Insurance claims...

[OUTLAWD]

How do they work?

I got hit today on the triumph, and am going to visit the Dr and call insurance companies first thing tomorrow.

I have never been in an accident, so I don't really know how this is going to go down. Anything I should be aware of before I get started?

The at fault party's ins company is Young America fwiw.

I am assuming I am going to call to file a claim, and they will either send an adjuster out, or have me take it to an adjuster. From my estimate, it looks to be about ~$700 in factory parts, but I guess I will have to wait and see what they say. The $1400 exhaust has a ding in it from where my foot broke the rearset off and hit the pipe, but I doubt I will get anything for that. Yes it is a 7 year old bike with 34k on it, but it was nearly perfect before the accident.

Are they going to try to force me to take it to "their" shop for repair, because to be honest, I know people who work at most shops, and most of those people have no right holding a wrench, let alone trying to use it on my bike. Or will they just cut me a check for what they see fit and send me on my way?

I honestly just want to fix it asap so I can finish out the riding season (as long as my foot isn't broken). Thats another thing, I declined an ambulance ride, but am getting checked out tomorrow, if I incur any medical costs, will it be from my own pocket?

Thanks!

[Sean]

I am assuming I am going to call to file a claim, and they will either send an adjuster out, or have me take it to an adjuster. From my estimate, it looks to be about ~$700 in factory parts, but I guess I will have to wait and see what they say. The $1400 exhaust has a ding in it from where my foot broke the rearset off and hit the pipe, but I doubt I will get anything for that. Yes it is a 7 year old bike with 34k on it, but it was nearly perfect before the accident.

Are they going to try to force me to take it to "their" shop for repair, because to be honest, I know people who work at most shops, and most of those people have no right holding a wrench, let alone trying to use it on my bike. Or will they just cut me a check for what they see fit and send me on my way?

I honestly just want to fix it asap so I can finish out the riding season (as long as my foot isn't broken). Thats another thing, I declined an ambulance ride, but am getting checked out tomorrow, if I incur any medical costs, will it be from my own pocket?

Thanks!

1. go to the dr
2. you don't have to file a claim with your company. You might be able to do it through there's. If you go through yours, you will have to pay the deduct.
3. You may get to choose the shop, they may choose it for you. Depends on the insurance company.
4. No, if you declined the "bus" ride, it will still be covered. However, you may have to pay copay's/deductibles out of pocket and they will reimburse you.

Call me if I can help out in any way.

[Foolds]

1. go to the dr
2. you don't have to file a claim with your company. You might be able to do it through there's. If you go through yours, you will have to pay the deduct.
3. You may get to choose the shop, they may choose it for you. Depends on the insurance company.
4. No, if you declined the "bus" ride, it will still be covered. However, you may have to pay copay's/deductibles out of pocket and they will reimburse you.

Call me if I can help out in any way.

In Colorado you have the right to pick you shop.. You can take it to a shop and get an estimate then take the cash and fix it you self too.

[50sGrl]

Sorry to hear about your mishap, Dave, and hope the foot is OK. Sounds like we'll both be sore for a bit.

[OUTLAWD]

Thanks guys, hopefully the process isn't too painful. She was at fault, so I'd prefer not to go through my ins and pay my $500 deductable...

Thanks Ann! I should be OK...I'm debating on throwing my street parts on the track bike so I can ride this weekend...

[Jim_Vess]

Thanks guys, hopefully the process isn't too painful. She was at fault, so I'd prefer not to go through my ins and pay my $500 deductable...

Thanks Ann! I should be OK...I'm debating on throwing my street parts on the track bike so I can ride this weekend...

If you want to get your bike back on the road in a reasonable amount of time, go through your insurance company and pay the deductible. They will go after her insurance company to get reimbursed and will get back your deductible for you in the process. That's their job and why you pay insurance premiums.

I was in an accident five years ago and the at-fault party also had Young America insurance (they insure drivers with shitty driving records - go figure ). I contacted my insurance company (Progressive) and I had a check from them to cover the estimated repairs in four days. It took Young America two months to figure out what the fuck was going on and reimburse Progressive for the damages and my deductible.

Get your bike fixed and let the insurance companies fight it out.

[asp_125]

+1 .. your premiums ensure your carrier will work a little harder in your favor. Going through the at fault's carrier .. of course, they will be reluctant to pay out.

[longrider]

I am going to disagree regarding filing with your own insurance first, While I dont have extensive experience in this I do have some and I have found that if fault is not in dispute then dealing with the other parties liability insurance is easy. As long as you dont get greedy they are more likely to deal with you as they just want to settle and not risk a lawsuit. Now if they fight you then file with your own insurance and when you get the deductible check in a year its lke a bonus.

As has been said, you can take to any shop you wish or even fix it yourself and pocket the labor

[Sarge]

longrider makes a valid point. I guess it really just depends on how much work you want to do with the insurance companies and how fast you want your bike fixed. Progressive is a top name company with a lot of weight. They'll have you in a shop TODAY just about, and have your medical bills taken care of and everything, and they'll pay for it all, and then they'll go after her insurance company to get the money back. Especially with smaller companies like that, you can expect to wait at LEAST two weeks to get a check for anything, and that's best case scenario.

[OUTLAWD]

well...how fast I can get it fixed and how fast I can get paid to fix it are two different questions...I just want to meet with the adjuster soon, so I can fix the bike, then get paid sometime thereafter...

Seeing the name of the insurance company, I was worried, but at least she has insurance...

I don't want to get greedy, but on the other hand, the bike was in excellent condition before this, and I want it fixed right. If they want the painless route, I can play nice, if not, I'll let State Farm handle it. I'll probably call my agent anyway to see what they suggest...it can't hurt.

[Scer]

Dave, get a hold of Erin.. She is an adjuster and deals with this everyday. From what I remember by listening to her end of day venting period is you shouldn't go through your own insurance. It's her fault and as long as her insurance claims liability they will pay for everything. Don't make a $500 mistake by being rash.

If you don't have her info then contact me.

claim on claimas

[Sean]

For my encounter with "the Prius of Death," the SFB had progressize and I got cash for the bike within a week. They were pretty on top of it. Kepp in mind, for you there will be two types of claims, property and bodily injury.

From what I learned, Property is fairly cut and dry. THey figure out what your actual damages are worth and cut you a check. This can vary depending on the adjuster, if you take it to a shop, the shops readiness to assist, etc. Mine was a total loss, so it was easier there. They had the adj look at it, get a 3rd party, fair market value and I went to pick up the check. Keep in mind that all of your gear can be considered property too if they were damaged in any way. Many ins companies (state farm and progressive) will happily pay for a new helmet and have you turn your old one in. It is a liability if you get into an accident in the future and the helmet proves to be faulty at all.

Bodily injury can take longer. This is where they have to get med recs from all of the dr's you see. It can also be an area of "pain and suffering" issues where you can dispute the amount of the payout. There are more "grey" areas here.

[CaneZach]

Sorry you got hit, Dave. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

[Mother Goose]

Sorry you got hit, Dave. Let me know if there's anything I can do.

Arrest her.

Sucks Dave, but glad it wasn't worse. If you need anything, you know we're all here for ya.

[CYCLE_MONKEY]

Sorry to hear it man, best of luck with everything. One thing I learned is, the more you start talking about your bodily injuries to them, the better and quicker service you get.......just saying.

[Zach929rr]

Quit stuntin everywhere. Jeesh.

[cptschlongenheimer]

For my encounter with "the Prius of Death," the SFB had progressize and I got cash for the bike within a week. They were pretty on top of it. Kepp in mind, for you there will be two types of claims, property and bodily injury.

From what I learned, Property is fairly cut and dry. THey figure out what your actual damages are worth and cut you a check. This can vary depending on the adjuster, if you take it to a shop, the shops readiness to assist, etc. Mine was a total loss, so it was easier there. They had the adj look at it, get a 3rd party, fair market value and I went to pick up the check. Keep in mind that all of your gear can be considered property too if they were damaged in any way. Many ins companies (state farm and progressive) will happily pay for a new helmet and have you turn your old one in. It is a liability if you get into an accident in the future and the helmet proves to be faulty at all.

Bodily injury can take longer. This is where they have to get med recs from all of the dr's you see. It can also be an area of "pain and suffering" issues where you can dispute the amount of the payout. There are more "grey" areas here.

I had similar experience. Just finshed settling with geico over the accident i got in last Nov.

Property was easy. They had an adjuster out within two days. I had a check for the bike within a week. (they totaled it)

Medical, I had to pay my doc out of pocket as well as the X-rays. They offered me a settlement of my doc bills plus $900 (pain and suffering) I told them I wouldn't accept less than bills plus $1K. They jumped on that. I guess i shoulda negotiated harder but i'm just glad to get the ordeal behind me.

Don't let them dictate what doc you see. Go to yours. Get him to document every last bump and bruise, even if it seems small. Good luck.

[cptschlongenheimer]

Keep in mind that all of your gear can be considered property too if they were damaged in any way. Many ins companies (state farm and progressive) will happily pay for a new helmet and have you turn your old one in. It is a liability if you get into an accident in the future and the helmet proves to be faulty at all.

Forgot to mention they paid me $75 for my 5 y/o helmet.

[Jtigger]

Dave if you let your insurance pay it out and then fight with the other company for reimbursement than you have a claim on your insurance history which could lead to higher rates for you in the future and affects you if you were to move companies later on. When I was hit I used our insurance to get the estimates and then sent it on to the at fault parties insurance to start negotiating the settlement as my car was totaled. Even though I had a claim number and used my insurances' adjuster since they didn't write a check for the damages it doesn't reflect negatively on our policy.

Our insurance offers cashback for every 3 yr period you are claim free and most companies offer some sort of claimfree discounts so it's better to have the claim on her policy only and not "pay" for her mistake for years to come by having it on your insurance record.

[Cap'n Crunch]

Glad our ok, man. Good thing you got a spare bike.

[OUTLAWD]

Dave, get a hold of Erin.. She is an adjuster and deals with this everyday. From what I remember by listening to her end of day venting period is you shouldn't go through your own insurance. It's her fault and as long as her insurance claims liability they will pay for everything. Don't make a $500 mistake by being rash.

If you don't have her info then contact me.

claim on claimas

yeah, I called my agent to see what SOP should be, she told me to go straight to them, because my full coverage wouldn't cover medical and I'd pay my deductable

Don't let them dictate what doc you see. Go to yours. Get him to document every last bump and bruise, even if it seems small. Good luck.

I saw the campus Dr. today and got xrays...nothing is broken, just probably bruised the bone. I called her company to start the claim process, mentioning injury did seem to get a different reaction...

Dave if you let your insurance pay it out and then fight with the other company for reimbursement than you have a claim on your insurance history which could lead to higher rates for you in the future and affects you if you were to move companies later on. When I was hit I used our insurance to get the estimates and then sent it on to the at fault parties insurance to start negotiating the settlement as my car was totaled. Even though I had a claim number and used my insurances' adjuster since they didn't write a check for the damages it doesn't reflect negatively on our policy.

Our insurance offers cashback for every 3 yr period you are claim free and most companies offer some sort of claimfree discounts so it's better to have the claim on her policy only and not "pay" for her mistake for years to come by having it on your insurance record.

good to know...my driving record is spotless, and I'd like to keep it that way.

[OUTLAWD]

well, a month later, they get back to me...saying the bike is a total loss. and offer me ~200 over KBB trade in and ~1500 under KBB retail. I know I can't base everything off KBB, but I recently found something comparable locally for ~5100, and they offered me ~3400...and that is with my $1000 exhaust...

Is this what I should expect, or should I haggle? They pretty much totalled it for what it would cost to have a dealer fix it!

[salsashark]

never take the first offer... show them comparable bikes for sale to replace what you lost and what you've been paying insurance for.

[Ricky]

Always remember something. If it hadn't been for the accident, your bike wouldn't be damaged. Insurance is to restore the bike to the condition it was in before the accident. That means that the little blemish on your can, DAMN WELL better be fucking covered. And if it's not, you just threaten to call a lawyer. They don't want people getting lawyers involved.

Just remind the other insurance company that "If if weren't for your client, I wouldn't be in this position". They need to restore your bike to pre-accident condition. It's not your fault, so why should you have to pay for it with a blemish you'll notice every single day?

That said, keep haggling them on the replacement value. If you can't replace it for the amount they gave you, then you are not to pre-accident state.