Help needed with bicycle accident
Hi everyone,
I’m a student at a Japanese language school in Tokyo. Two days ago I had a small bicycle accident, completely my fault as i was looking at google maps and went through a red light. Basically the other person was alsovon a bicycle and she grazed the wheel of my bike and fell off. The police were called they were very calm and me and the womans boyfriend exhanged details.
Today he went to the homestay place I’m staying demanding $2000-$3000. No reason for this ammount was given. From the place of the accident all i could se was a minor scratch in front kf the woman’s bike and she scratched her hand a bit (no blood). Im being told that if i take this to court I might pay less, but I’m scared as I’m 18 and this is all new to me. I will add that I will be leaving Japan on December 8th at the latest
What should i do?
13 comments
Don’t pay this guy. Let the police handle everything.
Just some thoughts, obviously every situation is different so take these as some things that you need to think about. Welcome to being a adult and taking responsibility for your actions.
1. Police report assigns blame. 100-0, 70-30 etc. check to see what they put. If it’s 100-0 your fault you will probably be paying so be prepared for that.
2. If they want money ask them how they got to that number like 2000 dollars. Fixing a bike, going to the hospital will all produce receipts. Most of your discussions should center around actual costs incurred plus some amount of compensation. Don’t let them pull numbers out to the air, ask for recipes and evidence they actually paid for repairs or treatment.
3. If your counterparty is rational they are not going to take you to court for $2000. It’s not worth the time or money for both of you. You need to find a middle zone of you covering their costs and hassles for the damage you did and try to settle.
4. If you plan to never come to japan again you can probably ghost them and leave in a few weeks. It’s not the right thing to do but it’s definitely a option.
String the guy along, then disappear on the 8th. He’s trying to shake you down.
Stall it out until the 8th
I see everyone telling me to stall, that’s what I’ll do. Im afraid he’ll force the homestay owner to pay though
Bicycle insurance has been mandatory in Tokyo for several years. Of course you should have joined it too. So you should consult your insurance company, not here.
If I were you, I’d make some BS reasons until December 8 and then just disappear after that.
Sounds like atariya, that is scam. The Japanese guy thinks that a rich foreigner can be scammed for a big sum and goes va banque.
You’re not supposed to pay anything merely by the request of the other party. Wait for an official statement from police and insurance company if any. Besides, make sure you document their demands by asking to send a written demand or something: might be helpful if they go nuts against you.
From my experience, when a drunk guy on a car trashed my bike and made bloody wounds, it was a hard challenge to make him pay an equivalent of 500$. And police didn’t do anything, because the guy escaped. In your case you have all the cards with police involved.
Common scum tactics just leave or do it through the cops you choice.
Watch out there are people here who purposefully get into accidents to suck money out of people, he sounds like one of them.
Let the police handle it
Tell him you’ll gladly pay him on the 9th.
Don’t answer back and just fly out when you do. Let the police deal with it.
You are liable for the damage to her bicycle (and possessions if any were damaged), and the medical bills if the woman went to a hospital. That’s it. *Anything more than that is not your legal responsibility.*
You said in your other thread on the topic that the bicycle belonged to your homestay host. If your homestay host has bicycle insurance, let them handle it. The insurer will tell the boyfriend to kick rocks.
Short version:
If the bicycle is insured – use the insurance.
If the bicycle is not insured, you’re liable for a little touch-up paint and medical bills. Ask the pinhead for an itemized list of damages, anything that’s on the list that isn’t “repair a scratch” or “pay for a doctor” you can cross out.
Since the guy’s being a dick, you should also keep in mind that you are only liable for the depreciated amount as well. If the bicycle is over 2 years old, it is fully depreciated and has no value, therefore you have no financial liability.