insurance liability for group rides

gschreckchat@comcast.net

2007-01-03

Best defense, deny everything. In fact, deny that ou were on the ride and claim that someone stole your bike and cycling clothes, as you would nver be so careless as to cause a crash.

--

George Schreck
gschreckchat@comcast.net
(503) 502-0425

-------------- Original message --------------
From: "Brian Engelen"

> David,
>
> If I'm in a group ride and I put down a fellow rider, totally my fault,
> sorry. What insurance will protect me? Homeowner's + umbrella?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
> Behalf Of David Hart
> Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 4:06 PM
> To: obra@list.obra.org
> Subject: [OBRA Chat] insurance liability for group rides
>
> With your general homeowner's policy, it protects you under the liability
> coverage when you are LEGALLY liable to someone for either property damage
> or injury/death. There is even coverage available to handle medical bills
> if you have a cycling buddy over and he falls down your stairs in his
> cleats!
>
> So if you are on a group ride and you crash into your buddy who is riding
> and you cause him injury/damage, you could be protected by your policy. If
> you blow a red and hit a ped, your policy would cover damages to them and
> same if you hit a car, or go into a window of a Starbucks...
>
> There is an exclusion usually that if you are running a 'business' that your
> personal homeowner's would not apply. I don't know of a group ride that
> makes you pay to do but thought I would throw that out there.
>
> Other notes about liability:
>
> If a dog attacks you, that is a liability claim against the homeowner to pay
> for your damages. Same goes for thier child that runs you down on thier BMX
> bike (happened to an old teammate).
>
> Another thought: If you are riding & get hit by a car then the car flees.
> If you have evidence to support that, you could have auto insurance to
> handle YOUR damages (injury and bike damage. I know Mark handles these
> types of cases. I am just the insurance guy that handles some if it.
>
> A funny note: Your auto policy pays for damages to your buddie's bike that
> is on your roof when you drive into your garage...
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Brian Engelen

2007-01-03

David,

If I'm in a group ride and I put down a fellow rider, totally my fault,
sorry. What insurance will protect me? Homeowner's + umbrella?

-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces@list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces@list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of David Hart
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 4:06 PM
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] insurance liability for group rides

With your general homeowner's policy, it protects you under the liability
coverage when you are LEGALLY liable to someone for either property damage
or injury/death. There is even coverage available to handle medical bills
if you have a cycling buddy over and he falls down your stairs in his
cleats!

So if you are on a group ride and you crash into your buddy who is riding
and you cause him injury/damage, you could be protected by your policy. If
you blow a red and hit a ped, your policy would cover damages to them and
same if you hit a car, or go into a window of a Starbucks...

There is an exclusion usually that if you are running a 'business' that your
personal homeowner's would not apply. I don't know of a group ride that
makes you pay to do but thought I would throw that out there.

Other notes about liability:

If a dog attacks you, that is a liability claim against the homeowner to pay
for your damages. Same goes for thier child that runs you down on thier BMX
bike (happened to an old teammate).

Another thought: If you are riding & get hit by a car then the car flees.
If you have evidence to support that, you could have auto insurance to
handle YOUR damages (injury and bike damage. I know Mark handles these
types of cases. I am just the insurance guy that handles some if it.

A funny note: Your auto policy pays for damages to your buddie's bike that
is on your roof when you drive into your garage...
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David Hart

2007-01-03

With your general homeowner's policy, it protects you under the liability coverage when you are LEGALLY liable to someone for either property damage or injury/death. There is even coverage available to handle medical bills if you have a cycling buddy over and he falls down your stairs in his cleats!

So if you are on a group ride and you crash into your buddy who is riding and you cause him injury/damage, you could be protected by your policy. If you blow a red and hit a ped, your policy would cover damages to them and same if you hit a car, or go into a window of a Starbucks...

There is an exclusion usually that if you are running a 'business' that your personal homeowner's would not apply. I don't know of a group ride that makes you pay to do but thought I would throw that out there.

Other notes about liability:

If a dog attacks you, that is a liability claim against the homeowner to pay for your damages. Same goes for thier child that runs you down on thier BMX bike (happened to an old teammate).

Another thought: If you are riding & get hit by a car then the car flees. If you have evidence to support that, you could have auto insurance to handle YOUR damages (injury and bike damage. I know Mark handles these types of cases. I am just the insurance guy that handles some if it.

A funny note: Your auto policy pays for damages to your buddie's bike that is on your roof when you drive into your garage...


Mark J. Ginsberg

2007-01-03

the noon downtown ride used to be a wheelmen ride, and there was insurance coverage, but the sign-in eventualy stopped happening, so the ride is no longer a wheelmen ride.

Is your question "can I by insurance for group activities?", well yes, but it would not be cheap, and what or who would it protect/insure?

If you are concerned about your own potential liability, you might consider homeowners or renters insurance, and spend the time to read the policy, b/c your off-site liability is covered under some, but not all of those type of policies.

or are you looking for some type of medical coverage should a cyclist be hurt and need to have their medical bills paid for falling down?

if you are planning your own weekly ride and want to be super-duper conservative on protecting yourself, create some legal entity (an LLC or a corporation, or even a 501(c)(3)) and have people who come on the ride sign a liability waver, every time.

Do you NEED to do thse things? Well it depends, there is no clear answer for that.

Mark Ginsberg

john wrote: Just curious for group rides that are not associated with any club or any person necessarily (ie like the Noon Time rides, or fixed gear rides.. ), does one need to be concerned about insurance or liability or waivers etc etc ?

I am considering starting a weekly ride...

Or errr, I have "heard" that some cyclists may gather at a certain location at the same time and then they all happen to do the same route together...

Is the guy or gal that establishes some guidelines also liabile if there are problems ?


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Mark J. Ginsberg
Attorney At Law
621 SW Morrison St., Ste. 900
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 542-3000
Fax (503) 227-2530
markjginsberg@yahoo.com
www.bikesafetylaw.com
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Just curious for group rides that are not associated with any club or any person necessarily (ie like the Noon Time rides, or fixed gear rides.. ), does one need to be concerned about insurance or liability or waivers etc etc ?

I am considering starting a weekly ride...

Or errr, I have "heard" that some cyclists may gather at a certain location at the same time and then they all happen to do the same route together...

Is the guy or gal that establishes some guidelines also liabile if there are problems ?