You may remember my smashed helmet: £500 payout?

You may remember I had a thread basically about how lucky I was to be alive after being driven into. It had a nice picture of my smashed helmet (but turned into what seems to be the usual polar argument about helmets – sorry i probably contributed to that!)

The insurance company have now sent me £500 via solicitors they appointed to act on my behalf as an “interim payment”. £500 doesn’t even come close to replacing the carbon road bike – let alone take into account personal injury. Still can’t ride with badly broken finger, painful back and neck – though new bald patches appear to be growing back in 🙂

If I cash this cheque does it have any implications wrt to having to accept whatever final settlement they offer later, etc. It’s just I could do with the cash right now as I have a deposit on a replacement bike at LBS that I would like to take up.

Conveniently, on my clipboard at present, I have the following;

😉

Assuming the letter clearly says that this is an interim payment, and doesn’t state something along the lines of ‘full and final settlement’ then I would think you’re fine cashing it.

Having said that I’m not a lawyer, so maybe some of the briefs on here could impart more.

Cheers, Rich

What did they say when you asked them about this?

I have no idea but my wife who works in a shop and is next to me says in no way must you cash it! 😉

via solicitors they appointed to act on my behalf

that does rather sound like a conflict of interest!

If you trust the solicitors acting on your behalf then ask them. They shouldn’t have forwarded it to you if they felt it would compromise your case but, it does seem odd to send an interim payment – as you say it doesn’t cover your loss in any way.

At least it’s an admission that they have a liability and that there’s more to come, though.

Whatever you do DO NOT CASH IT. This is from experience and as Wrightyson`s wife says leave well alone, they are trying to screw you over.

yeah agreed this sounds like they’re trying to screw you. There’s no reason they’d have to send you a check for anything other than full and final payment

When I got hit by a car I got an interim payement to cover damage to equipment (bike etc) whilst the personal injury part of it was being sorted out still. It made no difference to my claim and I got my final payment a year later when everything had been sorted out.

Do you not have any legal cover of your own via household ins, union, professional association etc.

Aha, lots of advice from people who know nothing….

If its an interim, then its not in full final, and may be cashed without a worry. It is stimply ahelping hand whilst the fill vslue of your claim is quantified.

Many solicitors ask for interims, (the clue is on the word, for all those screaming “dont cash it”).

I would simply pen a brief note back to the solicitors, thanking them for the interim payment and that it is accepted as such and not in full and final settlement.