Should I insist on full payment for damaged bike?

[Arch]

Question: Is there a time limit on going through insurance - IE a time within the ball has to be started rolling? Not necessarily in this case, but one might accept an offer to pay up, chase for a few months and then find there is no other option. Does it have to be claimed within days, weeks, months?

With hindsight, go for insurance. If it's still possible, go for insurance. If it isn't, then it's up to the OP to decide if he's feeling charitable. I suspect I'd end up writing some of it off just to move on. He has at least reported it to police.

The old guy might be trying to pull a fast one, or he might have not wanted the hassle of a claim (and that range from just being lazy to being genuinely very stressed about the process, which can be protracted), and thought the bill would only be a few quid.

 

[Amanda P]

...his insurance company need to know of his level of liability - so they can make an informed decision to either refuse to further insure him, or raise his premium...

A nice point well made.

When it's time to renew insurance, they always ask "Have you had any claims or accidents in the last three years?" If you don't answer this truthfully, the insurer can refuse to pay if there's a further claim, for exactly the reason Rob3rt gives. If you don't make the chap's insurers aware that he's caused an accident, he may keep quiet about it too. You're almost complicit in a fraud.

For this reason (as well as all the other compelling reasons above), it's my opinion you should politely return the cheque and claim via his insurance. If it transpires he doesn't have any, he's in trouble and should definitely not be driving.

 

[Brains]

I think he should be made to pay.
It's not a case of weather you need the money, you can always donate it to a charity if you wish to feel better about it.

So I'd hang on until April.
He should learn from his experience