accident.

[hls158]

I've been a member on here for about 4 months but lost all my login details so i've made a new account.
I was involved in an accident on my scooter last week, in my eyes i was incredibly lucky and managed to come out of it with only a few broken/bruised ribs, concussion and pain in my back and neck, nothing too gory thank god. The lady who hit me admitted it was her fault straight away after 'she didn't see me' even though she'd already nearly hit me a minute before changing lanes with no indicator. I have a few questions, firstly how long should it take for the insurance company to instruct me on where to take the scooter to be checked? it was in storage after being towed from the scene but I was told by my insurance company to take it out the day after, so its sat in my garden at the moment. Although i'm not sure if they had someone look at it in the time it was in the compound because I didn't know what damage was done to the scooter (i couldn't bring myself to look at it at the scene) but the company said it sounded like a write off? it doesn't look too bad really, not what i'd expect a write off to look like. Also the police let the driver go straight away claiming it was 'one of those things' yet my insurance company reckon she was driving without due care and attention (i agree) i'm pretty sure if it had been the other way around they'd have given me a rougher time about it. And lastly how do I go about getting back on a scooter? The thought of it is pretty scary and i feel relived it might be a while until it's all sorted. I was just getting to the point where i felt comfortable on the scooter and was enjoying it so much and now this, sorry for the long post, i've attached a picture of the worst bit of damage. Many thanks.

[you you]

Have they chucked it in a flatbed? That'll have caused almost as much financial damage

[hls158]

The insurance company and solicitors both told me to get the bike out of the compound without paying them to do it, it's our trailer and i said it was the only way we could get it out and they said it was fine, it was all secured and propped up no more damage was caused.

[C-Note]

If there is only body panel damage then it's an easy and inexpensive fix. However, it's hard to tell based on the one picture if the damage goes further. You'll have to have it looked at to assess the overall damage.

I know how you feel about getting back on, it's hard at first. But look at it a a learning experience and be extra careful. You'll come back.

[you you]

The insurance company and solicitors both told me to get the bike out of the compound without paying them to do it, it's our trailer and i said it was the only way we could get it out and they said it was fine, it was all secured and propped up no more damage was caused.

Fair enough. I thought it had been lobbed in there just after the accident

[hls158]

There's that snapped paneling, the right brake lever is bent, lots of scuffs and scratches all around it, the right mirror is missing theres something not quite right with the steering and from what the insurance company said the underneath is all cracked too, but i haven't had a look, i did a tally of how much all the body work replacing would be and that was around £500 but those were parts from ebay and I couldn't find everything. Really hope it's not a write off though, my first scooter and I've only had it 4 months.

[gn2]

'she didn't see me' even though she'd already nearly hit me a minute before

Lets get this straight, you placed yourself close enough to someone you already knew to be a shite driver so that they could have another try at maiming you?
Very generous.

theres something not quite right with the steering

Fork legs are £38 + vat each

and from what the insurance company said the underneath is all cracked too

If the frame is damaged its a major job to sort it properly.
All things considered it could easily be a write off.

[Mitch Detailed]

If no electronics are broken, it might not be written off. Most replacement parts are pretty cheap.

My mom wrecked my scooter and bent the steering stem, total cost was 68$ for the steering stem, and the scuffed panels I didn't replace since I saw no need.

[djcat]

I've been a member on here for about 4 months but lost all my login details so i've made a new account.
I was involved in an accident on my scooter last week, in my eyes i was incredibly lucky and managed to come out of it with only a few broken/bruised ribs, concussion and pain in my back and neck, nothing too gory thank god.

How serious is the concussion? Way more important than the scooter is your health! You have a concussion and broken ribs and you are worried about the scooter? Please have it checked out!

Head injuries can be treacherous! The effects of them may take a while to come out. My niece got hit on her head by a friend's knee during a school sports activity, had a concussion and is still suffering the consequences months later! So much so that the doctor told her to stop learning for her driving licence, to stop applying for universities and basically not strain herself too much and focus on recovery.

It can also influence significantly what you are able to claim from the other driver's insurance.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Concussion ... ction.aspx

[hls158]

I went to the hospital and was checked out later on in the day. And I didn't put myself close to her this was after I'd turned onto a separate road from where she nearly hit me.

[hls158]

How serious is the concussion? Way more important than the scooter is your health! You have a concussion and broken ribs and you are worried about the scooter? Please have it checked out!

Head injuries can be treacherous! The effects of them may take a while to come out. My niece got hit on her head by a friend's knee during a school sports activity, had a concussion and is still suffering the consequences months later! So much so that the doctor told her to stop learning for her driving licence, to stop applying for universities and basically not strain herself too much and focus on recovery.

It can also influence significantly what you are able to claim from the other driver's insurance.

I went to the hospital and got checked out later, they almost kept me in for supervision but decided since I lived with my parents and my mum said she'd keep an eye on me for 48hrs that I could go home. I'm still suffering with a headache but its my neck and ribs that are the worst parts

[maddiedog]

Ouch. Glad you came out without major injury.

You'll want to check your air filter for oil, oil level, and coolant level after laying it on its left side like that. I can't tell much from the picture, but you'll at the very least need a new right-lower panel, step, and right-side panels. Considering a whole set of body panels can be had for under $300, you might not have totalled it if the frame is still intact. Does the bike steer normally, or is the steering stem loose and wobbly?

[WhiteNoise]

Sorry to read this, must hurt. Focus please on You getting better, I can't stress that enough

[hls158]

When we got it back my step dad rode it round the back, he said the steering felt fine. Then when I went to put the steering lock on with the handlebars turned to the right there wasn't a stopping point and the lock wouldn't go on but it did when I turned them to the left.. I hope that makes sense. The insurance company rang me yesterday and said the other persons company want to look at the damage but didn't give me an idea of when. Ill put some more pictures of the damage up later

[Theboybilly]

Have you got witnesses? (It'd be doubly handy if there was somebody able to confirm what the other driver admitted to) Get the scooter professionally checked for cost of repair and confirm this against whatever the insurance assessor says. Go to your GP or hospital and get written confirmation of your injuries. You can claim for both physical and material loss. Ask for a copy of the police report. The more you're armed with the easier it will be for you and harder for the other person's insurance to try to wriggle out of paying.
You need a loan scooter (if for nothing else just to get you back confidently on the road) You can claim for this.
Claim for damaged clothing.
Claim for any time lost off work.
Claim for any other loss (being able to continue with a sport or hobby for example, for however brief a period)

It wasn't your fault, you're entitled to full compensation. That's what insurance is for. The more you justifiably claim for, the better your chance of a decent, fair payout.

For what it's worth I think it is unlikely your scooter is a write-off

[figurehead71]

@hls158 certain counties councils do free rider training, might help rebuild your confidence when you do decide to give the roads another try...give it a google.

I myself have only been riding the same amount of time as yourself although at the moment very irregularly during these months.

All the best for a fast recovery, and I hope your insurance company don't drag their feet on this.

[hls158]

What actually happened was, I was riding along a 2 lane duel carriage way and was going up to the traffic lights and the left turn filter arrow was on (the way I wanted to go) and she tried to get into the left hand lane without indicating or looking and that's how she nearly hit me the first time, then as I turned left into the the 3rd lane of the next carriage way she undercut me, She was directly behind me and was travelling too fast for the corner anyway and had the steer sharply to the left to stop herself hitting the barrier and thats when we collided, but the whole time she claimed 'she didn't see me' well I'm pretty sure it's difficult to miss a bright white scooter with a rider wearing a white helmet and pink,black and white jacket, all this because she was late for her lecture. Although with the concussion I don't really remember much so the insurance companies and myself are having to go off the witnesses who stopped statements. But they've blamed her too so hopefully it will be sorted quickly. Already fed up of public transport.
I'll have to put the damage pictures up tomorrow, home later than expected so its too dark to take the pictures.

[Theboybilly]

Dopey as the woman undoubtedly was, she too was probably in a state of shock. I'm glad to hear you have witnesses and they are standing by you. This should all be sorted swiftly and you shouldn't lose out in any way.

[figurehead71]

Lets get this straight, you placed yourself close enough to someone you already knew to be a shite driver so that they could have another try at maiming you?
Very generous.

Let's get this straight, how can you tell from their paragraph any details of the accident to know that they were riding close enough the second time round?

For all we know hls could have overtaken her on a dual carriageway after she had changed lanes in front of without signalling then she got caught up with hls further along.

Let's get something else straight, I guess years as a constable didn't give you any compassion or people skills judging by your abrupt, obnoxious posts on this forum, which I have noticed have gotten many a person riled, including me now.

[maddiedog]

^ Allowing the above because you didn't outright insult GN2. Try to be polite, we don't want flame wars.


Figurehead - GN2 was assuming, and from the OP's clarification two posts up, it looks like he was right. I agree -- the OP could have reacted better and moved away from the vehicle. I'm sure he's learned from his mistake. It's far from the OP's fault, but the accident could have been avoided if he had moved far away quickly.


Back on topic,

Good thing witnesses backed you, it should be open-shut. Theboybilly has some good suggestions -- make sure the errant driver pays fully for everything you lost as a result. Even if your helmet has just a scratch as a result, she owes you a new one.