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Advice with accident insurance claim
Hi, I was hit by a car just over a week ago resulting in damage to me (resulting in overnight stay in hospital) and my bike. I have witnesses and my bike camera footage and have notified the police. Driver still denies responsibility but police have passed on his insurance details and I have contacted them to notify them of the incident.
Question is, do I try to negotiate with them directly or use a solicitor / claims company. My initial reaction is to avoid the ambulance chasing 'blame / claim" companies but I also wish to ensure I am not fobbed off with less than I could be entitled. Apart from the ongoing pain, I am also unable to work (my own company) and feeling pretty PO at the whole situation. Does anyone have any experience of either approach and whether one is better than the other?
Thanks.
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5 comments
Thanks, that is the conclusion I have come to. Having now had almost 2 weeks of pain and mobility issues I have spoken to a solicitor. Even though the driver wasn't accepting responsibility, the witness statements and my camera footage leave no doubt (to me at least) what happened. Weirdly, even though the driver blamed me he also asked about repair costs and seemed willing to pay me off - presumably due to his age and potential future insurance prospects should he make a claim. For damage only I may have accepted this but the prospect of arguing the case for loss of earnings etc with a senior citizen isn't something I wish to do.
Everything you've done so far is absolutely textbook. Were it a fairly simple damage only claim, approaching the driver's insurer directly with a LBS repair quote/confirmation bike isn't repairable wouldn't be a bad option.
Where it's more complicated (personal injury, costs of physio, loss of earnings, that sort of thing), I'd be more inclined to get the legal eagles on your side. That the driver is disputing liability is an extra prod in that direction. It might take a while to resolve though, hope all goes well.
Thanks for the replies. I had seen the company you suggest come up a few times when searching the web and will contact them to discuss. Your input is much appreciated.
"Ambulance Chasing" companies get a bad reputation (and with some considerable justification), but the fact is that motor vehicles are required to have insurance for exactly this reason.
You have suffered an injury, inconvenience and financial loss that is not your fault - let an expert take care of it. After my accident British Cycling put me in touch with Leigh Day who are specialists in such events (and there are others); give them a call and talk it over. http://www.leighday.co.uk/Illness-and-injury/Road-and-travel-collisions/...
One thing: if you haven't done already, write down the circumstances of the accident now. Contemporaneous notes are much more helpful than relying on memories.
Excellent advice, and Leigh Day are the only real specialists (as well as being keen cyclists themselves).