pothole accident

[cwah]

Tonight I was speeding to meet my friend with my road bike:

I am using the spare battery as my main has been stolen...

As I was cycling fast, suddenly a motorbike in front of me started to brake, and I had to brake at the same time but while I was doing that I hit a pothole:

I crashed on the ground, head first, and was stuck for 30 seconds on the floor with massive pain on the chest. Witnesses called ambulance, I went to hospital with lots of bruise, still pain on me and stitches on the forehead...

My glasses are damaged:

The bike is ok but display is damaged (bike did a 360...):

I'm now considering selling my road bike with all the potholes in london. It's not safe to have a road bike I think... And also put more weight on the rear to avoid bike flying with strong front braking...


I'm considering making claim (accident happened in knightsbridge) to at least getting my glasses and kit refunded. Maybe ask a bit more for personal injury...


Have any of you been through this process?

 

[Alan Quay]

Sorry to hear this Cwah, you are having an awful run of bad luck lately.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[mountainsport]

Hi Cwah,

I am very sorry to hear this and I really hope that you are ok. And yes I can understand about the potholes and bad unlevelled roads in London. I also have ran over plenty of them small and large,at the same time dangerously swerving in and out in order to avoid them.

MS.

 

[the_killjoy]

I think that to make a claim you will need to show it has been reported and not mended.

Try a site like www.fixmystreet.com there are other sites as well you can check.

 

[SteveRuss]

You're not having the best of luck recently.. !

Go and take a load of pictures of the pothole and I believe it's recommended to have a ruler to show how deep the hole is.

Oh, and don't get run over by a bus while your doing it..

 

[Woosh]

Cwah
I really hope you 're OK. It must have been horrible.
Locally to me there are some truly dreadful potholes.
I have learned to keep an eye out for them but you can't always do that.
I think councils would react a bit quicker if someone started suing them.
They also need to repair the potholes properly.
Round here they do what seems like a quick botch and it just reappears a few months (or even weeks) later.
Shall we all start a campaign?

Hatti

 

[mike killay]

From what you are all saying about the pot holes in England it is time for a campaign.
Strangely, this is not a problem at all (Yet?) in Wales and must be to do with the different funding systems.

 

[Croxden]

While I lie here in bed feeling my aches & pains after my recent tumble, at least I fell on soft ground. Hitting the tarmac full is much worse, I think I had the better experience, I hope you recover quickly.

The photo shows a cast-iron gas cover with raised anti-slip surface a little polished by traffic. I would think that it's below the road surface due to the anti-slip wear coating of tar and chippings that raises the road surface.

This means it was a manufactured problem, easy for normal motors, potential problem for bikes. My thoughts are you would not have to show that has to be a reported 'pot-hole'.

Just to be pedantic, a pot-hole is a hole being formed by erosion of the road surface, have a look at the roads here and elsewhere, you bit of road looks quite good in the bit of the photo we can see.

I hope you quickly recover and get some compensation, for your damaged specs at least. Good luck way.

I'll have to get up now.

 

[the_killjoy]

I must say that whenever we go to wales we notice the change in the roads as soon as we cross the 'border'. It's strange as the weather where i live is drier and warmer so I would have expected my roads to be better.

 

[JohnCade]

From what you are all saying about the pot holes in England it is time for a campaign.
Strangely, this is not a problem at all (Yet?) in Wales and must be to do with the different funding systems.

Don't know what part of Wales you're in but there are a lot where I live. They just dollop some tarmac in them which washes out with the next heavy rain. They don't even melt it in to get it to stick. There are some small roads around here that are like washboards.

 

[shemozzle999]

Claim for as much as you can.

The bean counters argue that it is cheaper to pay the claims than repair the holes.

Until the financial balance tips in favour of the road users the councils will ignore their responsibility to repair.

All road users should claim no matter how small and get there elected representatives to realize who they are acting for.

Put the money into roads not the lawyers pockets.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

Sorry to hear of your crash, its never a good thing to find yourself separated from your bike, especially on the roads.

If you do decide to sue the council we would all be very interested to hear how it goes, bearing in mind you're riding a bike that isn't road legal.

 

[D8ve]

Col.
If now one knows it's ilegal he gets away with it.
But he could be done for fraud as well as the unlicensed vehicle issues.
If they did find out.

 

[Blew it]

If you do decide to sue the council we would all be very interested to hear how it goes, bearing in mind you're riding a bike that isn't road legal.

A cheap shot at another member's expense. You really have hit the bottom now Mr KTM

 

[danielrlee]

A cheap shot at another member's expense. You really have hit the bottom now Mr KTM

I hardly ever agree with Col, but he raises a good point. This would be a good litmus test to see how deep enquiries into the accident are made by the authorities and insurance underwriters. It certainly isn't just a cheap shot.

 

[oldtom]

Unlucky? Unlucky?.....unlucky again.....!

Wilde said, 'To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness!'

It just sprung into my mind!

Tom

 

[D8ve]

It's highly unlikely that the insurers will investigate.
Cwahs in a moral dilemma. He knows we all know what he did.
If he says I sued then anyone of us could stich him up!
If he keeps stum he might still sue, and possibly get away with it?
Or just forget it.
Unless he was at high speed the accident was just that. Caused by badly made road surface.
Had his bike been legal he could have sued in safety .
He's lucky no one else was involved or injured.

Hence Cols previous advice.
If it's Ilegal then you risk ........

 

[flecc]

Unlucky? Unlucky?.....unlucky again.....!

Wilde said, 'To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness!'

It just sprung into my mind!

Tom

Truth in that Tom, cwah saying he was riding fast. As soon as we move outside of cycling into motorcycling territory, our risks increase exponentially.

Two million motorcyclists produce around 400 deaths annually, four million cyclists about 100 deaths annually, the former 8 times the latter's rate. It's reasonable to presume that the incidence of accidents and serious injury is similary affected.
.

 

[KTM Bike Industries UK]

A cheap shot at another member's expense. You really have hit the bottom now Mr KTM

it seriously wasn't a cheap shot... it was a genuine question!!!

Do i need to get a non trade membership, so I can ask a question or say anything without it being considered a "shot" or "marketing"?

I would be very interested to see if he is successful based on the details of the bike he's riding. Thats all... no hidden agenda. I WOULD BE INTERESTED!!!

 

[Croxden]

My cars traction control lights up when I ride over a metal grating but is still more secure having four fat wheels. A skinny bike tyre would soon let go, the cover Cwah shows is about six inches square, it's surprising there aren't more spills there to catch the unwary cyclist.