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Moto Board => General Monster Forum => Topic started by: masterh on September 09, 2009, 02:01:57 PM



Title: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 09, 2009, 02:01:57 PM
I was driving on 3rd lane in 3 lane roads. I was driving slow around 30mph since it was cold and I didn't have sunglasses or helmet (so I wouldn't cry)

This car came out from the street on the right side. I tried to stop but I wobbled handle and collided with the car by the left corner light. (90 degree angle)

I did front flip and landed on my butt. (I wish I landed on my foot like gymnast....)

when I was flying I was only thinking 'this is not my fault'

I wasn't wearning helmet but I didn't hit the ground with the head

I tried to stand up but kneeld on the ground again with my hands.

I kind of got wet by the gas that came out of the bike. luckily it didn't get caught on fire.

I saw a car that was behind me and was about to leave the scene. I stopped him and asked if he saw the accident.
he told me he saw after it happened.

the guy who hit me, didn't say anything something like 'sorry, are you ok'
when I was on the ground he was just oberving me like it was no big deal.

when I stood up to sit on the shoulder, he was saying something like 'you shouldn't drive on the side of the street'
he was basically saying, he wasn't blocking any traffic and I hit him when he was waiting for other cars to pass
 
Luckily, this women who was right behind me ,saw everything and didn't leave the scene.

I thought it was weird that the car was 5 foot apart from my bike.

I asked lady if she saw the car backing up.

she said she saw the car moving after the accident and told the cop about this as well.

the paramedics came and they were about to put me on the bed.

I wanted to make sure everything before leaving the scene, like taking photographs, talk to the officer, get witness' contact info. but they just put me on the bed and told me not to worry about it

Before going to hospital, I asked this guy if he moved the car and he should be honest with me if he doesn't want to make it worse. he was denying what he did and I raised my voice. the police told him stand somewhere else.

I was brought to hospital and got realeased with no broken bones. just back and butt pain

I got the police report today and it correctly describes everything happened including the witness's comment saying he moved his car after he hit me.


I have no sympathy for this person because of his attitude after the accident happened and lying about moving his car.
so I am going to get a injury lawyer and see what he can do against this person's insurance company
(I argued with insurance company before about the value of the total loss. they offered me $7000 and said 'take it or leave it'. I got lawyer involved and it went up to $10,000.  since I was taken to hospital, I have to get the lawyer anyways)


I didn't see the bike yet but I am pretty sure it would be totaled since it's 2000 m900 ie and isn't worth that much


My advice about accident?  even if you are hurt, make sure get the witness by walking around the cars behind you before they Leave. some people would just leave if you don't ask them.
if you don't have witness, it's just your word against his word. it can go wrong or you would have to spend a lot of time arguing.


I have a question about the bike though. it's sitting in a towing company lot.
should I bring it to my house and let adjustor come n inspect later?
hopefully I can at least get blue book value

do you think I can get paid for the damaged laptop that was in the backpack?

 









Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Shifty on September 09, 2009, 02:10:55 PM
WOW sorry to hear it but I'm glad you're okay!  :o

I would go after him for sure... his insurance should cover everything, including the computer.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Spidey on September 09, 2009, 02:22:39 PM
A couple of things --

Glad you weren't hurt worse. 

If you have ongoing litigation (or are contemplating litigation), you probably don't want to post about what happened. 

Yes, you can get "paid" for the damage to your laptop.

You can bring the bike to your house and an adjuster will look at it there.  That's often a better solution than paying storage fees.  Alternatively, if you call your insurance, the adjuster should be able to go to the towing company, take pictures and give you an estimate.  The short version:  call your insurance co and ask them.  Wait a sec.  Do you have your own insurance?


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 09, 2009, 02:40:07 PM
I think it should be ok for posting, since I am just posting that actually happened?

BTW, I only have liability insurance. usually my own insurance company pays up to $3000 right away (state limit)
for the medical expense. But my attorney said, they don't have that for motorcycle.

so if it takes longer, I might be hassled by the hostial asking me pay for the ambulance and checkup


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: derby on September 09, 2009, 03:08:19 PM
I think it should be ok for posting, since I am just posting that actually happened?


if an attorney told me it's not a good idea to post it online, i'd listen.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: junior varsity on September 09, 2009, 03:09:38 PM
delete this from the internet and contact a lawyer to represent you.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Grampa on September 09, 2009, 03:16:25 PM
is this Ben?


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: somegirl on September 09, 2009, 04:04:03 PM
Agreed, delete the thread.  Best of luck.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: fastwin on September 09, 2009, 04:12:56 PM
Hire an attorney if you don't already have one and do what they tell you. No, I'm not an attorney but I ran State District Criminal Court for years. No, it wasn't any fun (rape, murder and child abuse rarely is... :P) but occasionally lawyers do know what they are talking about. Sorry for all the trouble. Take care. [thumbsup]


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: NAKID on September 09, 2009, 06:03:43 PM
OK, what is the 2000 M900 worth? Now add up how much your medical bills were. Any missed work should be included here too. Personal property damage like the laptop as well. Does that exceed the $10,000 they offered you?

You were not seriously injured, correct? You won't likely have any lifetime repercussions from this incident right?

Sorry, as someone who was involved in a serious MC accident, I don't see how this justifies getting a lawyer (and all of their fees) involved.

My lawyer ended up getting paid $120K for their work on my case. I am left with permanent injuries and scarring/disfigurement and they got quite a chunk of my settlement.

For what I see as a fairly simple case, I would try to get what you think is fair out of the insurance company without a lawyer.

Remember, no matter how much the insurance company pays out, the person responsible for this incident won't see much of an effect from gouging the insurance company.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Statler on September 09, 2009, 06:11:48 PM
lawyers are like Ducati dealers.   The good ones are worth their weight in gold (which is about their fee  ;D).   Ones just off that ideal can make for an unhappy experience.

As an attorney I will still not personally talk to any insurance company about any incident...my hired attorney in that field will talk to them for me.

lots of examples of better off with attorney and better off without attorney.

best of luck.

and yeah...NAKID's accident puts some perspective on things.

  


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: sbrguy on September 09, 2009, 08:03:39 PM
this report proves one thing and nothing else...

ANYONE that believes that HUMANS ARE INHERENTLY GOOD are either smoking something/delusional or just STUPID.   Another incident that shows above all that people when given the chance will do or say anything to save their own skins.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Raux on September 09, 2009, 08:49:17 PM
wow, seriously glad you are ok. this could have a been a case of us reading about a motorcycle death...

sounds like with the police report, witnesses etc. his insurance company should settle. but i'm no expert.

BUT i do know this. wear a helmet next time you ride... you never know when some idiot is going to pull out in front of you.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Howie on September 09, 2009, 08:55:39 PM
Glad you are OK.  + whatever on the helmet!  Follow the advice given by Sidey and Statler [thumbsup]


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 09, 2009, 10:13:01 PM
NO NO NO
that's wasn't what I meant.
that was when I totaled my car. they offered me $7000 and after my lawyer talked to them it went up to $10,000
(he did it free for property damage)


OK, what is the 2000 M900 worth? Now add up how much your medical bills were. Any missed work should be included here too. Personal property damage like the laptop as well. Does that exceed the $10,000 they offered you?

You were not seriously injured, correct? You won't likely have any lifetime repercussions from this incident right?

Sorry, as someone who was involved in a serious MC accident, I don't see how this justifies getting a lawyer (and all of their fees) involved.

My lawyer ended up getting paid $120K for their work on my case. I am left with permanent injuries and scarring/disfigurement and they got quite a chunk of my settlement.

For what I see as a fairly simple case, I would try to get what you think is fair out of the insurance company without a lawyer.

Remember, no matter how much the insurance company pays out, the person responsible for this incident won't see much of an effect from gouging the insurance company.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Raux on September 09, 2009, 10:35:52 PM
NO NO NO
that's wasn't what I meant.
that was when I totaled my car. they offered me $7000 and after my lawyer talked to them it went up to $10,000
(he did it free for property damage)



most of us got that.
i think contact his insurance company and say... what the hell are you going to do for me? you're guy nearly killed me.
most people with insurance have the liability for the damage AND medical. not sure about the laptop, but doesn't hurt to mention to them.
OR ask that SAME lawyer if he'll do it for free.

but the guys who are lawyers already gave you advice on here. you might want to at least give their advice a try and remove this thread til you figure it out.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: NAKID on September 10, 2009, 02:26:28 AM
NO NO NO
that's wasn't what I meant.
that was when I totaled my car. they offered me $7000 and after my lawyer talked to them it went up to $10,000
(he did it free for property damage)




Ahhh, I understood it to mean you were talking about this time....


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: needtorque on September 10, 2009, 02:40:13 AM
A short time ago I got rear ended by a teenage kid while driving my taurus.  It was blatantly his fault the adjuster came out and wrote me a check for $650.  Since I paid only $400 for the car and there was no real damage I was fine with this payment.  The only need to sue is if the ins. company os not willing to pay for all damages in full.  If they put you back to where you were before the accident then why sue.  If there is long term physical damage that is one thing and a person should be compensated appropriately for their loss but if not then get the broken stuff replaced and move on.

And yes, wear your helmet next time.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Monster Dave on September 10, 2009, 06:50:34 AM
Glad that you're ok - wow - some angel was looking out for you given that you did a superman flip and didn't hit your head sans-helmet.

Best of luck. I have come to learn that there are more careless drivers on the road that we could ever realize. I was run out of my lane on lane on the highway at 80mph in my Nissan Xterra by a guy in an Avalanche who was texting and all I could think of was how bad that could have been had I been on my motorcycle.



Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: cutter on September 10, 2009, 07:56:45 AM
Find a decent lawyer, don't go for the ones on tv or the back of the phone book, the so called ambulance chasers. They take a cut of everything, medical, injury, vehicle etc. I was lucky to find a lawyer to handle my accident who was really decent and only took a small percentage of the injury settlement. I wouldn't have gone for a lawyer but the ins co. made an error and was valuing my bike a 1/2 of what the blue book value was. The fact that the guy backed up is shady, and makes me angry, but isn't going to affect the way the ins. co pays out.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 10, 2009, 01:38:08 PM
I think the lawyer is ok. he would do free for the property damage. there is no upfront fees. he just takes 35% from the settlement.

btw, I am not posting this to get legal advice from you guys. just to share the story and it might help someone later in the future.




Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 13, 2009, 08:41:45 PM
have any of you totaled your bike?
did they pay based on kbb value? was it retail or private value?

I don't know if the adjustor has the system to calculate the cost of damage for ducati
should I send it to local ducati shop and get a quote from them?


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: duc996 on September 13, 2009, 10:01:03 PM
Wow man that sucks....do what you have to to get that jerk.Glad you're ok,good luck.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 13, 2009, 10:24:13 PM
in the police report (I had to translate so didn't know right away)
he said, I crashed into his car while he was on stop sign by going 50 miles. he offered the help but I refused it and verbally abused him. (when I was on the ground, he was just looking at me like he hit the cat and was just making a phone call to his family)

I am trying to find out if I can press some charge on this guy for moving his car and lying about it


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: corey on September 14, 2009, 03:59:39 AM
if there's anything i've ever learned... sometimes it's best to (if possible) let a shitty situation pass by, and let karma kick this guy in the ass later on in life. What goes around comes around.

If you have been compensated fully for your losses (bike, bodily injury) by HIS insurance company, maybe consider just getting past this entire situation, and moving on with your life.. Let God sort him out.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Raux on September 14, 2009, 07:15:25 AM
in the police report (I had to translate so didn't know right away)
he said, I crashed into his car while he was on stop sign by going 50 miles. he offered the help but I refused it and verbally abused him. (when I was on the ground, he was just looking at me like he hit the cat and was just making a phone call to his family)

I am trying to find out if I can press some charge on this guy for moving his car and lying about it


his statement is meaningless if the police took other witness reports and have physical evidence (like your skid marks, parts and potential impact location, etc) that dispute what he said.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: ghostface on September 14, 2009, 11:09:26 AM
Glad you're OK but never ride without a lid man, legal or not.

Advice: Sue the mofo for everything you can get.

R.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 18, 2009, 08:21:44 PM
the estimate was $10,000 just for parts  ???  ???  [thumbsup]

I think it would be fine to drive if I fix front brake cable, replace gear pegs, fix gas leak problem.

the value of bike is around $4000. do you know how much % I have to pay to keep this?

when I totaled my car for $10,000, they wanted $2500 for me to keep my car.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Raux on September 18, 2009, 08:59:22 PM
the estimate was $10,000 just for parts  ???  ???  [thumbsup]

I think it would be fine to drive if I fix front brake cable, replace gear pegs, fix gas leak problem.

the value of bike is around $4000. do you know how much % I have to pay to keep this?

when I totaled my car for $10,000, they wanted $2500 for me to keep my car.

depends on the salvage value.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: masterh on September 23, 2009, 02:43:56 PM
question guys.
so ducati shop estimated $10,000 ++ for repair. the adjustor called me to pick up the bike at the shop.

they said they need to pick up the bike to estimate the used bike's value.

I am concerned here though.

When I totaled my car, they picked it up from the shop and moved it to auction yard (they said, to save money on storage charge)

they gave me the offer for the car but it was a lot lower than what I thought.

I wasn't happy with the offer and I couldn't bring my car back. I felt like they kidnapped my car.


I don't know what if they give me low ball offer, give me the option to buy wrecked one at high price and don't let me touch my motorcycle.

should I bring the bike back to my house and let them come to look at it?



Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: NAKID on September 23, 2009, 03:49:53 PM
I would move the bike to your place. If it goes to a salvage yard it's going to sit out in the elements and get shit on. They don't need to move it to a salvage yard...


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: Raux on September 23, 2009, 07:17:56 PM
question guys.
so ducati shop estimated $10,000 ++ for repair. the adjustor called me to pick up the bike at the shop.
they said they need to pick up the bike to estimate the used bike's value.
I am concerned here though.
When I totaled my car, they picked it up from the shop and moved it to auction yard (they said, to save money on storage charge)
they gave me the offer for the car but it was a lot lower than what I thought.
I wasn't happy with the offer and I couldn't bring my car back. I felt like they kidnapped my car.
I don't know what if they give me low ball offer, give me the option to buy wrecked one at high price and don't let me touch my motorcycle.
should I bring the bike back to my house and let them come to look at it?
going through the same thing. it's taking me nearly what two months since my wreck. fighting on the phone wiht the insurance to get the adjuster to admit the bike is worth more and to add in the costs of my broken add on parts... it was at the dealer and i went and got it. albeit after the adjuster looked at it AT the shop. but he could have easily came to my house. seems the adjuster should be able to go to the shop. in the end i'm keeping my bike and rebuilding so it worked out better.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: cyrus buelton on September 24, 2009, 04:11:48 AM
delete

thread


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: herm on September 24, 2009, 04:39:26 AM
delete

thread

+1
[repeat]assuming you are still contemplating a lawsuit, its a really bad idea to discuss it with a bunch of strangers on the internet.[/repeat]


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: orenjimonster on September 24, 2009, 10:58:31 AM
what country are you from?

I'm pretty sure helmet is required.. like a license or insurance..



Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: MikeZ on September 24, 2009, 11:19:27 AM
In the U.S. helmets are required in some states but not others.


Title: Re: Had an accident, need to sue this person
Post by: booger on September 24, 2009, 03:57:19 PM
Kinda difficult for me to have sympathy for people who don't wear helmets. Squid is the word that comes to mind here. The lack of proper headgear is probably noted in the police report, and will not favor you in a lawsuit whether there are helmet laws where you are located or not. The other attorney could argue that you are irresponsible and don't really care about your own safety. Good luck. Next time wear the helmet.  [roll]


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