Insurance company ignoring solicitor?
Discussion
Around 4/5 months ago I had a band with a car when I was on a pushbike. I was cycling - young girl comes out of road with a stop signal on, then stops in the middle of the road causing me to attempt to fly. Realising I couldn't I hit the road after shashing into her car.
I was a bit knocked up. A very sore head (no helmet my fault) and was on crutches for a bit as my knee has hit the car in between me leaving the bike and finding the road.
Anyway - I wanted my bike fixing/reparing. I also has some stuff in my bag which was damaged. I found out that due to a union I am part of for different reasons I have some form of legal insurance. So they agreed to take it up. A few days off work money they promised me. A repaired/fixed bike. And a few quid due to the pain of my knee. I was not that bothered about compensation - but given I was actually unable to walk for about a week and was on crutches for weeks I thought it wasn't a total liberty.
Anyway... since then all I have got from the solicitors is that the insurance company have not responded. And some guff about it now not being off some special system for RTA's. They now want me to have a medical test - which is fine by me and say they want to start legal proceedings.
So my question is... why would an insurance company just ignore letters/emails? Surely a logical step would be to respond even if you are challenging something. It sounds all a bit random to me. If I were to keep binning emails/letters for months I'm sure I'd be sacked at every company I've ever worked for. Is this practice normal? And is there any reason for it?
I was a bit knocked up. A very sore head (no helmet my fault) and was on crutches for a bit as my knee has hit the car in between me leaving the bike and finding the road.
Anyway - I wanted my bike fixing/reparing. I also has some stuff in my bag which was damaged. I found out that due to a union I am part of for different reasons I have some form of legal insurance. So they agreed to take it up. A few days off work money they promised me. A repaired/fixed bike. And a few quid due to the pain of my knee. I was not that bothered about compensation - but given I was actually unable to walk for about a week and was on crutches for weeks I thought it wasn't a total liberty.
Anyway... since then all I have got from the solicitors is that the insurance company have not responded. And some guff about it now not being off some special system for RTA's. They now want me to have a medical test - which is fine by me and say they want to start legal proceedings.
So my question is... why would an insurance company just ignore letters/emails? Surely a logical step would be to respond even if you are challenging something. It sounds all a bit random to me. If I were to keep binning emails/letters for months I'm sure I'd be sacked at every company I've ever worked for. Is this practice normal? And is there any reason for it?
Welcome to the Personal Injury gravy train. Strap in for the ride, because you're about to be taken for one.
Since the demise first of shipbuilding, followed by the motor industry, it is Britain's biggest industry, and it's thriving.
Don't blame the legal system, it's an insurance thing. It thrives on everything being settled at the last minute, before court. Remember it is victimless, and it doesn't cost anybody anything. We're all winners.
Since the demise first of shipbuilding, followed by the motor industry, it is Britain's biggest industry, and it's thriving.
Don't blame the legal system, it's an insurance thing. It thrives on everything being settled at the last minute, before court. Remember it is victimless, and it doesn't cost anybody anything. We're all winners.
milkround said:
So my question is... why would an insurance company just ignore letters/emails?
Daughter's car was written off by an Argos van rear-ending her in August. Police were on the scene dealing with the other accident which the driver was looking at when he crashed. Her insurer dealt with it - no personal injury claim, just £5.5K for her car a couple of week's hire car.You'd think that would be straightforward with household name company being involved? She was contacted a couple of weeks ago saying her insurer is going to Court as the other party isn't reponding.
This seems ridiculous.
I never even wanted to claim for injuries. I tried calling the insurance people for her car. I just wanted my bike fixing. They asked if I was injured so I told them the truth I was a bit knocked up. And at that point they wouldn't talk to me further. The solicitors said they would put in a modest claim for my injury as they wouldn't take it further without. To this day my knee isn't perfect (tendon injury) but I am able to go to work and crack on so it's just one of those things.
These solicitors sent me a letter saying I'm not on the line for a penny. But they are charging over £200 an hour. Plus charging for letters and emails and calls. Now I'm going to have to assume eventually the insurers will pay this... Given police came (said it was her fault) and witnesses said it was the girls fault (she admitted it - and was in tears bless her). But by dragging all this out it must be costing them a fortune.
If they had spoken to me personally I'd have settled for £200 to fix the bike! Now they will be paying more than this per hour. Total madness. I assumed this was a very rare case rather than it being the norm. I think it's criminal personally - I'd still settle for just having the bike fixed/replaces. Although since it's happened embarrassingly I've lost the interest in riding a bike and won't go on a motorbike anymore. I think I've gone soft but it scared me a lot.
I never even wanted to claim for injuries. I tried calling the insurance people for her car. I just wanted my bike fixing. They asked if I was injured so I told them the truth I was a bit knocked up. And at that point they wouldn't talk to me further. The solicitors said they would put in a modest claim for my injury as they wouldn't take it further without. To this day my knee isn't perfect (tendon injury) but I am able to go to work and crack on so it's just one of those things.
These solicitors sent me a letter saying I'm not on the line for a penny. But they are charging over £200 an hour. Plus charging for letters and emails and calls. Now I'm going to have to assume eventually the insurers will pay this... Given police came (said it was her fault) and witnesses said it was the girls fault (she admitted it - and was in tears bless her). But by dragging all this out it must be costing them a fortune.
If they had spoken to me personally I'd have settled for £200 to fix the bike! Now they will be paying more than this per hour. Total madness. I assumed this was a very rare case rather than it being the norm. I think it's criminal personally - I'd still settle for just having the bike fixed/replaces. Although since it's happened embarrassingly I've lost the interest in riding a bike and won't go on a motorbike anymore. I think I've gone soft but it scared me a lot.
milkround said:
Although since it's happened embarrassingly I've lost the interest in riding a bike and won't go on a motorbike anymore. I think I've gone soft but it scared me a lot.
I think being scared of having that kind of accident when you are on two wheels is entirely sensible. Car drivers can't help it, there is apparently a scientific explanation why drivers sometimes don't see oncoming two-wheelers, they are not just being lazy careless a
holes. Bloke I knew got killed a year ago on a motorbike in exactly that sort of accident.milkround said:
Around 4/5 months ago I had a band with a car when I was on a pushbike. I was cycling - young girl comes out of road with a stop signal on, then stops in the middle of the road causing me to attempt to fly. Realising I couldn't I hit the road after shashing into her car.
I was a bit knocked up. A very sore head (no helmet my fault) and was on crutches for a bit as my knee has hit the car in between me leaving the bike and finding the road.
Anyway - I wanted my bike fixing/reparing. I also has some stuff in my bag which was damaged. I found out that due to a union I am part of for different reasons I have some form of legal insurance. So they agreed to take it up. A few days off work money they promised me. A repaired/fixed bike. And a few quid due to the pain of my knee. I was not that bothered about compensation - but given I was actually unable to walk for about a week and was on crutches for weeks I thought it wasn't a total liberty.
Anyway... since then all I have got from the solicitors is that the insurance company have not responded. And some guff about it now not being off some special system for RTA's. They now want me to have a medical test - which is fine by me and say they want to start legal proceedings.
So my question is... why would an insurance company just ignore letters/emails? Surely a logical step would be to respond even if you are challenging something. It sounds all a bit random to me. If I were to keep binning emails/letters for months I'm sure I'd be sacked at every company I've ever worked for. Is this practice normal? And is there any reason for it?
Would it not have been easier to claim off your own insurance?I was a bit knocked up. A very sore head (no helmet my fault) and was on crutches for a bit as my knee has hit the car in between me leaving the bike and finding the road.
Anyway - I wanted my bike fixing/reparing. I also has some stuff in my bag which was damaged. I found out that due to a union I am part of for different reasons I have some form of legal insurance. So they agreed to take it up. A few days off work money they promised me. A repaired/fixed bike. And a few quid due to the pain of my knee. I was not that bothered about compensation - but given I was actually unable to walk for about a week and was on crutches for weeks I thought it wasn't a total liberty.
Anyway... since then all I have got from the solicitors is that the insurance company have not responded. And some guff about it now not being off some special system for RTA's. They now want me to have a medical test - which is fine by me and say they want to start legal proceedings.
So my question is... why would an insurance company just ignore letters/emails? Surely a logical step would be to respond even if you are challenging something. It sounds all a bit random to me. If I were to keep binning emails/letters for months I'm sure I'd be sacked at every company I've ever worked for. Is this practice normal? And is there any reason for it?
Lopey said:
Would it not have been easier to claim off your own insurance?
What insurance? Most cyclists dont have insurance, although many will be covered for 3rd party claims through some form of legal cover they hold. I for example was covered through the legal liability cover on my home insurance when I cycled in to the back of another cyclist.It seems the OP is being reasonable and if they are still suffering pain then they should deserve some element of compensation. It wasnt his fault.
Lopey said:
Would it not have been easier to claim off your own insurance?
I don't have cycling insurance. I have car insurance. And I don't think they would want to pay to fix my bike. With hindsight I think it would have been better off not claiming at all tbh. I am horrifically busy with work now - 80 plus hours a week until new years. I work nights - and I'm self employed meaning that if I take a day off to go to this doctors appointment I will lose £200 plus quid. Which is more than I'll get for the bike. Perhaps a lesson learned. If I ever want to start cycling again I will look into it. Overall - I just want an easy life. I don't like any of this. And I'm starting to wish I never bothered.
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