Originally Posted by
wrr1020
Since i bought my bike from competitive cyclist how would a frame replacement work? I was just gonna take the bike into a local shop and if it ends up having a crack in the frame do i get a replacement and have the guys insurance cover the new bike, i'd probably just end up purchasing a new bike from the shop i take it to instead of shipping anything to competitive cyclist. I'm gonna have his insurance replace anything that got damaged so in this case, my jersey got torn, helmet cracked, medical bills and won't be working for at least a couple weeks simply cause my job entails physical labor, and if the frame needs to be replaced or any other component that got damaged i'll have replaced as well. I'm only 22 and work part time so its not like i make tons of money to start with but every little bit helps so any lost wages from this injury i want to be reimbursed.
Take your bike into the shop and ask them to help you determine how much it would cost to replace all broken parts, including labor; or you could ask them to help you find a bike in the shop the same value as the damaged one and ask the insurance to just pay for the replacement (it seems they are usually often fine with this option to avoid any hassle, but some may not agree to it).
Add up the total cost of the helmet, jersey, and anything else damaged. Calculate the wages lost from not working, including any pension credit or other benefits you would have accrued. Calculate the value of the time you have to miss on the bike (including time waiting for the replacement bike or prts if applicable), or any other activity you will miss as a direct result of the accident. I believe the driver's insurance company offered me $200/day of training missed when I had an accident in 1994. Finally, if you suffered any pain that decreased your quality of life for any time, try to place a dollar amount on that. Be reasonable and the insurance company will probably agree. Add all these to the price of the replacement bike (or parts) and that's what you are entitled to (in my opinion).
Also, don't allow them to settle with you until you know all of these figures and the doctor has determined that you have a clean bill of health. You wouldn't want to settle for getting paid for 2 weeks off of work only to find a previously undetected back injury that will require surgery and more time off work.