Insurance Problem, any suggestions?

[rodgerd]

This is my first claim, so I'm just wondering is this normal? Oh, I'll pay an excess to everyone who replies, since I'm paying so many to state, and I'm so broke anyway, won't make much of a fucking difference.

I've seriously had enough of this crap.

It didn't for me: when I got knocked off, the insurance covered the new helmets for my wife and I, no questions, no seperate excess, no arguments. It helped that someone else was at fault, I guess, since my company wasn't paying.

I'm with FMI, though. Given that they quoted $250/year less than State, and would insure against theft and vandalism (which State wouldn't) when I last rung around, perhaps it's just that State are a pack of cunts.

[bungbung]

Some bike policies specifically cover some riding gear, helmets and such. Some exclude riding gear. It varies from place to place and can be optional.

Read your fine print to determine whether you are covereds under your bike policy. As you are likely to be claiming on two seperate policies, then you get to pay two sets of excessii.

Unfortunately your policy document outweighs whatever your telephone gimp told you.

I had a car policy once with one excess for damage to my car and another excess payable for damage to anyone elses...in addition to the first.

[Marmoot]

and sometimes it goes down to the arguments you present to them.

For that "necessary equipment" issue, argue that "the situation is similar to seatbelts in cars in the way that jacket/helmet provides safety issue as seatbelts in cars. In saying that jacket/helmet is not a requirements in riding a bike that person is also saying that seatbelts are not required as well and will not be covered in policy. Is this how your company views the issue? I am sure it is not, and hence I think you should agree that jacket/helmet is an integral part of motorcycling".

I've done that with my missing helmet when the insurer argues that "it would be prudent for him to carry his helmet with him and not just leave it hanging on the bike". I said "if that is the policy, then it will be a bad precedent as you would argue it would be prudent for me to carry my wardrobe with me all the time should I claim it as being stolen, and everybody knows it is not possible for me to carry my wardrobe all the time especially when I am going to the toilet". They yielded and replaced my $400 AGV Q3 with brand new $1200 AGV XVent.....

[matthewt]

Matthewt: have you been on the x-box again???

Nah, anything up to 1am is normal lights out for me. After 1am then probably, Anita's away until Sunday night so I feel a few xBox sessions coming on (should give me time to clear out my current game before Halo2 is released). On a slightly related note I played the MotoGP game and thought it was crap. Their idea of making a fast 180 degree turn is to lock up the front and turn the bike around. Once you master that you get a bonus point for braking "ability". I'm sure the SAS guys probably think the combat games are rubbish as well.

[Oscar]

One of the reasons some people are getting helmets etc paid out is due to the fact that they were not to blame in the crash. In these cases it's not your insurer paying, it's the other guy's. If you are not at fault, and your own insurer isn't interested in your stuffed gear, have a go at the third party driver directly through small claims.