This past saturday I was out on my motorcycle.
Was driving thru town - 2 lanes in both directions.
Traffic was heavy but still moving at a good pace (roughly 35-40).
I was in the left lane minding my own business then all the sudden a car comes in from the right lane and slams into me.
I went down and the car took off.

Several other drivers stopped to help.
One driver kept going and followed the car that hit me and took down his plate number.
Cops and paramedics showed up - all the standard stuff.
Cop interviewed me and all the witnesses - gold star to the woman who got the plate.
Other cops eventually found the guy - turns out he just panicked and ran after he hit me.
His license/insurance and all that is perfectly fine.

I have pretty much just superficial injuries - road rash on both legs, right arm, right shoulder.
Bike is somewhat banged up but seems functional (I rode it home afterwards).

So now I'm likely going to need to fight with his insurance company to get myself and my bike taken care of.
Anyone have any experience with something like this?
Should I get a lawyer?
What happens to Mr. Hit&Run?
Does the state just slap him with a fine and then move on with life?

Let your insurance company fight it out.

^^^ Exactly. Why would you have to fight anything yourself?

Hope they throw the book at him.

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:
Hope they throw the book at him.

That's one of my questions.
Do I need to be involved in that?
Like do I need to actively press charges or something?

I spoke with my insurance company today.
They were very straightforward with "You need to go begin talks with his insurance company. Then if there's issues you can involve us."

So I'm trying to determine if I should lawyer up before I even contact his insurance.
Or do I just take this all at face value and say "hi gimme money".

I’d probably go get checked out by a MD, if you haven’t already, to make sure the superficial injuries really are just superficial.

His insurance company will dang sure have lawyers. And their goal is to get you to go away as cheaply as possible.

Back in the 1900's my 75 y.o. mom got shoved down in the K Mart
Parking lot in Iowa city and the couple took off. They got her purse and it's contents.

Cell phones were brand new,
A lady on her lunch break followed the car 85 miles west on I -80,
She was running out of gas.
But the Iowa Highway Patrol caught the thieves in Des Moines.

The two thieves had warrants out for murder in Tennessee.

She got everything back but
$65.00 in cash

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
I’d probably go get checked out by a MD, if you haven’t already, to make sure the superficial injuries really are just superficial.

I did. I went to the hospital later that evening and they cleaned me up (road rash sucks).

quote:

His insurance company will dang sure have lawyers. And their goal is to get you to go away as cheaply as possible.

That's part of my concern.

It might be worth a call to one of the motorcycle injury lawyer outfits like Law Tigers. I think they are just a middle man and will evaluate your case, decide if it's got any financial potential, and then farm it out. But you could at least get some ballpark idea before you commit to or sign anything.

Your insurance company should handle this. I cannot believe they told you to call his insurance company. That is why you have insurance.

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
I spoke with my insurance company today.
They were very straightforward with "You need to go begin talks with his insurance company. Then if there's issues you can involve us."

So I'm trying to determine if I should lawyer up before I even contact his insurance.
Or do I just take this all at face value and say "hi gimme money".

Their insurance will likely record your conversation. They also should be very accommodating in paying for your medical and damage to your motorcycle, they were with my claims. I suppose they may offer even some amount more if pressed but if you want money above and beyond that you may want to hire a lawyer.

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
I spoke with my insurance company today.

They were very straightforward with "You need to go begin talks with his insurance company.

Ummmm...what? Isn't that literally THEIR JOB and what you pay premiums for?

I'd like to know what insurance company is making you do their work?

Hope the road rash heals up quick and so do the bumps and bruises. Also, good luck with the insurance company (yours and his).

One area that I haven't seen mentioned is your safety gear should be replaced and the insurance company should pay for it. All of it should go in the garbage can, and be replaced with new.

I went through this a few years back but my injuries were a bit more serious. 7 broken ribs, lots of abrasions and my right collar bone got separated from my shoulder

If I had to do it all over again I wouldn't have hired a lawyer, I did it because at first the insurance company was acting like a holes but they came around and paid off my bike. They sent me the overage on what it was worth, I got more for it than I had planned. They settled pretty quickly on bodily injury, $50k was all they lady had (insurance) that hit me. I didn't feel like it was right going after my insurance for the underinsured soccer mom.

It was pretty cut and dry what they owed me and I believe I could have accomplished the same outcome on my own

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
I spoke with my insurance company today.
They were very straightforward with "You need to go begin talks with his insurance company. Then if there's issues you can involve us."

So I'm trying to determine if I should lawyer up before I even contact his insurance.
Or do I just take this all at face value and say "hi gimme money".

NO NO NO AND NO!!!!!!

That is THEIR job and that is what you pay them to do!

Who did you speak with??? Your agent directly or some 1800 number???
I do nothing with insurance over the phone always in the office.

I have two separate trains of thought on this whole thing.

1) I want recompense for getting repairs/replacements done for everything injured during this.
Example being some of my riding gear is messed up now.
I've always heard that your helmet is good for 1 incident and should then be replaced.
So if they just try to get my bike fixed up... what about the rest of the stuff? Does that fall on me?



2) This dude just drove away after hitting someone.
That's massive levels of "asshole" in my book.
For all he knew I could have been laying there bleeding out and dying - and he was trying to get away with murder (or I guess manslaughter).
If he had stopped like any decent person... we would have exchanged insurance info and then gone on with life.
He did not.
That needs to bite him in the ass in a big way IMO.

WRT above questions.

My insurance is Geico.
I started the claim via the phone app.
They called me back this morning. (I missed the call and had to call in to their 800 number)

I've never had an insurance agent.

Lawyer up. You may inadvertently say something you think of as innocent-sounding that messes you up later. Or that helps the hit-and-run driver avoid legal issues.

Like you say, if he was a decent human he'd have stayed put. Your insurer wants to make you do their work. "begin talks with their insurer" Hah!

The driver and their insurer desperately want/need you to do things that help them avoid liability claims. Don't play their game.

Their insurer is the enemy, knows the rules and (trust me) has lawyers upon lawyers. Why would your insurer want you to talk directly?

Who is the other guys insurance through? Back in 2009 I got hit on my motorcycle but not hit and run. The guy who hit me had USAA insurance and they were very pleasant to work with. My ankle was broken but since his insurance was cooperative I didn't bother with a lawyer. after all my treatment was done and I felt like I was fully healed, they offered to settle for an amount that I was very happy with, and the lawyers didn't get any of it.