bike's a couple of years old, was mint apart from chain and cable rub etc, now it's got scuffs and gouges in places, some damage to components and also worried about 'invisible' damage to the carbon
it was also brought to my attention earlier that while I planned to sell the bike soon-ish to upgrade it'll now be worth a lot lot less
I don't want to con anyone, but I also don't want to be left out of pocket or unsatisfied with the bike at the end of this
what can I expect from insurers? do they always try to shaft you?
Yes they always try to shaft you. Don't accept the first offer.
New bike, all clothes replaced, sum for pain. Thats what you should settle for. if they try to give you a secondhand value ask them where they can replace the bike for that sum
get the damaged valued at a bike shop and it will almost certainly be written off anyway. How quick you get to this point is variable but it was straight forward the only time I did this.
In my experience, if you're not claiming for injury, approach the drivers insurance, claim for a new bike, clothes helmet etc. Make it clear it's a full and final settlement and they will fall over themselves to avoid a large legal bill.
If you do want to claim for injury, you'll need a no win, no fee lawyer.
it's at a bike shop for assessment now, but understandably I have no influence over the results of that
I got cycling insurance, it's 3rd party only but they still appointed a solicitor to deal with this for me, do you think they will try their best for me or do they not care either?
no intention of claiming for injury btw
If you make a sensible claim for injury you won't need to haggle over the bike value. Of course if there was not a single injury then that's not an option (not while remaining honest).
IME they will do their best for you as they largely work on cycling related stuff so they now the law and what is reasonabledo you think they will try their best for me or do they not care either?
As above without injury it should be straight forward as its easy enough to rove the damage to the bike is real with a report
For example both levers were written off as scratched as was the buckled front wheel the later easily fixed the former merely cosmetic.
The forks were replaced just because they were carbon at that point it was new bike time/write off once you factor in bike shop labour and RRP