I was on a wide shoulder. I did have to go towards the white line but had some room to spare.
Driver crossed white line and hit m with her mirror while she was driving 55+. Somehow I escaped with minor injuries to myself and my bike.
Nonetheless, there are costs to be incurred. I think Murphy’s Law states if you get hit, the driver will have subpar insurance.
Anyone come up against this?
I just want to be made whole.
How I escaped with minor injuries is beyond my comprehension. Started racing before LeMond won his 1st tour. I guess I’m lucky it took this long before I got hit by a car. And luckier still that it didn’t put me in a hospital or casket.
It sounds like the driver stopped or you got their license?
Did you make a police report?
I was hit this year; first accident on a bike since 2001. The driver waited for the police to claim that I hit him; he was found at fault for reckless endangerment of a cyclist and while I spoke with some attorney peers, they suggested I deal directly with the driver’s insurance, who ended up paying all medical bills, replacement cost for my bike (no one came to look at my bike and I still have it to ride after some minor repairs), and ‘pain and suffering’, so $25k in total not including medical bills. It was fair and quick.
Get a lawyer that specializes in cycle injuries/cases.
Not because you are trying to scam somebody out of more than you are owed, not because the driver is going to try and get out of making you whole.
You get a lawyer because you don’t have the experience to make sure you are made whole again and to make sure you are treated fairly.
I was on a wide shoulder. I did have to go towards the white line but had some room to spare.
Driver crossed white line and hit m with her mirror while she was driving 55+. Somehow I escaped with minor injuries to myself and my bike.
Nonetheless, there are costs to be incurred. I think Murphy’s Law states if you get hit, the driver will have subpar insurance.
Anyone come up against this?
I just want to be made whole.
How I escaped with minor injuries is beyond my comprehension. Started racing before LeMond won his 1st tour. I guess I’m lucky it took this long before I got hit by a car. And luckier still that it didn’t put me in a hospital or casket.
Did you get the drivers info?
Went through similar situation but I got a trip the the ER…concussion, seperated shoulder, cracked bone at the wrist. Get a lawyer asap. Google bike lawyer. I got one next day, they handled everything. They set up physical and medical stuff post ER, contacted other driver’s insurance. In a week the lawyer said to get a build sheet on the bike from the bike shop that sold and built it for me. They priced it all at MSRP, submitted that healthy bill to the drivers Insurance and they paid within a week.
It took about a year to get a payout from the drivers Insurance. Lawyer took a chunk, medical and rest went to me. It wasn’t worth going through the ordeal of the accident but at least it was something.
I did have the police show up. I got all her info.
A bike lawyer does seem prudent. I’d rather not represent myself if possible because I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system and got bent over due to that on a business matter.
In some (perhaps most or even all states), when one as a pedestrian/ cyclist is struck by uninsured or underinsured, one can use the UIM coverage on one’s auto policy.
Certain companies would allow one to seek further claims against one’s own umbrella coverage.
That’s the preventative part of the equation
But as to your current situation, I’d echo the sentiments above and suggest you seek legal counsel.
I did have the police show up. I got all her info.
A bike lawyer does seem prudent. I’d rather not represent myself if possible because I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system and got bent over due to that on a business matter.
TBH the insurance company will not take you seriously without a lawyer. I know it probably feels like something you don’t want to do, but it is something you should do
I did have the police show up. I got all her info.
A bike lawyer does seem prudent. I’d rather not represent myself if possible because I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system and got bent over due to that on a business matter.
TBH the insurance company will not take you seriously without a lawyer. I know it probably feels like something you don’t want to do, but it is something you should do
That’s actually not true. If the police report finds the driver at fault, the insurance company will want to get it over with asap. I wrote about this above.
Further, in my 2001 accident, a car side swiped me and I got their plate number as they drove off and their insurance company sent me $12k asap and I had no injuries.
For my recent incident being hit by a car, a good friend who is a lawyer specializing in personal injury law made it clear that if the injuries are not catastrophic, it’s going to be a pretty long legal fight and there’s the opportunity cost of having all medical covered, bike covered (above and beyond) and pain and suffering covered, all paid within 6 weeks of being hit. I called the insurance and told them I have an attorney but would like to give them the chance to get this right.
Back in 2018 I was intentionally hit by a guy in his truck and he ended up pleading guilty to two felonies. Initially I was dealing with his insurance company but after I consulted with an attorney and he told me he thought he could get 5x that amount, I decided to retain his services. When all was said and done I walked away with a check for almost 7x the initial offer.
I did have the police show up. I got all her info.
A bike lawyer does seem prudent. I’d rather not represent myself if possible because I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system and got bent over due to that on a business matter.
TBH the insurance company will not take you seriously without a lawyer. I know it probably feels like something you don’t want to do, but it is something you should do
That’s actually not true. If the police report finds the driver at fault, the insurance company will want to get it over with asap. I wrote about this above.
Further, in my 2001 accident, a car side swiped me and I got their plate number as they drove off and their insurance company sent me $12k asap and I had no injuries.
For my recent incident being hit by a car, a good friend who is a lawyer specializing in personal injury law made it clear that if the injuries are not catastrophic, it’s going to be a pretty long legal fight and there’s the opportunity cost of having all medical covered, bike covered (above and beyond) and pain and suffering covered, all paid within 6 weeks of being hit. I called the insurance and told them I have an attorney but would like to give them the chance to get this right.
I had a situation where the other party fully admitted guilt and thought I could deal with the insurance company myself. Big big mistake. I did get an attorney after getting nowhere with the insurance company and as the case progressed the insurance company actually tried using my own discussions with them as evidence Against Me! You will deal with the insurance company at your own peril, they don’t have your best interest at heart, regardless of the statements on TV commercials.
Get a lawyer that specializes in cycle injuries/cases.
Not because you are trying to scam somebody out of more than you are owed, not because the driver is going to try and get out of making you whole.
You get a lawyer because you don’t have the experience to make sure you are made whole again and to make sure you are treated fairly.
I’m also in TX. I found a bike lawyer. Everything you posted is accurate.
Thanks.
If you “escaped with minor injuries to myself and my bike” why do you need a lawyer? I got hit a few years ago. The driver was blinded by the sun and hit me dead on. My front wheel was damaged and I got some bruises. The driver’s insurance company called me the next day and we quickly settled - I asked for money to buy a new wheel. There was no need for a lawyer or to escalate it any further.
When I got hit I talked to the insurance company first but when they tried to low ball me and not pay for hospital bills I talked to a Chicago based lawyer who gave me an idea of what I should be getting, I think it was 3x medical bills, and reimbursement for all the stuff that was ruined. After a few back and forths the insurance company paid the amount I was hoping for. But difference might be they did not want to go to court since I got hit by a drunk driver who had his license suspended in the middle of the day. And it was his 3rd DUI. So I think that played into it. But was really nice talking to the lawyer to get some advice and an idea of what to expect.
I did have the police show up. I got all her info.
A bike lawyer does seem prudent. I’d rather not represent myself if possible because I don’t know the inner workings of the legal system and got bent over due to that on a business matter.
TBH the insurance company will not take you seriously without a lawyer. I know it probably feels like something you don’t want to do, but it is something you should do
That’s actually not true. If the police report finds the driver at fault, the insurance company will want to get it over with asap. I wrote about this above.
Further, in my 2001 accident, a car side swiped me and I got their plate number as they drove off and their insurance company sent me $12k asap and I had no injuries.
For my recent incident being hit by a car, a good friend who is a lawyer specializing in personal injury law made it clear that if the injuries are not catastrophic, it’s going to be a pretty long legal fight and there’s the opportunity cost of having all medical covered, bike covered (above and beyond) and pain and suffering covered, all paid within 6 weeks of being hit. I called the insurance and told them I have an attorney but would like to give them the chance to get this right.
I had a situation where the other party fully admitted guilt and thought I could deal with the insurance company myself. Big big mistake. I did get an attorney after getting nowhere with the insurance company and as the case progressed the insurance company actually tried using my own discussions with them as evidence Against Me! You will deal with the insurance company at your own peril, they don’t have your best interest at heart, regardless of the statements on TV commercials.
LOL at that last line. I work with defense insurance firms. None of them ever made any money by paying a claim, so they will pay as little as possible in order to get out of it. I get it, it’s like taxes, no one will willingly pay more than they have to, but the thought that they are looking out for anyone (but shareholders) is laughable