A minivan rental car backed into my motorcycle today and caused a whole bunch of damage.
Is it possible my insurance rates will go up even if I’m not at fault? Because the bike was parked when this happened (no one driving) do I need to tell insurance companies about it when shopping for a new policy?
also, who is responsible in this case: the rental car agency or the drivers personal insurance?
UwishUknewMyName 5:03 pm on April 14, 2010
If your bike was parked when it was hit then there is no reason for your rates to increase. Insurance companies increase rates for auto accidents that you are at fault for only. They would not "punish you" for doing nothing wrong.
Secondly, accidents with rental cars can be tricky. I would definetly file a claim with both the rental agency as well as the person’s own personal auto insurance. Each policy may have conditions or clauses as to whether or not the accident would be covered.
And if it gets to be too much of a mess, make the claim with your own company to get your bike repaired. Your company will then in turn collect the money back from the responsible party.
Hope this helps!
AD 5:03 pm on April 14, 2010
You need to tell the insurance company about it when you look for insurance. If the police were called – it will show up on your CLUE report.
In general, file with the rental company first. They will have to look at the language in their contract and if the driver took out the insurance. If they deny (for no coverage) then file with the renters personal insurance policy.
kh 5:03 pm on April 14, 2010
this will show up on your clue report if police were called. when looking for insurance, tell them about it but let them know it was not your fault. keep a copy of the police report for at least 3 yrs, so you can prove it as not a fault when shopping around. as for who pays, it depends. did the driver take out insurance from the rental company? if they waived that insurance, then their insurance will pay. check with the person who was driving, or the rental company to find out how they are going to handle it.
Tomas F 5:03 pm on April 14, 2010
I am not very clear about that. But I advise u to have a try on a site called bikerkiss. It is a community of motorcycle enthusiasts. I think someone will give u a satifying answer.