Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

Bike damaged in auto accident, which insurance to claim?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

Bike damaged in auto accident, which insurance to claim?

Old 07-11-21, 09:19 PM
  #1  
atnyc
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 102
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Bike damaged in auto accident, which insurance to claim?

My bike got rare-ended while on my car.

The other driver’s insurance offered a “depreciated” value of my bike. The bike is quite a few years old but top of line racing machine for its time. So still perfectly functional (and for many years to come). The offer wasn’t even close to being able to replace the bike with anything like it.

My home owner’s insurance, on the other hand, has “replacement value” rider on it. (I’ve had to use it once, on a flood damage, I got a few new items as replacements). So my questions:

1) Since my home owner’s policy would pay full replacement value, would it be better filing my claim to my own policyr instead of dealing with the other driver’s insurance company?

2) Does home owner insurance covers contents in a car accident? I read some of the old threads here, it sounds like home owner insurance typically does cover theft of stuff in (or on, in this case) the car. But what about damage from collision by another car? Does anyone have experience in filing a claim on their home owners policy for damage to their bike when it’s damaged in an accident by a car?
atnyc is offline  
Old 07-11-21, 09:33 PM
  #2  
Doc_Wui
Senior Member
 
Doc_Wui's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Chicago Suburbs
Posts: 1,395

Bikes: GT Transeo & a half dozen ebike conversions.

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 339 Post(s)
Liked 268 Times in 189 Posts
If it were me, I'd ask my insurance agent. Your insurance company will be going after the other driver's company to recover its costs anyway.
Doc_Wui is offline  
Likes For Doc_Wui:
Old 07-11-21, 09:45 PM
  #3  
AnthonyG
Senior Member
 
AnthonyG's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Queanbeyan, Australia.
Posts: 4,135
Mentioned: 85 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3450 Post(s)
Liked 420 Times in 289 Posts
The "other guy's" insurance company lowballing you is nothing new. Standard tactic. I'd definitely seek advice and assistance from your own insurance company.
AnthonyG is offline  
Likes For AnthonyG:
Old 07-11-21, 10:09 PM
  #4  
AdkMtnMonster
Airplanes, bikes, beer.
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: Off the front
Posts: 763

Bikes: Road bikes, mountain bikes, a cx bike, a gravel bike…

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 398 Post(s)
Liked 788 Times in 339 Posts
Yes. Subrogation can be a beautiful thing.
AdkMtnMonster is offline  
Likes For AdkMtnMonster:
Old 07-12-21, 09:24 AM
  #5  
kahn
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: northWET washington
Posts: 1,197
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 383 Post(s)
Liked 690 Times in 396 Posts
"Quite a few years old" does not necessarily control. When hit by a pickup truck the bike suffered severe damage. It was a Trek made of one of those TERRIFIC steels and as they advertised "Handbuilt". It was also a number of years old. I got replacement estimates from a few local bike shops that brought the value WAY UP. And it was covered by my home owner's policy. My personal injury was covered by my auto insurance.

(We won't go too far into the MEDIATOR's decision (mandatory where I lived) which basically came down to "You were bike riding on a road with a speed limited of 50mph - are you nuts!!")
kahn is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 09:40 AM
  #6  
downhillmaster
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 1,682
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 980 Post(s)
Liked 776 Times in 402 Posts
I have no experience in this matter but I would be fairly surprised if your homeowners insurance covers your bicycle while it is on the back of your car and not on your property.
Hopefully I am wrong
downhillmaster is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 09:52 AM
  #7  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
The at fault insurance company (the one who rear-ended you) should pay "full replacement value".

That doesn't necessarily mean paying for an off the rack brand new bike. But, to pay to either build up a similar bicycle from similar components, or buy an equivalent used bike (or pay you the value so you can acquire what you wish).

If your bike is > 20 years old, you might have this question moved to either Classic & Vintage (where someone undoubtedly has dealt with insurance valuation of an older bicycle), or to Advocacy-Safety (periodic insurance questions).

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage
or
https://www.bikeforums.net/advocacy-safety/

To get a topic moved, either click on the red button , or ask someone else in the thread to do so if it doesn't work.

The insurance company may try to low-ball you. But you don't have to take their first offer. Agents may not understand differences in bicycles.
CliffordK is offline  
Likes For CliffordK:
Old 07-12-21, 12:28 PM
  #8  
philbob57
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Chicago North Shore
Posts: 2,331

Bikes: frankenbike based on MKM frame

Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 714 Post(s)
Liked 602 Times in 371 Posts
I did 2 things when my insurance company low-balled the value of my stolen bike in 1981. First, I changed the claim for a bike to a claim for parts. State Farm allowed more for the wheels alone than it did for the whole bike; I was able to point out that I had rebuilt both wheels with new rims, spokes, tubes, and tires with 18 months of the robbery, though. The ders were low-end Campy (GT & Valentino - crap, but I could find the selling price for them); leather saddle; 531 tubed frame, etc., etc., etc. Second, while the claim was in process, I complained to my state's insurance board.

State Farm accepted the new valuation and sent me a check for the valuation less the deductible. I believe the letter to the insurance board was crucial. The reason? After I cashed the check, I got a letter from the state board with a copy of State Farm's response, which was that I had settled the claim.

Good luck with your claim.

Last edited by philbob57; 07-12-21 at 02:14 PM.
philbob57 is offline  
Likes For philbob57:
Old 07-12-21, 01:50 PM
  #9  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,767
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by AdkMtnMonster
Yes. Subrogation can be a beautiful thing.
For those who aren't familiar with the term, "subrogation" means that you own insurance company pays you, then goes after the other (at fault) party's insurance for reimbursement. And yeah, it's great. After our car was totaled by another driver's fault, our company cut us a check, and that was the end of it for us. No hassle.
Koyote is offline  
Likes For Koyote:
Old 07-12-21, 01:52 PM
  #10  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,767
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by downhillmaster
I have no experience in this matter but I would be fairly surprised if your homeowners insurance covers your bicycle while it is on the back of your car and not on your property.
Hopefully I am wrong
Weirdly enough, I'll bet it does come under homeowners. That's generally what covers contents which are stolen from inside the car.

But I don't know whether the OP's homeowners insurance will cover it, when the other party is at fault. But see my previous post on that one.

The other caveat is that nowadays, a typical homeowner's policy has a rather large deductible - larger than the value of even a pretty nice older bike.

Last edited by Koyote; 07-12-21 at 01:59 PM.
Koyote is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 02:03 PM
  #11  
indyfabz
Senior Member
 
indyfabz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,058
Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 15,295 Times in 7,229 Posts
Originally Posted by Koyote
After our car was totaled by another driver's fault, our company cut us a check, and that was the end of it for us. No hassle.
IKR. My experience was different when my car was totaled by some idiot kid while parked. He and his insurance company admitted it was 100% his fault, but didn't have collision coverage for the 18+ year old vehicle and thus had to go after his insurance company myself. What a PITA. I finally got them to come up some when I threatened to go to court and handle it myself, which would have cost them legal fees. I still remember walking over to a local State Farm agency and picking up the check.
indyfabz is offline  
Likes For indyfabz:
Old 07-12-21, 02:06 PM
  #12  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,767
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by indyfabz
IKR. My experience was different when my car was totaled by some idiot kid while parked. He and his insurance company admitted it was 100% his fault, but didn't have collision coverage for the 18+ year old vehicle and thus had to go after his insurance company myself. What a PITA. I finally got them to come up some when I threatened to go to court and handle it myself, which would have cost them legal fees. I still remember walking over to a local State Farm agency and picking up the check.
There are some extra-curricular benefits to being an attorney!
Koyote is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 02:07 PM
  #13  
indyfabz
Senior Member
 
indyfabz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,058
Mentioned: 210 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 15,295 Times in 7,229 Posts
Originally Posted by AdkMtnMonster
Yes. Subrogation can be a beautiful thing.
Not if your partner doesn't respect your safe word. Oh. Wait. That's subjugation. Never mind.
indyfabz is offline  
Likes For indyfabz:
Old 07-12-21, 02:35 PM
  #14  
101stairborne
Senior Member
 
101stairborne's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Fishers, Indiana
Posts: 58

Bikes: Lynskey Backroad; Lynkey Cooper CX

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 9 Posts
Your deductible would apply if you used your homeowners insurance.
101stairborne is offline  
Likes For 101stairborne:
Old 07-12-21, 06:21 PM
  #15  
atnyc
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 102
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 64 Post(s)
Liked 25 Times in 17 Posts
Originally Posted by 101stairborne
Your deductible would apply if you used your homeowners insurance.
I know.

I have a relatively low deductible. And my bike is a relatively good one.
atnyc is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 06:32 PM
  #16  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
In theory your insurance company can adjust your rates depending on claims.

Keep on the other driver's insurance company to make it right.

Try to get your bike appraised. You haven't said much about the bike, nor posted photos.

Of course bikes do depreciate, so the insurance company owes you what it takes to put it back like it was, not the purchase price from 20 years ago.

It may help if you do your own bike maintenance, although that isn't required as part of an accident resolution. Insurance companies don't tend to require drivers to do suspension and body work on their own mangled cars..
CliffordK is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 07:24 PM
  #17  
GlennR
On Your Left
 
GlennR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Long Island, New York, USA
Posts: 8,373

Bikes: Trek Emonda SLR, Sram eTap, Zipp 303

Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3004 Post(s)
Liked 2,433 Times in 1,187 Posts
As already stated, ask your agent.

But I would guess that you should file with your homeowners and then let your insurance company go after the other's to get reimbursed.

That's the way it works with 2 cars, you use your collision and the insurance company gets the other's to reimburse them.
GlennR is offline  
Old 07-12-21, 09:00 PM
  #18  
Koyote
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 7,767
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6882 Post(s)
Liked 10,873 Times in 4,637 Posts
Originally Posted by CliffordK
In theory your insurance company can adjust your rates depending on claims.

Keep on the other driver's insurance company to make it right.

Try to get your bike appraised. You haven't said much about the bike, nor posted photos.

Of course bikes do depreciate, so the insurance company owes you what it takes to put it back like it was, not the purchase price from 20 years ago.

It may help if you do your own bike maintenance, although that isn't required as part of an accident resolution. Insurance companies don't tend to require drivers to do suspension and body work on their own mangled cars..
I'm guessing that you've never filed a homeowner's insurance claim. Most policies cover replacement cost.
Koyote is offline  
Old 07-13-21, 10:51 AM
  #19  
viffer
Live to Ride
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 49
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 19 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 13 Times in 10 Posts
Contact your auto insurer who will cover you under your comp and collision coverage and let them deal with recovering from the other party. Umbrella coverage is another way to go. If all else fails get a lawyer. They will generally not take a cut of your property damage recovery if you had other medical injuries that you need to be compensated for. Best way to get the attention of a lowballing insurance company is to hire a lawyer.

You should get replacement value, bikes are crazy expensive these days and blue book on older high end models are ridiculously low.
viffer is offline  
Old 07-14-21, 05:44 AM
  #20  
50PlusCycling
Senior Member
 
50PlusCycling's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,079
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 526 Post(s)
Liked 723 Times in 381 Posts
I got hit some years ago, and the insurance agent had no idea how to determine the value. He called a local bike shop and asked how much the bike was worth. The shop asked what kind of bike it was, the agent said "A Pinarello." The shop owner made a good "whew" sound and said "It's worth two to three thousand dollars." The insurance company gave me a check for $2500, though the bike was actually some 25 years old, and I bought it from a pawn shop for $250. The check and a little more cash, I got a new Pinarello.
50PlusCycling is offline  
Old 07-17-21, 11:22 PM
  #21  
jay4usc
Live Healthy
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 417

Bikes: Wabi Classic

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 183 Post(s)
Liked 137 Times in 92 Posts
Originally Posted by atnyc
My bike got rare-ended while on my car.

The other driver’s insurance offered a “depreciated” value of my bike. The bike is quite a few years old but top of line racing machine for its time. So still perfectly functional (and for many years to come). The offer wasn’t even close to being able to replace the bike with anything like it.

My home owner’s insurance, on the other hand, has “replacement value” rider on it. (I’ve had to use it once, on a flood damage, I got a few new items as replacements). So my questions:

1) Since my home owner’s policy would pay full replacement value, would it be better filing my claim to my own policyr instead of dealing with the other driver’s insurance company?

2) Does home owner insurance covers contents in a car accident? I read some of the old threads here, it sounds like home owner insurance typically does cover theft of stuff in (or on, in this case) the car. But what about damage from collision by another car? Does anyone have experience in filing a claim on their home owners policy for damage to their bike when it’s damaged in an accident by a car?
can’t you use the bike blue book?
jay4usc is offline  
Old 07-18-21, 01:46 AM
  #22  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
Originally Posted by jay4usc
can’t you use the bike blue book?
We don't have a good description of the bike or age.

"The bike is quite a few years old but top of line racing machine for its time."

That is mighty broad. I looked at Bicycle Blue Book, and it didn't list anything older than 1993. And even that was pretty hit and miss.

I very much doubt Bicycle Blue Book can accurately capture a classic/vintage road bike from 30+ years old. What is old? What is new? Condition? etc?

Does BBB go by a strict depreciation schedule, when certain bikes may well be appreciating?
CliffordK is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.