[crash] "I didn't see you bro!" he says...

[The_beanz]

So Im coming home from school at 9pm...actually just left the parking lot. Im in the turning lane, get the green arrow and proceed with my left turn, look right see the suv that would eventually kill my lovely ninjette...but he was a ways away from the intersection, turns out he started hauling ass to beat the yellow light, and was mad late...so I look throught my left turn and hear the terrifying sound of screeching wheels, hits me and sends me rolling. Luckily, I made it home with just hurting ankles and a little road rash (I was wearing my Icon vest). The bike sustained bad cosmetic damage to the right side fairings, turn indicator on the right side is done, leaking some liquid and would not start.

Any advice guys? This is my first ever involvement in an accident I hear the insurance calls crashed bikes total losses real easy? I cant provide pics now...but will try. I wanted to deck the dude who hit me after he said "Im soooo sorry bro. I didn't see you bro!"

[00NissanNinja]

Thats horrible! Glad you are alright though a little hurt (ya I'd want to kick his ass too)
Did you get his insurance info? He has to fix your bike. If the bike fell on the left side after being hit from the right then it is probably gas. In order for me to get my bike started again I had to roll it a bit with the clutch pulled all the way in. Insurance will say total loss if the repairs are more than the bike is worth or the frame is damaged. Just file a claim with his insurance and your bike will be fixed to being new, or if it is really bad you'll get a new one

[The_beanz]

I see. Yeah I got all of his info. Thanks, appreciate the input!

[kkim]

were the police called to the accident?

[ricochet08]

Damn man, that's is messed up! We get a bunch of people trying to beat the yellow lights here
Glad you're alright for the most part. Good thing you didn't beat his

[wvninja]

Originally Posted by kkim

were the police called to the accident?

This ... always get a police report so there's fault.

[bob706]

Originally Posted by kkim

were the police called to the accident?

x1000

[demp]

Sorry about your bike, glad you didn't get injured (seriously anyways), I've been meaning to get one of those Icon vests myself

[jApOrMs]

Sue the guy and get yourself a ducati!

[demp]

Originally Posted by jApOrMs

Sue the guy and get yourself a ducati!

Nah go get an RSV4 instead

[FrugalNinja250]

I got hit on my '06 by a truck while stopped at an intersection. Damaged tank, plastics, cluster and stay, headlight, handlebar, the usual. Her insurance company looked up the new replacement costs of all the damaged parts and it came up to $4,400. They offered $3,300, more than the bike was worth before it got wrecked, but they would take the bike. I made the tactical decision to get back on the bike as quickly as possible to overcome fear and inertia. It was January, bike deals were far between and what was out there was way overpriced. So, I haggled.

I figured that whatever happened that let me keep clear title on the bike (no salvage notation on state records) would benefit me because I could fix it and start riding immediately. Once I got this across to the insurance co they finally offered me $2,700 and change for the property damage, and a little over $700 for medical/incidental/aggravation. I was back on the bike less than two weeks after the hit, and after repairing and painting it the bike is better than new.

Insurance companies decide if a bike is totaled or not by looking at the repair estimate and the book value for the bike with adjustments for options added. Generally once the repair costs go over about 70% of the book value they'll want to considered it totaled. Note, this is an economic decision based only on replacement parts and labor costs and has nothing to do with the actual repairability of the bike.

If you decide to let them total the bike but you decide to keep it by "buying it back", bear in mind the bike will have a salvage title or notation (depends on the state) that will generally prevent registering the bike for street use again, even if all you had to do was replace some plastics and do cosmetic repairs. Most states require a special inspection and recertification to get a salvage vehicle back on the street legally; this process can be convoluted and expensive and take lots of time. For instance, in Texas you have to trailer the vehicle to the DPS local office (miles away) to be inspected and VIN verified, do forms and send money to the state, and wait, and wait, and eventually you get a registerable title (hopefully). It can take weeks and cost hundreds of dollars.

Long story short, you can negotiate with the insurance company. You absolutely need a police report that says the other person ran the light. Were there any witnesses? Often times the driver will lie and say you ran the light in front of them. In a case of he-said/she-said, the insurance companies will err on the side of not paying any claims and let you fight it out in civil court. Since you had no serious injuries there can't be a big enough settlement to get a lawyer interested in the case, but you should still check around for one if the insurance co or the other driver even hits at balking.

[CC Cowboy]

Make sure you go to the Doctor and get checked out.

[RedCromwell]

Glad you're alright. Sorry to hear about the bike.

I usually try to wait a heartbeat or so before taking off on a green light in case someone runs the light. Then, I usually get the guy in the car behind me who honks impatiently at me. But, better safe than sorry.

Hope you're back on the road again soon.

[MikeCG23]

Oh man would I have been mad! Props on not hitting the fool!

[tinng321]

Glad you didn't get seriously hurt.
So many crash/drop stories lately.

[Blackwidow]

glad you're ok. you need to get insurance involved and get your bike repaired.

[TrueFader]

any chance your bike got a little revenge on his car?

[Hadyn]

Glad you got out of it with just some bumps & bruises. Hope you get back on the bike soon!

"I didn't see you" is a stupid excuse. It implies that the person actually looked for potential hazards (like, oh, motorcycles?) before doing whatever boneheaded thing they did.

A more accurate thing to say is:
"I totally saw you bro, but I cared more about beating a yellow light than breaking the law or jeopardizing your safety."
or
"I was so focused on talking on my cell phone and eating my ice cream cone simultaneously that I couldn't be bothered to check my mirrors before I threw my 2,000lbs of metal on top of your bike"
or
"I totally knew you were there, but me and my Escalade are bigger and more important than you and I really needed to make that turn to get to McDonald's. You should have moved out of my way anyways."

Just more proof that every cage on the road is trying to kill you.

[pooter]

Are you able to factor in gear replacement costs into damages?

[CZroe]

"I didn't see you" is no excuse when it was illegal to procede whether you were there or not.

[rceezy]

Wow, sorry to hear about the get off. I hope you were able to get a police report. Most insurance companies (I'm sure all... ) require a police report to file a claim.

Really glad you're okay.

[Chubbs032]

^ that's not true

[rceezy]

Originally Posted by Chubbs032

^ that's not true

Yeah I wasn't sure if all did but I know a police report couldn't hurt. Sorry if I gave any mis-info!

[kkim]

the reason to call the police is to generate a 3rd party, independent, professional, written account of what actually happened at the accident. they will talk with both sides and draw conclusions from their interviews in a written report which usually is accurate.

also, the other party, after they get home and talk to their relatives/friends, many times change their story saying it was your fault, even if they admitted they were wrong at the accident.

been there.

[pooter]

Yeah it's definitely good especially if you're not at fault. People will say all kinds of stuff at the scene then try to hustle their way out later on.

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by Chubbs032

^ that's not true

It's true that a police report isn't required to file a claim. It's also true that insurance companies tend to not pay or pay a lot less if there's no police report to back up the claimant's version of what happened.

[Blackwidow]

Originally Posted by CZroe

"I didn't see you" is no excuse when it was illegal to procede whether you were there or not.

it can happen, they fail to see a rider.

As much as i'm embaressed to admit this, but friday as i was going home, some rider was right next to me on the freeway, i didn't see him. my car slightly merged to the right almost hitting the poor guy, he rushed up near my window and gave me the dirtest look, but i honestly didn't see him, he was in my blind spot. but if god forbid if i hit him, i'd take the responsibility even though I DIDNT SEE HIM.

[jApOrMs]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

it can happen, they fail to see a rider.

As much as i'm embaressed to admit this, but friday as i was going home, some rider was right next to me on the freeway, i didn't see him. my car slightly merged to the right almost hitting the poor guy, he rushed up near my window and gave me the dirtest look, but i honestly didn't see him, he was in my blind spot. but if god forbid if i hit him, i'd take the responsibility even though I DIDNT SEE HIM.

+ 1 happened to me once so now i make sure i look all the way to my blind spot. i got the same dirty look also.

[Blackwidow]

ya i make it a point to do that also, but you can't be checking your mirrors every 5 seconds. I had checked my mirrors no more then 20 seconds earlier and there was no bike around....and all of a sudden this dude pops up next to me. he scared me more then i probably scared him. i get this nasty feelign in my tummy knowing i almost cost his life. if looks could kill i'd be dead by the look that guy gave me.

[FrugalNinja250]

When I drive, my viewing check cycle goes like this:
Front near 0-100 yards, 1-3s
Front far 100 yards to visibility limits, 1-3s
Left mirror 1-2s (depending on lane)
Center mirror 1-2s
Right mirror 1-2s (depending on lane
Repeat. Typically I'm cycling through the scenes on an 8-10s loop, though I'll shift more attention forward if there's nobody around me or overtaking closer than 1/4 mile or so.

I work really hard to maintain situational awareness, namely who's around me on all sides, who's overtaking and how fast, exit routes, possible scenarios, etc. Since I started riding I devote a lot of attention to motorcyclists. I'd rather hit a car and avoid a rider by accident than the other way around, because a car isn't going to suffer near the consequences that a rider would. I also try to drive in such a way as to give riders a way out in case someone doesn't see him (or her) and lane changes into them.

[CZroe]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

it can happen, they fail to see a rider.

As much as i'm embaressed to admit this, but friday as i was going home, some rider was right next to me on the freeway, i didn't see him. my car slightly merged to the right almost hitting the poor guy, he rushed up near my window and gave me the dirtest look, but i honestly didn't see him, he was in my blind spot. but if god forbid if i hit him, i'd take the responsibility even though I DIDNT SEE HIM.

Of course it can happen. I was simply saying that the OP had a green arrow meaning that, whether the other driver saw him or not, the vehicle was not supposed to enter the intersection. At all. Seeing him is irrelevant to what caused the accident (violating a traffic signal).

[Blackwidow]

you're right, he did something illegal, and because he chose to do something illegal, he caused an accident. my point was that there IS a possibility of someone saying "dude, i didn't see you" and honestly that being the case. in my situation, i wasn't doing anything illegal. the goof troop did a no no on his part by cruising in my blind spot.

[Anteraan]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

ya i make it a point to do that also, but you can't be checking your mirrors every 5 seconds.

Oh yes you can...and you damn sure should.

At every point in time while behind the wheel, you should know what color car is on your left, right, in front of you, and behind you - or if you have open space to those spots. Try it sometime. It's a heck of a mental exercise, and it will make someone a better driver.

I had checked my mirrors no more then 20 seconds earlier and there was no bike around....and all of a sudden this dude pops up next to me. he scared me more then i probably scared him.

20 seconds is an absolute freaking ETERNITY when driving. There was no "all of a sudden" to this. Sorry, Paulette, but that's just straight up honesty/tough love. With 26 years of driving under my belt (and zero accidents), I speak from experience.

i get this nasty feelign in my tummy knowing i almost cost his life. if looks could kill i'd be dead by the look that guy gave me.

That feeling in your tummy is a good thing. Understand why it happened, and work on preventing it in the future. I'd hate for you to have that feeling 500x over (and for a long time, if not the rest of your life) if something tragic happened.

[welcome2thedawn]

i have made a conscious effort to become a better driver over the past 5 years....i had bad habits that i didn't even realize i had...like my boyfriend pointed out that i drove "to the right"....i didn't understand what his point was, but when he pointed out how a lot of accidents happen to the right, like going off the road, hitting the curb, having someone pull into traffic from a side street, etc...it makes sense...i also believe that the msf class made me a much better driver...i learned things that i never would have thought about before....and you are right, a lot can happen in 20 seconds...i always make an effort to be aware of what is around me at all times, and i still look over my shoulder to switch lanes....i'm amazed at how many times there was no one on the road at all, and a second later, i'll look over my shoulder, and a car will have come from no where...it also really amazes me the amount of people who cannot drive well at all, aren't even aware of it, and have no desire to make an effort to improve.................anyhoo...sorry that that happened to you...glad you are ok....too bad you didn't have you're super duper extra loud life saving exhaust....then you would have just floated up in the air, over the suv, and safely into the lane you were turning into

[Reswob]

I think the real question is how on earth you managed to get a green left turn signal. I always have to wait for a car to come up behind me, or run the red light if I want to make any left turns.

[welcome2thedawn]

Originally Posted by Reswob

I think the real question is how on earth you managed to get a green left turn signal. I always have to wait for a car to come up behind me, or run the red light if I want to make any left turns.

fer realz

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by Anteraan

At every point in time while behind the wheel, you should know what color car is on your left, right, in front of you, and behind you - or if you have open space to those spots.

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that does this, though in Texas I'm pretty sure I am the only one.

[FrugalNinja250]

Originally Posted by welcome2thedawn

...it also really amazes me the amount of people who cannot drive well at all, aren't even aware of it, and have no desire to make an effort to improve...

Sadly, for most people a car appears to be no more than a transportation appliance, no different than a dishwasher or coffee maker; Just something used to achieve the basic minimal task of moving their buttocks from one locale to another with the minimal amount of mental engagement necessary to operate the controls.

I wish we'd implement European driving performance standards here.

[Blackwidow]

wow, talk about grilling poor lil ol me. lol

in the 15 years i've been driving, i've never been in a accident that i've caused (knock on wood). So the way i look for other vehicles or bikes obviously hasn't been an issue (again, knock on wood). I think as a rider, we also have a responsibility. don't hang out in blind spots, don't take off at a green light just because its green. When crossing intersections look both ways (yes on a bike). If I hit that guy, like i said, i'd take responsibility...but as a rider, HE himself has a responsibility to keep himself safe, which means...get the hell out of my blind spot. if i was changing lanes, i'd obviously look over my shoulder to make sure he wan't there, but since i wasn't changing lanes, my car just kind of drifted towards the right. i'm by no means making excuses,but you can't put 100% blame on just the drivers. some riders out there are really maniacs.

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by FrugalNinja250

Sadly, for most people a car appears to be no more than a transportation appliance, no different than a dishwasher or coffee maker; Just something used to achieve the basic minimal task of moving their buttocks from one locale to another with the minimal amount of mental engagement necessary to operate the controls.

I wish we'd implement European driving performance standards here.

Agreed, I was born in Germany. Wish I could have gotten on that autobahn before we left.
While driving I always attempt to make sure I know everything that is going on around me. This means checking my blind spots completely while making a lane change and also checking them every so often as I maintain a lane. I try to check all mirrors every few seconds or so. BTW OP yeah you should have gotten a police report filled it will make everything a lot easier, just remember that for the future.