Car came through my garage and over my bike

Can anyone offer me any decent advice – a car came through our garage and drove over my bike. Its a bronson CC. Are there any firms in the UK that can inspect the frame externally and internally to make sure it’s still ok to ride? Thanks.

Carbon Bike Repair (CBR) leatherhead. A few of my friends road bikes have been repaired by them and they can inspect your frame.

Why bother? Claim for a new one off the insurer.

What Rich said…

… unless you or a family member did it!

Even if the OP did, that’s what the insurance is for, it’s not like it’s £10 of accidental damage.

So yeah as rich said, I’m assuming you’ll be claiming for the garage [and potentially car] anyhow.

Regardless of insurance implications, please tell us more, this sounds like a good story for a Friday.

^^^^ this ^^^^
do tell 🙂

where in the UK are you, there is a decent carbon inspection/repair shop in Cheshire

forget the faff of inspecting it (as has been said).
Insurance, new frame. It’s a write off if it’s been driven over.

A heavy crash MAY warrant inspecting, as a bike is designed to crash. But acting as a mat for a car..forgeddit

DrP

+1 for the full story.

And pictures.

The driver slid down the hill opposite our house after it had been snowing and managed to punt our car snooker style straight through our garage door, it stopped a good 20ft in and collected everything that was in there. The driver admitted liability obviously as i was sat in the lounge when it occurred, her insurance company are asking if it can be inspected, however i want it replaced. I shall persevere, cheers.

Do you have a regularly used LBS? Just take it to them and ask them to write, “yeah, your bike’s **** mate, it’s been run over by a car” on a sheet of headed letter paper.

Jesus there must have been some inertia in her car to punt yours through a garage door and to take out the contents! How big is this hill?

awesome story !

I’m a professional.
I’ll inspect it for you..
My verdict:
““yeah, your bike’s **** mate, it’s been run over by a car” ”

DrP

I’m a professional.

Professional gambler?

Professional footballer?

Bodey or Doyle?

Yeah i’ve taken it to the LBS for the report they’ve asked for, but they are going down the inspection route at the moment.

Speak to a company that does proper aerospace/F1 carbon testing, get them to provide a quote for the cost of testing your frame and send on to ins co. I’m sure they’ll soon pay up for a new bike

Good idea, i’ve been thinking along the same lines. Ive messaged santa cruz too and asked if they can recommend an approved inspector.

I’m a professional.
I’ll inspect it for you..
My verdict:
““yeah, your bike’s **** mate, it’s been run over by a car. Leave it with me and I’ll dispose of it for you and you get a replacement”

yup, id expect them to arrange pickup, inspection and return (including any strip/rebuild needed for a proper inspection). easy looking at a few hundred quid.

I was quoted about 200 for a full frame inspection and that was a stripped frame.
(cool story mind !!)

Think the insurance co , want a bit more info than that. Thanks for the offer though.

Is there a chance the insurance company wants the inspection to assess the pre accident value and then only offer you the value at the time if you had sold it?

Pretty normal for an insurance company to ask for a valuation & cost to repair, probably from a couple of people. I’d have thought most bike shops would have done it before.

As it is probably more valuble than their average bike claim, maybe you need to ask the insurance company who should inspect it & what qualifications they should have.

Bear in mind that real proper x-ray inspection, that you’d need to be confident, is very expensive and hard to do hence the comment about aerospace/f1 up there ^^^. There are people who claim to do inspections that aren’t that good.

Ask your own insurance company how much it’d cost to have your house remodelled and adapted for you when your frame fails on a downhill due to this crash and you break your neck, and the size of the compensation settlement; then point out how much a new frame costs.

I’m with Mr Crispy ask them to sort it based on principle you should be in same position as before their client caused the problem and not up to you spending time and effort to sort…and mutter about needing a rental bike while they get it sorted

Taking to LBS may be quickest option but I’d be pointing out that it’s a favour to get things sorted

@idlejohn
professional malingerer. Obvs…

DrP

I’d be claiming on my insurance and then have them chase. For my accident (which was more obvious damage) I claimed a new race bike, had it paid and collected before I was well enough to ride. Then costs were recovered against the driver’s insurance.

Does an inspection include costs for a respray> Carbon resprays are not cheap. But then nor are the frames of course.

Presumably your car needs a repair, and the garage too.

I would tell the insurance co to arrange the inspection themselves.  Its not up to you to do their legwork for them.

Also point out you need a rental bike

Jesus there must have been some inertia in her car to punt yours through a garage door and to take out the contents! How big is this hill?

The op’s house at the bottom of a hill recently…

Rental bike and respray…. good shout, if they go down that route. Its not far off that hill, but its a straight road, very steep and a few hundred yard i reckon. Interestingly enough when the driver got out she pointed out that in years gone by her mum and aunt had both had similar crashes, taking out the lamp posts outside our house.. much mirth

@TiRed yes the car and garage were also damaged, mainly the door and frame, some to the roof as the mechanism is fastened to it. Car has most of the panels scratched, front / rear bumpers, headlights shattered etc.

@Fantombiker @molgrips

I’m just after being put back into the position i was in before the crash, i’ve pointed out the potential for injury and the fact that the only way i can be 100% confident is with a new frame etc. Hopefully they’ll see sense.

@idlejohn
professional malingerer. Obvs…

DrP

I didn’t realise you worked here! 😀

I would tell the insurance co to arrange the inspection themselves. Its not up to you to do their legwork for them.

Legally, you have to prove your loss, so actually it is. The fact that insurers are often more proactive (in their own interests) doesn’t change that.

They would have to cover your costs in proving it though, so in their interests.

To prove you loss all you need is a pic of the damaged bike surely?

“Your client broke my bike, here is a photo and here  is a bill for a new one”

If they want to dispute its a write off it them that needs to show is repairable?

If you pop the bike to a bike shop, they will just say the whole thing needs replacing.

I would be very tempted to give them the “You can not be serious” approach. A carbon bike that’s been run over by a car could have damage that’s not obvious to an inspection, unless they do ultrasound and things.

If the bike frame was to fail post inspection who would be liable? LBS as they arranged the inspection?

Thats what i’m saying @Greybeard, – i don’t think any inspection firm will put there hands up and say 100% its fine and accept liability @sv.

I’m sort of going through same with a bike damaged by a car, solicitor I am using said that insurance company I am claiming off won’t properly inspect the bike, sent an engineer out to inspect and value it, but nothing more.

They won’t x-ray or inspect bike further, just replace frame and wheels, but they are depreciating the bike at 10% per year.

As this is my TT race bike and is 2 years old but has done only 200 miles, means I’m well out of pocket.