de-lurk for advice from foak

Binned the bike the other day and would really appreciate some helpful
advice on who to blame and what to do.[1]

Summary is that a taxi passenger opened his door in front of my bike;
I managed to miss him, the door, the taxi and the parked cars nearby,
but failed to miss the road to the tune of around 2K gbp of (mainly
cosmetic) damage to bike and kit.

I've got the passenger's name and address, but when I asked the
taxi driver for his details he gave me a slip of paper with a name and
mobile number on it instead of his registration.

Being a complete dickhead and in a state of shock to boot I failed to
notice this until he'd gone.

Questions are:
1. is the driver responsible for the actions of his passenger? (i.e.
should I try to claim off driver's insurance or go direct to the berk
who opened the door?)

2. if I go for the passenger am I right in thinking I'd need a civil
lawsuit rather than an insurance claim?

3. what can I do to trace the owner of a mobile phone? (I'm assuming
that he's going to be wary of answering any calls asking for his
registration...)

Thanks.


[1] anyone saying 'ride more safely' gets a rattle in the face.

 

emerged from their own little world to say

that's the correct answer though

your opening line should have started with "I"

you failed to anticipate a passenger decamping from a taxi, lost control
taking evasive action. No-one else to blame except yourself.

 

AOL

 

Here, have a rattle.

I apologise for not phrasing my first sentence in the previous post
correctly.

If you now reply telling me I missed out a 'humbly' in that sentence
then you get TWO rattles.

That is one point of view, and may even be the correct one. However
I'd like to find out if either the passenger or the taxi driver have
any legal culpability.

 

INAL but if you didn't hit either anybody or anything anybody put in your
way then you have no case. Next time, hit the door.

 

Phone this lot:

http://www.ridersupport.com/

 

Point taken, but hopefully etc.....

 

Thank you.

 

I would have thought a repair bill for a taxi door would have only
added to the OP's problems.

 

Have you got personal experience of this mob? Is there any point in
joining if you haven't crashed yet?

 

Picture a road with a line of parked cars down both sides.
Picture a taxi pulled up on the right hand side of the road, facing
any oncoming traffic.
Picture the gap to the left of the taxi being approximately one
(narrow) car width wide.
Picture me coming up behind the taxi and going to pass to the left of
it.
Picture the passenger opening the left side door onto the road without
looking at all. I was less than 3 metres from him at the time.
Picture my expression (not pretty, I admit).

Get the picture? ;-)

Thank you.

I freely admit that I'm not the best rider in the world. My tyres
were cold, I was doing less than 25mph, but I still overbraked in a
panic and lost the front, lowsiding and sliding for about 4 metres.

The estimate of 2 grand for repairs made me take a large step back in
astonishment, but that's what the garage said. AND the crash
mushrooms took most of the damage.

I am, as you say, guttered.

 

Woo, much thanks to the whinging gentleman.

I've rung, I've talked, I've received legal advice, I've got a claim
against the taxi driver for failing to stop his passenger causing an
accident by opening the door, which is a criminal offence apparently
(the accident bit, not just the opening bit)

So yes, I (now) have personal experience of this mob. I wasn't a
member before I rang them; I am now.

 

Yes I do have personal experience of this mob and very good they were
too.

I wasn't a member when I crashed but now I carry their number and
"incident card" round with me almost everywhere.

Their website doesn't look great[1], I grant you, but they got on the
case well before I ever saw that.

[1] It was the burd in the ad at the back of the bike mags that got them
my business.

 

Heh, feels good, don't it ;o)

 

Ok, now I know I am looking at this picture with perfect hindsight but
consider this: The taxi was stopped in the middle of the road so
probably collecting or dropping off a fare? Was there actually enough
room on the RHS for them to open the door? Maybe your alarm bells
should have been ringing as soon as you saw the taxi.

I knackered my GS500 once upon a time. The initial repair bill came to
about the same as I had paid for it new. But as I was paying for the
repairs myself I went to the garage and they explained what actually
needed doing to put it back on the road and what was cosmetic and would
be done for an insurance job. For example the initial quote included a
new exhaust because it was scratched.

Ring the guys WC suggested, I expect they will be more 'understanding'
than ukrm and should have the specialist advice you require - but also
be prepared to chalk it up to experience.

 

Oh neg. Sorry to hear that, old bean.

It really is much safer hurtling around FOF territory with darsy and
Cane et al.

Ah. Helpful advice not generally forthcoming from The Mighty Blane.
Sorry.

 

Remember when I lobbed my CBR600 just after I bought it? That was
2.5K. Not cheap, all that plastic bollocks. Something unfaired is
ideal for commuting. If I was going into London everyday, I'd have
bought flash's Hornet for a grand.

 

What's the most likely thing to happen when a taxi stops?

A door is going to open, that's what.

With demonstrably poor observation & risk-assesment like you've exhibited
it's a wonder you've not been knocked off before.

I'll bet. I know I was when it happened to me. )

 

speaking of which, there'll likely be a FOF the second week of March.

 

It's all bear's fault and you should give him a good kicking.