advertisement


RTA Procedure?

The Slater & Gordon solicitors recommended earlier are no-win no-fee and seem targeted at cyclists so they'll get my first call tomorrow. I'll get a taxi later tonight and pick up whatever is left of the bike so I can take pictures etc. I'm figuring the pain may be worse tomorrow so best get it done now. It's the only missing part of the picture really so I'll feel a lot better once it is in my posession again. I think I have everything else. The accident itself really should be cut and dried, there is no possible ambiguity just from the positions of the van and myself. The driver apparently admitted to the police that he pulled out and just hadn't seen me. It was a big corporate vehicle, I won't name the company at this point, but a household name. I'm hoping there is CCTV, the police are looking into it.
 
Glad to hear you're still in one piece, Tony. Sounds like it could have easily been even worse, so thank god it wasn't.
 
Sounds rough Tony, glad you're still in one piece.

Can't offer any help on the insurance side but experience suggests that its rarely a smooth process so good luck with that.
 
Tony,

I'm really sorry to hear about this - my unrelated rant from this morning was inspired by similarly ignorant driving experienced by me.

Can I ask if the police managed to get any third party witness statements? I really hope so. Sadly I've no experience with RTA claims so can't contribute anything worthwhile other than sending my best wishes and expressing my sympathy.

Tomorrow you will no doubt feel awful so I hope you have some decent pain killers and can take a day to reflect and have no lasting injuries.

Feel better and I hope the Lynskey is in better condition than you.
 
merlin said:
Tony,

I'm really sorry to hear about this - my unrelated rant from this morning was inspired by similarly ignorant driving experienced by me.

Can I ask if the police managed to get any third party witness statements? I really hope so. Sadly I've no experience with RTA claims so can't contribute anything worthwhile other than sending my best wishes and expressing my sympathy.

Tomorrow you will no doubt feel awful so I hope you have some decent pain killers and can take a day to reflect and have no lasting injuries.

Feel better and I hope the Lynskey is in better condition than you.
Click to expand...

The Lynskey is likely junk. Luckily there was a nurse just passing and she took control of the situation, wouldn't let me get up or move until I was stretchered off by the ambulance crew (I was lucky there as an empty one from out of area was just passing by fluke, so they dealt rather than my having to wait). As such I couldn't see much detail of the bike other than the carbon forks are snapped, the bars snapped, one pedal snapped (I think that's what gave me a puncture wound in my leg) and I heard one tyre explode. I'd be amazed if there is anything much at all salvageable left. Maybe my nice Brooks saddle as my arse might have protected that! I wish I'd got the nurse's name as she was just brilliant, I thanked her a lot at the scene, but I'd like to send her something as thanks.
 
BTW keep all bills and receipts i.e. taxi receipts, you'd be amazed at the adittional expenses that are incurred and forgotten about.

We all know you are worried about your Lynskey but that can be replaced you can't, however as it was a gold plated limited edition get a well respected bike shop to give you an appraisal for the cost of replacement. The driver's insurance company will want to palm you off with a Dawes or something of that ilk.
 
Tony L said:
The plan, though admittedly it is half-baked at present, is it gets handed over to itself initially in the custody of the mod team (or my cat) and with sufficient financial assets to keep it running for a very long while (not that this is needed as it runs at a comfortable profit).
Click to expand...

Thank goodness for that, so we'll be ok then. :)

p.s. get a receipt for the taxi, make a note of everything - in fact buy a new note book, it could drag on for a long time. If that's not stating the obvious.
 
Tony L said:
The Lynskey is likely junk....As such I couldn't see much detail of the bike other than the carbon forks are snapped, the bars snapped, one pedal snapped
Click to expand...

Ouch!

The one ray of hope is that ti is remarkably resilient and the frame might have survived.

The main thing is that you've survived!

I was in an ambulance three Sundays ago and they were kind enough to let me take my bike with me :D

Merlin sell bike parts but they don't sell body parts (as my friends keep reminding me!).
 
monkfish said:
Maybe consider a personal or bike mounted camera in future, I'm going to fit one in the car.
Click to expand...

Thats actually a damn good point if you do enough cycling or driving.

I dont want to lose the casual aspect of a cycling trip but it makes a lot of sense to be recording the journey.

I do adopt more of a passive approach now. I dont like big traffic junctions and just tend to toodle off into the hills.

I will be driving the M60 tomorrow to Trafford Park and the thing I notice is just how much car traffic has increased in the last 25 years. Its crazy really but we keep piling cars onto the roads
 
Got the bike back, will post pics tomorrow as the light is fading now, but basically it is junk, and to a somewhat terrifying extent. I'm astonished I'm in one piece/alive given the state of it. The frame is seriously bent, the rear chainstay pushed right into the wheel, the Ultegra chainset crank bent into at a surprisingly sharp angle given it is a solid casting, the pedal snapped off through the steel shaft, rear wheel trashed and deflated, front carbon forks snapped, bars snapped and headset knocked way off centre. It is a total write-off, every major part is trashed. I consider myself very lucky to be here typing this! This was definitely nearly it.
 
Glad you are OK Tony. Slater & Gordon are the recommended people as others have said.

It may be worthwhile signing up to one of the cycling forums as there will be plenty of people who've been through the same experience & will be able to offer advice.

I'm mostly on www.yacf.co.uk (Yet Another Cycling Forum), www.cyclechat.net is another good one.

Heal well & quickly.
 
Are you a member of British Cycling? A relative of mine was knocked off his bike last year by an elderly woman pulling out of a junction (one with a mirror at the junction!) and ended up hospitalised for several days with a broken pelvis and knackered bike & equipment. Anyway, as he was a member of British Cycling he was automatically insured as a cyclist. They dealt with the claim and he successfully received a payout recently. Incidentally, the woman at fault was sent on a driver awareness course which she has to pay for (in the region of £400).
All the best sorting this out and glad to hear you're still in one piece.
 
Tramadol's a good alternative. It will make you feel better about your Lynskey :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top