Insurance, the bike & good news (Part 9)
For those wondering what will happen to the bike, we still don’t know. If you recall, we tried to locate it while we were still in Toronto, without success. On the first business day after the accident, we finally received a call from the police officer who had been at the scene. He told us the bike had been impounded on Lepage Street in Toronto. Unfortunately, that was all we learned that day. The officer explained they still needed to review highway camera footage to try to identify the driver who hit us, but he didn’t sound optimistic. Now that we knew where the bike was, we had to relay that information to our insurance company for further instructions, and we also needed to retrieve our personal items that had remained on the bike.
The insurance company instructed us to go to the impound as soon as possible to sign paperwork releasing the bike to them for evaluation (to determine whether it could be repaired or whether they would pay us its current value). It was Tuesday, and I felt it was too soon to leave Dave alone, so I decided I would go Thursday afternoon. At the same time, I would drive my daughter Ann back home after her visit. The trip was not without challenges: I had to take my low‑range electric car, and the impound lot was right beside Rogers Stadium, which was hosting a show that evening, turning a three‑hour trip into a six‑hour one. When I finally reached the bike, I was genuinely surprised: it was not as damaged as I had imagined. Something told me it might still be operational, with most of the damage being cosmetic. I was shocked because I clearly remembered pieces flying off the bike as I watched it slide in front of me during the accident.
The central part of the bike (the engine and mechanical components) was intact. It still shone like a showroom model. I can’t say the same for the front and back. The large comfortable seat I had been sitting on was completely detached, along with the trunk attached to it. The left saddlebag was shattered into many pieces. One of the front lights had come off its mount. Most of the crash bars were heavily scratched, as was the right side of the fairing. All in all, the bike didn’t look terrible, but it would require extensive cosmetic repairs. Will it be written off? Hard to know. It’s a custom bike, and many parts may be difficult to find, repair or replace. The insurance company told us we would hear about the next steps in two to three weeks.
The other task I had at the impound lot was retrieving our personal items. I had the key to the saddlebag that had remained on the bike, so that part was easy, all of my things were intact. I then opened the trunk, which was empty; everything that had been inside had been placed into a large garbage bag. When I tried to lift the bag, it was extremely heavy, so I opened it to discover that they had tossed in several pieces of the bike that had broken off during the accident. Inside the bag was also the license plate — the one that had flown off the bike when we were hit from behind. (Ironically, it’s the plate the police officer initially believed belonged to the vehicle that struck us!)
Before the accident, I didn’t know that insurance companies divide your file into two parts: the vehicle and the person. The first representative we spoke to handled the vehicle portion and told us someone else would contact us regarding the personal/health claim. When Dave asked whether we would be reimbursed for the clothing we were wearing that day and that had been damaged, she said we were not covered. To our pleasant surprise, the second representative confirmed that we were covered and that anything damaged during the accident would be replaced. All we had to do was buy new items and send her the receipts.
We were astonished by how responsive the insurance company was. It was a refreshing contrast to our home insurance, which took more than two months to provide an estimate after our basement flooded last May. For the bike accident, they asked only for a list of damaged personal items, and as soon as we submitted receipts for replacements, they sent us the money...within minutes. They also approved Dave’s physio estimate within an hour. We still don’t know the fate of the bike, but we’ve been told that part may take a while.
The day I went to Toronto to retrieve the bike, I returned to the same home exchange I had stayed in the night after the accident. Once again, the host was amazing, she invited me for supper, and we had another wonderful conversation where I updated her on our healing progress. I planned to have breakfast with her the next morning, but after waking up at 5:30 and being unable to fall back asleep, I decided the best way to beat morning rush hour was to leave early, and I did. Excellent decision.
It has now been 22 days since the accident. I have still have large red patches on my left knee and elbows where the skin has mostly regrown, and some scabs on my elbows that still haven’t healed, but I feel almost as good as new. Tomorrow, 23 August, we’re flying to Scotland to check off one of Dave’s bucket‑list dreams: seeing the Edinburgh Tattoo, the world‑renowned pipes‑and‑drums spectacle performed in an ancient castle. I’m not usually a fan of summer travel in Europe (it’s crowded, expensive, and I much prefer the shoulder seasons of April–May or October–November). However, the Tattoo only happens in August, so we didn’t have much choice.
If it is on the list, we need to go for it! (The bucket list that is).
A Scotland trip this summer was my idea. I surprised Dave with the flights on his last day of work before retirement. After the accident on 31 July, we had no idea whether he’d be able to travel. Even last week, when that bump appeared on Dave's right hip, I had serious doubts. But things are looking very good now. Dave’s wounds have shrunk considerably, and the oozing is minimal, which is a good thing since I’ll be the one changing his bandages in Europe. His hip is still swollen, but the X‑ray didn’t show any bone damage, and his physio has started wave therapy, and the hip seems to hurt a little less every day. Needless to say, we will not be hiking or playing golf (which was also on his bucket list)...
The story of the motorcycle and me I almost at its end. We’ll be in Scotland for a little while, and I don’t plan on blogging while we’re away. I’ll return for the final chapter (Part 10) once Dave is healed and we know more about the bike’s future. I’m also curious to see whether my trip‑cancellation credit insurance will come through…
Stay tuned…
Comments