Originally Posted by Fear&Trembling
. . . I carry a small business card with me with a list of reminders of what to do in the event of an accident. Shock, pain and the strange euphoria of walking away (hopefully) from an accident can do funny things with your thought processes.
Great idea. Also worthwhile to have a disposable camera, point-and-shoot digicam, or even a camera phone to get some photos at the scene.
Another reason to file a police report, beyond improving your odds of reimbursement for your ride, is to have the incident on file for statistical reasons. As the statistics rise, so may awareness.
Have you contacted the company that owns the van? Do they seem amenable to replacing your bike or are they going to play hard ball?
If their insurance company offers you a check, they may present you a form saying that the check represents "full and final" compensation for the incident. Don't sign it. . . .