Lime bike hit my car. What can I do against lime and the rider?

Sayomi08

This is my first post so hopefully I've posted it in the right place?

So, long story short is an idiot and his female friend (in the basket of the lime bike) rode directly into the front of my car causing a lot of damage. I do have dashcam footage of this and am currently going through my insurance as, after much faff, he finally admitted fault. I have also filed a police report. 

Now, what I'm trying to do is contact Lime bike and get him banned as it's clear that he's not a safe rider. It was very lucky that I had a dash cam but what if a person doesn't? As when my insurance contacted him, he tried the old "oh it wasn't me, I wasn't involved in an accident". If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc. 

I tried contacting Lime and told them everything and even sent them the footage. Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. This was the response they gave me:

"I am so sorry to hear about this incident. We are sorry you had an unpleasant experience with one of our Riders. 

Please be assured that Lime makes every effort to urge our customers to #RespectTheRide and follow all local laws for operating vehicles.

We constantly make every effort to educate riders on the responsible use of our services, as we value being an asset to the communities we serve. You can find out more information about our Respect the Ride campaign here.

In this case, the Riders were the sole, proximate cause of the accident for improper use and negligence. While Lime carries all applicable insurance per local law and regulations, this coverage applies to authorized users who comply with the rules in accordance with the Lime User Agreement.

Unfortunately, because the rider involved in the incident was in breach of Lime’s terms and conditions, we cannot cover the costs of this claim. Should you wish to pursue this incident, please contact your local law enforcement and file a report. Lime unequivocally condemns antisocial and criminal behavior and we are always happy to cooperate with Law Enforcement Authorities upon request. We appreciate your understanding that we cannot share personal data in any other manner.

While we regret we cannot pay this loss, we value your trust in our company. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to help our customers and prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

Please note that your insurers do not waive any of their rights. Similarly, through this letter, Lime reserves all rights."

So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

Emmia

Sayomi08 said:

This is my first post so hopefully I've posted it in the right place?

So, long story short is an idiot and his female friend (in the basket of the lime bike) rode directly into the front of my car causing a lot of damage. I do have dashcam footage of this and am currently going through my insurance as, after much faff, he finally admitted fault. I have also filed a police report. 

Now, what I'm trying to do is contact Lime bike and get him banned as it's clear that he's not a safe rider. It was very lucky that I had a dash cam but what if a person doesn't? As when my insurance contacted him, he tried the old "oh it wasn't me, I wasn't involved in an accident". If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc. 

I tried contacting Lime and told them everything and even sent them the footage. Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. This was the response they gave me:

"I am so sorry to hear about this incident. We are sorry you had an unpleasant experience with one of our Riders. 

Please be assured that Lime makes every effort to urge our customers to #RespectTheRide and follow all local laws for operating vehicles.

We constantly make every effort to educate riders on the responsible use of our services, as we value being an asset to the communities we serve. You can find out more information about our Respect the Ride campaign here.

In this case, the Riders were the sole, proximate cause of the accident for improper use and negligence. While Lime carries all applicable insurance per local law and regulations, this coverage applies to authorized users who comply with the rules in accordance with the Lime User Agreement.

Unfortunately, because the rider involved in the incident was in breach of Lime’s terms and conditions, we cannot cover the costs of this claim. Should you wish to pursue this incident, please contact your local law enforcement and file a report. Lime unequivocally condemns antisocial and criminal behavior and we are always happy to cooperate with Law Enforcement Authorities upon request. We appreciate your understanding that we cannot share personal data in any other manner.

While we regret we cannot pay this loss, we value your trust in our company. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to help our customers and prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

Please note that your insurers do not waive any of their rights. Similarly, through this letter, Lime reserves all rights."

So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

I don't think you can be banned from cycling - and if he doesn't use Lime, he could use another rental company.

eskbanker

Any action Lime takes against the rider is up to them and you have no right to be informed, never mind consulted, about this, so best to let the matter drop once your car has been repaired.

Ergates

Sayomi08 said:

I tried contacting Lime and told them everything and even sent them the footage. Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. This was the response they gave me:

For what?  Your insurance is covering your losses.  If your insurance company wish to recover their costs from the rider or from Lime that is both their business and their responsibility.

Sayomi08 said:

As when my insurance contacted him, he tried the old "oh it wasn't me, I wasn't involved in an accident". If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc.  

1) How do you know what he said to the insurance company?
2) How did the insurance company contact him?  The only way that would be possible is if he gave you contact details after the accident.
3) Why would you have had to foot the bill?  You'd still have had insurance.

Sayomi08 said:

So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

Worth pursuing how?  You have no way to force Lime to ban this rider.  Even if you managed it, what would that achieve - other than a slight inconvenience - he'd still be able to ride a bike.

DullGreyGuy

Sayomi08 said:
 If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc. 

No, it couldn't have had you pay the whole bill, premiums go up and NCD being effected... a maximum of 2 of those can happen not all three. If you foot the whole bill then you haven't made a claim and so the NCD is intact. If you claim then you dont foot the whole bill but your NCD is impacted (if not protected). 

Sayomi08 said:
Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. 

What is your allegation of negligence against Lime? 

The damages you receive will be the same if it's just from the cyclist or the cyclist and Lime, having a co-defendant just splits the costs between them, it doesn't increase what you are due. 

Sayomi08 said:
So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

No.

If Lime ban them or not is a commercial decision for them. They pretty much cannot ban them anyway as they can just open a new account with a new email address and different card. If they've an iPhone they dont even need to go to the hassle of registering a new email address because Apple do it for you. 

Are you even sure they have a Lime account? Around our way many of the kids know how to defeat the security system and ride the bikes without an account... the bike makes an odd noise when it's being ridden without paying. They dont reactivate the lock after and so there are also opportunistic kids riding them who dont know how to do it but see an unattended bike unlocked. 

sheramber

Currently, cyclists who ride dangerously or carelessly can be prosecuted for various offences, including those contained in the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended)

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/cyclists-and-the-law/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20cyclists%20who%20ride%20dangerously,causing%20death%20by%20dangerous%20cycling.

user1977

sheramber said:

Currently, cyclists who ride dangerously or carelessly can be prosecuted for various offences, including those contained in the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended)

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/cyclists-and-the-law/#:~:text=Currently%2C%20cyclists%20who%20ride%20dangerously,causing%20death%20by%20dangerous%20cycling.

True, though it's got nothing to with the liability to the OP of the cyclist, let alone Lime. 

Sayomi08

Thank you all for replying. It's good to see different point of views. 

Ergates said:

Sayomi08 said:

I tried contacting Lime and told them everything and even sent them the footage. Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. This was the response they gave me:

For what?  Your insurance is covering your losses.  If your insurance company wish to recover their costs from the rider or from Lime that is both their business and their responsibility.

For my Inconvenience. And also, if my premiums do go up, then at least I've got something extra for an incident that isn't my fault. 

Ergates said:

Sayomi08 said:

As when my insurance contacted him, he tried the old "oh it wasn't me, I wasn't involved in an accident". If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc.  

1) How do you know what he said to the insurance company?
2) How did the insurance company contact him?  The only way that would be possible is if he gave you contact details after the accident.
3) Why would you have had to foot the bill?  You'd still have had insurance.

1) The lady at the insurance company told me as she was also frustrated from the fact that he lied. 
2) Correct, like in any other situation, I got his details straight after the incident and passed it onto both my insurance and the police. 
3) Because there's an excess of £650 on my car insurance that I would have had to pay on my car insurance. My NCB would have been affected and also my premiums would have gone up. 

DullGreyGuy said:

Sayomi08 said:
 If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc. 

No, it couldn't have had you pay the whole bill, premiums go up and NCD being effected... a maximum of 2 of those can happen not all three. If you foot the whole bill then you haven't made a claim and so the NCD is intact. If you claim then you dont foot the whole bill but your NCD is impacted (if not protected). 

It wouldn't have been the whole bill (in terms of getting the car repaired) as yes, I have insurance, but I would have had to pay my excess which is £650, no NCB affected, and my premiums would have gone up for at least 5 years as that's how long an accident stays on your record for and you have to declare it when getting insurance. And with any incident, you have to let the insurance know. So even if I didn't make a claim, it would have still impacted my premiums. 

DullGreyGuy said:

Sayomi08 said:

So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

No.

If Lime ban them or not is a commercial decision for them. They pretty much cannot ban them anyway as they can just open a new account with a new email address and different card. If they've an iPhone they dont even need to go to the hassle of registering a new email address because Apple do it for you. 

Are you even sure they have a Lime account? Around our way many of the kids know how to defeat the security system and ride the bikes without an account... the bike makes an odd noise when it's being ridden without paying. They dont reactivate the lock after and so there are also opportunistic kids riding them who dont know how to do it but see an unattended bike unlocked. 

You have a very good point here. It would just be nice to be able to do something to prevent more incidences like this from occurring. And yes I am sure he has an account as I saw him ending his ride on his phone for the bike after the crash. If he does get banned from Lime, to me that's a win cause then it's one less bike that he can use. If he does use other means to get another bike, that's out of my control. But at least I've done what I can to try and stop it. That's my thought process anyways. 

jon81uk

If you think they should be banned from cycling then report them to the police and let them deal with any road traffic offences.

But otherwise leave it to your insurance to claim from the person who caused the incident. Thats what the insurance is there for. Or you could try making your own civil claim against the individual instead, but you'll still need to report the accident to insurers anyway so future prices may be affected.

Olinda99

unless I am missing something your remedy is the small claims court for your financial.losses against the bike driver (not Lime).

Jumblebumble

Sayomi08 said:

This is my first post so hopefully I've posted it in the right place?

So, long story short is an idiot and his female friend (in the basket of the lime bike) rode directly into the front of my car causing a lot of damage. I do have dashcam footage of this and am currently going through my insurance as, after much faff, he finally admitted fault. I have also filed a police report. 

Now, what I'm trying to do is contact Lime bike and get him banned as it's clear that he's not a safe rider. It was very lucky that I had a dash cam but what if a person doesn't? As when my insurance contacted him, he tried the old "oh it wasn't me, I wasn't involved in an accident". If not for the footage, he would have gotten away with it and I would have had to foot the whole bill with the addition of my premiums going up, my NCB being affected etc. 

I tried contacting Lime and told them everything and even sent them the footage. Ideally I would like more compensation from them as well if I can but my main goal is to get the guy banned. This was the response they gave me:

"I am so sorry to hear about this incident. We are sorry you had an unpleasant experience with one of our Riders. 

Please be assured that Lime makes every effort to urge our customers to #RespectTheRide and follow all local laws for operating vehicles.

We constantly make every effort to educate riders on the responsible use of our services, as we value being an asset to the communities we serve. You can find out more information about our Respect the Ride campaign here.

In this case, the Riders were the sole, proximate cause of the accident for improper use and negligence. While Lime carries all applicable insurance per local law and regulations, this coverage applies to authorized users who comply with the rules in accordance with the Lime User Agreement.

Unfortunately, because the rider involved in the incident was in breach of Lime’s terms and conditions, we cannot cover the costs of this claim. Should you wish to pursue this incident, please contact your local law enforcement and file a report. Lime unequivocally condemns antisocial and criminal behavior and we are always happy to cooperate with Law Enforcement Authorities upon request. We appreciate your understanding that we cannot share personal data in any other manner.

While we regret we cannot pay this loss, we value your trust in our company. We want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to help our customers and prevent these incidents from happening in the future.

Please note that your insurers do not waive any of their rights. Similarly, through this letter, Lime reserves all rights."

So my main question is, Is it worth pursuing? Does anyone else have experience with this? Should I try and push for something and push for him to get banned? I don't feel like they're doing anything to protect the people that are on the receiving end of irresponsible cyclists. 

I assume you understand that you would be going after the rider for their negligence
If it was a car you would be covered by the MIB/insurer of last resort 
However as it is  a bike that does not require insurance and it looks like  there was no insurance in place, there is no one that to indemnify the bike rider and so you only option is to claim off your insurance or sue the bike rider or not have the car repaired