Insurance Claiming

[Morcs]

Well heres the guts of my predicament:

Last week (and to cut a short story shorter) my mates dad backed into my bike, knocking it over with a bit of force.

Theres about $1500 worth of damage, but i could fix it up for $300...
Anyways, my mates old man says his insurance will cover it, so he orders the claim form blah blah blah...

I quickly get things moving by shoving the bike on a trailer and dropping it off at a shop to do a quote, and wait for an assessor.

After the beautiful weekend i am fed up without a bike, so I ring The shop saying I want to pay to make it rideable (just needs a clutch lever and indicator to ride) and ill pay for it, and i can be using the bike whilst the insurance company does what they do best: nothing at all.

The shop then turn around and say I cant have my bike back until an accessor has seen it, and knowing what insurance companys are like, im in for a long wait :(

So, anyone know the correct course of proceedings in an insurance claim, timescale etc.. - my first incident in the UK, spent 3 months bikeless, arguing everyday with a legal company working for me, and the insurance company and oh... i cant be fecked going through all that again...

Pete

[Wasp]

my insurance claim went sweet besides the delay.

wait..... wheres my cheque? uh oh..... :bleh:

good luck, what insurance co?

[Macktheknife]

Insurance assessor will usually check it out within a week and then claim processed within a couple after that. Depends on who the insurance company is. Good luck.
You could always ask for a loaner in the mean time.

[bobsmith]

Hmm.... with bikes they tend to take their time from what I've heard.

With my last bike, the bike shop took my bike the day after my accident and it was 4 weeks before the assessor finally looked at it and wrote it off. then another 2 weeks until I got paid.... just bloody brillient...

[Morcs]

The company is Vero, ive just spoken to them.

Apparently they have to have recieved and processed the claim (will take 1 week no doubt), then they send me a third party claim form (will take another week), and then they have to recieve and process that (another week)
then they organise the assessor (another week), then they mull over that for a week, then they give the go ahead, the shop orders the parts required from Japan (2 weeks probably) then a week to fix, then probably wont be able to pick up the bike until a cheque has been recieved (2 weeks).

So from my calculations (based on previous experience) I will get my bike back fixed in approximately 9 weeks time.

So ive said to the shop i want to pick it up tomorrow, rideable and i shall pay the bill for that, then the insurance company can take their time, whilst im out riding.

Oh and a loaner would no doubt be a GN, not a chance in hell am i riding one of those - and yes beggers cant be choosers, but a GN... christ..

[lukelin250]

good luck with the claim dude,insurance companys are such assholes ,you pay them so much money cause you have to have some protection,then most of the time they wont ever pay out and when they do they make you wait forever. hold tight and hopefully they give you a bussa for the loaner ahahha :scooter:

[Grahameeboy]

good luck with the claim dude,insurance companys are such assholes ,you pay them so much money cause you have to have some protection,then most of the time they wont ever pay out and when they do they make you wait forever. hold tight and hopefully they give you a bussa for the loaner ahahha :scooter:

Mmmm...bike not Insured.......saying Insurance Firms are arseholes is an unfair generalisation...........bit like cop bashing.

No reeason why you cannot pay for temp repairs as long as parts are retained and then get an WOP assessor pending completion of claim form. You can argue you are saving a loss of use claim which some Insurance Firms will try and argue but is a valid claim considered by Courts.

[Wasp]

hey! ive ridden a gn for a couple of days before while my bike was in the shop getting work done - they're actually not all that bad!

[McJim]

We should all count our blessings at being in New Zealand - insurance is not legally mandatory so if you don't like it - don't use it and pay for all your repairs yourselves. Back in the UK you don't have a choice so the insurance companies REALLY shaft you. I've knew a bloke bought a car for GBP1,000 and the lowest quote (out of 17 insurance companies) was GBP3,500 for 3rd Party only.

Why? Coz he was 18 years old and had foolishly bought a 1.6L car (Big engined in UK) he was advised to buy a 1.0L car like all the other 18 year olds so he would only have to pay GBP1,000 per year to drive it.

He had the car 3 days before he managed to sell it...at a loss.

I'm insured through Tower and was knocked off my bike by an uninsured driver - unfortunately my policy was 3rd Party - which didn't cover me for getting creamed by uninsured drivers - I therefore had to fix the bike myself at my own expense HOWEVER the nice people at tower than advised that if any clothing had been damaged in the incident my home contents would cover that - Helmet, Leather Jacket, Cordura Trousers and a pair of boots had got wasted saving my fat arse so went back to the shop I bought them from and got the prices submitted to Tower - a week later I'm fully reimbursed for the cost of the items.

So there are some good stories out there.

Are you absolutely sure they'll give you a GN 250 as a loaner? Did you ask? A lot of shops will give out some 300 year old 4cyl jap 250cc with 1,000,000km on the clock - but since that's what people are paying big bucks for these days that should be alright! :rofl:

Best of luck - hope it all gets resolved soon.

[Grahameeboy]

We should all count our blessings at being in New Zealand - insurance is not legally mandatory so if you don't like it - don't use it and pay for all your repairs yourselves. Back in the UK you don't have a choice so the insurance companies REALLY shaft you. I've knew a bloke bought a car for GBP1,000 and the lowest quote (out of 17 insurance companies) was GBP3,500 for 3rd Party only.

Why? Coz he was 18 years old and had foolishly bought a 1.6L car (Big engined in UK) he was advised to buy a 1.0L car like all the other 18 year olds so he would only have to pay GBP1,000 per year to drive it.

He had the car 3 days before he managed to sell it...at a loss.

I'm insured through Tower and was knocked off my bike by an uninsured driver - unfortunately my policy was 3rd Party - which didn't cover me for getting creamed by uninsured drivers - I therefore had to fix the bike myself at my own expense
.

Most Car policies cover upto $3,000 if TP is not insured but not sure whether same benefit applies to Bike insurance..worth checking as I know guys in claims who do not tell Insured's of this benefit.

[Grahameeboy]

Under Vehicle Insurance I cut and paste this from Towers site

'Up to $3,000 cover for accidental damage caused to your vehicle by an uninsured driver who can be identified and is proven to be totally at fault'

[Shaun]

I do a lot of Insurance repair work on bikes from all over the North Island, I just drive and pick them up and bring them back to my W/Shop in New plymouth for repair.

The longest it has ever taken me to get the bike back to the customer was 23 days, and that was with parts that had to come from Japan.

The thing with Insurance repair work to a lot of shops is this, It is gauranteed work for them when and if the W/Shop gets low with work, so the day to day customer stuff keeps coming in whilst the guaranteed payment Insurance job sits in the back waiting for a rainy day.

Remember, you the customer have the choice of who and where you take your bike to for this kind of work

[slimjim]

yup and as shaun has said, you are the customer, and you are not the claiment, so the third party claim , tell them to shove it.......... wasn't your fault and as the other party has applied the "i Was In The Wrong" put your foot down, and tell them if its not sorted quicker, you shall be requiring a loaner, at their cost, as they don't really want extra cost to this claim,

[Morcs]

Im not insured, only had the bike 3 weeks and just hadnt got round to sorting it out...

My first bike was a 50cc scooter, Third party insurance cost me 643 pounds (over $1800)...

Anyways, went to pick up bike today, the clutch lever supplied didnt fit.. they obviously didnt match it up with the original one.. duh!

So picking up tomorrow, and will try and fix/touch up as much as i can.

As for insurance company bashing, once bitten and all that, last claim left me bikeless for 3 months.

[JimO]

Im not insured, only had the bike 3 weeks and just hadnt got round to sorting it out...

My first bike was a 50cc scooter, Third party insurance cost me 643 pounds (over $1800)...

Anyways, went to pick up bike today, the clutch lever supplied didnt fit.. they obviously didnt match it up with the original one.. duh!

So picking up tomorrow, and will try and fix/touch up as much as i can.

As for insurance company bashing, once bitten and all that, last claim left me bikeless for 3 months.


GOOD JOB YOU DIDNT TBONE A NEW BMW OR MERC OR ANY NEW CAR IF IT WAS YOUR FAULT THE INSURANCE COMPANYS WOULD BE AFTER THE MONEY FOR EVER.....THEY NEVER GIVE UP

[Jantar]

Im not insured, only had the bike 3 weeks and just hadnt got round to sorting it out....
In that case you have the upper hand, as you don't have to deal with any insurance company. The person who damaged your bike is your mate's dad, and he is the one who is responsible to see it is fixed properly. Simply tell the bike shop to fix it. You then send the bill to your mate's dad.

In cases like this it is up to driver at fault to sort it out with his insurance company. You can claim for all sorts of things including damage to gear, additional transportation costs etc. Who pays at the end is not your problem, that's between the driver at fault and his insurance company. You may need to pay initially, but you can recover all costs.

[lukelin250]

GOOD JOB YOU DIDNT TBONE A NEW BMW OR MERC OR ANY NEW CAR IF IT WAS YOUR FAULT THE INSURANCE COMPANYS WOULD BE AFTER THE MONEY FOR EVER.....THEY NEVER GIVE UP

thats why im not a fan of insurance companys. when i was 18 i pulled out of a driveway and didnt see the brand new BMW M3 that crossed my path wiped out the side of it. now my insurance had run out by 8 days,this should be covered by a grace period but my insurance company scammed there way out of it leaving me with 25000 dollers worth of repairs to the M3. ill be paying that off for a longggg time. Insurance is important,but i still dont feel all that safe having it. end of rant

[JimO]

insurance wont make you feel safe but it will make you feel rich if you have a nock thats your fault, prime example a young guy liberachied my last work hilux , bent the back bumper, no paint or glass involved, cost him $1500 to fix it my insurance fixed it and chased him for the money

[jetboy]

Usually your insurer and that of your mate's dad would liase amongst themselves - it is up to them to sort it out. As long as you fulfill your requirements as per your policy wording (there is usually a section stating what you must do in the event of a claim) then it should be up to the insurers to sort it out.

Bear in mind that the insurers need certain information to satisfy their claims policy and this can often be held up with an assessor, repairer, parts etc. You should feel free to contact the insurer and enquire about the status of the claim, what's happening and what's left to do.

If you were with a broker (like me) then it is the broker's responsibility to ensure the claim runs as efficiently as possible.

As for insurance making you feel safe: I'd personally rather not ride/drive uninsured, not necessarily for my vehicle (my cage is a useless POS) but in the event that I do hit that $350,000 Merc, or miss that turn and plough into someones house. And who's to say that the guy who may knock you off your bike has insurance? If he doesn't you'd be left with a bill for damage you didn't even cause.

[Oscar]

thats why im not a fan of insurance companys. when i was 18 i pulled out of a driveway and didnt see the brand new BMW M3 that crossed my path wiped out the side of it. now my insurance had run out by 8 days,this should be covered by a grace period but my insurance company scammed there way out of it leaving me with 25000 dollers worth of repairs to the M3. ill be paying that off for a longggg time. Insurance is important,but i still dont feel all that safe having it. end of rant

Why should your insurer give you a "grace" period?
Do you play a "grace" premium?

One minute yer bagging them for not living up to their side of the contract and next you're saying that you shouldn't have to live up to your side (i.e. pay the premium). Being as how premiums are based on claims paid, why do think my premiums should subsidise your stupidity?

[McJim]

Under Vehicle Insurance I cut and paste this from Towers site

'Up to $3,000 cover for accidental damage caused to your vehicle by an uninsured driver who can be identified and is proven to be totally at fault'

That was only if I could have afforded fully comprehensive cover - the best I could manage was "Thrifty" 3rd Party, fire and theft - which, when I asked, did not cover me for being knocked off by uninsured parties.

[Morcs]

Got the bike back today, finally got the right clutch lever on, and didnt charge me for fitting (couldve done it myself but couldnt be arsed)

Perfect weather for riding today, lane splitting on the north western in this wind..:gob:

Ive just got to resist temptation of fixing her up myself, although riding a bike with scrapes on is very painful indeed, nothing short of mint will do..

Oh and i must avoid binning it... Ive gone 3 years without a bin.. now wouldnt be a good time.

Ill be at the Big boys toys show tomorrow, stand 643, if anyone is there, pop and over and give me a holla

:rockon:

[Jonny Rotten]

That was only if I could have afforded fully comprehensive cover - the best I could manage was "Thrifty" 3rd Party, fire and theft - which, when I asked, did not cover me for being knocked off by uninsured parties.


Most Car policies cover upto $3,000 if TP is not insured but not sure whether same benefit applies to Bike insurance..worth checking as I know guys in claims who do not tell Insured's of this benefit.

i was insured with tower when someone ran into the back of me......i only had third party and the guy who ran into me was uninsured..... my insurance company told me that because he was up to 75% in the wrong i would be paid out up to $3000 dollars and they would chase him for the money.

aweek later i had my money from tower and one year after that i had to make an apperance in court with my insurance company to tell the judge in my own words what happened in the crash.....(because the guy was debating he was in the wrong)

in the end the judge threw the case out (lack of witnesses) but i still got paid out

[crazybigal]

blasphemy!!!!


hey! ive ridden a gn for a couple of days before while my bike was in the shop getting work done - they're actually not all that bad!

[Grahameeboy]

That was only if I could have afforded fully comprehensive cover - the best I could manage was "Thrifty" 3rd Party, fire and theft - which, when I asked, did not cover me for being knocked off by uninsured parties.

R u sure only that was cut and pastes from the TPFT cover? You may want to double check because if you had Full cover there would be no $3,OOO limit.

[Grahameeboy]

i was insured with tower when someone ran into the back of me......i only had third party and the guy who ran into me was uninsured..... my insurance company told me that because he was up to 75% in the wrong i would be paid out up to $3000 dollars and they would chase him for the money.

aweek later i had my money from tower and one year after that i had to make an apperance in court with my insurance company to tell the judge in my own words what happened in the crash.....(because the guy was debating he was in the wrong)

in the end the judge threw the case out (lack of witnesses) but i still got paid out

I tried to tell him so thanks for the extra support...........

[Motig]

I dont understand how you can take the bike when it has still to be seen by an assessor. Surely the company can refuse to payout citing that as they do not know what was damaged before it was removed from the shop how to they know that you haven't damaged it again and are making a false claim? And if his insurance company refuses to fix it on those grounds why should the father, friends or not, pay. After all hes done everything right by you so its not his fault if you muck it up with impatience. I'm not saying this will happen but it could be a possibility perhaps. Anyone here know if thats possible?

[Morcs]

I have photographs, also colemans have quoted. Any damage that both myself and colemans have missed on our assessments will just have to lump it!

[jetboy]

I dont understand how you can take the bike when it has still to be seen by an assessor. Surely the company can refuse to payout citing that as they do not know what was damaged before it was removed from the shop how to they know that you haven't damaged it again and are making a false claim? And if his insurance company refuses to fix it on those grounds why should the father, friends or not, pay. After all hes done everything right by you so its not his fault if you muck it up with impatience. I'm not saying this will happen but it could be a possibility perhaps. Anyone here know if thats possible?
I know of a total loss claim which was settled in 5 days, but the client wanted a different colour bike which extended the settlement by another week or two. So yeah, sometimes the client can hold up a claim....