Should bicyclists who use the roads be legally required to have insurance like motorists?
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Recently;y, my car was hit by a bicyclist on a street in my city. He was cited and I was not.
The damage to my car is ,300. However, as he is completely uninsured, my insurance will have to pick it up. I will have to pay the 0 deductible, my insurance company and I will split a rental car cost for two weeks while my car is being repaired., and my insurance rate could go up.
Bicycles are becoming more common. At least in my city, bicyclists insist on having the same rights as motorists on the public roads.
If bicyclists use the public roads with automobiles, should they also be required to have insurance?
No joke Psych. Nestor.
My car is new. I just bought it in May. I left the car at the repair shop today. The bill for the damage caused by the bycyclist to my car is ,300.
He dented the fender, bumper, headlight cover, and slightly cracked the winshield. As it is illegal to drive in my state with even a tiny crack in your windshield, the whole thing has to be replaced.
He walked (or i should say rode away) from the accident. He and his bike were not damaged. I do not know how that happened, but it did.
I am not talking about them. I am talking about us. We motorists have insurance to cover them if we damage them or their property. Why should they not be required to have insurance to cover us when they damage us?
The key fact is that he ran into the front passenger side of my car. I was stopped waiting for traffic. I did not hit him. He hit me. My car was not moving. That is why he wasn’t hurt, I imagine.
He must have been an idiot to not see me. But, he didn’t. I’m not sure how he managed to do it.
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rickinnocal said:
You should remember that the fact that he does not have insurance does NOT mean that he is not liable for your damages. You can sue him *personally* for all your losses. (Consult with your insurer, though – in many cases they will be suing him already for what they are paying.)
The law does not require bicyclists to carry insurance because in most cases the maximum damage they’re likely to cause is going to be small enough that you can recover from them personally. In your case, your total damages will probably be about $3,000 – small enough to recover by a suit in small claims court and then, if he doesn’t pay, wage garnishment.
PS…. I don’t find $2,300 in damages from a bike impact at all unreasonable, especially if the windshield is cracked. Breath hard on most new cars and the dealers asking for over $1,000.
Richard
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0December 9th, 2009 at 1:37 am
