Grasshopper vs Truck - guess who won?

Sorry to hear you are down and out. 6 weeks will go by much faster than you think. Ribs are NO fun as others have stated, but this will pass and you will be back at it before you know it. Trust me, I was in recovery mode pretty much all of 2010 and still there so far this year. The best thing about it is that you are here to talk about it, it could have been a lot worse... Heal fast.

 

Heal quick and take care. I have a trainer too if needed.

 

Bob.........another excuse not to do VQ/CC this year????? #-o

If ya didn't want to ride the event.....you didn't have to throw yourself in front of a car. :lol:

OH, wait.....6 weeks off.....that leaves you about a month to get ready......no problem. :clap:

 

Sorry about your misfortune and I wish you a speedy recovery.

KUDOS to the positive attitude and declaration of responsibility taken by the driver. You seem to have a great perspective and believe that it will take you a long way in your recovery.

 

Sucks to read about the incident, but glad to know you'll heal up from this. Healing vibes to you! I have a spare set of wheels if you want to use them if you get to a point where you want to get on a trainer, just give a holler.

 

Glad to hear your injuries are minimal. It could have been much,much worst.It was good the guy in the truck did
the right thing as well. Rest and resist the impulses to do fun things involving the arm and shoulder.
A good friend of mine is having a terrible time with his broken collar bone. He insisted on riding and sailing just
a few weeks after his road bike crash. Now his collar bone is not healing correctly and he will soon go in for
surgery. He will end up sidelined three times as long as it should of been had he listened to the Medical Practitioners .
Remember Doctor knows best!........Healing vibes your way from me as well !

 

Glad you are MOSTLY ok.

Broken Ribs? They only hurt when you breathe...

 

Thanks for the good wishes.

MtnbikeJ - I was in the ambulance and already thinking about the CC! We'll see how the healing goes. I also thought about your sig line. The friends who've looked at my bike say both wheels are bent but the carbon fork looks OK.

GreenGiant - I may take you up on the offer for wheels and a trainer at some point. When the time comes I'll test myself carefully on the exercise bike first.

Sweetpea - I'm not a litigious guy, as long as my damages are covered fairly.

And no, this wasn't a case of the driver speeding up to get by and then turning. The light was green, but the street was gridlocked due to an accident further down. He was first in line at the intersection, but with traffic stopped ahead he picked the wrong moment to abruptly try a right turn from the traffic lane, and apparently didn't check the bike lane before turning into it. As a cyclist of course I'd never make that mistake, but from the driver's perspective it's easy to imagine. Like I said, no hard feelings as long as things get handled fairly. Any advice on how I should proceed with the insurance companies, etc., would be much appreciated.

For now though, I'm tired of typing one-handed. Good night all, and ride safe!

 

sorry to hear about the crash, bob. i merely bruised my ribs last weekend and it sucked...hang in there and let me know if i can do anything for you- i have tomorrow off.

 

Sorry to hear this grasshopper. I'm a two time looser as well. Broken ribs three different times and once on the collar bone. Grin and bare it... there ain't nothing else you can do... luckily the weather sucks right now... wait, that was several weeks back... oh well, beer kills the pain...

 

Yo, Bob! Heal up quickly, my friend.

Bob's one of the safest, most defensive riders I know. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. He's also one the best all around guys you'll meet on this site. If it weren't for him, I'd probably still be puttering around nothing more than the Fully Loop and occasionally *branching out* to do CHSP.

It looked like both wheels on his Salsa road bike are a loss, but the Scandium & carbon in his frame look ok. The helmet took a beating. But, if he can walk away from that crash with no permanent injuries and only a *few* things to replace on his bike, I'd call that pretty lucky (all things considered, of course).

My lovely wife will be making you some goodies to eat this week, I promise! Heal quickly, amigo.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident Bob. Like the others mentioned, 6 weeks will go by fast. I hope your healing is as comfortable as possible.

We never hooked up for a ride Well if anything, I'll hopefully see you again at the CC!

 

Broke my collarbone in 2 places and 5 ribs in my back a few years ago.
6-10 weeks?
More like 10 -12, unless you're young.
Sleeping in a recliner worked best for me as far as being able to get up without aggravating the ribs.
You can probably get out on the pavement in 2-3 weeks before you should attempt dirt.
Road riding will help you gauge your fitness level also.
Best of luck on your recovery.

 

Very sorry to hear this, hope you get well soon and fell better immediately.

 

Bob, have you thought about an attorney? I hate to say it, but even if the driver has the best intentions, you'll be dealing primarily with his insurance company and it's a gamble how they'll handle the situation. The insurance world is complicated and companies are very good at avoiding costs they don't want to pay. If you have legal representation from the beginning, it shows you are serious (but not a hardass) and you deserve to be treated fairly. In the least you're entitled to a new bike or replacement parts, all medical costs, and any lost wages from medical leave.

I read a lot of bike commuting forums and this topic comes up often. You can probably handle things yourself if the insurance company is cooperative. But if you feel you are getting the run around, re-routed to third part medical claims companies... don't dismiss the idea of legal help. As you said, you don't want to be overly litigious but you also don't want to be abused by the system.

Healing vibes...

http://www.commutebybike.com/2010/12/08/what-to-do-in-a-bicycle-collision/
http://californiabicyclelawyer.com/

 

Waldo, I'm an attorney and I agree with you. As long as the settlement covers my losses, I'm fine with it. I'm not a P.I. attorney so, when it comes to stuff like this, I only know a little more than you. Maybe.

Before you settle, however, make sure that you are done calculating your losses. I had to have surgery months later when my collar bone didn't reconnect. My friend fell off her bike 5 months later and the "mended" collar bone came apart again. Also, if you lose work time, you are entitled to your loss of earnings etc.

The insurance company will likely offer you less if you represent yourself but, if you have an attorney, the attorney will take a cut. So if your out of pocket costs are all you want, why share any of it? Your health insurance will be entitled to whatever you get for the medical expenses, except for what you receive for your out of pocket expenses. Years ago I recall that attorneys felt that 3 times the medical costs was a fair settlement, including pain and suffering. Given how much medical costs are now, I don't know if that rule applies. But, if the adjuster asks you for an amount, you could start with that. If you have a lawyer friend who will write the demand up for you on his/her letterhead, you might get there quicker. Good luck.

 

Bob this really sucks. Sorry you are on the mend. Healing vibes to you!

Gabe has some movies you could borrow if you need entertainment....hmmm, on second thought nevermind. #-o Kidding of course, sorta.

 

Jeff_D and Sweetpea, you both touched on a lot of the issues that have been going through my head today. I am feeling rather lost and vulnerable as I begin this process. I just got done with almost 2 straight hours on the phone with my insurance company and nearly a dozen doctor's offices just trying to get an orthopedist to see me for a follow-up exam. I'm disgusted and amazed at having heard "we only see workman's comp cases" several times. One ortho said they didn't treat patients who have been in vehicular accudents, and another ortho wouldn't treat fractures! WTH???

Tomorrow morning I'll have the first of what I know will be at least a few doctor's appointments in a process that will take a couple of months, and I'm already very, very frustrated.

KonaDupee - thanks for the nice words. I'll point out to everyone that you were the first to come by to help, even being good enough to clean my cat's litter box for me. Now THAT'S a good friend.

Lety - thanks for the thoughts and the offer of Gabe's video library. I have a feeling that his collection has things I should only watch after a doctor has certified that I am healthy first! :lol:

 

you man not want some of those movies man, after all it IS GABE.... :lol:

And get better man, I take bake From the 5freeway to to the top of the hill basically for work. its a dangerous one. As a matter of fact there was an accident there friday that had CSI there and the street was closed off entirely. There is now candles and flowers on the corner, while some broken bones suck you are still alive and will get better. Its only of a matter of time man.

 

That is a true friend!!