Compensation for your Damaged Bike after an Accident
At McGee Lerer Ogrin, we demand that insurance companies compensate our clients in full for their property damage after a bike accident.
Carbon Fiber Bike? Demand Cost of Replacement, Not Repair.
After a bike accident, the insurance company will attempt to pay you as little as possible for your property damage. If the cost to repair your bike is less than the cost to replace it, they will always elect to pay for repairs. This is especially true for carbon fiber bikes, which can be very expensive.
But special circumstances arise with carbon fiber bikes. Carbon fiber bikes, valued by cyclists because they are light and strong, are also very fragile. After an accident, you may not be able to see the damage, but hidden cracks may exist. The slightest crack in a carbon fiber frame can compromise the entire frame. A carbon fiber bike's invisible subsurface damage can cause the bike to suddenly fail. This could have catastrophic consequences if you are on a 40 mph descent.
Bottom Line: Carbon fiber bikes should not be repaired. If your carbon fiber bike was in a bike crash, demand that the insurance carrier pay to replace it, not repair it.
Contact McGee Lerer Ogrin today for legal representation as you file a claim for your damaged bike.
Getting Full Compensation for Your Carbon Fiber Bike.
Insurance adjusters do not specialize in high-end bikes. You are a better expert on the value of your carbon fiber bike than the insurance adjuster. In order to get full compensation, you should provide the adjuster with as much documentation as possible as to the value of your bike.
Be aggressive in papering the adjuster's file. What documentation should you provide?
- The purchase receipt for the bike and its components
- If you don't have the purchase receipt, obtain a bike shop invoice which itemizes the bike and its components, and estimates the cost to replace the bike
- Online ads showing the sales price of a new comparable bike
Results That Speak for Themselves
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$122,500,000 Global Settlement Sexual Abuse
Represented 14 of 124 childhood sexual abuse victims against the City of Santa Monica.
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$18,000,000 Auto v. Truck
Client rear-ended by trucking company.
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$10,000,000 Auto v. Big Rig
Family struck by a big rig.
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$4,090,000 Auto v. Auto
Family struck by a County of Los Angeles employee.
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$3,500,000 Negligence, Personal Injury
Client who was injured when a piece of machinery fell off a plumbing truck onto his foot.
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$3,500,000 Warehouse Accident
Client whose foot was run over by a forklift driver.