial advice on anything. also how to get the most out of the system.


Lew


P.S check if your policy has personal effects cover, maybe only a limit of 150 but it will be a direct payout from your insurance company for anything that was in your top box or being carried. (most bike policies don't have them, but worth checking your book)

[Geordie Guy]

Sorry to hear of the accident Hvass, some people are fookin dangerous ! Hope it gets sorted and your OK.

Great to have someone in the know Lewis, I knew there was a reason for letting you buy a TDM !

Cheers

[mecrox]

So sorry to hear of this and hope you are OK. Sounds similar to my off a couple of years ago when people-carrier man busy not driving rammed a stationary queue of traffic. "I've got kids to collect," said people-carrier woman who shoved hubby out of the cage and drove straight off, leaving me with a broken knee. I got an excellent witness and they got stuck for 100% but I think I was very very lucky in that. Oh, they turn nasty in a moment. I bought my niner from someone named h. vass four years ago. You??

[Matlock]

Aw cr*p, sorry to hear this, but glad you're here to tell the tale.

[AzzA]

"accident management companies" Bugger me! Had to Goofle that one. Do they chase the ambulance chasers?

Mental picture emerges of Briton following itself around in one long endless cha-cha, a self fulfilling industry of catastrophe.

[3vd]

Firstly, fecking glad you're ok, it could have been worse.

Next, as I've got insurance renewal for my Fireblade coming up I'm going to stick with Carole Nash I reckon as what I've read they're bloody good when things go wrong.

You'll probably have a battle on your hands but make sure you claim for everything you're entitled to, you premium will go up regardless of protected NCB, non fault claim etc. So get what you can to compensate for this.

Lastly, Good luck with it all. There's lot's of people on here who can offer help and advice.

[Matlock]

Mental picture emerges of Briton following itself around in one long endless cha-cha, a self fulfilling industry of catastrophe.

A good summary of UK Government policy since 1979

[Studley Ramrod]

Sheesh ! Sorry to hear that matey. Glad your ok tho ! Good luck with the claim.

[muddy]

What rotten luck to be in the same place at the same time as that dangerous fool.

[hvass]

Thanks for your support guys & your advice lew et.al..

mecrox - good to hear from you ... yup same me.. been to New Zealand and back since... regret coming back most every day these days ... tried everything out there but ended up buying another TDM... knowing there was the support of the carpe crowd swung it for me .. again and probably again ..

[RSRocket]

Gutted for ya Fella, I hope the scoot rider/van man vouches for ya as a witness,keep on top of it and Good Luck

[whichwaywasit]

sorry to hear about the accident, hope it ll goes well

[jht]

ahh bollox!!
I feel your pain having 'been there and done that'
took 3 years and a lot of aggro on my part to get anything from a bloke who was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, and who's ins company admitted 100% liability
dont even get me started on the 4 days in hospital...

[busa2000]

Hope the claim goes your way fella, good luck , and all the best.

[TKH]

Just glad you're ok. Big shame about the bike. As has been already said make sure you don't lose out 'cause of some muppet. What about any lost earnings? Wasn't doin her makup, texting and lighting fag at the same time was she? I followed one the other day. Drove quite a way without looking up from her phone.

[mecrox]

Thanks for your support guys & your advice lew et.al..

mecrox - good to hear from you ... yup same me.. been to New Zealand and back since... regret coming back most every day these days ... tried everything out there but ended up buying another TDM... knowing there was the support of the carpe crowd swung it for me .. again and probably again ..

Excellent, good to hear from you too. Ironically I part exchanged your/my niner a few days ago though it won't go through for a few days yet. I'm trying a second-hand CB1300, probably mad but it happens to us all from time to time I guess, and apart from a 125 years ago the niner is the only bike I've had. At which point I suppose I'll be going quiet on this forum but I strongly suspect I'll be back in TDMland before long as it is so friendly and helpful.

[TDMick]

Glad you're ok mate, and your radar saved you from even worse!
keep it dialed in mate there are far too many F^&ckwits out there who shouldn't be allowed to control their own bowels let alone a motor vehicle!

Hope you get it all sorted out as soon as possible.

good luck.

[crispy]

Sorry to hear about your "off " and that it's a chain of people, Car/Van/Fellow Biker(Moped) and yourself......

Would you consider finding out the salvage value of the bike and offering another €50 on top to buy the bike back as Cat C/Cat D/salvage. I bought mine back 18 months ago (1991 TDM which was a rough enough bike before the crash) for €250 and then sold on for €450 as the bike was still ridable. You could do a streetfighter/track day project if you got it cheap enough......Or get it back to a rideable state until the claim is settled fairly cheaply.....I worked as a bike mechanic back in the late 80's in a place that had a frame straightener. We also straightened fork legs and stem and crown brackets. You be surprised what can repaired and will still maintain the majority of its strength. Hope you get back on two wheels soon enough.....

Edited by crispy, 09 March 2011 - 11:24 am.