[Closed] Knocked off bike this morning

At least she learned something - hopefully anyway.

If you're injured (which it sounds like you are) it must be reported to the police.

Also, folk will often promise anything at the time but later when she's calmed down etc. and spoken to friends / family deny all knowledge. Did you get any witness details?

Did she admit to going through red lights?

I'd have got my phone out and taken pictures - for records, you understand...

Maybe suggest she does some advanced driving lessons?

you need to report this to the police in case things go sour and you need to go the insurance route.

You need to report to Police because otherwise when she eventually realises that its not going to cost £20 and a piece of sellotape she'll refuse all knowledge of it and you'll be left out of pocket.
Just go and report it to the Police so that you can get a Crime Number.
herself got T-boned by a car last August on her way home from work and sent 20 or 30 feet tumbling down the road. She got the drivers details etc and also photographed the front and back of the car inc the number plates. The following day she went to A&E and had X-rays (chipped bones) and then to the local nick to report a RTC. We know for sure that the driver didn't report the accident, which has helped somewhat in her claim against him. She's already had an injuries payment and the payment for damage to bike/ helmet etc. is in progress. Without having reported it it'd be her word against his - and we all know what that means for car drivers against, well anyone else...

kraftyone - Member

you need to report this to the police in case things go sour and you need to go the insurance route.

This. She's probably thinking a bike costs £200 max, so a new wheel and bits won't be more than £50......you announcing that some new forks are gonna be £750, plus £150 for a wheel and all of a sudden she won't have been in the car that day and who's this weirdo that keeps ringing about a damaged bike.....

I've been knocked off and didn't pursue it with the police, because they weren't very interested when I went to report it. I regret that, and would make more of a fuss if it happens again.
I did pursue it via my British Cycling legal support and insurance. They were very efficient, and the driver's insurance admitted full liability and paid out.

I would say get insurance involved and do it formally. If you try and do it on goodwill, regardless of what the driver has said, things could easily get complicated. You need to cover yourself for all your costs and any damage that might not be immediately apparent; I thought I just had a sprain, and discovered a broken hand weeks later.

Putting money aside, I think it is also important to make a point to the driver. They might be a bit more careful next time if they have to go through a formal insurance claim & police contact.

Either call 101 and report or go to police station
When she finds out that a set of fox forks can be getting on for £700 she'll deny all knowlage

Her insurance may come after you for damage to the car, we all know cyclists are red light jumpers.....

+1 report it to cover yourself. I'd give her the chance to sort things out first though regardless of the fact she'll probably go for the insurance route if she has to buy new forks etc. Check with the Polis of course.

Edit: Glad you're OK btw

I didn't report it when I got knocked off,Guy at the side of the road was the same,said he'd pay for all damage as it was his fault,but the minute I emailed over the quote it all went strangely silent and no replies..ended up going through one of these no win no fee mob as I had injuries and attended hospital..Ended up with more than the £325 the quote was for.

"Her excuse was that she didn't expect me to pull away from the lights so fast"

So she acknowledges that she saw you, knew that you were there, knew the lights had changed and still managed to hit you?!

Ill see how it progresses after I have given her the the quote in regards to ringing the police. She seemed like a nice lady so ill give her a chance before involving the law.
I have just been and checked and the front wheel is mangled and the rear has had a spoke ripped out. The forks are leaking oil top and bottom and the hub spacing is smaller than it used to be and its got a bent front rotor.
There were plenty of witnesses, all of them staring at me as they drove round me lying on the floor. Not one stopped.

That sounds like the bike could be a write off if the forks and both wheels are damaged. Sounds like it sustained quite a hit.

Call 101 at least and log it to start with, you can attend the police station later if you want. Relevant part of the highway code:

https://www.gov.uk/breakdowns-and-incidents-274-to-287/documentation-286-to-287

Note: Within 24 hours is suggested as the max period to report it!

Log it now, if the driver fails to log it within a reasonable time period they're breaking the law as a start. this will help your case if it comes to it.

The person who hit you went through a red light and hit you (careless driving as a minimum). If they fail to report it then that's another offence. Don't give them the benefit of the doubt.

ll see how it progresses after I have given her the the quote in regards to ringing the police.

Report it now. You'd be amazed how her story will change once she's had a chat with her cycle hating son/daughter/ hairdresser etc...

Log it now, if the driver fails to log it within a reasonable time period they're breaking the law as a start. this will help your case if it comes to it.

Don't know if it's worth going to the local drop-in centre to get injuries assessed? (and get a record of it)? Take pics at the very least. Unless police would record injuries when you reported it (which I would definitely do)?

Tell us all that you have reported it...

Individually?

Please report it

Always report it, drivers may change their mind when a quote for hundreds appears in front of them, ask yourself if you where insured why would you offer to pay out an undisclosed sum of cash for a prang .

I didn't want to go to the police as I doubt they would do anything

Ill see how it progresses after I have given her the the quote in regards to ringing the police

You MUST report it, any collision on he road causing an injury even if minor must be reported.

It may also help you further down the line if there is a dispute over the claim.

And it will also help other people further down the line as these things need to be recorded to build accurate pictures of when and where accidents happen. It's not just about you and this incident right now.

What if this has happened 18 times in the past and they've all thought the same as you?
Or if she's down there right now reporting a RLJ'ing cyclist hit her car?

Get it reported pronto, for you, and for everyone else.

I hope your bumps heal fast and that you get your bike fixed, it's not nice being knocked off 🙁

Seriously.....she will be thinking it will be cheap to get you back up and running again but this below, suggests that it will be anything but....

andysredmini - Member

Ill see how it progresses after I have given her the the quote in regards to ringing the police. She seemed like a nice lady so ill give her a chance before involving the law.
I have just been and checked and the front wheel is mangled and the rear has had a spoke ripped out. The forks are leaking oil top and bottom and the hub spacing is smaller than it used to be and its got a bent front rotor.

New front wheel, new front rotor, new forks, repair to the rear wheel as a bare minimum....
Any clothes scuffed? Did your helmet take a knock? Sure the bike frame isn't out of whack?

Tail end of a last year, a woman reversed her car into mine in a car park - not a gentle kiss, but shoved me backwards about a foot and I had my foot on the brake and hand on the horn.
She glanced in the mirror, then shot off like a scalded cat. I managed to catch her up & after a lot of tooting and flashing she stopped. She was a 'nice lady' once she had stopped, claimed that she thought she had 'bumped a kerb' (there are no kerbs in the car park), but I have no doubt in my mind that she thought she'd reversed into the parked car next to me (she was at an angle) and could get away with driving off.
In the end, the hassle involved in getting my car sorted out and the insurance hassle wasn't worth the issue (old car, small amount of damage to the bumper) but had she dented a body panel or pushed the bumper into anything underneath (radiators etc.) there'd have been no way she would have got away with it.

Ideally you should have got some witness details too, bit late now though....
They'll have been in shock and probably would have agreed to gold plating your chain at the time.
Once they calm down and start thinking about how you scratched their bumper they'll be less inclined to pay, especially when they get a bill for £1k for wheels and forks.

Damn! Hope you are ok ...

They really should have the timer count down on all traffic lights like in the far east to avoid red light jumpers.

Thanks for all the advice
I Just reported it to the police on 101 and they weren't really interested. Unless someone is hurt all you need to do is exchange details.
I have logged my details with them as a first contact so at least something is on record.

It looks like the bike needs new wheels, front tyre, forks ,front rotor and headset.
The forks seem bent and are leaking oil from the seals and bottom nut. The bead on the tyre has stretched so I doubt it will seat again. The headset and stem all got pushed up and was an old hope enduro with tapered roller bearings. The plastic bearings cages are split and not available any more.

I don't want to jump on the band wagon but the only sensible advise is to report this to the police and go through her insurance. I would also suggest you claim for your general damages ie injuries as well as your economic loss.

With the good fortune you've had of not being seriously injured given the damage to the bike, I take it you've bought a couple of lottery tickets for tonight?

Headset damage......I'd be getting the frame checked out for wonkiness.

I Just reported it to the police on 101 and they weren't really interested. Unless someone is hurt all you need to do is exchange details.

I have a bruised and skinned ankle and knee and a few hours later my neck and right shoulder hurt.

Based on the OP you ARE hurt, it is minor and you may not think it worth mentioning but you were injured, 101 should have advised you to report at your local station unless you said to them 'no I'm not hurt' .

Not wanting to be a drama queen as I'm sure you're able to describe your own level of injury, but plenty of people find that their 'a bit sore X' while pumped full of adrenaline turns into a bigger problem a day or so later.

I'm not saying chase them for injury payment but you have been injured and it should be recorded as such for accident and traffic stats as much as anything else.

Based on the description of the damage you should probably get your frame properly checked out as well as I would be surprised if it survived all of that front end damage unscathed.

After speaking to her again she still keeps talking about how fast I pulled away from the lights. Kept saying that I pulled away faster than the cars.
I admit I was fast off the lights. I know the sequence almost to the second. I know as soon as the cars stop in one direction then my green is next and I get ready to go. As soon as the lights change I'm off and am pretty much always in front of the cars by the time halfway across the road going straight on.
So yes I was fast off the lights but they were still green so I did nothing wrong.

she's preparing her defence...

I wouldn't be surprised if the next time you chat she'll be starting to insinuate that you jumped the light.

You're right you did nothing wrong, she needs to remember that Amber means stop as well, she would have had ample time and by the time your light was green she shouldn't be in any position to collide with you, and certainly not at any kind of speed.

The fact that she didn't expect you to pull away fast is the proof of the pudding, it means she had seen you, done an assessment in her head , knew she was chancing it but went ahead anyway hoping that your slowness would let her get away with it. Now she's trying to put her bad judgement on you...

Bikes are faster off the lights than cars. If it gets silly with the insurance, that's easy to proove!

Agreed, give it a few more days and she's going to try and screw you over. Bloody cyclists jumping red lights.

Ask for her insurance details.

This ^^^^

As I said earlier shes now calmed down and is looking to squirm her way out of it.
Insurance details please!

have nothing constructive to say.just glad you are ok.

Ill get her details later when I speak to her again.

How do I get on with insurance if I don't have any insurance? I'm not in any cycling club etc. so have nothing.

cycleaid or bike line, free advice off them and theyll chase the claim.

Best ignore what the person you spoke to on 101 said and get yourself down to the station. They'll have a harder time fobbing you off face to face. You need your side of it on record for when she tries to screw you over.

Even if you don't go to a clinic, document and take photos of your injuries today. Yes, visit the police station. Be polite but firm. DO NOT ever raise your voice.

andysredmini - Member

How do I get on with insurance if I don't have any insurance? I'm not in any cycling club etc. so have nothing.

there is a chance that you'll have something useful with your house insurance, or so i'm told...

Some time ago, I was told that the rule of thumb is that if there is any blood spilt or any injury to a person, both parties have a [u]duty[/u] to report the accident to the police. This may not be 100% true, but equally, if you report it and they don't, it may tip the balance in your favour...

May have been said in posts above but not read them all..

Get a Police reference number
Take photos of all your injuries.
If needed go to Doctors/A&E to get checked over. (my torn chest muscle didn't really show itself for a few days)
Take photos of all your damaged bike and kit, no matter how small a scratch.
Take photos of you injuries as they bruise/scab up.
If you are a British Cycling member - use their legal advice.
Keep a note/file of all correspondence.
Take bike to 2 LBS and get them to give written details of damage.
Get a lawyer on the case if needed.

(all gained after being knocked of by a bus!)

I'd echo what others are saying about going into the local Police station & making a complaint face to face, ultimately, even though you might not be badly injured, you've been hit by a car driven through a red light & they're duty bound to investigate it if you complain.

If you have her number / address, request her insurance details - legally she has to comply if there has been an incident which has resulted in damage to property unless she and you are happy to settle it between yourselves (and that's ignoring the potential damage to you personally). Take the bike into your lbs & tell them what's happened - ask for a written quote for replacing all damaged parts, including checking frame alignment / checking any dents or deep scratches for structural integrity - get photos of all the damage too.

Don't know if you got any witness contacts - these might be useful in case she suddenly decides she can't afford to fix your bike or collect any points on her license &and it was YOU who jumped the light & went into the side of her car...

Sadly in these type of cases if you're not "the f*cker" you're the one getting...

In short, be "the f*cker" but be polite about it.

Hope this helps!
J

There's an LFGSS thread about what to do in the event of being hit, which is pretty comprehensive:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/131099/

So, she jumped a red light, didn't look before pulling away and is now backsliding away from taking responsibility and trying to blame you.
How many signs do you need that you're dealing with someone who can't be trusted?

Not having a go at you OP but she's already proven herself to be willing to break the law and try and walk away from it, and you've suffered damage as a result. Not a lot of justice for you or the next person she knocks off if you go down the informal route (assuming the backsliding she's already doing is her last, which I doubt it will be)...

It really is about time people realised how serious the consequences of bad driving are and this 'lady' will be far less likely to misunderstand this if she's taken through the full formal legal process...

Hold on folks- Did she jump a red light? She said she was already past the lights but blocking the junction.
Still didn't look properly but not so black and white...

The lady was shook up and crying and admitted she changed from going straight over to turning right to avoid blocking the road as the lights were red from her direction with traffic in front of her. Her excuse was that she didn't expect me to pull away from the lights so fast.

Following on from my post
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/knocked-off-bike-today
You MUST report it. If not it only makes it harder for us, as cyclists, to be safer on the roads.
2 weeks on and I am still on crutches, needing physio on my right knee, had to have an operation on a haematoma on my left thigh to drain it and my nose is half way across my face, and I still haven't heard from the other parties insurance. If I had been in a car smash im sure things would have moved along quicker.
And I sill cant decide which goddam bike to buy to replace mine!

When I got hit by a car turning right my doctor told me that it was an offence to fail to report an RTA. I felt fine at the time because adrenalin is very powerful at masking pain. Once I had come down, I had developed a serious case of whiplash which kept me off the bike for over 6 weeks. My frame was bent and her insurance paid out for a new bike and personal injury. I wasn't looking to get hit, she turned right into my path, I hit the side of her car went over the bonet and ended up on the windscreen where the wiper mounts split my helmet. Don't feel bad for the driver, it could have been much worse.

You've lined yourself up to be screwed on this. There's a process to follow and your not following it. If later in the process you chose to settle with the driver that's cool, no one wants to feed the injury claims beast.

Go down the police station and log it properly. Get her details and contact insurer.

there is achance that you'll have something useful with your house insurance, or so i'm told...

Well done you're learning. If you have contents insurance you'll have 3rd party cover for riding a bike - though actually in this case that's irrelevant. What might be useful is legal cover, which you won't necessarily have, though that doesn't really matter as bikeline etc will be happy to act on a no win no fee basis. I'd suggest contacting one of those companies just as soon as you've reported it to.the police. As others have mentioned this lady is going to try and avoid responsibility so you'll need some help from people used to that.

Did anyone say log it with the police yet? Just in case, can I suggest you log it with the police, and get a reference number off them. Be firm, but polite - (do not raise your voice - that never ends well!).

Hope you are ok - last time I got hit I was fine on the day, but the next few weren't much fun after the adrenaline wore off. Bikes tens to cost a bit more than your typical driver might expect - some good advice up there ^^

mend fast.

Sorry to read you got knocked off, glad you're ok.

Sad that no one stopped to see if you were ok.

Reporting it will help identify possible accident black spots.

Good luck getting the cash for bike repairs.

Report it to the police.

Thanks for all the advice and replies.
I have rung the police on 101. They have logged on record that I have been involved in an accident and took mine and the drivers information and details of what happened. They said that unless I got myself checked out at the doctors they will not at this stage take the incident any further. Regarding injuries I'm pretty much fine. I have no worse pain than a night falling off my bmx at the skatepark. I did ask if it was ok to delay getting checked out at this stage and see how i feel over the weekend which the police lady said would be fine and that because they now have it on record its like having a case open I can add to if I need too.
I have spoken to the driver a few times during the day and warned her that its an expensive bike and that a repair won't be cheap. she was initially surprised but agreed to pay for any damages.
The last time I spoke to her I gave her a good indication of the repair cost (around £1450) and she said she would pay.
She seems genuine enough and I'm going to give her until Monday (she said she will pay over the weekend) to sort the money out otherwise I will contact her insurance.
But if my injurys feel anything more than normal aches and pains I will be straight down the doctors for a checkup. Also I have taken photos of the bike and my injuries.

I know how much you lot enjoy photos and video so I have uploaded a clip to youtube to show how badly the wheel is buckled if anyone is interested in seeing it.