my century, dog crash

[bacarver]

Hi Miranda -

I was taken out by a pit bull in June of 2005. That was my first wreck and it changed my life. I went through the experience even though I wanted to wish it away. I learned that patience, rest, and allowing my body to heal on its own schedule was better than pushing recovery. I decided not to pursue legal action for several reasons. I put all my energy into getting better and getting back on my bike. My husband did take on the local politicos and gained satisfaction though that route.
I went to several doctors and was unfortunately treated poorly by all of them but one. The one who helped was the one who told me to rest and back off.
I decided early on that I would start each day with a positive, pleasant attitude and a shower. I got myself in the shower each morning even though I had to crawl/hop the first week to get the job done.
Being in a bike wreck shows you the stuff you're made of.
Talk to someone who can see the entire picture now and down the road. You may be too consumed with your injuries now to deal with legal counsel, but you may want to take this on later. Keep the options open.
You will heal. Listen to your body and help it as it sorts things out.
Barb

[OakLeaf]

get your insurance involved.

Your insurance will be involved as soon as they receive the ER claim. They'll send you a subrogation form they haven't already. But they will be looking out ONLY for their interests, NOT for yours. Once they've recovered whatever fraction of your medical expenses they pay, they are done.

Your insurance company won't get you any recovery for your lost wages; pain and suffering; any recovery for permanent scarring; any replacement of your gear which it sounds like is too small an amount to submit to your homeowners'/renters' insurance. If you need a lot of therapy for your shoulder (sounds likely) and your insurance doesn't cover it (in general pretty likely with most insurance plans), they won't help you get recovery for that, either.

Get an attorney of your own. At least talk to someone; nearly all plaintiffs' firms won't charge you for an initial consultation.

[Jo-n-NY]

Miranda...so sorry to hear about your crash. A few years ago my season ended on Labor Day because of a crash where I fratured my shoulder. I put my mtn bike on the trainer because it was easier to get on and off and pedeled sitting upright because my arm was in a sling. It mentally felt good to keep my legs spinning.

I think that was a horrilbe attitude of the dog owner. Something needs to be done, not just for you and your future and what you will intail during recovery, but for any other cyclist that rides past their house.

BTW...I often thought if keeping my shoulder mobile would have been better because PT was so painful as my shoulder was stuck and I still do not have full range of motion. Then again it might be different with a collarbone than a shoulder.

as you have heard from others, take time to heal

~ JoAnn

[Fredwina]

The way it was explained to me was that the time you spend with the joint immoblie is a comprise - it better for healing to keep it immoblie, but the more you keep it immoblie, the more (and more painful) PT you need to recover your ROM

[ilima]

Your insurance will be involved as soon as they receive the ER claim. They'll send you a subrogation form they haven't already. But they will be looking out ONLY for their interests, NOT for yours. Once they've recovered whatever fraction of your medical expenses they pay, they are done.

Your insurance company won't get you any recovery for your lost wages; pain and suffering; any recovery for permanent scarring; any replacement of your gear which it sounds like is too small an amount to submit to your homeowners'/renters' insurance. If you need a lot of therapy for your shoulder (sounds likely) and your insurance doesn't cover it (in general pretty likely with most insurance plans), they won't help you get recovery for that, either.

Get an attorney of your own. At least talk to someone; nearly all plaintiffs' firms won't charge you for an initial consultation.

Her insurance company can get the ball rolling as far as legal responsibility. I'd probably contact my homeowner's insurance first.

I don't think a lawyer is a must have, however.

[Miranda]

Thanks for those added thoughts. The support really helps. And it gives me some more things to think about.

At least for now I have worked out getting my MRI test, PT evaluation, and follow-up doctor's appointment. I visited the site where I will get my MRI and chatted with the tech too. That made me feel better about it. The unknown in itself can be a scary thing sometimes. Think I'll be ok for the test now (& doc did order sedation, good thing).

Back to Advil and ice for now.

Miranda

[emily_in_nc]

Miranda, I am so very sorry to hear about your crash! I had a dog-induced crash in 2005 while training for a century. I have posted about it many times on this forum, but here was a post I looked up that detailed what I did to recoup my expenses and my experience talking with a lawyer. Not sure if the link will post the entire thread or my exact post, but if the entire thread comes up, look at page 3 for my long post.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...vis#post414919

I certainly wish you the best. I will never be 100% but am riding again, running, hiking, etc.

Take good care and heal well,

Emily

[malkin]

That sounds like a wicked wreck.

Take care. It can take a long time and it probably seems like forever.

[ivorygorgon]

I work for a personal injury attorney. Consult with an attorney now, not later. You likely have a good claim. Please don't hurt it by trying to deal with insurance companies on your own. Please get legal advice. Just because you consult does not mean you must file a lawsuit. Consulting will simply give you more information and options. Most PI attorneys consult for free and represent you on a contingency fee basis (no money up front.).

Also, I have to tell you that if you are considering a claim, do not post details on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. These postings can and will be used against you by the insurance companies. I am not trying to be scary, but this is just fact.

Take care, I truly hope you feel better soon. As a dog owner and lover, I am appalled at how some dog owners are, they give the rest of us a bad name.

[Miranda]

Just wanted to say thx for those additional replies. Appreciate the input and well wishes.

[sundial]

Oh Miranda, what a horrible crash! I can only imagine how painful your injuries are. Is your skin healing nicely? Are you able to sleep much? Is your shoulder feeling better? Are you finished with that dreadful MRI?

I learned that there is an ebb and flow to healing and your body will let you know each day whether it's one step forward or two steps back. I've also learned that pushing the body to heal quicker does not always work and may actually create more setbacks.

Of the injuries I have encountered, I believe the psychological trauma is the worst. The internal dialogue can be very draining and affect nearly every aspect of living. What used to be routine now becomes a battleground for emotional chaos. Anger, bitterness, and depression take their turn at making life more complicated. And it makes you feel even more isolated. If you are feeling this now, do you have someone you can talk with--someone who can help you reframe your thinking?

With each day know that you are making progress--even if it's incremental improvements. You are not alone and there is much support for you here. Count each day as a blessing that you have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those who are touched by your presence.

With many gentle hugs,
~Cathy