Yes on the motor vehicle insurance. There should absolutely be no increase in your premium. And they should cover the cost of repairs/replacement to make you whole. They'll recover from the driver if he/she is ever located.
2011-03-19 14:43:44
8
Hit & Run - insurance to pay for damage questions
Hi all,
Just wondering if anyone has any experience with insurance to pay for the damage done to your bike in an hit-and-run accident?
I called 911 right away and filed a police report (which included the details of what bike I was on and the damage). But how do I go about filing the correct insurance claim?
Could this be covered under my motor-vehicle insurance since I was moving, and was hit by a moving vehicle?
Or do I have to use homeowners?
Do you think it is worth it for a ~$800 frame? (i.e. the price of the insurance increase vs. the price of just buying a new frame, fwiw I haven't had a ticket in more than 7 years and haven't had an accident in more than 10)
(one thing. I'm looking for information, not rants or empathy thanks in advance for your thoughts, I am 100% fine though).
2011-03-19 14:23:27
Depending on your insurance, you *might have a deductible, so make sure you get the highest replacement value for your bike possible...
2011-03-19 14:59:41
There should be no deductible for a hit-and-run. It's the other guy's fault by definition.
2011-03-19 15:15:34
My insurance policy states that there needs to be a 3rd party witness for damage caused by hit-and-run. Never had to deal with it, thankfully, so I'm not sure they would put up a fuss or not for a bicycle accident, and your policy may be different. In any case, if anyone saw your accident, make sure to have their name/# ready when the adjuster asks for it.
2011-03-19 21:40:22
@dwilen: who's your insurer?
2011-03-20 14:28:32
Allstate, but now that I look at the policy, what I said above isn't exactly correct. I guess I initially read the paragraph and thought, "yea, that would apply to a large amount of hit-and-run cycling accidents" (someone cuts you off, runs you off the road, chucks something at you, and you bite it without actually hitting them) and it stuck in my head, sorry.
I scanned in the first two pages of this uninsured language from my policy. It doesn't look like a bike would be covered under my policy, absent any verified bodily injury. It says nothing about property damage, which would suggest to me they wouldn't pay for bike repairs.
2011-03-20 16:55:49
I would just call your car insurance company. If you have the offending motorist's license plate number, the police report and an eye witness you'll be golden.
2011-03-20 20:20:02