A bad day in Green Bay

[53driver]

Neil,
So glad you are ambulatory and that nothing was life threatening.
Insurance companies know the drill and since the other guy is already tickets "at fault", this should be day for the insurance companies to manage.
The problem may arise if the van's insurance isn't enough to cover your combined medical expenses or damage to the bike. THEN lawyers need to be involved.
Best of luck with that.

I hear an "anti-microbial" fluid, sold under the generic name "scotch" sometimes helps minor bruising.......
Cheers,
Steve

[jaygollner]

I don't have any insurance advice only prayers for the both of you. I will say that injuries never go away for good, much of the damage I shrugged off as a young man has come back to stay now that I am a little older. That said a good attorney can make sure that the insurance companies do right by you.

[hiflyer]

Neil, sorry, but thankful it was not worse.

[Phantom]

Neil, focus on both of you healing. Don't make any medical judgements or claims to the insurance company until you see a doctor and time has passed before you really know if there are any permanent injuries. Been there done that.

Hope that both of you heal quick. As someone stated above, stock up on that Anti-Biotic called Whiskey and take it with moderation when you start to feel pain.

The bike appears to be leaking oil, the impact may have cracked the frame where the motor is mounted.
I would just insist on a 2015 ... the pretty blue one

[VP8]

Neil, sorry to hear about your accident... glad both of you are ok.

Like what everyone said, take lots of pictures and/or a video of the damages to your bike. You should also take pictures of you and your wife's owies. Before and after she gets stitched up. You also should take pictures of your motorcycle gear (helmets, gloves, jackets, pants, boots, communication gear, etc). If any of those items are damaged or even scratched due to the accident, their insurance company is supposed to replace them.

I'm sure you and your wife are covered under medical insurance. If you incur any medical costs outside what your medical insurance covers (i.e. ambulance ride, deductibles, meds), then make sure to document and save all your receipts.

It may be easier for you to leave your bike and trailer at your dealer so the van's insurance adjuster can take pictures of it and come up with some figures, while at the same time, your dealer can provide an estimate repair work. Any add-ones or third party part that was damaged (including the custom paint on certain parts) should be replaced with the same and paid for by the van's insurance company.

Your bike will take at least three weeks to repair due to the waiting time on the adjusters, approvals and for parts to arrive to the dealer. During that time, if you need a bike to ride, you might be able to have the van's insurance company to pay for a comparable rental during the time your bike is at the shop.

Wishing you both of speedy recovery.

[Kurare79]

Big ouch! I am sorry for your accident! Must have been a big shock! I hope your wife and you are getting well soon.

As i see on the pictures the crash must have had a huge impact if even the crash bar is twisted

[RcBtx1999]

Wife and I took a ride up to visit our daughter in Green Bay WI.
We had a great ride up and a great weekend visit with her.
While riding through town to get back to the highway for our trip home we had a full size van pull out of a frontage road in front of us.
I really couldn't say how far we were from the van when he pulled out but I knew we weren't going to miss it. The next thing I know we're down. I ended up with my head and shoulders under the front of the van and wife was just behind me just in front of the front wheel of the van. I came out with only some sore spots. My wife has a busted up ankle with damaged ligaments she will be seeing the surgeon on Wed.

The driver of the van was given a ticket for failure to yield after a stop. He was pretty shook up.

The bike spun when we slid just enough so that the front end went under the van and the rear of the bike and the trailer spun to the front of the van.



This is the first motorcycle accident I have been in so any advise on how to deal with insurance or Honda for the repairs, please send me a PM.

Thanks, Neil



Here is a before pic and a few after pics.

Attachment 9111
Attachment 9112Attachment 9113
Attachment 9114Attachment 9115

Neil: Glad you are OK and like so many of the others have said, you are lucky to be making this post. Now on to the advice. As you may remember I told you I am a retired Police Officer. Many of those years were on a Police Motorcycle and I've been hit (none my fault) 3 times while on a Police Motorcycle. Most insurance companies are going to treat you right as far as the bike and the trailer are concerned, but as far as your minor injuries and your wife's Major Injuries, you've got to look at the Big Picture and how those things are going to affect her down the road in years to come. Most policies have major medical on them to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expense. If you agree to accept a cash settlement without the advice of a personal injury Counsel, (preferably one who deals in motorcycle accidents), you are most likely going to get a fat check for the state limits and nothing more. You need to have your Counsel/Lawyer look at what the lifelong benefit is with regard to the injury your wife has suffered. These things have a way of coming back to revisit you a year or two or five down the road and seasonally. Your Counsel/Lawyer will be looking at charging 30-33% of whatever is awarded monetarily either by an offer on behalf of the Insurance Company or the order of the Court. Most Companies settle rather than going to court. The guarantee of Lifetime Medical for this particular injury or at least a substantial period of time to determine if it will persist is imperative. If the offending driver does not have all the coverage needed to satisfy the bills, your Insurance is required to take that responsibility without penalizing you. The left hand turn accidents where someone pulls out in front of you are the most common. BTW, FYI, the insurance company also is required to buy you new helmets as well so make sure you get ALL you gear you were wearing included in the cost of the claim, also factor in loss of earnings if you or the wife is off for a period of time to recover from the accident. I'm not saying to go for the Jugular here, but don't be the nice guy who takes it in the shorts either. Some Attorney's will take less to get your business but remember, you get what you pay for. I hope you guys mend quickly and that you bike comes back more beautiful than ever. Take care....Tim Reilly p.s. Don't worry about getting a copy of the Police Report, your Insurance Adjuster will do that, then make sure you get copies of everything he has.

[Darkknight]

Glad you guys are relatively ok.
Crashing does suck (saw a tee shirt that said that), especially when it's not your fault. Prayers from CT, sent for quick recovery for your sweetheart. It sounds like it could have been much worse.

[Hambly434]

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and well wishes from both of us.
We are glad to be part of a great group of people of this site.
In just a few hours you have answered all of the questions I could think of and given us great advice on what to do in the future.
I can't tell you how many times in the last couple of days we have mentioned to each other how lucky were are to have not hit directly into the side of the van. Then to be lucky enough to have minimal injuries.
I guess you feel anger at first. Then when things calm down you realize how lucky you are.

Thanks again to all of you. This is truly a special group of people on this site.
The Hamblys

[jkelley]

Damn Neil,

Loads of great advise her I have nothing to add other than my prayers are with you and the wife so that you come out on the good end if there is one.

Jim