stevage

So my bike was badly damaged (fork snapped, front wheel bent), possibly written off, through the actions of a car driver. Her insurance will apparently pay to replace/fix it, but it's up to me to take it to the shop and get a quote from them.

Just curious whether anyone else has been through this? If the (bike shop's) verdict was "write off", who kept the old bike? There would be significant salvage value here - even without the frame, the rear wheel, running gear, rear brakes etc would be worth keeping as spares.

My ideal situation would be if they wrote off the bike, but I got to keep it and rebuild it. Dunno exactly what I would do with two almost identical Tricrosses though.

Steve

JoeSoMD

There is another post somewhere with a similar story... their insurance company told him/her to keep the trashed bike because, unlike automobiles, there is no market for the parts that can be salvaged from the wreck.

mandovoodoo

I've been involved a couple of times. In a total write-off, the insurance company would have the right to keep the old bike. Generally for a salvage value, you can keep it. Sometimes they don't ask.

If nobody notices, you're often better off getting a part by part replacement cost estimate with labor figured in. The resulting check is sometimes equivalent to buying that bike again. We had that happen, where the wheels, brifters, destroyed tire, etc. plus labor allowed us to break down the old bike and get a better frame and wheels, coming out even after selling the old frame. Pretty cool.

nubcake

been there too. total write off and i could keep the old bike.

I didnt have to take it to a shop for a quote though. To find the value of my bike i priced every part out individually at retail and it came up to much more that what it would be to buy the bike whole. They were more than happy to get me a check within a week because i had a race coming up and im pretty sure they wanted to make me happy before i decided to sue.

stevage

>They were more than happy to get me a check within a week because i had a race coming up and im pretty sure they wanted to make me happy before i decided to sue.

Is "they" in this sentence the insurance company each time? They were afraid you would sue them? On what grounds?

Well, the bike is at the shop atm. I'm still a bit confused about the process, but I guess if I don't like their quote, there's nothing stopping me going to another place.

Thanks to the anonymous poster who PM'ed me as well.

Steve

nubcake

yea its the insurance company. Im just guessing they were hoping i wouldnt sue because in my experience with insurace for other things they are always increadibly slow moving.

You can sue for really anything anymore and with a good enough lawer you can usually win or at least get a settlement but when i was hit it was totally the drivers fault in the eyes of the law.

On the quote thing i never even had to take the bike to a shop, i just sent them a list of components and the cost to replace them with similar but new stuff.

pinkpowa

The insurance company has the rights to the wrecked bike if they pay for Property Damage from the at fault party to you. The claims adjuster might not care to come get a wrecked 1988 Sears steel fixie you've been riding, but if you're rocking a 2009 Pinarello full Carbon CX bike with zipps, I guarantee they're keeping that and hoping for some salvage amount.

d2create

I ended up keeping the bike. Progressive never asked for it.

pathdoc

Cool

seeker333

Make your own quote. Price out all the parts, plus labor. Just like other posters said. Basically, submit whatever you feel is fair to replace property and reimburse you for your time if you're a DIY person. When I rebuilt my titanium bike, only asked 100 bucks compensation for labor, which worked out to about $1 an hour after shopping for parts, stripping old bike, prepping and rebuilding on new frame+fork+bar+front wheel (built myself, naturally).

My claim was for $2250 for a Litespeed. Ins co was happy to pay it. Turns out cost of replacing an expensive bike is nothing compared to a visit to hospital ER, a single day in ICU, months of PT, etc. which is what they're really worried about. They figure if you were on a bike, then they are lucky that it's not a 7 figure claim for a death.

BTW, my first post to BF in 2004 was an inquiry similar to this very thread.

UmneyDurak

Really depends on the insurance. When I was hit by a car fork got snapped, wheels were destroyed, crank was bent! Although the frame looked fine, and wasn't bent or anything, I insisted complete bike replacement cost. Since bike was less then a year old insurance reimburse what I payed for it, plus all the upgrades I did. They kept the bike thought.

Crast

I went to my LBS and got a quote written up for parts + labor. It was paid in its entirety, I kept the old bike (though there was hardly anything worth keeping but tires, even the cranks were bent) and bought a brand new one.

I detailed it in full here

Schwinnrider

I was hit. My bike was a Gunnar, so the build was custom. My LBS wrote up the estimate, I submitted to the insurance company, and received a check. I also got to keep the old frame so I made a bunch of money on the deal. LBS initially said the frame was toast but when Gunnar examined it there was no damage other than a paint chip. Like others have said, dealing with even the most expensive bike is nothing compared to cars and injury payments.

stevage

Argh! Spoke to the LBS today, and they said the bike's a write-off. Fine. But the dodgy bit is, when I asked whether I can keep the bike, they said no, it belongs to the insurance company. Then I asked (thanks forum!) if the insurance company usually actually collects the bike, they said no. Awkward pause. So, basically, the bike shop has a practice of collecting the spare parts.

This strikes me as very dodgy. Certainly the insurance company has a right to claim the bike off me. But if they don't exercise that right, the bike belongs to me, not the bike shop.

Anyone disagree?

I guess I could go to a different shop, but there aren't *that* many Specialized dealers, and I kind of like them.

Steve

d2create

Well, here's the thing. Technically you are right, the bike belongs to the insurance company first, then you. The lbs has no right to claim it.

BUT... are you going to buy a new bike at this lbs? They spent billable time doing the estimate, going through all the parts. If you are not going to buy a new bike there, I'd let them keep it for their time. The insurance company should write you a check to cover a whole new bike anyway. Maybe remove the add-ons like racks, fenders etc if they are still useable. If you are buying your new bike there then I would tell them you want it back... if you really want it back. When mine was totaled I didn't know if it would be totaled out or not. So when I brought it into an lbs I told them flat out... "if this ends up being totaled I'll buy a new bike from you." Wink wink, nudge nudge.

dscheidt

Well, remember that even a really, really expensive bike is cheaper than any car you can buy. The typical non-injury car-bike accident is just noise to the insurance company.

dscheidt

So pay them for their time. (And bill the insurance company.) don't let them steal the bike. That's sleazy.

stevage

Yeah. I'll certainly be ordering the replacement through them. I guess I'll just have to find a tactful way to pick up the bike. Since they're not repairing it, I can't see any reason why the bike should stay there - their assessment is finished.

(I take the point about 'billable work', but after spending $3600 with them in less than 6 months, could they really complain...)

Steve

CCrew

If the ins company has paid you, it's not your bike anymore. It's between the Insurance company and the LBS what happens to it now since the insurance company owns it. For you to demand it back after having been paid is not really your right.

That said, if the ins company lets you buy it at scrap value you can. It works the same as any insurance reimbursement - done with cars all the time. Once they pay, it's theirs.

Is it sketchy by the LBS? Sure it is. But it's not technically your concern what the Ins company wants to do or does once you get your check.

Now, if it hasn't been paid by the ins company, you owe them for the damage assessement and you can hash it out with the Ins company what happens to the bike. But the Ins company should also pay the $ for the asssesment in addition to the bike.

-Roger

mconlonx

I don't see any way that the shop can make any kind of claim on ownership of your wrecked bike. Face saving way to get out of the situation? Walk into the shop and ask what you owe for the repair estimate and when you might get your bike back. A nice way to cover any hard feelings on what the shop might think they are (unfairly) entitled to, start making inquiries about using the insurance money to buy a new bike there if that is your intention anyway. I'd love to find out how they think they are entitled to keep your bike after providing you with an estimate...

dscheidt

No, the bike shop is trying to steal the bike. They have no claim to it. It's still his bike, until the insurance company buys it from him, and gets him to sign a release. The only difference between the bike store and another bike thief is that they didn't have to use bolt cutters.

stevage

I think I'd agree with you. I haven't submitted a claim yet (let alone received money), so I think I'll be careful to pick up the bike before I do that - so it's in my hands and I'm not trying to claim it back from anyone.

The more I think about it, the more I think the bike shop has some kind of strategy of positioning itself as the middle man. They were asking questions like which insurance company it was, what my quote number was, whether I wanted them to fax the quote directly etc. Maybe they even have a salvage deal worked out with the insurance company where they offer them like 10% of purchase price to keep the wreck. I'm speculating though.

I guess. They didn't mention any cost. To make it even more of a grey area, the bike was still under a 1 year free service contract. I can't see it being a problem, especially as I'm extremely likely to get the new bike from them.

Good thought.

Steve

stevage

For the curious:
- Cost of medical care, approx $700 (covered by Transport Accident Commission), including emergency room treatment, X-ray and big toe specialist (no, I don't know what he really was)
- Cost of ambulance unknown (probably ~$1000, covered by TAC)
- Cost of replacing bike, approx $1900
- Cost of fixing car, approx $2500-3000. (windscreen, bonnet, headlights, blinkers, bumper, radiator...)

I was hoping at one stage to have caused more damage to the car than was caused to me, but it looks like we worked out about even, ignoring the ambulance trip.

Steve