Advocacy & Safety - My crash or near-miss

Oh I ache all over ... A car was turning left in front of me and I braked hard to miss him but the rear brake failed and the bike slide out on wet pavement and crashed.

A concusion and temporary nerve damage in the elbow and 2 fingers...arg, The police searched that parking lot for the car but no luck...goin' to bed.

-vrk

Dang, heal up vr. And they say mountain biking is dangerous :)

Ooo, ooo, ooo! Recover well, vrkelley! I'm sorry for your injuries, but glad they weren't worse. Take care.

Nick

Hope you recover ok vrk. I'm from the Seattle metro area as well. Where did it happen?

Uuugh. Sorry to hear about it. Heal soon. :(

Koffee

Heal up.

Ouch! That sucks! Hope you heal up well, and take care.

Question: Had the rear brake not failed would you have stopped in time?

Last time someone made a sharp left into me, he had the wrong signal on as I went around to pass. He turned in front of me and I just rammed into him full speed, since I'm sitting higher, my elbow clocked him through the driver side window.

Get some rest and feel better.

I hope everything comes back to normal for ya : )

...since I'm sitting higher, my elbow clocked him through the driver side window...

That mad me laugh like a crazy person! And no, I'm not evil.

vrkelley, rest up+get well.

Take a trip to LBS, get new helmet for you, have the brake looked at, and then take it easy for a couple days, if you had a concussion this is not the time to risk any further head injury. Be sure to follow-up on the nerve damage, but that can be a very slow recovery. Take care of yourself, you are the only one of you we have around here. Heal up soon.

Ummm... everyone seems to be missing the important point here:

Is the bike OK?

:D Heal quick and get back on the bike as soon as you can!

By the way, my first injury spill was after about 1,500km (not long after taking up riding), then last year after 50,000+, I had two bad falls. Touch wood, nothing this year. But these incidents build character and restore our caution and vigilence.

Yeah... things were slick out there today with all those storm cells rolling through one after another. Did you remember anything about the car? Maybe some security cameras or something caught a picture of it. Heal up soon.

Ouch! That sucks! Hope you heal up well, and take care.
Question: Had the rear brake not failed would you have stopped in time?

Thanks everyone. There's an ostrich-sized welt on my legs and my pinky and ring finger don't move well due to swelling at the elbow. Feeling sore all over.

The slide out was @12mph on semi-wet asphalt. The guy was about 8' in front of me. Even though the guy pulled in front of me and *legally* it was his fault, I consider the fault mine (because I'm the one who gets hurt, not the driver).

Possible points of failure on a grey morning ride

1. Poor side vis. I have illuminated racing stripe on both rims, 35W headlight. Jacket, pant, shoe, helmet with front, side and back reflectant. It wasn't enough.

2. Specialized All-Condition Sport tire with about 3K on them. Maybe the tire was too smooth for good traction at 12mph?

3. Brake. I usually set them so they stop on a dime. But I noticed poor braking a light just before the accident.

I hurt all over and will check these out maybe later today. Also going back to the accident site.

The worst thing possible....only imaginable in a nightmare...
Today I went to finally pay off my Trek 1500 I had on layaway. 10 minutes after having gotten out, and on my way back home, I was gonna cross on a green light when all of a sudden a driver who didn't look both ways before turning right on the red light, hits the gas and turns right into me.

AMAZINGLY, nothing happened to me. I don't understand how I didn't get hurt, but all I can do is thank god. My bike was pretty much totaled though. The front wheel was all bent, my fork got bent, the handlebars were dented, the chain came off etc... I fell but was able to land safely without getting hurt. I did get scraped on my left arm, but it's soooo minor.

All I did was stand up and look at my new bike trashed. The worst feeling ever. At this point, I don't know what's gonna happen. The driver agreed to pay the damages/bike. He went back with me to the bike shop so that they can have a look at it, though there really isn't much to be done. The bike's beyond repair I'd say. The frame looks ok, but I don't think I would trust riding a frame that's been in an accident.

You know...the worst is that I feel so stupid and dumb and bad and....words cannot describe how dumb I feel for not having called the police on the spot. I guess I was just shaken up and so concerned about my bike that I didn't even call the police. The driver definitely seemed very cooperative and hopefully he'll cover the costs.

I don't know what to do, and can't describe how I feel. I was gonna take the bike on my trip back home tomorrow, but that's not gonna happen anymore.
:(

I got hit by a car....

me too. yesterday. the driver, 91, said he didn't realize he hit anyTHING!
welcome to my world.

good to hear you weren't hurt either.

Thank God that you are okay. Bikes can be replaced, you can't. If the guy was going to bail, i doubt he would have gone to the shop with you. Hope you got his name, contact inforl, plates on his car just in case. Glad to hear you got out without injury.

wow... two people hit by a car on the same day? :eek: Both female, too?

And yeah, that has to be absolutely terrible... brand new bike, just got it.. already totalled. I think I'd literally cry. No joke. Glad to hear that the driver was cooperative and that you're ok.

Yeah, thanks. I got his name, address, home phone, cell phone, and plate number. My main concern would be if he doesn't pay up, and I take the case to court...there wouldn't be any witnesses to what happened, and I would most likely end up losing.
It hurts...
Thanks guys.

Glad to hear you are alright. Hope everything goes well with the replacement of your bike.

Yeah, thanks. I got his name, address, home phone, cell phone, and plate number. My main concern would be if he doesn't pay up, and I take the case to court...there wouldn't be any witnesses to what happened, and I would most likely end up losing.
It hurts...
Thanks guys.

If he went to the bike shop with you, couldn't the owner of the LBS be a witness?

I doubt he's gonna bail considering everything he's done so far. Just glad you're alright. I'll mourn for your bike, and drink to your health! :beer:

wow... two people hit by a car on the same day? :eek: Both female, too?

And yeah, that has to be absolutely terrible... brand new bike, just got it.. already totalled. I think I'd literally cry. No joke. Glad to hear that the driver was cooperative and that you're ok.
I'm male ;-)

Yeah, it's that crying feeling haha.
I'm definitely glad and amazed that nothing happened to me. I mean, an injury like that would so end my career for life, and I'd never get a chance to do what I like best.

If he went to the bike shop with you, couldn't the owner of the LBS be a witness?

I doubt he's gonna bail considering everything he's done so far. Just glad you're alright. I'll mourn for your bike, and drink to your health! :beer:

That's definitely true, though I doubt the extent to which they'd be willing to be involved in something they didn't see.

Wow, I am glad you're ok!
I am sure that if the driver has any brains, they will take care of the cost of your bike. They are lucky that is all they have to worry about. I had a crash with a car a couple years ago (car t-boned me and demolished my bike) and the driver ended up paying for the bike. But it almost didn't happen. He was very reluctant to fork over nearly $2000 (The actual cost of the exact model I had, which was only 2months old at the time). But when faced with his reluctant, I simply declared that I would go through insurance if he didn't want to pay for his mistake, and let my insurance company work with his to settle the debt. Within 2 days of our conversation I was inside the bike shop with 20 new $100 bills in my hand.

If the driver that hit you is smart, they will realize that paying for the bike is a small price to pay for what COULD have happened.

I hope everything works out amazingly and that you're back on your bike soon!

they don't....they simply have to be a witness to the fact that a guy came into their store, admitted to hitting you, and inquired as to the cost of repair/replacement of your bike.

Sorry this happened to both of you. Please any one reading this, if you are ever hit by a car, get the cops and have them file an accident report. Bikes are one thing, but if you have been cycling odds are your body is very loose and minor injuries from the accident may not be apparent until your body cools down several hours later and insurance companies are not as nice as some people can be.

Yeah, thanks. I got his name, address, home phone, cell phone, and plate number. My main concern would be if he doesn't pay up, and I take the case to court...there wouldn't be any witnesses to what happened, and I would most likely end up losing.
It hurts...
Thanks guys.

Why do you assume that you would lose a court case without a witness? Unless you ran a red light, I don't see how this could be your fault. And small claims court would be fine for the cost of a Trek 1500.

I know this is cliche as hell but the important thing is that you're alright. If you were permanently injured in some way, just think of the cost of that. In your life-time, a bike, even a $5000 carbon bike is really nothing.

Having worked in a physical therapy center for several years, and also having suffered multiple crashes during 20 years of cycling, I'll say that if given a choice I would sacrifice my bike before my body every time. You (or the driver, in this case) can always buy a new bike, but with all due respect to Hipcycler, new bodies are much harder to come by. That still doesn't make it any easier to lose a bike, especially one that is only a few minutes old. Don't kick yourself over what you "coulda shoulda woulda done" - it's water under the bridge and feeling bad won't help anything. Just be careful next time your riding, and thank your guardian angel that you're still around to ride at all. Good luck with the replacement bike, and I hope you're back in the saddle again quickly.

Somebody's lookin' after you girl!! Happy you were not injured.

I ride slow on purpose...so my angels can keep up!!

Damn, bike totalled just as you got it paid off. You have my condolences. I know how sad I was when I damaged my front fork/wheel only, if my bike every got totalled. I'd go on a murder rampage.

Oh man, on the very first ride. That sucks. At least the guy doesn't sound like a total tool and will cover the cost of the bike without having throw down the court/insurance threat routine.

Always call the cops. Someone should have told you that at the scene.

Thanks for the replies and all. I'll see how it goes tomorrow.

glad u weren't hurt :D

Sorry to hear about your accident, AngelT. At least the perp showed some sense of responsibility for what happened.

Always call the cops. Someone should have told you that at the scene.

Ditto.
It makes it official.

Pick out a new bike that the guy thinks is the same, only with better components on it....a little something for the trouble! ;)

Ditto.
It makes it official.

Pick out a new bike that the guy thinks is the same, only with better components on it....a little something for the trouble! ;)


that's just bad karma in the making.....

go to the cop shop ASAP. explain the situation, all that you wrote here. you may even want to copy your posting and take it with you. include the guys name on the report, the fact that you took the bike to the shop and get a written and signed paper from the bike shop. Even if you didn't do the right thing by filing a report at the accident scene, it is not too late to cover your ***. Anything done NOW will look good to the adults if this goes forward. Too bad you didn't get a report and lawyer, you would be riding a Madone. :)

they don't....they simply have to be a witness to the fact that a guy came into their store, admitted to hitting you, and inquired as to the cost of repair/replacement of your bike.

Check the laws in your state, you probably can still make a police report.

So yeah, there I was, about to begin an uphill on a straight road, though I was on a flat part at the time. Then a car I noticed in the opposite side (coming towards me) decided to turn. Either he didn't see me or thought I wasn't going as fast as I was, and then bam. . . we meet in space. I turned with him in an effort to prevent the collission, but instead I hit his front fender fender just behind the wheel well, disaligned my fork and snap my front axle clean off at the inside of the fork. I spun off my seat, and in that motion elbowed out his rear window. I landed on my hip and then back in the shards of glass, It sucked. The guy stopped, got out, and tried to make sure I was okay, as did the lady who was at the stoplight. The lady was on her way to work, so she left me her information and told me she would be willing to do what was necessary in terms of the law. And then there were four.
The driver had his children as passengers (I guess he was taking them to school as this was about 735 in the morning) and I immediately felt bad for them having to see what was happening and all. So, since my bike was damaged, as was his car, I called the police so I could file a report. They came and did their thing but the officer was under the impression that I was riding on the sidewalk (which seeems to be what the driver said also), since that was where the glass and my blood were on the street. I tried to explain to him what actually happened, but he apparently didn't believe me. I also tried to give him the information of the witness who could verify the what actually happened (that I was hit by a car that did not have the right of way), and he siad he wasn't required to take it, and then in the same breath said he could not take it. I have yet to pick up the accident report so I do not know what was said. As for my bodilky woes, I am waiting for a lawyer to call me back with doctor recommendations.
Having said all that, does anyone here have any recommendations as to what I should do? And was I treated fairly by the cop? Should I have given a statement? I am so lost and feel like I may be short shrifted because of the miscinceptions of those in charge.

Yea, were called litigants, we meet in the court house.

Enjoy

Yea, were called litigants, we meet in the court house.

Enjoy

Heheh. I thought I was going to get my t-shirt when I woke up in the ambulance. No such luck.

Good luck to the original poster.

Glad you are alive. You did the first thing right, file an accident report. I don't know what to do if you disagree with the report. I guess wait till you get a copy.

Second, go see a doctor. Sounds like your lawyer is hooking you up. Sounds good.

When I was hit, I did pay the $5 to get a copy of the accident report and looked it over. Sometimes it takes a couple days (a week?) for the cop to write up the report. But do check back with them. Hopefully, they gave you their card with phone number and incident number. If not, hope you noted the name on their badge. Might take several followup calls to make sure they filed the appropriate paperwork.

First, I recommend you go to your regular doctor, not a lawyer recommended one. I'm not assuming anything, but most of the insurance fraud rings involve doctors and lawyers pumping up medical expenses. You may get a bunch of expensive tests that you DONT NEED, and then if you don't win the case guess who gets to pay for them. Most likely this is not the case with your lawyer (those doing the fraud are a very small minority), but still...go to YOUR doctor. By waiting for your lawyer to give you a recommended doctor, you will raise a red flag with any insurance company that this may be fraud. You don't want to deal with that mess.

Next, give the information of the witness to your lawyer and have your lawyer deal with getting the appropriate things on the record. That's why you pay him/her. Also, draw the intersection and map out how the incident occurred, included how you turned with the car to lessen the impact. If necessary, use a book about effective cycling where it details the technique to show why you did it. If they see what happened in a diagram and understand the reason for your actions, it is more likely they would believe you were not on the sidewalk.

Lastly, file a claim for your bike and your injuries with the insurance company of the driver. Since you have a lawyer, have the lawyer do it and don't talk to the insurance company adjuster without your lawyer being present to guide the discussion. If they call you, just tell them that your lawyer asked you not to speak with them, and any questions or information they need they can get from him/her. Saying anything else may compromise your case.

Finally...I'm not a lawyer. I used to work for an insurance company that focused on "the goodness of company's hands", so just consider this "friendly" advice, not legal advice.

Just read through the whole thread to see if anyone had said that yet! I'm about 99% positive you can still file a police report - I've never lived anywhere where you could for days or even weeks after the incident. In some places I've lived, in fact, the police won't even come to accidents unless traffic is blocked, or there is and injury and/or alcohol involved.

FILE THE REPORT TODAY!


Check the laws in your state, you probably can still make a police report.

You were a victim of a left hook, the most common type of car-bike collision.

[QUOTE=Chino Nacino]So yeah, there I was, about to begin an uphill on a straight road, though I was on a flat part at the time. Then a car I noticed in the opposite side (coming towards me) decided to turn. Either he didn't see me or thought I wasn't going as fast as I was, and then bam. . . we meet in space. QUOTE]

Yeah I crashed this week too...If avoiding a Left-hook and crashing counts, I'm in! Youch...and frustrating..how do these cars miss a 35W light, bright yellow jacket, reflectant on wheels, shoes, pants and helmet? Hope you're feeling better!

Heh, I was left hooked while in my car several years ago. Neither cars fared well after that (both totalled), especially the buick I t-boned.

Crashes suck. (Notice I didn't say accidents suck, because a left-hook isn't an accident, it's the left-hooker (hooker sounds bad, doesn't it) being extremely negligent).

Motorcyclists have the same problem.
The only thing you can do is not only dress visibly, but also position yourself as visibly as you can, and still be prepared to not be seen.

Some people, including Robert Hurst (author of The Art of Urban Cycling), says you should keep to the right, to maximize "space" between the potential left-hooker and yourself. but I think that just positions you to be less visible and makes the left hook more likely, not to mention it's contrary to the position he recommends if there is traffic coming from behind, or someone coming from the right.

Take whatever advice you want, but I haven't been hit in 30 years of cycling...

Serge