Warren
30-01-05, 12:18 PM
not sure if this has been here before, but found this and thought some people might benefit from reading it:
"I think I'm qualified enough to write this post now, so here goes...
Pre-accident Preparation
It may sound stupid, but you need to be prepared BEFORE an accident in case you have one.
Things like keeping receipts of leathers, helmet, gloves, boots and any other kit you might have on your person are very important. If you regularly ride in jeans, then next time you buy a pair, keep the receipt in your bike folder. Same applies to trainers or shoes.
Keep all receipts of any purchases that go towards your bike. Accessories can be costly and no doubt will be damaged in an accident. It is important that if you get a pay out, you get all your accessories paid for too, otherwise you can spend another grand or two doing the bike up again.
If you have enough space under your seat, try to carry a cheap disposable camera with you. People laughed when they saw a camera under my seat, but both times I wrote the bike off, the photographs offered me the upper hand in the insurance claim. They also help by giving the insurance company/solicitor an idea of what the accident scene looked like.
Dont rely on police to take any measurements or pictures of the scene, so its always advisable to carry the camera with you, so that you can take pictures before anything is moved.
If you don't have some sort of recovery service, sign up with the RAC or AA. If the bike is not ridable, or you are injured, then the police will phone for a recovery vehicle to take your bike away and have it stored. Unless you're fully comp, you'll have to pay for both the recovery and any storage costs and then claim it back when the insurance pays out. If you have your own recovery, then they'll pick it up and either take it to a local garage or to your home address. If they dont do either of these, then they will have it stored for safe-keeping, but you will not be charged. Therefore it is important you carry your member card.
Carry some sort of ID with you so that you can be identified in case you get knocked unconscious. Also, have a contact telephone number on you, so that your family or friends can be contacted if you're being taken to hospital.
If you have any medical conditions, then wear the appropriate wrist band or necklace.
After The Accident
Every accident is different. When you get thrown off the bike and are sliding down the road, it is common to try to get up. Try your best to resist this, because the chances are that you're still moving. Sometimes when you come off, your brain thinks faster and everything seems slower, as it is reacting to a threat and you're being pumped with adrenalin. To you it may appear that you have stopped moving and are able to get up. If you try to get up while you're sliding, you'll cause more damage to yourself.
When you come off the bike and you have stopped sliding, lay there for a few seconds. Make sure that you are not hurting too much and that you havent broken anything. If you've hit your head or have hurt your neck/back, do not get up - even if you feel fine.
Both times I crashed, I jumped straight up on my feet. This was a bad reaction and I did not do it the 3rd time round. By getting up, I could have injured myself even more and I could have risked fainting.
When you have discovered what state you're in, get someone to phone the police/ambulance. If there are witnesses, then chances are that this would have been done. If you're ok, then sit aside and be quiet. If possible, get a witness to take the details of the other driver and to write down the names and contact details of other witnesses.
This is where your camera comes into play. Get the camera and take pictures of the road, the bike, the other vehicle and the other driver. Take pictures from several angles and make sure you get a picture of any damage on the other driver's vehicle. Snap up as many photos as you can that will show the weather/road conditions, approximate time and positioning of both vehicles.
DO NOT try to shout at or argue with the other party, whether it was their fault or not. This will not do you any favours and could risk losing you the insurance claim. Stay calm and be quiet when speaking to anyone other than the paramedics.
If police try to get a statement from you, then do not say anything. You have the right to remain silent, so use it. Just after the accident, you are still full of adrenalin and possibly still in shock, so will not be able to give a decent statement. Also, you will have forgotten important details which could be vital.
When You Get Home
Once you've come out of hospital (hopefully with minimal injuries), inform you insurance company of the accident. They will send out a claim form for you to fill in. The form will ask you for all the necessary details. Get the form filled in and sent back as quickly as possible. This gives you the advantage of moving the case on quickly.
Also, take the first opportunity to write your statement. Try to remember everything that could possibly useful. By the time you get home and start writing, you'd have remembered a lot of the details, so this is the best time to write it out. If you leave it too long, you'll forget important details.
Keep a log of all the phone calls you make that have anything to do with the claim. This includes calls to the police, recovery service and insurance company. Write down the date, time of call, person you spoke to and what it was about.
Send the claim form back to the insurance company. If they ask for receipts, then send these to them too. If they do not, then keep hold of them and send them to your solicitor when they appoint one to you.
If you have suffered from broken bones or serious injuries, then keep a "pain diary" which should include every possible activity that has been affected by your disability. Take note of the amount of hours you normally sleep and if you've lost any sleep since the accident.
GO TO THE DOCTOR
A couple of days after your accident, visit your local GP. Ask them to take measurements of any cuts/bruises and to prescribe tablets for any pains you might be getting. These notes will be important when claiming for injuries. If you continue having problems with any pains, go back and visit the doctor.
Keep all receipts of travel expenses. Bus tickets can build up and so can taxi receipts. If you are using alternative transport or are getting lifts off people, then ask them to give you their petrol receipts. Keep a log of any car journeys you have and the distance travelled, as the third party insurers won't pay out for the petrol receipts unless they know that the petrol was wasted on you.
Keep note of any activities you've not been able to participate in and how long your injuries have stopped you participating for.
If you get any letters or phone calls from the other driver, then pass them onto your insurance company/solicitor, without reply. If you get a phone call, tell them that they should contact your solicitor and give them the contact details - do not discuss the case, accept offers or admit to anything without it going through your solicitor.
Lastly, good luck with the claim. "
"I think I'm qualified enough to write this post now, so here goes...
Pre-accident Preparation
It may sound stupid, but you need to be prepared BEFORE an accident in case you have one.
Things like keeping receipts of leathers, helmet, gloves, boots and any other kit you might have on your person are very important. If you regularly ride in jeans, then next time you buy a pair, keep the receipt in your bike folder. Same applies to trainers or shoes.
Keep all receipts of any purchases that go towards your bike. Accessories can be costly and no doubt will be damaged in an accident. It is important that if you get a pay out, you get all your accessories paid for too, otherwise you can spend another grand or two doing the bike up again.
If you have enough space under your seat, try to carry a cheap disposable camera with you. People laughed when they saw a camera under my seat, but both times I wrote the bike off, the photographs offered me the upper hand in the insurance claim. They also help by giving the insurance company/solicitor an idea of what the accident scene looked like.
Dont rely on police to take any measurements or pictures of the scene, so its always advisable to carry the camera with you, so that you can take pictures before anything is moved.
If you don't have some sort of recovery service, sign up with the RAC or AA. If the bike is not ridable, or you are injured, then the police will phone for a recovery vehicle to take your bike away and have it stored. Unless you're fully comp, you'll have to pay for both the recovery and any storage costs and then claim it back when the insurance pays out. If you have your own recovery, then they'll pick it up and either take it to a local garage or to your home address. If they dont do either of these, then they will have it stored for safe-keeping, but you will not be charged. Therefore it is important you carry your member card.
Carry some sort of ID with you so that you can be identified in case you get knocked unconscious. Also, have a contact telephone number on you, so that your family or friends can be contacted if you're being taken to hospital.
If you have any medical conditions, then wear the appropriate wrist band or necklace.
After The Accident
Every accident is different. When you get thrown off the bike and are sliding down the road, it is common to try to get up. Try your best to resist this, because the chances are that you're still moving. Sometimes when you come off, your brain thinks faster and everything seems slower, as it is reacting to a threat and you're being pumped with adrenalin. To you it may appear that you have stopped moving and are able to get up. If you try to get up while you're sliding, you'll cause more damage to yourself.
When you come off the bike and you have stopped sliding, lay there for a few seconds. Make sure that you are not hurting too much and that you havent broken anything. If you've hit your head or have hurt your neck/back, do not get up - even if you feel fine.
Both times I crashed, I jumped straight up on my feet. This was a bad reaction and I did not do it the 3rd time round. By getting up, I could have injured myself even more and I could have risked fainting.
When you have discovered what state you're in, get someone to phone the police/ambulance. If there are witnesses, then chances are that this would have been done. If you're ok, then sit aside and be quiet. If possible, get a witness to take the details of the other driver and to write down the names and contact details of other witnesses.
This is where your camera comes into play. Get the camera and take pictures of the road, the bike, the other vehicle and the other driver. Take pictures from several angles and make sure you get a picture of any damage on the other driver's vehicle. Snap up as many photos as you can that will show the weather/road conditions, approximate time and positioning of both vehicles.
DO NOT try to shout at or argue with the other party, whether it was their fault or not. This will not do you any favours and could risk losing you the insurance claim. Stay calm and be quiet when speaking to anyone other than the paramedics.
If police try to get a statement from you, then do not say anything. You have the right to remain silent, so use it. Just after the accident, you are still full of adrenalin and possibly still in shock, so will not be able to give a decent statement. Also, you will have forgotten important details which could be vital.
When You Get Home
Once you've come out of hospital (hopefully with minimal injuries), inform you insurance company of the accident. They will send out a claim form for you to fill in. The form will ask you for all the necessary details. Get the form filled in and sent back as quickly as possible. This gives you the advantage of moving the case on quickly.
Also, take the first opportunity to write your statement. Try to remember everything that could possibly useful. By the time you get home and start writing, you'd have remembered a lot of the details, so this is the best time to write it out. If you leave it too long, you'll forget important details.
Keep a log of all the phone calls you make that have anything to do with the claim. This includes calls to the police, recovery service and insurance company. Write down the date, time of call, person you spoke to and what it was about.
Send the claim form back to the insurance company. If they ask for receipts, then send these to them too. If they do not, then keep hold of them and send them to your solicitor when they appoint one to you.
If you have suffered from broken bones or serious injuries, then keep a "pain diary" which should include every possible activity that has been affected by your disability. Take note of the amount of hours you normally sleep and if you've lost any sleep since the accident.
GO TO THE DOCTOR
A couple of days after your accident, visit your local GP. Ask them to take measurements of any cuts/bruises and to prescribe tablets for any pains you might be getting. These notes will be important when claiming for injuries. If you continue having problems with any pains, go back and visit the doctor.
Keep all receipts of travel expenses. Bus tickets can build up and so can taxi receipts. If you are using alternative transport or are getting lifts off people, then ask them to give you their petrol receipts. Keep a log of any car journeys you have and the distance travelled, as the third party insurers won't pay out for the petrol receipts unless they know that the petrol was wasted on you.
Keep note of any activities you've not been able to participate in and how long your injuries have stopped you participating for.
If you get any letters or phone calls from the other driver, then pass them onto your insurance company/solicitor, without reply. If you get a phone call, tell them that they should contact your solicitor and give them the contact details - do not discuss the case, accept offers or admit to anything without it going through your solicitor.
Lastly, good luck with the claim. "