Renewing bike insurance with ongoing claim

growse · 8 Aug 2015 at 13:07

I was knocked off about a month back, I was slowly filtering down the right hand side of some stationary traffic when a car turning right from a minor road on the left pulled out and into the side of me. In theory, this is fairly cut and dry, but the drivers insurers have a policy of disputing liability in all cases where there is filtering. The repairers are repairing my bike under my insurance while it's being argued about, and the lawyers and lawyering.

My insurance is up for renewal on the 21st, and my insurers have quoted £9,100 to renew it. I'm somewhat miffed, as even looking around comparison websites, no-one wants to quote while there's an ongoing claim.

Given how wonderfully slow legal processes take, what's my best option for getting insurance? Are there any specialists out there who deal with this sort of thing?

wazza300 · 8 Aug 2015 at 13:20

How do courtesy bikes work? Do they run off your policy or insurers till your claim is all sorted? Other than that idk how you'd get on

growse · 8 Aug 2015 at 13:22

Hire bike is fully covered for by whoever's paying for it (third party in this case). I'll have my bike back hopefully within a week, and then I've got to figure out how to insure it. Also, getting my bike back doesn't mean the claim is resolved

wazza300 · 8 Aug 2015 at 13:26

Ask them if you can keep the courtesy bike till your claim is resolved

growse · 8 Aug 2015 at 13:36

wazza300 said:
Ask them if you can keep the courtesy bike till your claim is resolved

Already in the t&c's of the hire bike - I get it until my bike is fixed + 7 days.

Flack88 · 8 Aug 2015 at 18:06

£9,100.....Gotta love those scam artists.......I mean insurance companies.

Tefal · 8 Aug 2015 at 22:32

in the same kind boat but my bike was write off.

while the claim is on going its counted as 100% fault and the total cost of the claim for both parties (so your costs + injury etc + his costs etc)

Flack88 · 8 Aug 2015 at 22:49

Tefal said:
in the same kind boat but my bike was write off.

while the claim is on going its counted as 100% fault and the total cost of the claim for both parties (so your costs + injury etc + his costs etc)

Thats mental, when I had my major car crash in 2010 it was ongoing for several months. Then took over 2 1/2 years to get my compensation.

growse · 9 Aug 2015 at 10:47

Flack88 said:
Thats mental, when I had my major car crash in 2010 it was ongoing for several months. Then took over 2 1/2 years to get my compensation.

This. When the legal teams get going, there's not telling how long this could go on for, so it's looking like I can't get insurance until it's all resolved. In that case, I might as well just sell up and use the money for something I can actually get some value out of.

Tefal · 9 Aug 2015 at 14:29

growse said:
This. When the legal teams get going, there's not telling how long this could go on for, so it's looking like I can't get insurance until it's all resolved. In that case, I might as well just sell up and use the money for something I can actually get some value out of.

have you got any other transport at least?

i'm stuck with nothing now

fortunately i live just down the road from a lad on my section and on the same shifts as me so i can get to work but its bloody annoying

growse · 9 Aug 2015 at 19:34

It was my commuting method, so now I've got to pay £16 a day on the train.

And I can't even recoup that cost from the claim.

Tefal · 9 Aug 2015 at 19:41

what bike have you got?

wazza300 · 9 Aug 2015 at 20:25

pickup a dirt cheap 125 to tide you over?

swampy · 9 Aug 2015 at 21:32

after my accident few years ago
when I used the go compare websites I just put the date of accident and £0 as I didn't no nothingand still don't.
I hit another biker and broke his leg, happen 2011

all my quotes since then have been ok and this year my insurance was cheaper

the bike I had the accident was sold after I got it repaired

TripleT · 10 Aug 2015 at 08:33

You hit another biker?

Expand please haha!

growse · 10 Aug 2015 at 11:42

Tefal said:
what bike have you got?

Speed triple is what I normally ride.

wazza300 said:
pickup a dirt cheap 125 to tide you over?

I could do, but my commute is 25 miles each way down a 70mph dual carriageway, and sometimes 37 miles each way. Not so fun on a 125. Would work though.

swampy · 10 Aug 2015 at 13:53

i was going down the coast and I took a corner too fast and coming outter the bend round the corner a gang of hells angels looking guys had slowed down letting a car pull out from a pub.. 2 harley and a trike infront and more harleys in front.
I couldnt slow down in time so tried going in between them in the middle of road) and my footpeg caught his leg side number plate .
My bike had just been fitted with brand new pads brake lines tyres and rearsets. 100 odd miles beforehand, the brakes just didnt have the power and too fast completely my fault.
when I hit him my bike turned sharp right striaght across the road in front of an on coming car and I hit a small gpo conrete post damaged the front wheel and forks tyre, I didn't drop my bike though yamaha r1 2010
we all stopped outside the pub about 10 massive hells angles looking guys
they were really nice

MowyTone · 10 Aug 2015 at 15:22

I'm surprised they go that mad on quotes as even if the blame is laid on you your premiums won't be anything like that high. I don't see why you couldn't get the £16 a day back as loss of earnings due to their actions?

growse · 10 Aug 2015 at 16:03

MowyTone said:
I'm surprised they go that mad on quotes as even if the blame is laid on you your premiums won't be anything like that high. I don't see why you couldn't get the £16 a day back as loss of earnings due to their actions?

I'd only be able to claim money back for having to make alternative arrangements while my bike is being repaired. Once I get bike back, as far as they're concerned, there's no more liability for day-to-day costs. It doesn't matter if I can't insure it, because that's a future problem. Otherwise in any non-fault accident, you could claim for 'future cost of higher premiums'.

I'm going to try and get quotes with the bike as completely stock (I feel the crash bungs / heated grips / exhaust end which declared as 'mods' are significantly pushing the price up) and see where that gets me after some arguing. At the moment, I'd be happy to get it below £1000.

Tefal · 10 Aug 2015 at 16:07

growse said:
I'd only be able to claim money back for having to make alternative arrangements while my bike is being repaired. Once I get bike back, as far as they're concerned, there's no more liability for day-to-day costs. It doesn't matter if I can't insure it, because that's a future problem. Otherwise in any non-fault accident, you could claim for 'future cost of higher premiums'.

I'm going to try and get quotes with the bike as completely stock (I feel the crash bungs / heated grips / exhaust end which declared as 'mods' are significantly pushing the price up) and see where that gets me after some arguing. At the moment, I'd be happy to get it below £1000.

Yep this guy's insurance screwed me out of the hire bike by payout "without predudice " ie here's the value of your bike you can go buy a new one but we art admitting liability if you're found to be at fault well take some or all of the money back.

Was looking at getting a blackbird or maybe a sprint 1050.

Think they'll be extortinate now though.

What's a very low insurance group bike good for plugging away hundred so miles of motorway?