Yeti
new member
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 1
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I was unfortunately hit by an SUV last week which did a bunch of damage to my Tetra and a little bit to me as well. A quote was completed by my LBS for the damage. The insurance adjuster however has come back to me saying they looked up online prices for parts and its much cheaper. Am I obligated to take the online price quotes over the LBS prices? Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience with insurance adjusters.
Thanks
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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It sounds like the other person was at fault. If that's the case, their insurance company has little leverage over you. You should would stand firm and insist that your LBS is an authorized dealer/repairer and that's where you want it fixed. If your Chevrolet was damaged in a accident, you would insist, rightly, that it be fixed at an authorized dealer with parts from them, no from over the internet.
If you have auto insurance, you should contact your company. In many cases, the repairs and doctor's bills are handled through your insurance and the money is collected from the other insurance company. In other words your insurance represents and works for you. This is common.
Regarding medical bills; sign NOTHING until you and your doctor are satisfied that all things have been taken care of and there are no future problems looming. If there are going to be legitimate medical problems in the future, that should be part of the settlement. Also if there may be future problems, legal advice would be a good thing.
Insurance companies often try to play hard when it comes to making settlements with injured parties, i.e. try to save money. Don't let them bully you if you have a legitimate claim. You are the one who has been wronged and are injured, and you are entitled to be made whole again
Good luck. I hope things work out for you, and your recovery is speedy.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
Edited by Dave_Thompson (01/22/04 04:13 PM)
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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All I can tell you is an experience I had on my homeowners sold to me by a good "friend." Without going into details they were only going to pay 1/2 of the amount I paid for repairs. They stood firm. I then found out what they were doing was illegal as I had full replacment value. I called and said my complaint to the state insurance commission was going to be hand delivered by my reps office and put on top of the pile for immediate consideration. I had a check the next day.
Moral of the story. Never ever trust an insurance company.
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SpinDoc
friend
Reged: 12/24/03
Posts: 35
Loc: Columbus,Ohio
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Heh I had the exact opposite Lon. I have Sate Farm and after my nasty wreck last year in which I snapped the bike in two, not only did I get full coverage but I had to send money back. They gave me almost 700 extra dollars! I was only on a renters policy at the time and I still got full coverage. If a car was involved there's no question it is completely covered.
If they want to take the time to look up prices onlne, are thoy going to find you a private professional mechanic that will build it up for you? Most retailers won't do business with parts not from their store...certainly not if you've ordered a ton of online stuff and kept them out of the retail loop. It's the same with Car mechanics, you might find the part cheaper but if you want them to work on it you have to allow them to use their suppliers. Try walking ina Jiffy Lube with a filter and getting them to put it on, they won't do it. LBS' would be the same with a full buildup.
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Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
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Many years ago, my wife and I were cycling one Friday night on a group ride. She was feeling good and was out in front. A Porsche was coming the other direction and decided to take a left in front of her. It was like slow motion as they both turned and collided. Her front wheel hit the side of the car, she went over the roof and down the back side and hit the pavement with her butt. No major damage to her. The wheel was fine, the front fork was trashed. The Porsche had a nice gouge by the quick release.
Bottom line, the car insurance paid for all repairs, what the shop charged. She also trashed a riding suit and helmet. Got that taken care of, no questions asked. She also got $5000 out of them for pain and suffering. Apparently the driver had just come from someone's house where he had a few drinks. Not drunk, but I don't think he wanted to go there. He was also nice and was a cyclist himself (or so he says) and called to make sure she was recovering.
The bottom line is you have the car insurance company by the balls. Make sure you get full replacement to your satisfaction of everything, including medical. I would not harp on the medical. Get your legit bills covered and make sure you don't have permanent injuries, then go after them for pain and suffering. You don't want to get a lawyer involved, but you want them to think you might, even if you don't explicitly mention it. The bottom line is to get them scared, and then they will make you an offer. If not, make them an offer. Say $10K. They won't pay, but work them for want you can. If they offer first, double it. Try to settle the deal on the first call. They want to clear the case and move on. You have more leverage if it is completely the car's fault. You should be able to get $2k - $3k without breaking a sweat. What they don't want are the legal expenses of having to fight a court case. Once you get a lawyer, they will not give anything, not one cent. Before you get a lawyer, they will deal just to clear it and get it out of the way. You will have to sign that you will not sue them later. Also, if you don't get a lawyer, you keep 100%. A lawyer will want 30-50% min and advise you that you can get a lot more. Don't believe them.
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