availpunk9

So the worst thing could happen in the 3 yrs cycling happened today. I got into an accident with a car.

Long story short, a lady pulled a U turn in front of me without noticing me/looking. I was going at a ~30mph down a slight hill. I hit the brakes and flipped over the handle bar. I'm not sure if I hit the car or not, but next thing I know is that my feet are being run over... Police got there very quickly and I was taken to ER. In any case, my back/neck is in a ton of pain. X-rays and scans show that nothing is broken. I think my helmet took the full force of the collision. It's a bell sweep r, on its maiden voyage, that I got for my b-day 2 days ago.

Here's what it look like now:



to the helmet. It did its job.

idcruiserman

She ran over your feet?

vic32amg

wow you are sure lucky. did she stop or kept going ? is there legal action involved and who takes care of medical in this situation?

DrPete 

Sounds like your neck and back took more of it than the helmet... make sure you take it easy for a while.

Not saying that it didn't help decrease the severity of any potential scalp or brain injuries, but you'll face the gauntlet of the anti-helmet crowd if you throw out the "my helmet saved my life" line, because statistically speaking it didn't.

Regardless of all that BS, yes, it's good that you were wearing it, you most likely would've been more severely hurt had you not been wearing it, and I'm glad you're OK.

As for the B-day present, return it to the store and say it's the wrong color. (kidding)

availpunk9

I landed on my head and kind of rolled of of it. I think my feet struck her car and ended under it. I don't know why she ran my feet over... I guess didn't react fast enough to the impact.

She stopped, well everyone stopped. She was in the middle of both lanes, on a two lane road, blocking traffic. I'm going to my lawyer tomorrow. At the very least, I wan my med. bills, bike repairs, helmet and a new pair of Assos bib, that were also 2 days old, covered.

DrPete 

So you T-boned her as she made the U-turn? Depending on what state you're in that may be a tough one. The defense will promptly say that you were following at an unsafe distance because you weren't able to stop in time.

Having recently been through it when a lady sued me for $1 million when I rear ended her and did $460 damage to her car, I can tell you the legal system is a gigantic PITA. Best of luck, though, because depending on all the facts and all the players involved, you might get a settlement that covers most of your losses.

merlinextraligh

Preface. This isn't meant to excuse the driver or blame the victim.

However, if you push your weight back,even to the point of butt hanging over the rear wheel, and chest on the seat, you can stop fast without flipping over the bars.

I understand stuff happens fast, and hindsight is 20-20. Just saying its a good skill to learn for next time.

wcoastbikr

I think he's got a case...bikes don't slow down nearly as fast as a car can. She could have cut him off while he was hauling at 30mph. I'm sure we've all been in situations where a car cuts in front of us while we're hauling so they can save 2 seconds on their turn, and we end up slamming on our brakes and/or having to swerve out of the way to prevent an accident.

entukay

So weird, the exact same thing happened with me with the exact same helmet, except i got the helmet about 5 days before my birthday and my feet didn't get run over.

Darkrider23

Was it an illegal U-Turn she made?

merlinextraligh

As for the liability issue, I'm not sure I've got the fact pattern clear. OP, are you saying you're in the same lane of travel behind the car,and she makes a U-Turn, and you hit her?

If so, I'm not sure I like your case too much. What i f she had simply braked to a stop for a child darting in front of her? Sounds like you could not have stopped in that instance either. You've got an obligation in any vehicle to be able to stop in the assured clear distance.

You also have an issue as to whether the U-Turn was legal or not at that particular point.

Now, if she was oing the opposite direction and truned in fornt of you, ignore the above.

dark13star

Statistics have nothing to do with it. He has a real experience that could be analyzed. Granted, it is unlikely that he will do so, but the only thing that would support or negate his statement would be an analysis of the damage done to the helmet, deduction of the forces required to do the damage, and modeling of those forces on the unprotected human head.

Statistics are never true in individual cases. One can argue how true they are in aggregate, as well.

Motman320

That's a damn good question. Where's the biking_lawyer when you need em'.

Cdy291

You didn't say what happened to your feet. Did your carbon soles save the day?

PeddlingPilgrim

yea, i'm confused about the relative direction of travel. at least nothing was broken, really, the op is very lucky.

Val23708

well she shouldnt be making a U-turn into traffic (you) in the first place. shouldn't matter if its illegal or legal, you dont make U-turns into traffic period.

JTGraphics

Glad to here you came out of it OK for the most part! and that helmet is probably the best birthday present you've ever received!!!

do-well

Well there's debate to whether she was making a U-turn into him (originally going in opposite direction of the cyclist) or U-turn in front of him (originally going in the same direction as the cyclist). I would think that if a car makes a U-turn in front of you while originally going in the same direction as you, then that action would open up the right side of the lane. The same could be said in the other situation, except the completion of the U-turn would occur across the lane, leaving little room for the cyclist.

The OP states that the lady was in both lanes, so why wasn't the far right of the lane open? Narrow road?

Unless the U-turn is quite sudden, I would think some evasive riding would take care of someone who U-turns in front of you while going in the same direction as you. I have no idea what the hell I would do if someone pulled a U-turn while coming at me. If this is the case for the OP, he has a quite stellar case it seems.

j_amie_

This always strikes me funny about americans, Being from canada it has never enters my mind

danny_isr

had accident 2.5 years ago. $15 bell helmet saved me as well. cracked like yours.
but i did broke my collar bone,fracture ribs and punched my lunge . and was bit up all over.
i guess those helmets work .. and they are a must. beyond me how motorcycle riders here in CO
ride without them......

mustang1

I think I'll remember that too for next time. I had a little knock (nothing like the OP). The end result was, at a brisk walking pace, while the front brake was slammed on as much as it'd go, I hit a car and still toppled over the handlebars. I wasn't hurt but I wondered why the heck I would topple over the handlebars if I was travelling at a brisk walking pace at the point of the knock.

Anyway OP, glad you're reasonably ok.

patentcad

Don't be ridiculous. Every Harley Davidson owner knows it's Loud Pipes that Save Lives. Next time ride with the wind in you hair. Live Free or Die. Or is is Live Free and Die? I can never remember.

availpunk9

It's a one lane road going in each direction. I was going the same direction as the car. The driver pulled over to the shoulder, on which I was. I looked over my shoulder to make sure the road is clear and went in the lane. She turned right into my lane of travel, making a left hand turn across a double yellow line. When I slammed on my brakes her car was blocking the oncoming lane and my lane with the driver's side of the car to me. I did practice weight shifting during braking, but the only thing I could think of at that time was that I hope I don't loose my front teeth.... I think I panicked when I saw the car.

I don't have carbon soled shoes. These were Sidi Genius 5 Megas with plastic soles. When she ran my feet over, I was on my left side with the soles perpendicular to the ground. I guess the shoes took much of the force of the car, as I have no pain in my feet what so ever.

As far as the helmet debate, I'm not here to preach helmet safety. I think that my helmet did what it's supposed to do. I'm going to continue to wear one. I know that without one, I would be in much worst condition.

merlinextraligh

^'s that a lot clearer. And I think you've definitely got the better side of the liability argument.

Ryleeryno

Thank god for that helmet. I'm sure you should be able to get a free or at least highly discounted replacement since it's so new, plus Bell's crash replacement policy rocks.

My bell helmet cracked in the same manner last year when I crashed at 25mph. Thankfully my fat, left thigh took the whole brunt of the force which resulted in the worlds most hideously grotesque bruise.