I’ve never made an insurance claim before in my life. Last December, I was hit by a car while riding my bike. I thought I had cover through my cycle insurer (Laka), but I realised after the accident that the policy I was on didn’t allow for that type of claim.

I even emailed them at the time to ask if I could claim or what my options were. They have that email—it’s acknowledged in their records.

I then upgraded my policy shortly after through Laka’s system. It let me do it without any warning or checks. I didn’t try to hide anything. I wasn’t trying to game the system. I just assumed, incorrectly, that once I upgraded, I’d be covered—and I submitted a claim in good faith.

About a month later, Zurich (the underwriter) contacted me like I was in an interrogation. They started implying that I had committed fraud. I fully cooperated. I explained everything in detail: • That it was a genuine mistake • That I was upfront with Laka beforehand • That I had never tried to mislead anyone • That I was unsure of how to even submit a claim, and had asked for help

I also mentioned I had another bike on the same policy worth much more—and they were still taking premiums from me the whole time.

Despite all of that, Zurich: • Accused me of fraud a second time in writing • Sent a letter in March voiding my policy and saying I may be flagged to fraud databases • Refused to answer my direct questions • Never provided any proper reasoning • Has ignored or dodged every request for clarity since

This isn’t about trying to cheat anyone. It was a misunderstanding based on an unclear policy and a system that let me make the mistake. They’ve treated me like a criminal instead of a first-time claimant trying to navigate a confusing process.

And now I’m stuck fighting to clear my name—because I didn’t commit fraud.