As I am not a royalist, when Charlie was getting coronated I decided to take advantage of the quiet roads and head out for a blast with the missus.
We headed up the coast, stopped for fish and chips and then wandered inland for a cup of tea and a sticky bun. All was good with the world as we headed home and then disaster struck.
Suddenly I heard a loud screeching noise from the front end, then the front wheel locked up and down we went. I bounced pretty well as it goes. However, my poor wife broke her elbow and shoulder and needed surgery. The doctors reckon it’s going to be at least a year of physiotherapy, etc.
At first I thought the accident was caused by the poor road surface but once I checked my bike, I found my front mudguard had come loose and jammed on the tyre. This was due to some bolts falling off.
I did have the front end to bits over winter, but I am a perfectionist and know I would have done them up. I’m wondering if I can go after Honda for the faulty bolts? I wonder if the threads had stretched or something.
Answer
No. You can’t go after Honda for faulty bolts. You have had the bike for over 20 years and do all the work to it yourself. In fact, you had the front end to bits recently. Whilst it may be a bitter pill to swallow, sometimes you have to accept you make a mistake and from everything you have said, it seems that unfortunately the cause of the accident was down to you.
Sometimes the most obvious answer is the correct one, i.e. you did not do the bolts up properly when undertaking the work to the front end. With this in mind, you do not have a claim against anyone.
However, your wife can bring a claim against you for her injury and loss. Whilst that may sound like a weird concept, i.e. wife suing husband, it is not that unusual and your insurer will pay for her claim.
My advice is do not let your pride and ego get in the way. Your wife is seriously hurt and your insurer will be able to fund rehabilitation and award her compensation, etc.
Andrew Prendergast
More Bikes – July 2023
