Just had my first contact with another vehicle in NZ, now looking for advice

[Eng_dave]

Hi, been riding only a couple of months here in NZ I knew it was only a matter of time before someone got a touch on me.
Here is what happened I was proceeding down a road following a white van. I know, should have been more cautious. He pulled over to the left and slowed down as if parking. I go into over take when he puts indicator on last minute and goes to do a fecking U turn. Clips the bike sends me flying and does quite a lot of damage to the bike IE: Brake pedal broke/ Gear pedal on other side of road, Scratches etc etc. I'm fine just got heavy bruising to the legs. But kid who hits me is in a work vehicle and his boss doesn't insure him. I have no insurance either. But if I'm right its his drivers responsibility. So I shouldn't have to pay a thing right? I'm from England so I'm used to just letting the Insurance companies duke it out not me. I have one eye witness got his details but didn't involve the police. Is this going to go against me?

[Eng_dave]

Any advice is welcome... Realy unsure of what to do next bike is in the shop and I think this guy will want to fight me on the payment.

[Mom]

You have no insurance, ergo, you have no reliance on "I'm used to just letting the Insurance companies duke it out not me". No further comment from me on that score.

Sorry dude. Best you can do is talk to the drivers boss. The vehicle owner should have insurance to cover anyone driving, or he is also fool

Go and get a quote for the damage repair, present it for payment to the vehicle owner, if he wont play the game, small claims court is your next step.

Uninsured drivers/riders suck!

[Gubb]

Go to the cops. He was in the wrong for not checking the road before performing a U-turn.

The kid will need to fork out the money if he's not insured.

[BIGBOSSMAN]

No compulsory insurance in this banana republic dude, it's in the lap of the gods now.
Bastard eh!!

[Eng_dave]

shit small claims court or police are my only options feck. That's really not good. Getting A quote from mnt eden motorcycles tomorrow hopefully. See what the boss says.

[Eng_dave]

i have insurance on the cage but never got round to putting it onto the bike mother fecker

[DingoZ]

All vehicle accidents are to be reported to the police.

If there is injury or dispute over details at the time of the accident, ring the police and they attend the scene to take details.

If there is no injury or dispute over fault. Both parties are required by law to report to their nearest police station within 48 hrs to complete a vehicle accident report. They can then follow up with all parties and if necessary press charges.

So my advice, go to your nearest station and report the accident. They can advise you on what the best course of action is...

[Duke girl]

Dont understand why you didnt report it to the cops especially if you are the innocent party?. And as for the guy that hit you, his Boss should have had insurance on his vehicle especially seeing that his workers are the 1's driving them. Typical of another driver doing a U-Turn in front of a motorcyclists. Seems to be happening alot lately.

[slofox]

Wot DingoZ sez.......get thee to a coppery....

[McJim]

There is a book - best you throw it at him.

Contact the police and give them full particulars of the incident, the eye witness and your injuries.

Send him an itemised bill for ALL repairs (this creates a book debt which you will need later).

When he doesn't pay you can then raise a claim through the courts for recovery of the money.

Hopefully the weight of the eyewitness, police report and acc claim will allow you to win your claim and have the debt recognised otherwised you just wasted money on the claim...this is a real gamble.

Then if he has no money you may only get instalment payments or he may have other debts and declare bankruptcy.

Painful lesson to learn - Best get insured for the next time. New Zealand is a bit of a "Seat of your pants" country I'm afraid. They don't tell you that at the expo in Earls Court do they? (Come to NZ, Come to NZ, Come to NZ...and then when you get here it's Fuck off back to blighty )

[Eng_dave]

going ring the coppers now cheers

[Road Guardian]

Road code says (sorry can't stop quoting it) any collision involving injuries/damage must be reported to a police officer within 24hrs of the collision.

Good luck anyway

[klingon]

Go to the cops. He was in the wrong for not checking the road before performing a U-turn...

All vehicle accidents are to be reported to the police.

If there is injury or dispute over details at the time of the accident, ring the police and they attend the scene to take details.

If there is no injury or dispute over fault. Both parties are required by law to report to their nearest police station within 48 hrs to complete a vehicle accident report. They can then follow up with all parties and if necessary press charges.

So my advice, go to your nearest station and report the accident. They can advise you on what the best course of action is...

Road code says (sorry can't stop quoting it) any collision involving injuries/damage must be reported to a police officer within 24hrs of the collision...

These are interesting points, and I hope it goes better for Eng_dave than it did for me.

I was hit from behind at a stop sign when I stopped and the car behind me didn't. We exchanged details at the scene. My priority at the time was to get my bike towed somewhere safe, then after that went to the A&E and found I had fractured ribs, severe bruising, a damaged eye, etc.

Within 24 hours I made a full written statement about what happened and dropped in to my local cop shop. They refused to even accept my statement. They said that because the other person & I had exchanged details, it was now a civil case and had nothing to do with them. It didn't matter that I had been injured.

My policy is now if I'm ever (touch wood) involved in another crash while on my bike, I will always call the police. Chances are I will have some kind of injury, even if I don't know it at the time, which makes it compulsory for both parties to stay at the scene until the police arrive. That way if the other party disputes liability later, there will be the evidence of statements taken at the scene.

Good luck Dave.

[BMWST?]

a teh others have said...by law any injury accident must be referred to police within 24 hrs,property damage 48 hrs...I would be amazed if the business has not got 3rd party insurance at least...