It has to happen ( accident)

[disspence]

I was just sharing as this was a recent development. Of course, if an insurance company offers up $4K I could have gotten more with a lawyer. I came out relatively unscathed from the accident, and was never thinking of a settlement nor did I want to spend time and effort on a legal case.

I posted my experience because if OP has a similar feeling then maybe he would be interested in knowing that to reach a settlement doesnt always require a lawyer.

[rwsaunders]

One of our employees was struck riding home from work three weeks ago. He was starting to play the role of Mr. Nice Guy in terms of listening to the driver's request to keep the accident off the books, etc. When I found out about the accident, I called him and told him to politely stop all communication with the driver and to let a professional take over the resolution of the issue.

He did listen and I received a call from him today thanking me for the advice as the driver all of sudden developed "amnesia" after her Dad found out the cost of a new bike. When informed that there were three witnesses and a police report, the Dad went somewhat ballistic, even threatening to "finish" the damage to the bike and to the cyclist.

Glad to see that you're well enough to share your story...be safe and make sure that there are no internal injuries or lingering TBI.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by disspence

I was just sharing as this was a recent development. Of course, if an insurance company offers up $4K I could have gotten more with a lawyer. I came out relatively unscathed from the accident, and was never thinking of a settlement nor did I want to spend time and effort on a legal case.

I posted my experience because if OP has a similar feeling then maybe he would be interested in knowing that to reach a settlement doesnt always require a lawyer.

Not trying to argue and I am glad you are satisfied with your outcome but the insurance company cares about one thing only, saving $. Nothing more. The quicker and cheaper they can resolve these things the better...for THEM. Even if NOT ultimately using an attorney, I would still talk to one before talking to any insurance adjuster from the driver.

From my experience after getting nailed by a PU truck while riding...

YMMV and all that.

[Seramount]

Originally Posted by disspence

I was hit in May by a driver. Had a police report. Maybe my experience will be helpful for you...

The driver's insurance company contacted me immediately. They covered all medical expenses. Then they said the bike was totaled, and asked for me to send a price to replace the bike, i did and they wrote me a check.

Then there was an insurance representative covering the "injury" part who contacted me to see the extent of the injuries, and kept track how I was recovering. Luckily, i wasn't badly injured so i didn't think about contacting a lawyer. After, i visited PT the final time and got a "good to go" from the doctor, the insurance representative contacted me and offered me a settlement of $4K.

I never asked for this, didn't expect it, and didn't try to negotiate more. So depending on what you're aiming for maybe you don't need to find a lawyer.

your injuries must have been extremely minimal. $4K is a paltry sum.

as another poster noted, did this amount cover time away from work, Rx, pain/suffering? am guessing you left a bit of coin on the table by accepting their first offer.

my EMS bill was $1.5K, overnite stay in the ER was ~$20K, thumb surgery was $4.5K, then there were orthopedist consultations, PT, chiro, massage, multiple x-rays, MRIs, Rx, etc.

since it was a H/R, the uninsured motorist clause on my auto policy paid the full coverage amount ($52K,). it did not pay for any property damages however, which were ~$2.5K.

most ins companies don't give a whit about the property claim aspect, they want to make sure they're not on the hook for long-term medical care and potential disability which can run into big money in some cases.

I kept comprehensive records of everything related to the accident...the stack of paperwork was impressive. my attorney was on top of everything which was no small feat...he discovered that the EMS bill was paid twice, I would have never detected that.

and to make things even messier, my personal medical insurance carrier changed in the middle of things and greatly complicated the billing process...my lawyer showed me his list of contacts (phone, letter, email) made during my case, it was multiple pages long. that's all time and effort I didn't have to expend.

long story short, the 33% fee for legal representation was worth every penny.