Loose trailer

[Shimpie]

It's been uneventful first year of commuting to work. I do 18 miles round trip and an hour on the train. Last week, I decided to get into work an hour early. I had just finished coming down a freeway overpass and was booking along at fast pace, as were the few other cars on the same street. Suddendly, I heard behind me a large and loud rumbling. All I could think was CRAP CRAP!! I MUST get out of the road! As I went to bunnyhop the curb, I got wiped out from behind. A landscaping trailer carrying lawnmowers and leafblowers had come unhitched off its truck and veered right into me. Next thing I know, I'm lying in the street covered in grass clippings. The police and paramedics came and I was whisked off to the ER. Luckily, and I've been told this over and over, I didn't break anything. I came away with a concussion (helmet cracked in two places and has red curb paint transfer) and a palm sized roadrash on my thigh.

I'm very sore now. My head is sore. My neck is sore from doing a hands-free headstand on the concrete and I've bruised all over. In fact, I keep finding new bruises. The road rash should take a bit of time to heal. However, I'm not phased. I'll be needing a new bike, but this freak (and negligent) incident won't stop me from commuting.

Shimpie

[Adventure Girl]

Originally posted by Shimpie
CRAP CRAP!!

Holieeee cow!!!! Wow. What a freak accident. I'm glad to hear you survived with "minor" injuries. It sure sounds like it could have been much, much worse! Wow!

I hope they caught the negligent gardener .

[SnowMouse]

That is so terribly unfortunate My thoughts and prayers are with you. I'm also in an injured stete right now, only pedalling at home on my rim trainer right now. I sooooo cannot wait to get back outdoors on the bike, but I really don't know how I'm going to go....I don't know how scared I'm going to be. Hopefully the passion to ride blasts away all fears, hopefully.

[jobob]

good grief !!!

I'm really glad you came out of that reasonably OK - and thank goodness for your helmet !! I hope your bangs and bruises heal up soon .... I so admire your attitude

- Jo.

[pedalfaster]

Sorry to hear about your accident.

If you don't already have one, you need an attorney.

Living in CA, it should be pretty easy to find a local bike-friendly lawyer. It may sound crass, but, as you pointed out there was negligence involved and you are going to need a new bike and medical bills paid. Also with a neck/shoulder injury things could come up later.

Heal quickly!

[doctorfrau]

WOW!

Thank God you are okay. and Thank God for Helmets!
umm... Does this mean that you were a "Pain in the Grass"?

Speaking of helmets...

I was on-call at the hospital this weekend, and the helicopter brought in an 8-yr old who was NOT wearing a helmet when she wrecked her bike!! Scary sight seeing a little kid wrapped up like a papoose, strapped to a backboard and wearing a C-collar.
Thank God, all her scans were negative in the end, and all there was for me to do was stitch up the 5cm gash in her forehead. I'll bet Mom & Dad superglue that helmet to her head from now on!

[Shimpie]

You ladies are the best!
I knew I get some sympathy...uh support here.

If I can settle with the driver's insurance, I don't know if I'll need to involve an attorney. I was told to wait a couple weeks and figure out the extent of my injuries. I'm sore and stiff, but I'm not in pain like when I twisted my knee a few years ago. I'm pretty sure I'll heal up okay. If my injuries were worse (ie. broken bones or limited mobility) I'd definitely get an attorney.

I'll submit my claim for medical fees, property damage, etc to this landscaping company's auto insurance. I don't know if I'm being naive and optimistic, but I'm hoping to be paid enough to get back to how things were before the accident. (a 8 month old blue Trek..sniffle). I'm not looking to retire on insurance money. At least I don't hope I need to.

What do you think? Do I need an attorney?

-Shimpie

[jobob]

While I've been fortunate to not have to go through this, I have heard horror stories of insurance companies dragging their feet about paying claims. Just because you're in the right and entitled to compensation doesn't mean they're going to be in any hurry to pay up

The best advice I can give you is to keep very very good records of conversations, and copies of correspondence and of everything you submit to the insurance company, as well as copies of police reports, the purchase receipts for your bike and your helmet, your medical bills, and anything else that you may need to rely on to substantiate your claim.

And don't sign anything you don't completely understand!

Best wishes, - Jo.

[grannydea]

Shimpie
WOW sorry to hear about the accident. But Jobob is right don't sign anything you dont understand or are not sure of. Get some one you trust to read it. And by god they should have to replace NEW everything they damaged.
Bike helmet ect. And make sure you wait to sign off on the medical stuff until you are sure thing are ok. Some times it takes a while for some thing to show up.
Take care and hope you are feeling better soon.
Dea

[Shimpie]

Feeling much better these days. I can turn my neck enough to drive now. Whiplash is a bummer.

Grannydea,

You're right about how everything damaged should be replaced brand new. I've been reading some old posts on bikeforums.net about insurance hang-ups. There was one poor guy who was under-compensated for damages to his bike because the insurance company calculated replacement costs with refurbished bicycle parts. That is ludicrous! Where is one supposed to find refurbished bike parts? There isn't a bike junkyard in every town to rummage through for bike parts!

-A healing Shimpie