Would appreciate some post crash advice

Vino'sGhost

philthy3 wrote:

AKH wrote:

philthy3 wrote:

AKH wrote:

Think you need to speak to your insurer and possibly seek legal advise ASAP. If you have no recollection of the crash how can you know you're at fault? Witnesses and even the police can be wrong, or mistaken.

I suggest you don't admit to anything until you have a clearer understanding of what happened and what evidence there is (or is not) in relation to what happened. Good luck.

Serious RTC investigation is done thoroughly. As this involves a head injury and a stay at hospital, I'd err on the side that it is initially being treated as serious. That would involve identifying witnesses and recording their account as soon as possible, recording markings left on the road, debris, positions of vehicles after the collision, CCTV opportunities, any actions prior to the collision, the road conditions and signage etc etc. In such cases, mistakes don't happen.

Now if it is being treated as a non-serious RTC, it may be that the attending officer has merely taken the account of the driver and one or two witnesses and not looked into the other avenues of investigation. Mistakes rarely, but do happen.

The Doctor in charge of the OPs treatment is the only person allowed to permit the police to speak to the OP. They do not have an automatic right to speak to them. If they are being contemporaneously interviewed under caution, they are entitled to have a solicitor present.

I've got nothing against the police, but they aren't infallible, and neither are the witnesses who's testimony will form part of the police investigation. Mistakes are probably very rare, but they can and will happen. No one who's just received a serious head injury, has no memory of an event, hasn't yet been independently advised, should admit to anything from their hospital bed.

Unless witnesses have conspired to lie and give the same account, there is no mistake.

you're speaking with the certainty of a police officer. My experience is that sometimes what people see and hear and report is not what actually happened. Mistakes do happen.

Not that i'm suggesting anything here.

Vino'sGhost

redvision wrote:

Thanks for all the replies and info. Really appreciate it.

Had some good news this morning from the Dr, I may be discharged this week!

Although he negated the good news by telling me I am facing months of recovery and time off the bike still, i am am thanking my blessings because I know how lucky I have been.

I heard from British Cycling and the insurance company. They are dealing with everything. Massive weight off my mind as not only can I not remember the accident, I am forgetting little things (words) and having trouble doing simple tasks since, and was worried about my capacity to complete forms.
So really grateful to them for dealing with everything, and has made me fully appreciate the value and importance of British cycling membership!

Thanks again for all the help and advice.

I hope you feel better soon.

graeme_s-2

Really sorry to hear this, hope you get well soon.

I've misjudged things a few times (especially down hill) and had a few panicky moments when I wasn't sure if I'd stop in time over the years. I can also remember the one time I checked my phone while cycling. I was riding along a "deserted" country lane that I knew well. Glanced up from my phone to see I was about to cycle into the back of a parked car. Managed to avoid it. Have never checked my phone while cycling since!

Is it possible you were reacting to/avoiding some other vehicle when you ran out of space and rear ended the car?

StillGoing

BelgianBeerGeek wrote:

Oh, and +1 to this happening more than you think (if it helps). Many years ago I was riding my pride and joy and filtering in traffic and on changing lane went into the back of a car waiting at traffic lights. PC off-duty jumped out, flashed her warrant card and yelled “you better not have damaged my car!”. Satisfied I hadn’t, she drove off. My face was mashed and the bike destroyed, but some things are important to some people. Only had the bike a fortnight. That was a long walk home.

She better have reported the RTC then. Although you as a cyclist have no responsibility to report an RTC, a motorist does irrespective of whether they caused it or not. The only way they don't have to report it is they satisfy the exchange of details required for the type of RTC injury/non-injury.

StillGoing

Superkenners wrote:

For example, you might have ploughed into the back of a stationary car but its possible he could have just joined the road and have been travelling slowly at the time of impact and then stopped. That would be the drivers fault, but from a witness who caught only part of the event it might appear differently. Or you might have had to swerve out of the way of some other obstacle, cat running out for e.g.

If you plough into the back of a vehicle, it is your fault. It doesn't matter whether it is stationary or moving slowly. You drive/ride to the conditions and to what you can see. If a vehicle joins the carriageway by pulling out in front of you and you unavoidably go into the back of them, then it is their fault.

thegreatdivide

redvision wrote:

Thanks for all the replies and info. Really appreciate it.

Had some good news this morning from the Dr, I may be discharged this week!

Although he negated the good news by telling me I am facing months of recovery and time off the bike still, i am am thanking my blessings because I know how lucky I have been.

I heard from British Cycling and the insurance company. They are dealing with everything. Massive weight off my mind as not only can I not remember the accident, I am forgetting little things (words) and having trouble doing simple tasks since, and was worried about my capacity to complete forms.
So really grateful to them for dealing with everything, and has made me fully appreciate the value and importance of British cycling membership!

Thanks again for all the help and advice.

I had a hell of a bad concussion from a bike crash in 2014 so I know how you must be feeling redvision. It’s really not nice at all and I wasn’t right for months. Give it time though – the fog will lift!

StillGoing

g00se wrote:

Hi,

Just for info - the solicitors that BC use are called Leigh Day. It may be worth contacting them directly if BC are having issues.

Bunch of shisters investigating spurious claims against British soldiers in Iraq.

carbonclem

Off the immediate subject, but I got knocked out cold and have since read this. I wish Id read it earlier as recovery would have been quicker/better ...

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/concussion-repercussions/

Get knocked out? Do nothing for a couple of days. Nothing.

DeVlaeminck

CarbonClem wrote:

Off the immediate subject, but I got knocked out cold and have since read this. I wish Id read it earlier as recovery would have been quicker/better ...

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/concussion-repercussions/

Get knocked out? Do nothing for a couple of days. Nothing.

Good advice, until it happens to you most don't really consider what concussion means and how long lasting and wide ranging the symptoms can be.

carbonclem

DeVlaeminck wrote:

CarbonClem wrote:

Off the immediate subject, but I got knocked out cold and have since read this. I wish Id read it earlier as recovery would have been quicker/better ...

https://rouleur.cc/editorial/concussion-repercussions/

Get knocked out? Do nothing for a couple of days. Nothing.

Good advice, until it happens to you most don't really consider what concussion means and how long lasting and wide ranging the symptoms can be.

When I was discharged, the advice I got was 'take it easy' 'you may find concentrating difficult short term'. I went home, watched the Worlds TT, napped, browsed my phone, napped watched TV and went to work the next but one day. I then had headaches, increased tiredness and temperamentality for maybe three weeks ... maybe it could have made a big difference to that, I don't know, but I'd give it a try in future.

PaulLCFC

AKH wrote:

Could they have brake checked you? If it wasn't at a junction (unsure from posts so far), how could a bicycle possible catch up to a car? Unless it was stopped in the road around a blind bend or something.

Where was this witness?

More to the point who is the witness?

Best mate from the village local.

Never admit that your in the wrong.

I also wonder if the police checked the cars break lights?

superkenners

philthy3 wrote:

Superkenners wrote:

For example, you might have ploughed into the back of a stationary car but its possible he could have just joined the road and have been travelling slowly at the time of impact and then stopped. That would be the drivers fault, but from a witness who caught only part of the event it might appear differently. Or you might have had to swerve out of the way of some other obstacle, cat running out for e.g.

If you plough into the back of a vehicle, it is your fault. It doesn't matter whether it is stationary or moving slowly. You drive/ride to the conditions and to what you can see. If a vehicle joins the carriageway by pulling out in front of you and you unavoidably go into the back of them, then it is their fault.

That was my point

cougie

Were you tracking your ride in Garmin or Strava etc ? Always thought that might come in handy - you'd know exactly what speed you were doing and your route prior.

StillGoing

PaulLCFC wrote:

AKH wrote:

Could they have brake checked you? If it wasn't at a junction (unsure from posts so far), how could a bicycle possible catch up to a car? Unless it was stopped in the road around a blind bend or something.

Where was this witness?

More to the point who is the witness?

Best mate from the village local.

Never admit that your in the wrong.

I also wonder if the police checked the cars break lights?

Oh the conspiracy! Cyclist involved in a collision, but it can't possibly be their fault. :roll: In a serious RTC, the vehicles road worthiness, including the brake lights would have been checked. The validity of witnesses is always considered.

redvision

Morning all,

Thanks again for all the comments.

I am finally out of hospital but have a long road to recovery ahead (Dr said I am likely to be off the bike for 12 months ).

Since getting home I have received correspondence from the police and spoken with the insurance company and been advised that at the moment I shouldn't say too much about the accident (not that I can remember much) or the investigation.

My neck and back should make full recovery but Dr says my memory loss is unlikely to return.

Just to reiterate earlier post though, the police are investigating the collision but it does appear the vehicle was stopped on a secondary road, to let people out, and for some reason I rode in to the back of it.

Since being released from hospital I have seen my bike and got data from my Wahoo. At time of collision I was doing 22-23mph, was on a slight gradient of 1%, power was 249 (my ftp is 325), Cadence was 85 and hr was 138 (max is 185). So I wasn't pushing particularly hard.

On another note, the bike. Forget my original post which I mentioned I had been told the bike was ok. I could not believe my eyes when I saw it. As soon as someone at home can take pictures for me I will post but basically I hit the back of the vehicle straight on, yet the front wheel (fulcrum quattro lg) is almost unmarked. It has a flat tyre and you can clearly see the bumper mark (point of impact) on the tyre, but the wheel is true and there are no visible cracks or marks on rim or damage to spokes. The forks at first glance look fine, obviously the steerer may not be but I can't check that in my current capacity, handlebars are fine. However, the frame.... the top tube, down tube and seat tube have literally snapped. I mean completely snapped.

I will upload pictures when possible but I cannot understand how the front wheel and carbon forks survived seemingly unscathed, yet the alumimum frame has essentially crumpled.
Should it have done this? I would have thought the forks and wheel should have crumpled before the frame. The seat tube has broken at the bb weld, but the top tube and down tube have broken approximately 1/4 of the way down.

Thanks again for all the responses and advice. Really appreciate it.

veronese68

Deepish wheels and aero shaped forks are very strong in a head on. The shape is deeper in the dittos hit so they just transferred the force back to a weaker point.
A friend’ son hit a parked car on a cheap fixie with deep ali rims and bladed forks. Wheel was fine, fork blades also fine. Steerer tube completely mullered in his case, probably because the frame was also vaguely aero shaped but weighed a ton, no butting on those tubes.
Good luck with the recovery.

cougie

No flat spots on the tyre to show you'd braked hard ?

Prob not of your power was on when you hit

redvision

cougie wrote:

No flat spots on the tyre to show you'd braked hard ?

Prob not of your power was on when you hit

Only had a glance when I got home so not looked closely for signs of braking/ skidding. Will be a while before I can look closely.

I agree though, given the data stopped suddenly at 249watts, it looks like I didn't brake.

Tbh the data has only confused matters even more. Just cannot understand what could have happened and it's driving me mad.

DeVlaeminck

Hypnosis? I've read of people trying that to recover memories from similar situations. I know it sounds a bit off the wall but it could work, I've no experience of it myself though.

roger_merriman

DeVlaeminck wrote:

Hypnosis? I've read of people trying that to recover memories from similar situations. I know it sounds a bit off the wall but it could work, I've no experience of it myself though.

My experience both personally and knowing others is that with brain injury (which is what concussion is just the “mild” end) you don’t get back memory, it is not the mind but the brain as you where.

pinno

No luck RV, Main thing is that you are alive and obviously coherent.
Some poor guy (used to post in here) hit the back of a stationary van and was paralysed.

No cycling for 12 months? Not even static cycling?
What was the Doc's reasoning?

harry-s

That's sounds like a bad deal redvision, commiserations to you.
I've had concussion a few times, sometimes with memory loss, sometimes without. When I did lose a few days, it didn't come back, no big deal though.
I did smile at your surprise at the appearance of your bike, after you'd been told it was ok.
I came a cropper at this years RL100, and after a few days my daughter tracked my bike down to a warehouse where the RL100 organisers had stored it, and she was also told it was ok. It was completely and comprehensively trashed.
I'm not sure how accurate the data from your Garmin will be at the moment of impact, - it depends on how often it samples and stores the data. If it's every two seconds for example, then it might be showing what you were doing 2 seconds before you hit.

redvision

Pinno wrote:

No luck RV, Main thing is that you are alive and obviously coherent.
Some poor guy (used to post in here) hit the back of a stationary van and was paralysed.

No cycling for 12 months? Not even static cycling?
What was the Doc's reasoning?

Thanks mate. I know how lucky I have been and how much worse it could have been.

I'm hoping the drs have been over cautious with the recovery timescale. The said the brain injuries will heal although memory is unlikely to return, but i guess it's the bone and joint damage which is going to be lengthy - have fractures to several vertebrae in neck and back, plus ligament damage to knee.

HARRY-S, thanks for your comments. The point you make on the GPS data is something I hadn't considered. Guess in all reality I will never know what actually happened.

I will post pictures of the bike when I can.

Thanks again for all the comments.

harry-s

Best wishes on your recovery, there'll likely be high and low points, but you'll get there in the end, as they say.
The perception and diagnosis of concussion is an interesting topic, there's definitely a greater awareness of it these days, but I'm not sure that's filtered down to places like A&E departments and GP surgeries. There's not much of a downside in doing your own research and acting on it, but inevitably this is usually when straight and logical thinking isn't right at hand.

redvision

Thanks to my brother, here are some photos of the bike

fenix

Wow. That is some damage. I'm going with the no braking theory definitely after seeing the frame. Heal well.

timothyw

Reminds me of what my Genesis Day One looked like after someone turned across my path and I went into the side of their car.

Rather a large dimple on the down tube where the fork bent the frame inwards.

Fortunately on that day I escaped with road rash and was actually able to finish the ride to work, with a very wobbly front wheel.

Unfortunately, you can't write off the possibility that you did do something stupid yourself to cause the accident (particularly if there are witnesses that say as much). I managed to rear end another cyclist just by massively overestimating how fast they were going, then staring at my stem/guns for rather too long before noticing they were about a foot in front of me.

Fortunately the damage to them was just a snapped hanger and a sudden burst of acceleration (and obviously I was happy to pay to set them right). I went with some vigour into the tarmac, wrote off a decent saddle, wheel rim and a couple of spokes, bars, tape, hoods, helmet and still have scratches on the shifter.

The fork looked OK but I replaced it anyway - better safe than sorry as I was about to go on a bike tour :-(

Bottom line is we are all human. Rest up, recover, the bike can be replaced, you are still around to ride it.

craigus89

Concussion and damaged vertebrae, definitely count your blessings. Heal well, the bike is an easy fix in the grand scheme, insurance will deal with the rest. Take it easy and try not to stress over it all.

pinno

A modern bike is obviously an elaborate crumple zone.

It's actually faired quite well IMHO.

slowbike

Ah - it's a specialized - lifetime warranty ... tell them you sat on the saddle and that happened ...


</obviously joking>