New Bike rear-ended while on bike hitch :(

[LoriO]

My questions is where you stopped at a light or stop sign when this happened or were you moving? If you and the old lady were stopped and the third car hit her and pushed her into you then I believe that the 3rd car is the one to be responsible for the accident.

If everyone was moving when it happened then that would probably change things.

Either way, I would write the bike off as a loss and make the other drivers insurance pay to replace it.

Getting rear ended with my bike on my tailgate hatch rack is always one of my biggest fears.

[SadieKate]

Who is at fault is a gray area but that is why you should always leave a safe distance between you and the car in front. When I was rearended, my car's bumper stopped about a frog's hair from the car in front of me. CHP officer was complimentary that in rush hour traffic I'd left that much space so that I wasn't also cited.

I've used a hitch rack for years and heard very few horror stories about bikes getting smashed that way -- and tons and tons of stories about the owners themselves driving bikes into roofs.

[VeloVT]

Yes, when I bought my rack the salesman told me a story about a friend who left his garage with a brand new custom Seven mounted on his roof.



It's a horrific thought.

[7rider]

You need to find out about the "little old lady". She's the one who hit you. She was too close to begin with. I have no idea if there is shared responsibility with the driver who hit her.

Was there a police report? Get your insurance company involved NOW. Do not wait. Do not pass go. Call them tonight.

I'd be leery of a frame that was hit that hard, especially since it was between the car and your husband's bike which was totaled.

I was hit from behind by a guy in a Volvo who was hit by a pick up. The pickup pushed the Volvo into me. The guy in the pickup was found to be at fault by the police for the entire accident and it was his insurance who picked up the tab for repairs to my vehicle (actually, all 3 vehicles).

Bummer....foreign visitor...rented car...ouch.

[andtckrtoo]

Absolutely call your own insurance company. That's why you have them! They know much more about how to negotiate with the other insurance companies that you do. This accident was not your fault, and you need an advocate. They are also the ones to tell you whether or not your bikes would be covered. I know here in California, if the accident is not your fault, the insurance company cannot raise your rates.

[maillotpois]

Don't sign any release unless you are COMPLETELY satisfied with the outcome.

In order to push a middle car into you, that rear guy must have been going way too fast for conditions.

Talk to your insurance, explain the situation and make them help you chase. It is possible your UM/UIM coverage may be called into play if the Enterprise guy didn't get the insurance, so better to get them notified now.

Also your policy's med pay will come into play immediately, so if you suspect any injuries be sure people know that now.

[SadieKate]

I was hit from behind by a guy in a Volvo who was hit by a pick up. The pickup pushed the Volvo into me. The guy in the pickup was found to be at fault by the police for the entire accident and it was his insurance who picked up the tab for repairs to my vehicle (actually, all 3 vehicles).

That's why it's such a gray area. You never know who will or won't be cited.

[cherinyc]

I heard the old lady say that she was given a ticket, so maybe the police thought she was too close even if it was the other guy who hit her. These situations (car accidents) are always packed full with gray areas. FH's truck slid on some ice this past winter and spun around, hit the guard rail...
He didn't hit any other cars and stopped on the side of the road. He got a ticket for that. I had no idea you COULD get a ticket when ice was involved...

Oh well, so I think FH is going to look for a second opinion on my bike. He went to a pretty high end shop (big Seven dealer) for the estimates on both. This shop charges $80/bike to do the estimates, then if you buy the next bike from them, or get the repairs from them - they credit that $80 towards whatever.

They have plenty of $4000 bikes they are prepared to sell, but I think they would actually make more money off me if they did the repair, then if they sold me a new bike worth ~$900. I've heard there is not much markup on bikes. Am I just making this up?

[Irulan]

ice--- oh yeah. "driving too fast for conditions". My son got one of those when he put my Subaru in a ditch.

[aicabsolut]

It depends on where you are and what the police decide. Either way, you should have the police report and the insurance information from both other drivers. The insurance company of whomever is deemed at fault should cover your bikes under their more general liability coverage, because they damaged your personal property in the accident. If the driver is underinsured, then it may be for your insurance company to step in, provided you have protection in your plan against incidents with uninsured/underinsured drivers.

Like others said, do not approve any insurance settlement amount until you get everything taken care of. The company may want some quotes from your bike shop for replacement value, because this would be the relevant amount.

[aicabsolut]

I've heard there is not much markup on bikes. Am I just making this up?

There's plenty of markup on bikes. The reason it may be hard to get discounts has to do with the volume of bikes they sell (especially the more expensive ones) rather than the profit they'd make per bike.

[sundial]

This shop charges $80/bike to do the estimates, then if you buy the next bike from them, or get the repairs from them - they credit that $80 towards whatever.

I've never heard of this before. Perhaps it's not common in the south.

[SadieKate]

It's very common for any shop to charge for a written insurance estimate if you didn't buy the item there originally. It's a lot of work to itemize, do market research and type up a written estimate. Doesn't matter if it's a bike shop or a jeweler.

[TrekTheKaty]

So sorry to hear about your new "baby." Hope the insurance companies do the right thing. (running to the phone to call the insurance company about our coverage)

[cherinyc]

Does anyone remember any threads about aluminum bike frame integrity after an accident? Even if they don't see some obvious cracks, is it possible to be sure the frame is not bent somehow?