+1 for good guys

[sashimono]

Got hit by a car yesterday -- or I guess technically I hit him. One of those deals where you are tooling down a bike lane and a driver accelerates past then slams on his brakes and turns right and there is no place to go and bam, your direction of motion instantly changes by 90 degrees.

Anyway, the huge difference this time was there was a cop two cars back that saw the whole thing, flipped on his siren, and chased the guy down. I got to meet some paramedics while the driver was getting cited for "failure to yield" among other things. Yea!

The only problem now is I need a new rim and the dude had no insurance.

 

[The Hitch]

Got hit by a car yesterday -- or I guess technically I hit him. One of those deals where you are tooling down a bike lane and a driver accelerates past then slams on his brakes and turns right and there is no place to go and bam, your direction of motion instantly changes by 90 degrees.

Anyway, the huge difference this time was there was a cop two cars back that saw the whole thing, flipped on his siren, and chased the guy down. I got to meet some paramedics while the driver was getting cited for "failure to yield" among other things. Yea!

The only problem now is I need a new rim and the dude had no insurance.

Good news. I hope he gets a hard sentence. Not the 2 years suspended sentence crap.

 

[Archibald]

Got hit by a car yesterday -- or I guess technically I hit him. One of those deals where you are tooling down a bike lane and a driver accelerates past then slams on his brakes and turns right and there is no place to go and bam, your direction of motion instantly changes by 90 degrees.

Anyway, the huge difference this time was there was a cop two cars back that saw the whole thing, flipped on his siren, and chased the guy down. I got to meet some paramedics while the driver was getting cited for "failure to yield" among other things. Yea!

The only problem now is I need a new rim and the dude had no insurance.

i think failure to yield would be the least of his problems - how's "failure to remain at the scene of an accident" sound, along with "endangering life"?

the punt should stump up for your repairs out of his own pocket
claim on insurance and they'll chase him down to recover their costs - cheaper on the legal fees for you!

 

[Wiggins_fan]

Damn, I was hoping to read a positive story about a driver who stopped and asked if you were ok. Oh well, good that they got him!

 

[Autobus]

Failure to yield often does not lead to much of a penalty. The first time I was hit the driver turned into her driveway from the oncoming lane, but didn't see me as I started crossing the driveway. She was also cited for FtY, but only ended up paying a fine of maybe $200 at most. But she was insured and I got a new bike and kit out of it (the downtube was bent, helmet broken, shorts and jersey torn from my tumble on the pavement) as well as all medical claims covered and a settlement paid.

The second time I was hit it was, amazingly enough, from behind. This time the driver told the cop who responded that she was just tired of getting out of the way of cyclists. Needless to say, that was the first time he ever heard anything like that. He was so amazed that he asked me if the driver had said anything to me. When I told him the same thing as he heard, he was even more surprised. She was cited, I think for reckless driving. I never heard what was her fine was. Again she was insured, and I received a settlement and medical claims covered. That time there was no bike damage.

From these two incidents I learned that if you want a decent outcome, at least in the US, you need to get a lawyer. I tried only going through my insurance company the second time, but I ended up with a lot less. I think the threat of lawsuits get more attention from the insurance companies. Unfortunately, that won't matter so much in your case.

Glad to hear you're all right.

 

[fatandfast]

Got hit by a car yesterday -- or I guess technically I hit him. One of those deals where you are tooling down a bike lane and a driver accelerates past then slams on his brakes and turns right and there is no place to go and bam, your direction of motion instantly changes by 90 degrees.

Anyway, the huge difference this time was there was a cop two cars back that saw the whole thing, flipped on his siren, and chased the guy down. I got to meet some paramedics while the driver was getting cited for "failure to yield" among other things. Yea!

The only problem now is I need a new rim and the dude had no insurance.

If you a really not hurt..call the guy up and say 500 bucks will make you act human and get you a new rim. If you get a lawyer and the guy has no money you will win a judgement in court and have to pay your legal fees 1st and collect the money from the guy a dime at a time. It also takes months and months when people are uninsured and general buttheads. In the end you will come out right in court..get a slice of paper that says he owes you x amount and then you have to buy your own wheel while waiting for him to fork over the cash..tell him to borrow it from his mom or grandma or take a cash advance on a credit card and pay mastercard the payments instead of you. Once things get hopeless and that is coming fast..the guy will never pay you. Right now he will probably have over a 1000-2000 dollars to pay the ticket for the failure to yield,prove he has insurance..and then get his license unsuspended for tolling around without coverage... he just doesn't know it. It happened to me and I wish I had just got a couple of 100 and took myself for a wood fired pie and a beer. depending on what state you are in the DMV flags people that have got tickets for no insurance and the guy will think it is only between you and him until he tries to renew his plates or drivers license..good luck and glad you didn't get smeared

 

[brianf7]

Get the bike checked out at the local bike shop and send him a bill if he dont pay get a solicitor . He will pay up the cops have already charged him.He wont want it to go to court.

 

[pedaling squares]

In many places the 'failure to yield' citation is a mere violation ticket that results in only a small fine. The other offences you mention would hopefully include a 'failure to remain' as another poster mentioned. That can be dealt with by way of violation ticket (much higher fine) or court, depending on the jurisdiction and/or the seriousness of the incident. If you were lying there bleeding in full view I would hope the result was court, not a ticket. Again, depending on the circumstances, there could also be some sort of 'dangerous operation causing injury' offence which would result in court. If the impact tacoed your rim I would assume the driver felt/heard/saw the collision. What a knob. I too was hoping the 'good guys' thread title meant the driver stopped, provided assistance, and admittedly liability. Unsurprisingly, no. Anyway, if this goes to court you may want to speak to the investigator or seek legal advice in case there is an option for the court to order restitution.

 

[laziali]

...
The second time I was hit it was, amazingly enough, from behind. This time the driver told the cop who responded that she was just tired of getting out of the way of cyclists. Needless to say, that was the first time he ever heard anything like that. He was so amazed that he asked me if the driver had said anything to me. When I told him the same thing as he heard, he was even more surprised. She was cited, I think for reckless driving. I never heard what was her fine was. Again she was insured, and I received a settlement and medical claims covered. That time there was no bike damage.

Glad to hear you're all right.

Fark that's scary. I am staggered that people like that even exist!

 

[JA.Tri]

+ 1000 and it was rider error (mine)!

There are decent people out there.

14 Dec I crashed on a descent of 1 in 20 on Mt Dandenong 40km (25mi) East of Melbourne.

My fault, pedal strike on a series of S curves...slammed into an embankment, slumped into gutter. The woman in the car following stopped as did the guy in car ascending the climb. Feeling sick, dazed and sensing fractured clavicle and other injuries, I asked for help. The guy helped me to the woman's car, loaded my bike and departed.

Suzanne then insisted in dropping my bike at my place then drove me to the hospital. She offered to pick me up after consult and drop me home.

The hospital staff were wonderful...and if I must insist in crashing my bike then this was a pretty cool outcome...injuries excepted.

 

[flicker]

Hit a bus in Guadalajara Mexico. Bus drove away, passengers horrified. Car behind insisted I get help, drove me to Emergency hospital , where I had my Collerbone X-Rayed (broken) and my headwind stitched up. I had insisted to the car driver that I was just fine. Than he drove me home 15 miles out of his way. He did not even introduce himself.... good people everywhere.

 

[Archibald]

another one for you...

the guy that t-boned me stopped and rang the ambulance - the bumper of his beemer went straight into my right knee (I then went for a short flight across the pavement, footpath and into a wall).
he stayed the entire time til the ambulance pulled away, and also texted me several times afterwards to see how my recovery was going...
(i never sued or made a claim - medical was all free unde NHS, and physio was free under my gym membership. Bike was somehow fine except for a few scratches)

 

[euanli]

I got knocked down by a car a couple of years ago. Within in about 5 minutes I had counted about 8 doctors and two nurses who had come to check if I was ok. They all had been out for a Sunday walk independently.

 

[Roland Rat]

The second time I was hit it was, amazingly enough, from behind. This time the driver told the cop who responded that she was just tired of getting out of the way of cyclists. Needless to say, that was the first time he ever heard anything like that. He was so amazed that he asked me if the driver had said anything to me. When I told him the same thing as he heard, he was even more surprised. She was cited, I think for reckless driving. I never heard what was her fine was. Again she was insured, and I received a settlement and medical claims covered. That time there was no bike damage.

F*** that, that's attempted murder not bloody reckless driving. If I drive straight at a pedestrian because I can't be bothered to stop, I'd be going down.