bl**dy motorcyclists - what would you do?
Discussion
so i'm driving home yesterday along chelsea embankment coming up to battersea bridge. It's raining hard, i'm on the inside lane, blue van on outside lane approaching traffic lights which turn red. both myself and van stop at lights. We are stationary. Motorcyclist comes up between us, doesnt realise lights on red, breaks hard, front wheel locks and he comes down between us with his head just hitting the side of my door right at the bottom.
Most importantly, the guy is ok, just a bruised arm, but then i look at my door and there's a very small 1 inch indent right at the bottom of my door by the sill.
So we exchange details and all that and i speak to my insurer and they say given totally his fault i can make a claim and doesnt impact my NCB and i dont have to pay any excess.
So that's great n all, but it's only a little ding and i dunno if i can be bothered with all the hassle of repair etc and i'm also a bit sceptical about my cost of future ins (i have full NCB protected). For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
My question is, what would you guys do? make the claim or just live with it?
Most importantly, the guy is ok, just a bruised arm, but then i look at my door and there's a very small 1 inch indent right at the bottom of my door by the sill.
So we exchange details and all that and i speak to my insurer and they say given totally his fault i can make a claim and doesnt impact my NCB and i dont have to pay any excess.
So that's great n all, but it's only a little ding and i dunno if i can be bothered with all the hassle of repair etc and i'm also a bit sceptical about my cost of future ins (i have full NCB protected). For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
My question is, what would you guys do? make the claim or just live with it?
andy tims said:
sleep envy said:
claim - that's what insurance is for
I'd report it to my insurance co just for the record, but ask the rider if he wants to settle directly. If dentmaster or similar can repair your door he should be relieved to get away with such minimal cost & protect his own NCD.kennyboy said:
andy tims said:
sleep envy said:
claim - that's what insurance is for
I'd report it to my insurance co just for the record, but ask the rider if he wants to settle directly. If dentmaster or similar can repair your door he should be relieved to get away with such minimal cost & protect his own NCD.answering yes to 'any claims?' for the next 5 years is more tedious
I had a couple of slight dings on the roof section just above the rear door on an X5, from where a plastic barrier came down on the car....only very, very slight dimples (2mm), but took it to BMW and quoted 1.5k to do the job properly..... Just saying that even the slightest damage can be very expensive to make the car good again....
I would agree with the others and would get a quote and take it to the biker...at least he has a choice if on the low side....
I would agree with the others and would get a quote and take it to the biker...at least he has a choice if on the low side....
I assume you were in a Porsche? If you want a realistic quote from some guys who know what they're about try this lot - tell them you may be paying yourself - www.specialisedpaintwork.com
SS7
SS7
I had someone dent my wing on my old Boxster - had the dent guys around to do it - £50 later and it was like new. I then had my mate compound polish and wax the door to remove the scuffs. Perfect - you couldn`t see anything and it looked like new.
Not all bodywork needs a body repair shop to do it - most new cars need some work done to them before they are delivered - more often than not they will use one of the dent/spray boys rather than elect to have the thing repainted in their body shop. I would always let them have a look at it first. Try and have resprays done as a last resort.
Not all bodywork needs a body repair shop to do it - most new cars need some work done to them before they are delivered - more often than not they will use one of the dent/spray boys rather than elect to have the thing repainted in their body shop. I would always let them have a look at it first. Try and have resprays done as a last resort.
thanks for all the very helpful words of wisdom - PHers a font of knowledge as always!
Am gonna take some digital pics and get the specialisedpaintwork guys to give me a quote and then i'll put it to the guy and see whether he wants to settle directly or go down the insurance route.
TBH i'd rather do nothing but then when i come to sell it next year, i know any buyer will pick up on it and use as a bargaining tool and why should i suffer when it wasnt my fault?
Am gonna take some digital pics and get the specialisedpaintwork guys to give me a quote and then i'll put it to the guy and see whether he wants to settle directly or go down the insurance route.
TBH i'd rather do nothing but then when i come to sell it next year, i know any buyer will pick up on it and use as a bargaining tool and why should i suffer when it wasnt my fault?
From my experience if you've already spoken to your insurer and you gave them your details and policy number during the conversation, the incident is almost certainly now on your file whether you make a claim or not.
When asked at next renewal whether you've had any accidents, claims or convictions in the past 5 years they'll expect you to give details.
If you go ahead and sort it without a claim I would make sure your insurer hasn't entered it into your file.
My partner suffered the same after a no-fault prang which was eventually sorted without insurance intervention. As a no-fault incident and with no-claims protection it didn't affect her premium though IIRC.
When asked at next renewal whether you've had any accidents, claims or convictions in the past 5 years they'll expect you to give details.
If you go ahead and sort it without a claim I would make sure your insurer hasn't entered it into your file.
My partner suffered the same after a no-fault prang which was eventually sorted without insurance intervention. As a no-fault incident and with no-claims protection it didn't affect her premium though IIRC.
strappon said:
For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
Just unlucky? Through his own stupidity and arrogance, he quite easily could have skidded into the junction and got hit by a vehicle coming across.
He was bloody lucky that he didn't come off much worse than he did.
One can feel sorry for the fellow, not because he was unlucky, but because he was stupid.
strappon said:
so i'm driving home yesterday along chelsea embankment coming up to battersea bridge. It's raining hard, i'm on the inside lane, blue van on outside lane approaching traffic lights which turn red. both myself and van stop at lights. We are stationary. Motorcyclist comes up between us, doesnt realise lights on red, breaks hard, front wheel locks and he comes down between us with his head just hitting the side of my door right at the bottom.
Most importantly, the guy is ok, just a bruised arm, but then i look at my door and there's a very small 1 inch indent right at the bottom of my door by the sill.
So we exchange details and all that and i speak to my insurer and they say given totally his fault i can make a claim and doesnt impact my NCB and i dont have to pay any excess.
So that's great n all, but it's only a little ding and i dunno if i can be bothered with all the hassle of repair etc and i'm also a bit sceptical about my cost of future ins (i have full NCB protected). For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
My question is, what would you guys do? make the claim or just live with it?
I think it was all your fault really and you are actually trying to allay your guilt. keep a proper look out for scooterists next time.Most importantly, the guy is ok, just a bruised arm, but then i look at my door and there's a very small 1 inch indent right at the bottom of my door by the sill.
So we exchange details and all that and i speak to my insurer and they say given totally his fault i can make a claim and doesnt impact my NCB and i dont have to pay any excess.
So that's great n all, but it's only a little ding and i dunno if i can be bothered with all the hassle of repair etc and i'm also a bit sceptical about my cost of future ins (i have full NCB protected). For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
My question is, what would you guys do? make the claim or just live with it?
andy tims said:
sleep envy said:
claim - that's what insurance is for
I'd report it to my insurance co just for the record, but ask the rider if he wants to settle directly. If dentmaster or similar can repair your door he should be relieved to get away with such minimal cost & protect his own NCD.She phoned again and said she had only reported. They said, sorry, we have decided that it's a claim, you had better fill in the form or we'll assume it's your fault.
She filled in the form and sent it back.
They judged her as the guilty party and she lost her NCB and got a loading.
flemke said:
strappon said:
For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
Just unlucky? Through his own stupidity and arrogance, he quite easily could have skidded into the junction and got hit by a vehicle coming across.
He was bloody lucky that he didn't come off much worse than he did.
One can feel sorry for the fellow, not because he was unlucky, but because he was stupid.
Carrera2 said:
flemke said:
strappon said:
For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
Just unlucky? Through his own stupidity and arrogance, he quite easily could have skidded into the junction and got hit by a vehicle coming across.
He was bloody lucky that he didn't come off much worse than he did.
One can feel sorry for the fellow, not because he was unlucky, but because he was stupid.
strappon said:
so i'm driving home yesterday along chelsea embankment coming up to battersea bridge. It's raining hard, i'm on the inside lane, blue van on outside lane approaching traffic lights which turn red. both myself and van stop at lights. We are stationary. Motorcyclist comes up between us, doesnt realise lights on red, breaks hard, front wheel locks and he comes down between us with his head just hitting the side of my door right at the bottom.
As both you and I can only go by the evidence in this post:- splitting two stationary vehicles,
- failing to note that they were at a junction,
- failing to note red light,
- in the pouring rain,
does it really sound like this dude was driving well?
flemke said:
Carrera2 said:
flemke said:
strappon said:
For some reason i also feel for the guy - he was quite shaken up and he was just unlucky.
Just unlucky? Through his own stupidity and arrogance, he quite easily could have skidded into the junction and got hit by a vehicle coming across.
He was bloody lucky that he didn't come off much worse than he did.
One can feel sorry for the fellow, not because he was unlucky, but because he was stupid.
strappon said:
so i'm driving home yesterday along chelsea embankment coming up to battersea bridge. It's raining hard, i'm on the inside lane, blue van on outside lane approaching traffic lights which turn red. both myself and van stop at lights. We are stationary. Motorcyclist comes up between us, doesnt realise lights on red, breaks hard, front wheel locks and he comes down between us with his head just hitting the side of my door right at the bottom.
As both you and I can only go by the evidence in this post:- splitting two stationary vehicles,
- failing to note that they were at a junction,
- failing to note red light,
- in the pouring rain,
does it really sound like this dude was driving well?
To the OP, I'd make the claim. That's what his insurance is for, and you shouldn't have to take the hit or inconvenience.
flemke said:
As both you and I can only go by the evidence in this post:
- splitting two stationary vehicles,
- failing to note that they were at a junction,
- failing to note red light,
- in the pouring rain,
does it really sound like this dude was driving well?
Splitting two vehicles - or 'filtering', done by ALL motorcyclists.- splitting two stationary vehicles,
- failing to note that they were at a junction,
- failing to note red light,
- in the pouring rain,
does it really sound like this dude was driving well?
failing to note that they were at a junction - supposition
failing to note red light - supposition
I don't want to make a big argument out of a small point but just hate the way a lot of people tar bikers with a (to coin your words) 'stupid & arrogant' brush. Who's to say he wasn't braking adequately and slipped on diesel? It's happened to me a few times and there's absolutely nothing arrogant or stupid (apart from the bus/lorry that's spilt it) about it. The OP refers to them as bl**dy motorcyclists as if this sort of thing happens everyday.
Fact is, most bikers are more qualified and observant on the road (despite how it may appear to onlookers) than their car driving counterparts.
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