Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => On The Road => Topic started by: .calm on 31 July, 2008, 10:55:08 pm
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I suppose it had to happen eventually...
After 2 years of commuting I got knocked off. I was freewheeling down a hill at about 20 mph then someone decided to turn right across the road in front of me. I hit the front wing while the car was at about 45 degrees to the road and got thrown over the bonnet, landing on the far side somewhere.
At this point my recollection gets a bit hazy. A load of onlookers ran up and made sure I didn't move in case I'd broken my neck. Then they called for an ambulance. And made sure I lay in the middle of the road until it showed up. It turns out that I hadn't broken anything; just grazed my knee and ankle.
And then while I was lying in the back of the ambulance the police arrived. Apparently it's an open and shut case. There's witnesses that were behind the moron driver who say they saw me coming down the hill (indeed the main witness is looking after the bike was behind the idiot driver and he said he'd seen me) and that I'd been braking heavily. The copper just said that it was clear what had happened and that it was obvious the idiot driver was at fault.
On the plus side I apparently trashed his car pretty badly. I didn't see it, but onlookers were saying the left front wing was trashed, along with the bumper and there was supposed to be a big hole in the windscreen where my (helmeted) head hit.
It's had to be too smug about it though. The bike sounds like it's in a bad way. I've not seen it, but it sound like the front wheel is dead. And I have a feeling the frame might be bent too. I'll find out when I pick it up tomorrow. I'm just hopeful I can get enough out of his insurance to replace it. Tomorrow I'll phone the ambulance chasing lawyers and see what happens.
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Oooh, glad you're OK!!!!
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Oooh, glad you're OK!!!!
+1.
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Oooh, glad you're OK!!!!
+1.
+2.
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And so we have #3 !
Glad to hear you walked away from this one.
Assuming the nerk is insured you shouldn't have too much bother in replacing all the bent bits from the inevitable payment.
Sounds like you are on pretty safe ground here, but follow up constantly.
I was nearly #3 yesterday. Mini-roundabout (which is really just a road coming in from my left), me doing 20mph, car pulls out from left to turn to its right. It felt like I had the rear wheel in the air for about 6 feet. Just stopped a couple of feet short. Phew !
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Hope all becomes well over time.
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Welcome to the forum, .calm. What an appropriate user name you have selected!
It sounds as though you got away lightly, given the speed at which you must have been travelling. My daughter once broke a car windscreen with her head (unhelmeted) at a much lower speed and she was OK too. This was when she was at Uni.
What make of bike were you riding? Let's hope that you have no after-effects and that your assailant's insurance co. pays up nice and generously. Are you a CTC member? When I made my claim in 1982, they were very helpful. Pain, suffering, out-of-pocket expenses, damage to bike, helmet, clothing, personal effects. Did a bystander walk off with your Rolex watch whilst you were dazed?
I reckon a really nice steel-framed commuting bike should be high on your list of early purchases. Mercian? Suits you, Sir!
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And so we have #3 !
Glad to hear you walked away from this one.
Assuming the nerk is insured you shouldn't have too much bother in replacing all the bent bits from the inevitable payment.
Sounds like you are on pretty safe ground here, but follow up constantly.
I managed to miss out on his insurance details, but the copper said he'd phone up tomorrow and I'll get them from him. And if his insurance company isn't forthcoming I'll set some personal injury bunch on them. I used to think those people were evil bloodsuckers, but if I don't get any joy from the insurance company I'll set the ambulance chasers on them.
Oddly, I'm not too happy about the situation at this moment in time. :)
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And so we have #3 !
Glad to hear you walked away from this one.
Assuming the nerk is insured you shouldn't have too much bother in replacing all the bent bits from the inevitable payment.
Sounds like you are on pretty safe ground here, but follow up constantly.
I managed to miss out on his insurance details, but the copper said he'd phone up tomorrow and I'll get them from him. And if his insurance company isn't forthcoming I'll set some personal injury bunch on them. I used to think those people were evil bloodsuckers, but if I don't get any joy from the insurance company I'll set the ambulance chasers on them.
Oddly, I'm not too happy about the situation at this moment in time. :)
Do NOT expect the insurance company to do anything unless you put a knife to their throats. They are devious bastards who will do all they can to hang on to their cash for as long as possible.
Fire up the lawyers now. Russell Jones & Walker seem to get the vote from many people here. First thing tomorrow morning. Promise ?
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Welcome to the forum, .calm. What an appropriate user name you have selected!
It sounds as though you got away lightly, given the speed at which you must have been travelling. My daughter once broke a car windscreen with her head (unhelmeted) at a much lower speed and she was OK too. This was when she was at Uni.
What make of bike were you riding? Let's hope that you have no after-effects and that your assailant's insurance co. pays up nice and generously. Are you a CTC member? When I made my claim in 1982, they were very helpful. Pain, suffering, out-of-pocket expenses, damage to bike, helmet, clothing, personal effects. Did a bystander walk off with your Rolex watch whilst you were dazed?
I reckon a really nice steel-framed commuting bike should be high on your list of early purchases. Mercian? Suits you, Sir!
Heh.. I do feel lucky he hadn't gone any further. If I'd hit further back I wouldn't have gone sailing over the bonnet but would have come to an abrupt halt.
It was a thorn sherpa so in theory it's was a nice steel framed commuting bike (except the gears are awful). And I am a CTC member. I had a look through all the personal injury people in the ads in the latest issue of "cycle", which is where I found someone local that are supposed to be good. But phoning them was on the list of things to do tomorrow when I find out this blokes insurance details. :)
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Glad you are up and walking.
Hope you`re not to stiff and achey today.
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Ouch!
Don't worry about waiting for his insurance details. You have a reference from the Police I guess. Use that for now.
I must renew my lapsed CTC membership.
<edit>
Oh, and I meant to link to this ... (http://www.ctc.org.uk/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabID=4461)
</edit>
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Glad you ar eOK...It been a nasty couple of weeks for falling off It seems we've had an epidemic
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glad to hear you survived that, it sounds like a nasty crash.
I think you should contact a solicitor asap. This is based on my experience of being in car crashes. Back/neck injuries can take a few days to show themselves; then a lifetime to deal with. Plus lots of expensive treatment. A half-decent solicitor will ensure you get enough money to pay for this, a proper medical exam etc.
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And I am a CTC member. I had a look through all the personal injury people in the ads in the latest issue of "cycle", which is where I found someone local that are supposed to be good. But phoning them was on the list of things to do tomorrow when I find out this blokes insurance details. :)
As a CTC member, phone them first, no need to wait for the insurance details.
You don't need someone local, I pass Russell, Jones & Walker's office twice a day but I've never needed to go in over the course of my case.
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Glad your ok ,I had a similar experience 18 mths ago although I managed to avoid the car but in doing so lost control and hit the tarmac to the tune of a broken collar bone .The general concensus was I would have been better off hitting the car as you did .However enough of me the CTC will take membership after the event and I can heartily recommend the services of their solicitors Russell Jones and Walker in Manchester ,a mr Macbeth was the dealing person .I dont like our litigeous society but make an exception were negligant motons are concerned it seems to be the only language they understand.
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Do NOT expect the insurance company to do anything unless you put a knife to their throats. They are devious bastards who will do all they can to hang on to their cash for as long as possible.
Ain't that the truth. My crash was over a year ago, the driver was convicted on three counts, but apparently the insurance company (Ecclesiastical Ins Co, believe it or not) are still saying they need time to "determine liability" ::-).
R J & W have given up giving them the benefit of the doubt and have issued court proceedings against them - having had CTC's agreement.
I dont like our litigeous society
Neither do I, but surely that refers to frivoulous claims (eg through your own stupidity) or pure accidents. If you are injured due to someone else's carelessness, why should you have to suffer, both physically and monetarily?
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Have some more sympathy.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the bruises. The only variation was the the driver said, "Oh I saw you, but I thought I had right of way..."
There is an upside. You now have a legit. excuse for spending ages trawling through bike shops and adverts looking for a new bike. :)
Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
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Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the bruises. The only variation was the the driver said, "Oh I saw you, but I thought I had right of way..."
Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
Me too I'm afraid. more than 15 years ago now. Intot he side of a car at a miniroundabout. Not only did I have priority, but he didn't stop at all until he saw me, but by then I was cartwheeling across his bonnet.
The rubbish that they came out with prior to settling was unreal.
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Hello
Glad your ok and hope the ache isn't to great.
Use a recomended cycle type ambulance chaser they will know there stuff. Be wary of the other type from my experience they seen to more interested in personal injury than the material cost.
Make sure you keep all your travel reciepts as you should not be out of pocket for any expenses. Any joint aches and pains I would recomend going to see a sports physio specialising in cyclist. They can do wonders and the cost will be covered by the other party.
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Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and the bruises. The only variation was the the driver said, "Oh I saw you, but I thought I had right of way..."
SMITIHROW? ;D
Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
Depends on your definitions really. I've been taken out on a motorbike by a right turner, but the only time it's happened to me on a cycle (touch wood) was by another cyclist! The usual litany of near misses though, so I'm sure my time will come.
Back to OP, glad to read your injuries aren't too severe. As others have advised, claim for everthing you can think of - insurance companies will always try to scale down your payout.
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In perspective.
I've been a cyclist since I was a kid, with gaps 14-19 and 30-40. Actually hit by one vehicle (A PTW, if that's relevant).
I've been a driver since I was 30. I've been hit four times. EDIT: I've been a passenger in two incidents.
Maybe I'm just good at getting out the way on a bike. Indeed, with the impact, I saw danger out of the corner of my eye, and put the hammer down, so I was struck on the rear wheel, not on me or my frame. Still broke a dropout :(
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Have some more sympathy.
Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
I have been in collision with a car.
I have never had any significant injury as a result of a collision.
I can not cycle now but I averaged 10,000 miles per year over three years in the 1990s.
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.calm,
glad you are okay!
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Ouch. That is nasty.
When will motorists start looking instead of just simply driving?
Rest well, keep your joints warm, and feel better soon.
Impacts on the body can take a day or so to feel sore, I'm pretty creaky at the moment from my crash earlier in the week.
This also proves that Mistress Fate does indeed have OCD pretty bad, as she wouldn't accept Liz being broken as the third in the run. :-\
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Do NOT expect the insurance company to do anything unless you put a knife to their throats. They are devious bastards who will do all they can to hang on to their cash for as long as possible.
Ain't that the truth. My crash was over a year ago, the driver was convicted on three counts, but apparently the insurance company (Ecclesiastical Ins Co, believe it or not) are still saying they need time to "determine liability" ::-).
R J & W have given up giving them the benefit of the doubt and have issued court proceedings against them - having had CTC's agreement.
I dont like our litigeous society
Neither do I, but surely that refers to frivoulous claims (eg through your own stupidity) or pure accidents. If you are injured due to someone else's carelessness, why should you have to suffer, both physically and monetarily?
+1
My bump was in November 2006 and they're (defendants) still dragging their heels.
And I am a CTC member. I had a look through all the personal injury people in the ads in the latest issue of "cycle", which is where I found someone local that are supposed to be good. But phoning them was on the list of things to do tomorrow when I find out this blokes insurance details. :)
As a CTC member, phone them first, no need to wait for the insurance details.
You don't need someone local, I pass Russell, Jones & Walker's office twice a day but I've never needed to go in over the course of my case.
Yes, Just phone CTC. They cover all costs so it costs you absolutely nothing. The other ambulance chasers *might* cost you if you lose as I understand it. The CTC use Russell Jones and Walker who seem slow but methodical and they get their man.
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Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
Put in perspective, I think that most people will have been bumped at some point, just as most cars end up with a supermarket trolley/bollard scrape. Minor scrapes etc. The big impacts with seriou sinjury are much less likely to happen and I don't think many people can claim them.
I've been hit several times, but have a high mileage which is mostly on the busy commuting roads in rush hour (20 to 30mph traffic, not the gridlock that Londoners can enjoy). Usual injury is grazing to me & bike. Worst injury (the Nov 2006 one) was whiplash. Mind you it was a similar impact to .calm's and I too caused severe damage to the car. Fortunately I wasn't wearing a helmet as the backward roll over the car bonnet would have resulted in a much worse neck injury to me.
Ironically the worst injury I ever received when cycling was a snapped shoulder ligament, caused by the bike hitting a rut and going out from under me.
And for real perspective, maintaining the bikes is more hazardous to me than riding them. And DIY and real life seems to result in even more injuries than maintaining the bikes. Actually going out and cycling is the safest thing I can do.
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My bump was in November 2006 and they're (defendants) still dragging their heels.
Jesus H. Corbett.
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My bump was in November 2006 and they're (defendants) still dragging their heels.
Jesus H. Corbett.
Oh, 2 years is quite common. I was in a van hit by a lorry on the motorway, several witnesses, it was still two years before I saw any money. 18months for it to reach court.
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Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
Me. Never been hit by a vehicle in 30,000 miles+ of cycling.
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My bump was in November 2006 and they're (defendants) still dragging their heels.
Jesus H. Corbett.
Liability accepted, and interim payment made for minor repairs. Details over remainder of costs etc. being argued ignored by defendants.
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Slightly OT, but is there _anybody_ here who hasn't ever been knocked off their bike or struck by a vehicle? I don't think I've ever met a cyclist who hasn't been hit by a vehicle at least once. Speaking for myself I've been taken out twice.
Me. Never been hit by a vehicle in 30,000 miles+ of cycling.
Crikey!
P'raps we should be worshipping you as some sort of cycling God? Or....sacrificing you to the _real_ God of Cycling on a stepped pyramid somewhere in a South American jungle to prevent the rest of us getting hit again? :)
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Why should not being hit by a vehicle be such a surprise? Cycling is not dangerous and motorists are not out to get us.
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I think the surprise is that in 30,000 miles a bump of some sort would be expected, no matter what the vehicle is.
Certainly in the first 3 or 4 years of owning the car there's a couple of small dinks, which I think have come from other drivers opening doors in a car park when we weren't around.
I cycled past a bump last night. One car had hit the back of the queue. Details being exchanged, but no obvious damage at all.
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Having used up all my fingers and toes, I have been hit by vehicles over 20 times in my long but far from illustrious cycling life. The majority have been minor SMIDSYs - only two have resulted in severe enough injuries to require hospital treatment.
The last driver I sued, it took almost three years to settle the personal injury claim... so you've got a bit longer yet Nutty! But it was worth it... ;D
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I'm yet to hit a vehicle / be hit by a vehicle, other than inconsequential nudging and the occasional application of a slap to a vehicle's side when too close.
In four years of commuting in excess of 3000 miles a year I've had two emergency stops from SMIDSYs (one this week).
Many years ago when I was younger and significantly more stupid less wise, I had to put the bike down to avoid going into the side of a vehicle turning across me. This too would have been irrelevant but for the fact I was using toe clips which didn't release and I was using the bike as physio to recover from a knee ligament injury. No scuffs or bruises but my knee was pretty swollen for a couple of days after that one.
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ok note to myself MUST JOIN CTC as its going to happen sometime
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Blimey, some of you lot are a bit accident prone.
No SMIDSYs or similar in about 48 years of cycling. I can only remember coming off (all my own doing) about 4 times - none serious. Obviously, I'm a very careful cyclist (or my memory is not to be trusted).
I did manage to scrape my knuckles once when failing to stop quickly enough behind a lorry and front wheel and bars went under the back of it - about 35 years ago.
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I've only had the one cycling accident. Admittedly, it killed me, so I think I'm still in credit.
Since I returned to cycling, only the one prang and that was another cyclist running into the back of me (I stopped at a red light, she didn't on the basis that "she didn't think I was going to").
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I'm not sure what we're counting as an incident. Having thought about it, I have been struck by passing wing mirrors and the like, but it was never an off. They are:
1. Hit by motorbike
2. Hit lump of tarmac at speed - no other vehicles involved
3. Forgot toestraps were too tight at unexpected temporary red light - NOVI :-[
4. Unbalanced after stopping abruptly at a red light and leaning towards the clipped in side - NOVI :-[
5. Riding too close to a van which pulled across my line. Turned and put the bike down, after hitting the back door. :-[
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I've only had the one cycling accident. Admittedly, it killed me, so I think I'm still in credit.
Since I returned to cycling, only the one prang and that was another cyclist running into the back of me (I stopped at a red light, she didn't on the basis that "she didn't think I was going to").
Cripes and egad!* We have a ghost member! :o
;D
*(C)Boris Johnson
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Ian is not the only member who's been dead. Maybe the only one killed by our mutual pastime, but not the only one.
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Ian is not the only member who's been dead. Maybe the only one killed by our mutual pastime, but not the only one.
Are you saying he's a born again cyclist? :D (Looks for 'happy clappy' smiley)
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I'm not sure what we're counting as an incident. ...
I have been counting EVERY time there has either been
a) contact between another vehicle and myself.
b) any time I have come off the bike as a result of avoiding action.
As I said above the majority of these have had a cuinsiquonce of nothing more major than putting the jacket in the wash to remove the dirt picked up from the side of the bus that wiped along me, and writing to the bus company to offer my assistance as an official bus cleaner so that I could do it in comfort in their car park instead of at 25mph on the A13.
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Ian is not the only member who's been dead. Maybe the only one killed by our mutual pastime, but not the only one.
Are you saying he's a born again cyclist? :D (Looks for 'happy clappy' smiley)
Actually, I think I am. I didn't cycle for about ten years after the accident. Hallelujah.
Being dead was pretty much a disappointment, unfortunately, and I make a point of not going places that don't serve beer. And is there beer in the afterlife: I can categorically answer 'no'. There aren't any squirrels either.
I was quite annoyed to learn I had missed a possibly quite exciting helicopter ride, too.
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I was quite annoyed to learn I had missed a possibly quite exciting helicopter ride, too.
I got a helicopter ride back in February when I fell down the side of a mountain. They're not all they're cracked up to be.
It's downright scary when you're being winched up towards some whirling blades in the pitch black with a 60mph dowdraft.
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Technically I have never been hit by a vehicle. I have been hit by a kerb whilst trying to avoid a stationary caravan* though. And I missed the ambulance ride. And 24 hours of hospital.
*steep hill, sharp turn, freshly dressed road.
Why should not being hit by a vehicle be such a surprise? Cycling is not dangerous and motorists are not out to get us.
Mr F says apart from Aston Martin drivers in Leicestershire.
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The CTC legal people were pretty helpful. I told them all the details and they are sending through various documents with it all typed up. I didn't quite believe that it costs nothing and that you get 100% of any compensation but apparently it's true - they get paid from the insurance company. They seemed to think it sounded pretty positive, although some of the questions got a bit close to ambulance chasing ("Has it affected your social life?" for instance)
I got the bike back this evening. The front wheel is tacoed and the rim needs replacing at a minimum. I've not checked the hub or spokes yet. The STIs are scratched and bent askew. The main problem is the fork though. The right fork leg is pretty badly bent forwards and upwards and is basically a write off. After a cursory glance the frame looks ok but I've not looked at the alignment, just checked behind the head tube for obvious problems. On top of all that there's various scrapes and scratches on the rack and saddle. It's a bit of a mess really. A quick check on the sjs cycles website has the repair cost running to about £450 (including labour) so far, perhaps £500 with a new saddle and rack.
When I picked it up the chap who was looking after it said the police had been round taking photos of the car (he lives round the corner from where the crash happened). I've not heard from the police yet though.
At the moment all I can do is wait for various bits of paper to appear in the post.
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Sorry to hear about the bike, but I'm glad you're mostly OK after that....
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...I didn't quite believe that it costs nothing and that you get 100% of any compensation but apparently it's true - they get paid from the insurance company. They seemed to think it sounded pretty positive, although some of the questions got a bit close to ambulance chasing ("Has it affected your social life?" for instance)
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Trust it, it's true ;D
And the "ambulance chasing" questions are actually pretty sensible. I got asked a few things in the medical exam they sent me to and it was only after that that I realised how much the bump had affected me. 500+ miles a month had dropped to 10, and I couldn't be bothered with anything, which I'd put down to lazyness but actually could be classed medically as depresion/minor PTSD (I think it's 'post traumatic stress disorder'?)
I was only after "bike and clothing repair", which in itself was a tidy sum, but when you see noted down (and given the guidelines all insurers stick to) just how they value each injury and how it affects you, you realise just what you've missed out on.
It's only now that I realise that many months of driving to work etc instead of cycling daily as I used to, has actually hit my pocket a fair bit. I haven't claimed for that as the petrol costs etc weren't a necessity... but had the defendants accepted the "depression" claim (they didn't) then the money provided would correctly have covered the fact I was incurring costs through my state of mind.