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Old 04-07-04, 03:19 PM
  #10  
madpogue 
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Madison, WI USA
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From having been in one bike-only crash (my fault) more than one car-bike crash (every one the car driver's fault, BTW), two things come to mind:

* NEVER assume that you're "fine" wrt. injury. You never know what will come up some time after the crash. This has happened to me twice. Most recently, after getting t-boned by a Crown Vic, I had pains on the impact side of my body that came up the day after the crash. Face it; it's not the same as a car-car crash, where you're protected by a cage of steel. With a bike-car crash, most likely the car comes in contact with your body, or your body comes in contact with the pavement, or both.

* NEVER assume that your bike isn't a total loss. You're not "lying" on a field report if you're obviously estimating, and adding up the cost of your bike, helmet, gear, etc. exceeds the threshold for making a report. Come to think of it, I made that mistake with a car-car crash once. Cab clipped my rear bumper perpendicularly. I thought it was just the fascia of the bumper that was damaged. Cop said that since it's less than $500 (the threshold here in WI), no report. Turns out he whacked the body alignment of the whole back end out; the tailgate wouldn't close right. Had to take it to a frame shop. Fortunately the cab company still paid the $700 damage, but since I underestimated at the time of the incident, no police report, therefore nothing on the driver's record.

IOW, at the scene, you just can't judge how bad things are, either with your state of injury or the extent of property damage. Estimate based on worst-case. There's no "crime" in doing so; it's not "lying". It's covering your @ss.

At least you're in one piece. That's a good thing.
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