Sister was in serious accident, not sure what to do about this...
05-29-14, 02:03 PM
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: On the bridge with Picard
Posts: 5,932
Bikes: Specialized Allez, Specialized Sirrus
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 17 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
To the OP: If you are even remotely considering taking legal action, please keep in mind the following post from the head forum administrator here:
If you would like this thread deleted, please report it using the exclamation point in a triangle at the bottom left of a post and ask a moderator to do it.
CbadRider
Forum Administrator
1) Limit your disclosure on the forums. This isn't to protect us, it's to protect you. Lawyers do mine online forums for data on accidents, and can even identify if they have found their opponent if you disclose enough information. This has happened at some of the car forums and it has cost members settlements that are satisfactory.
2) See 1 and drive it into your brain.
3) See 1 and 2.
4) This actually applies to any potential legal action, whether you are cycling, walking, or driving a vehicle, or even a workplace accident. In a nutshell, you do not want to disclose a tremendous amount of specific information when you are potentially going to have to sue someone to anyone but YOUR lawyer. He or she is being paid to and is ethically bound to represent your interests, and the other lawyer is paid to, and is ethically bound to represent theirs. Don't make THEIR job easier and your lawyer's harder.
2) See 1 and drive it into your brain.
3) See 1 and 2.
4) This actually applies to any potential legal action, whether you are cycling, walking, or driving a vehicle, or even a workplace accident. In a nutshell, you do not want to disclose a tremendous amount of specific information when you are potentially going to have to sue someone to anyone but YOUR lawyer. He or she is being paid to and is ethically bound to represent your interests, and the other lawyer is paid to, and is ethically bound to represent theirs. Don't make THEIR job easier and your lawyer's harder.
If you would like this thread deleted, please report it using the exclamation point in a triangle at the bottom left of a post and ask a moderator to do it.
CbadRider
Forum Administrator
06-04-14, 04:20 AM
#29
Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 41
Bikes: Dunlup Special Edition Mountain bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
First let me give you my sympathies for your sisters, injury and wish her well, secondly, what is it you would like from the shop? compensation? If so then I think your wisest move would be to find and get in contact with a lawyer. good luck.
06-04-14, 04:38 AM
#30
The Flying Scot
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North Queensferry Scotland and London (and France)
Posts: 1,904
Bikes: Custom (Colin Laing) 531c fast tourer/audax, 1964 Flying Scot Continental, 1995 Cinelli Supercorsa, Holdsworth Mistral single speed, Dahon Speed 6 (folder), Micmo Sirocco and a few more
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Firstly tjax, I’m sorry to hear about your sister’s accident and I hope she fully recovers and soon.
Many hydraulic disc brake systems forewarn that bikes should not be flipped upside down, as air bubbles in the brake lever reservoir can potentially make their way up into the inverted brake caliper thereby reducing braking efficiency. Shimano’s Techdocs forewarn of this issue per my Shimano M445 hydraulic disc brakes, but this is just one of many hydraulic disc brakes that weren’t intended to be flipped upside down.
In theory, if all the air was removed during the bleeding process, it shouldn’t present an issue, but there’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty that all the air was removed during the bleeding process, so that’s where the possibility of lost braking efficiency arises.
Upon crash impact, the potential for previously trapped air bubbles to make its way into the brake caliper is a very real possibility, so she may have had full braking capacity until she lost control and the impact of the crash altered the braking performance.
For both of her independent front and rear hydraulic disc brakes to have failed simultaneously prior to the crash is almost astronomically improbable, but for both to be damaged as a result of a crash is entirely possible.
Many hydraulic disc brake systems forewarn that bikes should not be flipped upside down, as air bubbles in the brake lever reservoir can potentially make their way up into the inverted brake caliper thereby reducing braking efficiency. Shimano’s Techdocs forewarn of this issue per my Shimano M445 hydraulic disc brakes, but this is just one of many hydraulic disc brakes that weren’t intended to be flipped upside down.
In theory, if all the air was removed during the bleeding process, it shouldn’t present an issue, but there’s no way of knowing with absolute certainty that all the air was removed during the bleeding process, so that’s where the possibility of lost braking efficiency arises.
Upon crash impact, the potential for previously trapped air bubbles to make its way into the brake caliper is a very real possibility, so she may have had full braking capacity until she lost control and the impact of the crash altered the braking performance.
For both of her independent front and rear hydraulic disc brakes to have failed simultaneously prior to the crash is almost astronomically improbable, but for both to be damaged as a result of a crash is entirely possible.
Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.
John
__________________
plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens
1985 Sandy Gilchrist-Colin Laing built 531c Audax/fast tourer.
1964 Flying Scot Continental (531)
1995 Cinelli Supercorsa (Columbus SLX)
1980s Holdsworth Mistral fixed (531)
2005 Dahon Speed 6 (folder)
(YES I LIKE STEEL)
2008 Viking Saratoga tandem
2008 Micmo Sirocco Hybrid (aluminium!)
2012 BTwin Rockrider 8.1
plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens
1985 Sandy Gilchrist-Colin Laing built 531c Audax/fast tourer.
1964 Flying Scot Continental (531)
1995 Cinelli Supercorsa (Columbus SLX)
1980s Holdsworth Mistral fixed (531)
2005 Dahon Speed 6 (folder)
(YES I LIKE STEEL)
2008 Viking Saratoga tandem
2008 Micmo Sirocco Hybrid (aluminium!)
2012 BTwin Rockrider 8.1
06-04-14, 04:45 AM
#31
2 Fat 2 Furious
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: England
Posts: 3,996
Bikes: 2009 Specialized Rockhopper Comp Disc, 2009 Specialized Tricross Sport RIP
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
Without knowing just what it is you want it's really hard to say.
When I replaced the brake pads on my MTB they were seriously spongy for a while. I nearly got myself into trouble as I started braking for the junction at the end of my road at the normal sort of time, but nothing much happened when I pulled the brake lever. It wasn't a fault, it was just that new pads need to be bedded in. Once I'd stopped a few times they worked perfectly, it's just that it only takes one instance of them not stopping well to result in something nasty, as your sister has obviously done.
It's also hard to know what to suggest. If you expect the shop to fix the bike free of charge you need them to accept that they didn't do the job properly the first time. If they accept they didn't do the job properly the first time then they are arguably liable for your sister's injuries, so they will obviously have a vested interest in not admitting anything. If you're asking for something as a gesture of goodwill you may get them to correct anything wrong with the brakes, but if they have sold you something unsafe it seems a pretty poor outcome to get little more than a fixed brake system and a get well card for your sister. That said I also have to agree with what others have already said about checking the bike before riding it. It reminds me of a ride I did where I broke a spoke and had to loosen the rear brakes because the rear wheel was out of true because of the spoke. I knew my back brake was much less effective than normal so kept much tighter control over my speed on the descents than I would normally. In the same way if you notice your brakes are a bit spongy you need to keep your speed down - if they aren't very good at 10mph they won't be any better at 20mph.
Of course all this is with the benefit of hindsight, and the most important thing of all is for your sister to have a speedy and successful recovery.
When I replaced the brake pads on my MTB they were seriously spongy for a while. I nearly got myself into trouble as I started braking for the junction at the end of my road at the normal sort of time, but nothing much happened when I pulled the brake lever. It wasn't a fault, it was just that new pads need to be bedded in. Once I'd stopped a few times they worked perfectly, it's just that it only takes one instance of them not stopping well to result in something nasty, as your sister has obviously done.
It's also hard to know what to suggest. If you expect the shop to fix the bike free of charge you need them to accept that they didn't do the job properly the first time. If they accept they didn't do the job properly the first time then they are arguably liable for your sister's injuries, so they will obviously have a vested interest in not admitting anything. If you're asking for something as a gesture of goodwill you may get them to correct anything wrong with the brakes, but if they have sold you something unsafe it seems a pretty poor outcome to get little more than a fixed brake system and a get well card for your sister. That said I also have to agree with what others have already said about checking the bike before riding it. It reminds me of a ride I did where I broke a spoke and had to loosen the rear brakes because the rear wheel was out of true because of the spoke. I knew my back brake was much less effective than normal so kept much tighter control over my speed on the descents than I would normally. In the same way if you notice your brakes are a bit spongy you need to keep your speed down - if they aren't very good at 10mph they won't be any better at 20mph.
Of course all this is with the benefit of hindsight, and the most important thing of all is for your sister to have a speedy and successful recovery.
__________________
"For a list of ways technology has failed to improve quality of life, press three"
"For a list of ways technology has failed to improve quality of life, press three"
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
choclabman
Bicycle Mechanics
5
11-21-11 11:25 AM
