Kawasaki Concours Forum
The C-14, aka Kawasaki Concours-14, the new one :) => The Bike - C14/GTR 1400 => Topic started by: c14blair on September 17, 2011, 10:46:01 AM
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but i never saw it. I woke up on the ground around 25 feet from impact, with the bike another 15 feet or so down the road. I have a broken bone in foot, and possibly some fractures in my ankle. I was at a stoplight, and when light turned green i proceded forward, and then heard a loud bang. It appears vehicle coming from opposite direction turned in to the side of my bike while i was in intersection.
I was transported to hospital and someone rode my bike home for me. In my eyes, the damage looked cosmetic.
Insurance adjuster came out to house and estimated bike damage to be a minimum of 5K, but wants to take it to dealer to see if frame is bent.
I have an '08 C14, with just under 10K miles. There is a good chance bike may be totaled out.
I can't really afford to buy another C14, and am considering buying it back as a salvage.
I am not concerned with resale, because i would probably ride it until it dies.
I am looking for input.
Thanks.
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Glad you're ok!
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If it was the other drivers fault and you were injured with broken bones and all, your check should buy you a new c-14, and a new house with a 3 car garage to put it in.
I am not saying sue the guy or anything but pain and suffering, plus your loss of full mobility for a while is worth $omething.
I here the new 2012 is maroon.
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Police report says that the other driver was at fault, and was driving on a suspended license. The report also stated that his license was suspended for driving without proof of insurance, and that it does not appear that he was insured at time of accident.
I am working with my insurance company on the property damage claim for my motorcycle.
I have retained legal counsel for my personal injury claim.
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Glad you're ok, hope you get everything possible.
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the main thing is you are still around to have the problem. Hopefully you have uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy. If you do then your insurer would cover it. And lets say you had to litigate the matter and were awarded a sum of money. Then your own insurer would have to pay that up to the limits of the policy.
I have a few lawyers in the family and several as friends. one thing I have learned after being injured by another is not to say " yeah Im O.K." Leaving the scene in an ambulance always helps your side of an injury case. You know the other parties insurance company (when they have it) always asks how did you leave the scene. I promise you that when you say "in an ambulance" that gets thier attention a lot more than saying you walked home or your friend, wife ,girlfriend, etc etc picked me up.
Not trying to stir the pot but bottom line is broken bones cost a lot of cash. Just ask yourself if someone came up and said how much would you take to let me smash some bones in your foot and throw you 25 foot in the air while you crash onto the asphalt. My answer would be, well if I had to come up with a number, you probably couldnt afford it.
again, at least you live another day to deal with the ups and downs of life. I have always said I would rather get older than colder. Also if asked if I would rather know when or where I was going to croak, I would always say "where". Then I would avoid the hell out of that place.
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i was going to bring up a point about accepting money from the other guy's insurance company when i remembered that, in this case, there isn't one. BUT, it will be of use to other's, so here goes...
a while back when a guy rear-ended my car, my agent told me NOT to accept any cash for medical expenses from the other company. she told me that my insurance would cover those bills and that in most cases, some injuries don't present themselves right away. when you accept a payout from the other insurance company, you release them from future claims, so if something were to come up, you would be SOL. however, since my insurance company was taking care of the medical side, i didn't have to worry about time limits; they would go after the other insurance company for reimbursement.
glad to hear you're at least OK.
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Police report says that the other driver was at fault, and was driving on a suspended license. The report also stated that his license was suspended for driving without proof of insurance, and that it does not appear that he was insured at time of accident.
I am working with my insurance company on the property damage claim for my motorcycle.
I have retained legal counsel for my personal injury claim.
What a mess! I too am glad to hear that you're mostly ok. Good luck sorting this out.
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Heal up quick.
I hope the bastard's in jail.
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I am pretty heavily insured, and the attorney representing me is family.
I'm trying to focus on my physical recovery, but i am pretty bitter about the guy that did this to me. I'm not mad at him for the accident. It happens. I'm just angry that it looks like he is going to get a free pass, and i really do not know why he was not arrested.
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Man, you are lucky to be alive. Hope you heal up quickly.
Don't worry about salvaging the bike. Go with your attorney. I have a feeling you are going to be able to afford to ride anything you want!! ;)
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Good luck with everything. That sucks that this happened, that's for sure and having the guy uninsured to boot, is just rubbing it in.
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My son was driving his mint 92 GSXR 750 down the street when an 85 yo lady struck him broadside. He flew up in the air and landed on her windshield which he broke with his butt. Deep cuts and lots of blood. His bike was not worth much on paper but was worth a lot to him, as I said it was mint with lots of extras. He hired a lawyer after her INs. company offered him 3k. He ended up with enought to buy a ZX14, less then a year old with 2000 miles on it and put another 10k in the bank.
Don't worry about what they offer you for the bike, get a lawyer'
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Glad your ok and hope you have a good insurance company. You will probably never see a dime from the other guy. I had a VW Rabbit rear ended by a DUI doing over 100. He didn't have insurance, a job and didn't even own the car he was driving. He never paid a dime for that accident.
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WOW! Glad you are telling about it. Sucks about the bike. See what the dealer says about hidden damage. If that looks good I would lean towards rebuilding it myself too. God speed to getting back on your feet and riding again.
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Glad to hear you are doing pretty good.
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Had a truck come into my lane head-on 15 months ago. Driver was unlicensed, uninsured, etc. Connie was 2 days old and total loss, no coverage on my policy for uninsured drivers.... Broken left foot, etc.
You are very lucky, as was I, to live to tell the tale. A friend at work was hit a few months after me, and lost his leg.
I did recover most of the bike loss from my comp/collision, but had to eat the medical. Was able to find an exact duplicate black '09 abs Connie number two a few months later.
I now carry full uninsured on my policy. Hope you had it to begin with.
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I'm just angry that it looks like he is going to get a free pass, and i really do not know why he was not arrested.
I have been in only one big accident. My first brand new (instead of used), higher-end car and it was only a few months old. Light turned green, I went straight, someone slammed into the side of my car causing $13,000 of damage. They took me to the hospital in an ambulance (although it wasn't necessary). My car was repaired but never the same AND lost value on resale. Was in pain for several days. I missed time at work. I had to spent a month without my car and countless hours on paperwork, going back to get things re-fixed, etc.
I think the guy got a $50 ticket for "running a red light". So where is the justice in that??
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Insurance company just contacted me and they think bike can be fixed, and want to tow it to dealership.
I was thinking about having them cut me the check, and fixing the little stuff myself, and let the dealer fix the big stuff. The reason i was considering doing this, is so i could pocket the extra money.
I may be in a cast for a couple more months, and am now thinking, maybe i should just let the dealership fix it all.
What would you do?
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If it were me, I'd let the dealer fix the bike and let my lawyer pay for my pain and suffering, of which there will be much. Machines can be repaired, and the dealer should do the best job, in most cases. When you go to pick it up, just go over it with a FINE TOOTHED COMB. They might want to take a shortcut. Looks at every square inch of the bike for road rash that isn't repaired. Then take it for a ride, only THEN would I accept it. They will probably argue, but I'd bitch at them telling them I am not accepting the vehicle until I have ridden it up and down the road and make sure it rides as expected. It's not like they are doing the work out of the kindness of their hearts, it's all business to them.
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If it were me, I'd let the dealer fix the bike and let my lawyer pay for my pain and suffering, of which there will be much. Machines can be repaired, and the dealer should do the best job, in most cases. When you go to pick it up, just go over it with a FINE TOOTHED COMB. They might want to take a shortcut. Looks at every square inch of the bike for road rash that isn't repaired. Then take it for a ride, only THEN would I accept it. They will probably argue, but I'd bitch at them telling them I am not accepting the vehicle until I have ridden it up and down the road and make sure it rides as expected. It's not like they are doing the work out of the kindness of their hearts, it's all business to them.
I was gonna say, let the dealership take care of the bike, and let the hospital and lawer take care of you.
You can try and argue with the insurance agency to total your bike, or you can talk with the dealership about what all needs replacing on the bike to add up to the total replacement cost. I'd go with the latter.
-darrell
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The insurance company MAY write you a check based on what it will cost the dealer to do the work. If that happens, you can then decide what work you want the dealer to skip.
I would have them do most of the work though even if that is the case.
If that is not the case and they are just going to pay the dealer, have them do all the work and inspect and ride it first as Sofa King recommends (I like that).
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Glad to hear you're here to tell the story. I hope you heal quickly.
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I don't know the ins and outs of ensurance paid jobs on bikes in the USA, but in Germany, if somebody does something to your wheeled property, you basically informe his ensurance and take it to the dealer for an inicial quote. If the amount is more than a certain number (I think it's something like 2500 euros/3500 dollars) then the ensurance might want to send their own expert to check. Once the estimate is done, there is never money going to the owner of the bike. It is always between ensurance and dealer, even the communication. And the bike has to be perfect afterwards. Germans are very picky and at the slightest doubt they will just put a new part, and the ensurance will pay for it. I guess it makes sense in a country with so many expensive sports cars, where a motorcycle costs a tiny fraction. A bumper for a 911 costs already half of our bike. :-\
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I'm glad you're OK. I got T bone by a lady 15 minutes after i bought my 08. I got enough to buy another C-14. get a good lawyer. they take care of everything.
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Glad you're ok... I want to point out one thing, from my experience, just in case it happens to you...
If your employee health insurance is paying for your medical bills from this accident, don't be surprised if they come after any money from a settlement for re-imbursement... and it is legal for them to do it. If they do, have your attorney negotiate with them... so you keep as much of that money as you can.
Again... glad you are ok!
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Again: those left-turning cages are trying to kill us all, one by one. >:(
I'm an insurance professional - fraud investigator in a regional carrier's special investigative unit - so I have some insight into your situation....but so do others who have noted already what you should be thinking about.
If the liable party (the clueless cager in this case) has no insurance, there is nothing to be gained by looking in that direction. Unless he's an eccentric millionaire who doesn't believe in insurance, you aren't getting anything from him.
You bike has collision coverage obviously, and I'd be pushing them to total it, if possible. It'll never be the same again. Generally, if it isn't totaled, the insurance company will simply write you a check for the appraised amount, minus the deductible (waived in this case) and wish you godspeed. If you want it repaired, it's better to have the shop get a signed Direction To Pay to the insurance company, that way if there is additional damages found while under repair, the appraisor will just write up a supplement(s) until the job gets done.
Your injuries are serious, in the relative world of bodily injury claims. Your medical bills are the first order of business, and your own health insurance should cover you there. In Massachusetts there is no PIP (personal injury protection) coverages available for bikers, but folks here usually purchase MedPay, which works like PIP...if you bought it. Anyway, after your medical bills get squared away and you are at or near a medical end result from your various treatments, you would look for pain and suffering compensation, and the only pocket available there would be your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverages. Most states require this coverage, but the limits vary and depend on how much you purchased with your policy.
You are a long way from this point though. Do not even talk about settling or accepting money from your insurance carrier until you have finished your medical treatments. That could be a year from now.
Good luck!
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met with the insurance rep at the dealership. damage looks cosmetic. it was low speed hit, and lay down. bike does not appear to have tumbled. My Cee Bailey windshield didn't get a scratch, and nether did the handle bar.
I negotiated bike repair, and riding gear replacement.
My attorney will handle everything else.
My doctor say that he wants me to starting putting weight on leg Oct. 1, but i think that is a little optimistic.
thx for the advice and well wishes.
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met with the insurance rep at the dealership. damage looks cosmetic. it was low speed hit, and lay down. bike does not appear to have tumbled. My Cee Bailey windshield didn't get a scratch, and nether did the handle bar.
I negotiated bike repair, and riding gear replacement.
but i never saw it. I woke up on the ground around 25 feet from impact, with the bike another 15 feet or so down the road. I have a broken bone in foot, and possibly some fractures in my ankle. I was at a stoplight, and when light turned green i proceded forward, and then heard a loud bang. It appears vehicle coming from opposite direction turned in to the side of my bike while i was in intersection.
I was transported to hospital and someone rode my bike home for me. In my eyes, the damage looked cosmetic.
c14blair, based on your first post, I would think there would be more damage than what you are saying now. Sounds like you and the bike got lucky. Surprising though that the bike damage is that minor. A guy I work with on his 2009 t-boned a deer at what he said at impact was only about 10-15 MPH, but the bike got totaled and he said there was plastic all over the place from when the bike hit and slid.
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it doesn't look that bad, and appears it is mostly cosmetic. the only think broke off is the foot peg. someone rode it home for me. appears the bike is not bent. they sure get a lot for the parts. i think they were around $4200.
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Hope you come out at least as good as you went in. BUT, you are very fortunate no matter how this ends. My brother was also hit by a left turning truck recently, and his funeral service is this Saturday. Heal quickly!
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Hope you come out at least as good as you went in. BUT, you are very fortunate no matter how this ends. My brother was also hit by a left turning truck recently, and his funeral service is this Saturday. Heal quickly!
Redbarber, I'm truly sorry for your loss. :-\
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Redbarber,
I'm very sorry to hear about your brother.
Blair
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Hope you come out at least as good as you went in. BUT, you are very fortunate no matter how this ends. My brother was also hit by a left turning truck recently, and his funeral service is this Saturday. Heal quickly!
Red, I'm so sorry for your loss... Lives can change in an instant. Always show your love to family and friends as you never know what's going to happen around the corner.
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Red,
I'll add my condolences on the loss of your brother. I'll say a prayer for his family.
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Hope you come out at least as good as you went in. BUT, you are very fortunate no matter how this ends. My brother was also hit by a left turning truck recently, and his funeral service is this Saturday. Heal quickly!
That is truly awful. My condolences. :(