Accident: repairing the damage

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Accident: repairing the damage

Accident: repairing the damage
Accident: repairing the damage

It is easy to rely on insurance alone in the event of an accident. Initiative is necessary and saves time, money and nerves.

02/25/2003

It is easy to rely on insurance alone in the event of an accident. Initiative is necessary and saves time, money and nerves.

Securing the accident site, treating the injured – the first actions after the crash should be a matter of course. But afterwards there is often a lack of clarity. First question: do you need the police? Always in the case of personal injury and high property damage. But what is high damage? The police are not required, “Minor accidents” to record. Any damage up to around 4,000 marks per person involved is trivial. Once the police are there, they are happy to issue a fine. However, this should only be accepted if it is really clearly at fault.

Those involved in the accident are obliged to provide the police and the other party involved in the accident with personal and vehicle information. There is no need to comment on the matter. Very important: In principle, do not admit guilt, because if the question of guilt is not so clear, your own liability insurance can assert recourse claims. At the scene of the accident, you should limit yourself to documenting the course of the accident objectively and without judgment. The easiest way to do this is to tick the standardized accident report, which is usually available free of charge from automobile clubs and insurance companies – by the way, it fits under every seat. Don’t forget to get the names and offices of the accident recording officers and to note the names and addresses of any witnesses.

The broken machine is at the dealer, the motorcyclist sits at home and licks his wounds. What’s next? If there is even the slightest suspicion of physical injury, consult a doctor immediately, because the earlier the consequences of an accident are recorded, the greater the chances of receiving compensation for pain and suffering, for example. But also in the case of bruises and sprains that only become noticeable some time later, going to the doctor should be a matter of course.

If you are already able to take care of the machine again, the first thing to do is to determine the amount of damage. In the case of minor injuries, a cost estimate from a workshop is often sufficient to settle the accounts with the opposing insurance company. In the case of major damage, however, it usually makes more sense to call in an expert. If the damage amount exceeds 1000 marks, an injured party has the right to an expert of his choice, which the opposing insurance company has to pay in full if the policyholder is solely responsible. A small dent in the tank, a notch in the frame or a chipped cover is often enough for a 1000 mark damage.

It is important to work with an expert who is also familiar with motorcycles – a good car expert must by no means have a clue about motorcycle chassis. Most dealers know the relevant professionals, and the experts who work with their own frame gauges are also a good tip (regularly as a group display in the “workshops” found in MOTORCYCLE). Once the amount of damage has been determined and the opposing insurance company has nodded, it goes to billing. Nobody is obliged to have the machine repaired in a workshop.

Those who do the work themselves and / or repair the motorcycle only partially or not at all are also entitled to compensation – the technical term is “fictitious billing”. If the amount of damage (repair costs plus depreciation) exceeds around 70 percent of the residual value, an economic total loss has occurred and the insurance company only pays the replacement value minus residual value in the case of a fictitious billing. If, on the other hand, repairs are carried out, the repair costs may, under certain conditions, be up to 130 percent of the residual value. Incidentally, injured parties are also entitled to a lawyer, who is needed at the latest when, in addition to the pure repair costs, there are also nice things like loss of use, mercantile depreciation and compensation for pain and suffering.

Delle: A new tank is due – that’s 1100 marks plus labor costs.
Notch: compression in the light metal – entitlement to a new frame – 3,000 marks.
Scratches: Exhaust nameplate affected – replacement only complete with pot – 998 marks.
Suspicious: flaking paint on welds suggests frame damage.
Obvious: paint chipped off in the area of ​​the swing arm bearing – typical for compression (rear-end collision).

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