A couple of months ago, while riding my bike straight down a main road, I got hit by a car emerging from a side street. It was my first such accident, and I fumbled through the aftermath, struggling for about two months. Though I never want to experience it again, I’m now better prepared for next time. 🚴♂️ For anyone facing a similar situation, here’s some quick info to help you out.
1. If you end up in an ambulance, they might ask which hospital you’d prefer. For smoother processing later, consider asking to go to a ‘traffic accident specialist hospital’ (just my personal opinion). I requested to go to Asan Hospital’s ER, but large hospital ERs don’t operate on a first-come, first-served basis; they prioritize the urgency of cases. So, I had to wait a long time, and if there are no major issues, they discharge you quickly. Even if you’re not in a critical state, remember that with traffic accidents, you might feel worse the next day. I couldn’t get up the day after discharge. Also, there’s a significant difference in compensation if you’re hospitalized, so keep that in mind.
2. If you get a diagnosis of more than four weeks in the ER, make sure to get the initial medical chart and diagnostic report. These are often required to claim local bicycle insurance benefits, though it varies by region. I didn’t get these as I was discharged quickly due to no fractures, and honestly, I had no idea such things existed back then.
3. After that, you’ll deal with the other party’s car insurance for personal and property damage claims. It’s said that you can also handle bicycle insurance claims through liability insurance. However, if the bicycle isn’t at much fault, it’s better to deal directly with the insurance company. In my case, the fault was almost entirely on the other party, either 10:0 or 9:1.
4. For property damage, first get an estimate from a bicycle repair center and send it to the property damage adjuster for a quicker process. Being my first accident, I wanted to follow the insurance company’s process, which ended up taking over two months. The property damage side of insurance seems less proactive, unlike personal claims. (This might be a hasty generalization.) Later, you’ll negotiate the compensation range based on that estimate with the property damage adjuster.
5. Initially, you’ll set the fault percentage, and both the car and bicycle owners might obsess over it. I thought I was faultless, but the other party insisted on 9:1, which was quite frustrating. But for insurance companies and claimants, the fault percentage isn’t the main concern. What’s more important is the actual reimbursement amount or the surcharge score, as they determine compensation and affect insurance premiums. So, don’t get too caught up in the fault percentage; communicate appropriately based on the situation.
Understanding the insurance loss handling mechanism can help you respond better, so let me explain. In a 9:1 fault situation, if the car repair costs are 5 million won, the insurance company first pays the 5 million won to the customer and deducts 10% of 5 million won, which is 500,000 won, from the amount owed to the bicycle for property damage. It’s the same for personal claims. 🤔
5. For personal claims, if you provide the hospital with the processing number from the insurance company, you can receive treatment for four weeks without further processing. During this time, only physical therapy is available, but if there’s no improvement after four weeks, you can receive other treatments. However, after four weeks, you’ll need an additional diagnostic report to extend the period, and typically, it’s renewed every two weeks. The sequence is diagnostic report -> extension -> treatment, so if you’re nearing the end of the period and still unwell, get a diagnostic report and extend it. 💊 Keep receipts for medication and diagnostic report costs, as you can claim them from the insurance company later. I dislike taking medicine, so I tossed my initial prescription, and then the doctor stopped giving me any. It seems doctors know if patients use their prescriptions, and I worry they might think I ignored the treatment results. That’s not true, doctor… Is it really okay to have this kind of personal info known?
6. For personal claims, in addition to treatment costs, you’ll need to settle. When you believe treatment has progressed sufficiently, they’ll propose a settlement. After settling, the insurance company won’t cover further medical expenses, marking the end of the insurance accident process. As this is a significant task, insurance companies manage it with KPIs, so settlements might be more favorable around the end of the month, though it probably won’t make much difference… I settled at the beginning of the month. 🤝
After handling the accident for about two months, I’ve realized that health is the most precious thing. I’ve vowed to be more careful when riding my bike. 🚴♀️ Even with compensation, considering depreciation, it’s tough to get satisfactory recompense, and unlike cars, bike parts aren’t always readily available, making perfect repairs challenging. If you suffer severe injuries, you might face lifelong hardships, and scars on your face could make you feel down every time you look in the mirror. Plus, throughout the compensation process, you often feel like a suspect providing evidence, which adds immense stress (even if the insurance company is polite, the conversation is never comfortable).
Most of all, I want to say something to the lady who burst out from the side, hit me, sent me flying, and didn’t even apologize as I lay unable to get up. 😡
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