You will not believe this!

[bcmc33]

A similar thing happened on holiday in Deven some time ago. A teenager went out of control going down a hill and hit the car causing considerably irritating damage. We called the kid's parents to say he was OK but the bike was wrecked.
A successful claim was made against the parents house insurance, but nothing like what the cost will be to put the +2 back to a perfect condition.
Option 1 is the only place to go.

[billwill]

Mind you, in my opinion, you too were foolish to stop in such a place for less than complete failure of the car.

And it looks like there was enough room to get a lot further off the road onto the hard shoulder.

[alexblack13]

Its so easy to make a quick decision and a mistake at the same time. Fate we sometimes call it. If only I had kept going. etc etc. If David had kept going what if he had been so preoccupied He ran into the back of the stationary caravan having a puncture repaired? What if Dave's car had been a truck??

We all learn & we will learn from this. I still have not had my car returned from repair and am now ultra carefull and think very carefully about where and when I park. ( If only I had not gone to pick up that parcel at that time!)

I was in my local swimming pool car park this am and had a narrow miss with a girl in her 4x4 (what else!) who was just not looking where she was going. Thank god for the air-horn on my Elan, it did not half wake her up. But these encounters are becoming more and more common. 20 something young girls in 2 ton trucks!! Doing 50 ish everywhere!! I have also had to approach one of two 'home helps' who visit an elderly lady in our street. She flies into our dead end street like there is no tomorrow! Mad!! I recon she was over the limit driving down our 100 mtr long steet..

Anyway...

It will fix Dave mate. Better than it was hopefully and I know it would have been perfect.

Keep us posted

Alex....

[davidj]

Hi,

I have just contacted Option1 and they seemed to be very knowledgeable. I was quite reassured about his comments about removing cracks. I have sent some photo's so they can quote.

Cheers,

David

[atthelimit]

Hi David,

Sorry to hear about the car, some of this has gone before but just to have it in one clear piece might be of help.

1) It seems he has household insurance and they should be liable for the repair costs.

2) If it were me I would let this claim proceed with your classic car insurance, they will understand the nature of the claim they are dealing with far better than a "household" claims department. Your insurers will then claim the full repair costs off his insurance company.

3) Do you have "Legal Protection" insurance cover, sometimes included in car policy or might have been purchased as a stand alone policy. The purpose of this is so that they can help you claim for "uninsured losses". Phone calls, traveling expenses, the insurance excess, loss of amenity and inconvenience. Get receipts as far as possible i.e. taxi fares and the like but obviously things like loss of amenity you will just have to put a sensible figure on.

Accidents happen, simple as that. I don't suppose the cyclist set out to run into the back of someone risking severe injury, I don't suppose you thought you might break down, it's just the way the dice roll sometimes. But thats what insurance is for, even if he is not insured at least you are and the car will get repaired and not have to fork out ?3k.

Best of luck, but if you need any insurance help fell free to contact me.

Kim
Abbot Insurance (Vendors page)
0116 2333 559

[alaric]

Hi. Out of the two companies mentioned in an earlier post I'd definately only consider going with Option 1. I've not used them but have used the other. As I'm sure you know, you should go and see them and make sure you trust them. Definately repairable though.

I believe Lotus Cars do private repairs also. If you do look their way I'd be interested in what you find out. Any excuse for another visit to the factory.

All the best.

Sean.

[rocket]

Sorry to hear of the damage to your car.Have to say not a great place to park,is it parked illegally there? If so how will that effect any insurance claim?


Ian.

[davidj]

Hi,

In response to billwill, by the time I had pulled in it was a complete failure. While the engine would run, it cut out when the clutch was released. I took the decision that kangarooing down a quite busy road at 5 mile an hour was more dangerous than pulling in. However, I managed to move it as far away from the junction so approaching vehicles would have a good a view as possible. It was also pulled over as far a possible of the road, any further I would have been in the rainwater gutter and would have bottomed the car. This was all confirmed by the police who complemented me on following the correct procedure.

D.

[alexblack13]

One should be safe to stop / pull over in an emerg' without being ran into by someone just not looking where they are going. At least no one was badly hurt.

How is the cyclist now?

Keep us updated please and by the way... You will not go wrong with Option 1 fixing your car. Absolute perfectionists.. Very good choice.

Alex..

[persiflage]

But these encounters are becoming more and more common. 20 something young girls in 2 ton trucks!! Doing 50 ish everywhere!!

We have a lot of their cousins down here ...
Usually with a sign in the window that reads "Baby (or Little Princess) on board"

Hope all goes smoothly with the repair David.

[elansprint71]

I have used Option 1; absolutely superb repair job.

I am a cyclist; life member of the Manchester Wheelers Club.

This fellow seems to be have being paying no attention to his surroundings.

Some of the early responses to this thread do their posters no credit at all.

Hope it all works out; most "serious" cyclists have ?5M public liability insurance, in the UK.

As atthelimit posted; he did not set out to do this, either to himself, or to your car.

Shit happens, unfortunately.

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Pete,

My first Post on this thread was strongly put but it does represent my feelings on how so many modern day ?Cyclists? behave in today?s traffic.
It?s all a matter of interpretation & I?m sorry if you found my posting objectionable.
I am like you a Cyclist & was also a Club Member & active in Time Trialing in my younger years.
Yes I did some daft things on Bikes in my youth but traffic conditions were very different then & luckily I never came to grief.
Bikes remain my first love, even though at my age I can?t pedal them as well as in the past.
When in my Car I always show every Cyclist the highest respect & give them right of way wherever possible.
However my opinion on these Muscle bound Hulks clad in Lycra who hog the road & show no respect for any other Road user remains unchanged.
They ride on the Road when Cycle Tracks are present, then use the Track to avoid the Traffic Light they would have had to obey had they stayed on the Road.
Having caught up with the perpetrator, the Car driver then has to get around the Hulk once again, who?s weaving around all over the place in order to regain his previous pace.
A light beep on your Horn to let them know you?re near them produces an angry scowl insinuating that they?d like to trash your & your Car; & let?s be fair these Guys are usually ?big? & can be very intimidating.
Of course I don?t know the Guy in the accident & he may well be a fine chap but the Photo of him & the sort of accident he?d caused gives me, let?s say, the wrong impression.
I join the others in being pleased that the Guy came out of it without notable injury & that Insurance will put the Car back together again.

Hoping we can live in Peace?
Cheers
John

[alaric]

I would have done the same as you - better to pull over while you're in control of the situation, especially if you know you're heading toward a busy roundabout or traffic lights where it could have been more dangerous.

Sean.

[davidj]

Hi,

Just had a quote from Option 1 for ?3K inc transport, providing they do not find any more damage. Surprisingly I could not find any damage on the bumper or mounts. It is encouraging all the good references I have obtained for Option 1. Now over to the insurance company.

The cyclist was OK by the way and was out of hospital that night.

David

[davidj]

Update.

The cyclist brought me a box of chocolates and a card the other night which was very kind of him. He was very apologetic and has not yet got a new bike!

The insurance company look to have lost my claim and the broker had to send them it again. How long does the process take? It is now over two weeks and no one has contacted me. Will the insurance company wish to inspect the car and what do I do if they do not like the Option 1 quote? I have never put in a claim before.

Cheers,

David