# Crash/Accident replacement question



## dip n ride (Sep 14, 2009)

Hey everyone,

A couple weeks ago, I was hit by a car (riding my 2010 CAAD9 5) on my way home from work. The frame buckled, the left side of the fork was sheered off, the wheels are bent beyond repair, and for all intents and purposes, the bike was totaled.

I am uninjured, and the guy that hit me is going to get me a cashier's check for around $1,695 to cover the cost of my bike, and the helmet I was wearing at the time.

I am in pretty good with the local bike shop guys, and when I brought my bike in for an estimate, the manager told me I could either replace my 9-5 with another 9-5, or he could also get me a $200 discount on a 9-4 if I was interested in upgrading. I definitely am interested... I love the CAAD9 frames I have always liked SRAM stuff.

Anyway, the story behind all of this aside, I am wondering if anybody has any experience with Cannondale's crash replacement policy after an accident (as opposed to a crash.. if that makes any sense). Would it be worth it to pursue a crash replacement through my local shop, or am I out of luck as far as getting any money back for my old frame? Any little bit would help, if I could even get a couple hundred bucks out of it to put towards the cost of a new bike, I would be more than grateful.

Anybody dealt with this before?

Thanks!!


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

First off, sorry about your accident and glad you came out okay. Amazing you did not suffer injuries from it. I don't know anything about Cannondales accident replacement program. Everybody here will just tell you to contact them directly.

From your description, it's hard to tell if you're working with the other party's insurer or he's paying you outside of that. Maybe it doesn't matter much...I dunno. If the $ offer came from an insurance company, you can usually negotiate it upward, citing your willingness to release them from any medical claim and pain & suffering. For damage as severe as you describe, it sounds like it should be worth closer to $2,500.

Regardless, you can salvage many parts from your salvaged bike, provided you take steps to keep it. This gives you the option of saving them as spares, replacing the busted pieces to re-assemble a second bike, or selling the items on the open market. Personally, I'd go for the upgraded Cannondale, which prolly comes with Ultegra instead of 105.

Good luck and stand firm.


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## dip n ride (Sep 14, 2009)

fast ferd,

Thanks for the reply. Luckily neither of us were going that fast so it sounds a lot worse than it actually was. 

Initially, we were going to approach this without involving insurance. But unfortunately, the driver wanted me to sign an agreement that released him from any personal injury responsibilities, something I wasn't willing to do, so he has decided to go through his insurance after all.

So, I guess that means his insurance company will probably be claiming my bike, which is unfortunate, and makes this question even more convoluted than before. I suppose there's no way to get a crash replacement if the insurance company confiscates the bike, right?

Perhaps I can negotiate it upwards a little bit. A) I've been without a bike for 2 weeks now, which means my commuting costs have gone up B) I haven't been able to exercise (pain and suffering?) and C) I forfeited a copay to the hospital. Are these reasons enough?


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