Advice after being knocked off bike

[Tad]

Hope you're ok.

Log it with the police.
Have it checked out at the hospital.
Injuries such as whiplash can take 48hours before they start to hurt.
Get in touch with the CTC if you're a member. If you have home insurance, contact them, you probably have legal cover included.

SUE THEM!

New bike, new clothing, new helmet, new gloves etc. Don't accept repairs, you're not obliged to. Personal injury claim too, even if you have no broken bones just soft tissue damage and the odd cut/graze is worth a few grand. I got a new £400 helmet, £1000 set of leathers and paid for myself to go through university as a result of getting knocked off my motorbike. I'd rather it had never happened to be honest though.

 

[oaep7]

I have the number of a couple of witnesses who saw it all and also confirmed to me she said "my brakes are'nt working" but I guess she meant what she told me later that her foot slipped!

 

[jimthistle]

Wow! Sounds like a result - I got hit on a roundabout. Kind of saw it coming and was able to 'fall' onto the bonnet of the car - my bike pinged off 15 feet into the centre of the roundabout. The lady carried on driving, me spreadeagled on the bonnet - her face was a picture.

Unfortunately, the inevitable happened - she realised what was happening and slammed on the anchors, sending me tumbling over the tarmac.

I got up after a second or two and the woman was starting to drive off. I ran (hobbled) in front of the car, reached round and opened the driver's door.

The first words out of her mouth were' "Ye didnae hae yer lights on". Broad daylight. The second utterance was, "Ye'd better hae bloody insurance".

Police said there was nothing they could do, despite the obvious tale told by the damage to her car and my bike. I was seriously tempted, and I mean seriously, to go round her house and take the £250 worth of damage out of her car....

 

[Tad]

What you have to remember is that the burden of proof required for a civil case is far lower than required in a criminal case. Suing for damages is a civil rather than criminal matter. Take their insurance company to the cleaners. That's what they're there for!

 

[Crayons]

A work colleague got taken off just metres from the door to the office last summer. The driver tried to blame him even though he'd pulled out into my mates path from a side road and forced him into the kerb.

Fortunately the work CCTV picked it all up even though the police couldn't be bothered by it all so the drivers insurance paid out.

Last laugh was well and truly on my mate though – his bar end had gouged and split the metal almost the length of the passenger-side of the car, including the rear wing. Probably wrote the car off.

The morale of the story is if you're going to get hit make sure it's the metal bits of your bike, not the soft and squidgy bits of you that make contact with the car – that way even if they drive off they've got something to remind them of how blind they are.

I've recently got a motorbike and you really do have to think for the car drivers all of the time – ride like they're all out to kill you and you might just avoid it.

 

[legrandefromage]

ive gotten used to the idea that everybody is out to get me . cruising along the path coming up to having to cross over a road . look to the side at the car going along , zoom , turns straight across without indicating :roll: had those massive fly sunglasses and a phone in her hand

theyre not so high and mighty when i shove them in the street for stepping out from a shop doorway infront of me

they do it in the supermarket too , but like i said , everyones out to get me

When i'm on the road as far as i'm concerned everyone in a car/van/lorry/taxi/bus is a complete braindead idiot, nothing personal, they are probably the nicest person in the world but behind the wheel they are selfish, impatient idiots IMO, if i'm aproaching any junctions etc i cover the brakes prepared for them to pull out etc.

Minor incident, on my way to work the other night a crappy little hatchback tooted his horn behind me, passenger shouted something out the window as it passed (dont know what he shouted, incomprehensable Chav language), all this was for no reason other than it was a bit awkward for him to get by and i was causing him to slow down and do something really hard called concentrate, i stoked the boiler and caught up with him at the lights, he was waiting to turn left, i was going straight on, sitting right behind him i noticed there were three guys and two girls in the car (i'm no sh*te bag but not a fool either), so i just sat there, just as the lights turned green i left him a nice big slimey gob on his back window , was wishing i'd lifted his rear wiper arm too

I drive a taxi...
Anyway - speak to the CTC http://www.ctc.org.uk/

They know stuff.

 

[hamster]

Make sure you take photos of any injuries...and again in a couple of days when the bruises really come up.
INSIST on making a statement to the police. In theory they should be called to any accident involving injury.

Document everything, especially time off work, taxis used instead of a bike to travel to work etc. You may need it for a costs claim.

 

[Bishopsfinger]

There's an awful lot of info here.
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread4213.html

And as I understood it, if there is an accident where there is any injury, regardless of severity, then the onus is on the driver to report it to the police. Or so the police told me when I reported getting knocked off. Proved to be a nice little earner, if somewhat painful at the time. Got 1500 quid and that was 15 yrs ago. Driver had no choice but to admit total fault

Amazingly the bike came out unscathed - god bless Clockworks!

 

[oaep7]

Got checked by the doc this morning, he took a note of bruises and rest is tissue damage, nothing too bad, went to the cops and got a ref number although I stressed that I had the details and they are willing to pay for any damage so no action was needed on their part but who's to say that when I tell the guy that the new wheel/carbon forks, labour etc comes to about £500 he wont try and be less than forthcoming with the dosh so best to do it by the book I guess.

If an open pro rim has been flattened then whats the chances of carbon forks being creamed too even if they look ok?

 

[Mr Panda]

Cops wouldn't necessarily take action unless serious breach of law - unfortunately knocking a cyclist of their bike isn't illegal (I don't think) :shock: Unlike speeding or going through red light etc.....

In an accident, unless cops want to charge for reckless driving etc, its between you and the other party and their insurer. Fortunately you seem to have been hit by a good egg

Hope it stays that way. Many years ago I was knocked of my motorbike biy a cager, fortunately my mother worked in a lawyers' office at the time. Ended up with a slight bruise and £800 in pocket