Had an offski

[ASM-Forever]

As some may have already gathered on the way to meet Nick at Maidenhead, a van driver(silver not white for a change!) decided to pull out straight into me! Fortunately it was a 30MPH and the lights ahead had gone red, so i was slowing down as he hit me. I reckon contact at about 20MPH. Not 100% sure what happened, i just thought.....bugger, saw blue sky and the got dragged under the van. I was trapped under it for approximately half an hour until the fire brigade raised the van to get me out.

I never saw the driver but i was told he said he didnt see me, which means he never looked. Think of the 'Think bike; look and look again' advert. Lots of witnesses as it was lunchtime in Marlow town centre so i hope its pretty cut and dry. However i am sure his insurance company and him will try to weasel out of it. The police are coming around this afternoon.

I have not seen the bike but as its worth £1500 and it was a font end i suspect it may be a write off. My lid is obviously toast-£350, and i was cut out of my leathers on the scene/ in hospital.

The bad news however is that my knee is busted up pretty good, almost certainly posterior cruciate and patella? ligaments. I have to wait for the swelling to go down and then visit the fracture clinic. It just feels wrong so im not too hopeful. Apart from that the usual aches and pains everywhere.

Anyhow it could of been worse and im still around to tell the tale.....onwards and upwards:cool:. There was a brief moment in hospital when i considered jacking bikes in....but im already looking forward to getting back on the road, whenever that may be.

[Law]

Bummer :(

Seems like you might be able to apply for membership of the wonky knee gang.

[sarah]

sorry to hear about this, sounds very scary getting trapped under a van. hope you feel better soon.

[danf1234]

That must have been aweful being trapped under the van.

Good news your are generally OK, just hope you get your knee sorted.

[kwak zzr]

sorry to hear this :(

[kitkat]

sorry to hear about your off. remember next time you are out on the bike, remove your cloaking device. Hope you recover quickly

[injury_ian]

Thank feck you're ok, You bought those leathers in the nick of time!

Get well soon anyways

[Demonz]

Thank feck you're ok, You bought those leathers in the nick of time!

Get well soon anyways

Dam right. Sorry to hear the news.

[CoolGirl]

ouch, sounds scary. rest up and hope you're fixable.

[SoulKiss]

Bugger, sorry to hear about the off.

Glad you are looking forwards to getting back on, I know I had that doubt after my much less serious, but much more embarassing off.

Hope you heal well - if it is your knee, have a word with Rictus01 - sounds like he has a great consultant working with him on his knee issues.

And an old bike worth £1500 - add the personal injury money and it could be a black K7 Pointy for you :P

David

[Bear]

Dude, get well soon.

[Warthog]

Aw, hope everything heals well and you have no major problems. Lets hope the number of witnesses you have will make the insurance payout a piece of cake.

[ASM-Forever]

Firstly thanks for the messages of support people, it means a lot!

The police have just been around and the van driver has admitted full liability. To be honest i dont think he had a choice as apparently the police were given loads of witness statements from other drivers/pedestrians saying he was completely in the wrong and i was blameless. I have his details and as it was a company vehicle, its covered with company insurance....im not too sure if thats a good or a bad thing? I will set Carole Nash onto them now anyway.

Will the claim be sorted out quickly as he has accepted full liability? Over what time frame should i expect this to be?

I have not personally seen the bike, but having talked to the police, the front end is completely crumpled, wheel/forks/clip ons/bars the lot and obviously all the front fairing. Apparently the other fairings/lowers will be buggered as it went under the van aswell then down the road! I guess maybe a cat B depending on the frame. I certainly doubt whether much if anything is salvageable...

According to witness statements i went over the handlebars, tumbled around on the bonnet "like a cartoon character" and then fell down the front and got dragged under the van.....bit of a kodak moment.

Bad news is that my left side now hurts noticeably....i was hoping it was just going to be the knee i had to contend with. Worst thing of all has to be sleeping on my back! I ALWAYS sleep on either of my sides and i literally got an hour or two at best, last night.

Being a saturday i have heard quite a few bikes go hooning past...im getting jealous already:)

[Kinvig]

Sorry to hear. Mend fast!

[ASM-Forever]

Oh yeh and something that i found quite ironic....The van drivers job is to deliver Suzuki parts.....talk about proactively generating business!

[Ed]

Hey ASM, this is a dreadful tale. You were oh so lucky not to be run over. It must be bloody painful. Can you walk? With or without crutches?
And the van driver - are the police going to prosecute for careless or dangerous? As there are loads of witnesses, I would insist that the police do something. You could have been strawberry jam.

Your bike and lid payout will probably take a few weeks. But your knee will take longer, but FFS be patient as it will take a while to assess the extent of the injury and to see whether it will heal up properly. And it will be difficult to assess damages until the true outturn is known.

Bad luck my friend. Heal up quick.

[Steelman]

Oh yeh and something that i found quite ironic....The van drivers job is to deliver Suzuki parts.....talk about proactively generating business!

Really sorry to hear about your off, but this is priceless :smt040

Glad to see that your sense of humour didn't get left trapped under the van :mrgreen:

Get well soon and here's wishing some help with the claim [-o<

Cheers

Tim

[DanAbnormal]

Glad you okay fella. The leather did it's job mate, otherwise you'd probably have some nasty road rash. Get well soon bud.

[ASM-Forever]

Hey ASM, this is a dreadful tale. You were oh so lucky not to be run over. It must be bloody painful. Can you walk? With or without crutches?
And the van driver - are the police going to prosecute for careless or dangerous? As there are loads of witnesses, I would insist that the police do something. You could have been strawberry jam.

Your bike and lid payout will probably take a few weeks. But your knee will take longer, but FFS be patient as it will take a while to assess the extent of the injury and to see whether it will heal up properly. And it will be difficult to assess damages until the true outturn is known.

Bad luck my friend. Heal up quick.

Well i was released(escaped from) hospital with crutches, but to be honest i am avoiding using them as it still hurts a fair bit. I cant get up the stairs so enlisted help to move my bed into the dining room. As it turns out washing in a sink isn't that fun.....i miss showers:(.

I think the police are going down the 3 points, driving undue care/attention route and a education course. I think the guy got off lightly, but if it stops him from hitting another biker, thats good enough for me.

He admitted liability so now i just have to play silly buggers with his insurance.

My biggest problem is getting to university, especially as i have exams coming up soon. That and cricket season starts today....the timing couldn't be worse!

I am also not acknowledging the possibility that it wont heal properly. I am 21 and love to ride, play a variety of sports and generally be an active person. Not being able to do that stuff is not an option.

[the_lone_wolf]

My biggest problem is getting to university, especially as i have exams coming up soon.
phone your examinations officer asap, tell them what happened and they are usually very good at making special arrangements for exceptional circumstances like yours, if you don't know who they are then speak to your head of department or anyone high up in the uni.

these things happen, although it's nothing short of freaky that you just bought new leathers yesterday:cool:

[Biker Biggles]

What a classic smidsy.
To look on the bright side-------If you must have a crash and injure yourself this is the way to do it.It's a barndoor case liability wise and eventually you will get a substantial payout from it.Get a good bike specialist lawyer on it.

[northwind]

Worst thing of all has to be sleeping on my back! I ALWAYS sleep on either of my sides and i literally got an hour or two at best, last night.


That's a total bugger, I was the same... Kept on turniing over from pure habit, OOOOOOOOOOW! I ended up always taking my strong painkillers right before bed, since they knocked me out like a hammer.

[ASM-Forever]

these things happen, although it's nothing short of freaky that you just bought new leathers yesterday:cool:

Sarah might be considered my guardian angel:p ....either that or im a lucky git! Ambulance crew/nurses went to town on it though....i got it back in about 15 pieces :cool: ....may make a good avatar.

[seedy100]

Glad that you are able to post, but sorrythat you have this sort of tale to tell.

At least the guy has admitted liability and you wont have to worry about defending yourself from a pack of lies!

I hope the knee heals well!

[cuffy]

5h!t, sorry to hear of your off, glad your ok mate, speedy recovery n all that

[Steve W]

Really sorry to hear of your accident; glad to hear you were jealous of the other bikers today - definitely a good sign.

Very much understand your concerns about full recovery and your sporting activities - three things which may help:
(a)Your'e young and (I assume) pretty fit so that's a big plus
(b) You sound pretty positive given what's happened and there's no doubt that's a big factor in recovery
(c) Be patient - progress will be slow (that's the one I've never mastered!)

Oh and a fourth, if you're in pain and not getting much sleep things wil definitely look worse than they are. Take all the pain relief you can get your hadns on (but don't get constipated so lots of fruit!!)

[Stingo]

Jeez - wot they all said!!

[Rich]

Get well soonski!!!! :crutches: :eye:

[Well Oiled]

Sorry for your troubes mate - could easily happen to any of us. As someone who enjoys sport I'm always paranoid about getting an injury such as damaged knees. Hope it mends quickly and fully.

Cheers Keith

[Baph]

Ouch.

Heal well fella. Take the frustration caused by your knee (sleeping position, washing in sink etc) out on the insurance company ;)

[StreetHawk]

Sounds nasty mate. I hope your knee heals quickly and you're up and running again soon. You should get a hefty compensation payout which will soften the blow a bit.

Good job you got those leathers innit! I don't think i'll arrange any ride-outs for a while, don't want to jinx anyone else!

When you're fixed then we'll hit the coast for sure this time.. :-)

[stewie]

Wow! get well soon.
:D

[beniryu]

Hope you're better soon m8

[Tara]

Only just seen this - hope you feel better hope that knee isn't too badly damaged

[Colby]

Get well soon!

A mate had his one piece leathers cut off after a super moto race accident. They looked a bit like a sheepskin rug the way they had been cut, so he had them played with so he could hang them on the wall like a bear skin

[Mr Toad]

Just seen this, glad you're in one piece
I really don't recommend membership of the wonky knee gang, except on a temporary basis
Hope it mends quickly - a sense of humour will help you get through it :wink:

cheers

[Stu]

Real sorry to hear this! Good that the insurance is OK - Are you keeping a diary of all your pain & things you can't do?

Main thing though is to heal soon & fully, wish you luck.

[ASM-Forever]

LOL....things i cant do...the list is endless. :)

A few examples from today:

1-can't get in to uni
2-can't get upstairs
3-can't shower(see point 2)
4-stuck in the house...which is soooooooooooooo boreing
5-can't sleep
6-still trying to work out a way i can feed/water myself! I have had supplies strategically placed around the house, which half works. I can struggle for ages and make a sandwich(well more like bread on a plate with whatever sticks to it!), but im still pondering a way to get it to somewhere i can sit and eat it. I have found the best strategy is to organise the visits of friends/family into a twice daily procession and then hint a little.

The list is endless really i wont bore you with it :)

As an aside...having watched more that my fair share of Jermey Kyle, i have come to the conclusion that he's a w@nker :P

[sarah]

Sarah might be considered my guardian angel.

O:)
you have pm

[ASM-Forever]

O:)
you have pm

Have replied....somewhat belatedly:cool:

[jambo]

Don't take any chances with the leg, take it easy and get all the advice you can on it....

Hope your recovery goes as well as possible but it may take a while:(

Bikes can be replaced, glad it wasn't worse!

[Sid Squid]

****ing ****!

Get fixed soon, then spend loadsa dosh on a new bike!

[northwind]

I have had supplies strategically placed around the house, which half works. I can struggle for ages and make a sandwich(well more like bread on a plate with whatever sticks to it!), but im still pondering a way to get it to somewhere i can sit and eat it. I have found the best strategy is to organise the visits of friends/family into a twice daily procession and then hint a little.


Are you on elbow crutches? If so, there's tricks to use. I found a plastic bowl that was just the right shape that I could hook my thumb over the front of the handle and over the edge of the bowl and carry stuff around that way- likewise large cups with not much in. But getting a bottle and using it instead of a cup is really much easier, for drinks. Don't recommend that with coffee or tea though!

[scorpion]

Sorry to hear this.

Hope you get well and on two wheels again soon;)

[thebluelion]

ASM sorry to hear about ur off sounds really scary being under the van and that hope everything turns out well

[eviltwin]

Just read through the thread and really sorry to hear the news. Sounds very similar to mine and Sarah's incident a few weeks back - albeit we came off a hell of a lot better injury wise.

Hang in there with the insurance companies, solicitors and all the other industry money-makers that come out of the woodwork in situations like this...I have gone mad being transferred from call centre to call centre - we just have to console ourselves with the fact that we're still kickin and it WILL sort itself out...

ps I know how you feel about hearing all the bikes go past - the A29 runs past the back of my place so I get a full weekend bike soundtrack whilst being sat in my garden aching and sulking!!!!!

[ASM-Forever]

Question:

Someone from the local rag wants to do a story on my accident, must be a slow news week, but as the insurance is ongoing surely i cant really say anything? Or can i?

Confused.com :)

[thebluelion]

Tell the reporter it will cost cause that ur a big celeb on SV.ORG:smt004 ;) :smt036

[scorpion]

Tell the reporter it will cost cause that ur a big celeb on SV.ORG:smt004 ;) :smt036

Yeah mate, don't forget your appearance fee! :D

[sv650nutter149]

you have pm mate!

sorry to hear bout ur off!!!! ur leathers looked wrecked in a+e ur leg did look pretty buggered when u first came in though. btw u also buy ur alpinestar boots day b4???

[ASM-Forever]

I have replied to PM :)

To explain to any confused people, nutter works at the hospital i was taken to.

I've had the boots for a month or 2 but only worn them a few times....i guess because my old ones seemed more comfortable. Probably a good thing i was wearing them as they have a lot more protection than my old ones. Big thumbs up for Alpinestars SMXR from me.

[StreetHawk]

Hows it going Mark?

Are you moving around any easier now?

[ASM-Forever]

Hows it going Mark?

Are you moving around any easier now?

Not too much improvement to be honest, which makes me think i will need surgery :(

I tried to get up the stairs yesterday, but after a few steps the knee wasn't having any of it.

My hamstring also really hurts, which maybe i didnt notice over the knee pain, or it has started to hurt a bit later. Feels like it is torn...but hey im no doctor :p

Off to hospital this afternoon, if my luck is in one particularly fine nurse might be on duty :thumbsup:

[StreetHawk]

Sorry to hear that matey.. Keep positive..

I'm sure it will heal soon and you'll be back on 2 wheels.

[ASM-Forever]

Went to the hospital today and it was a bit of a waste of time. I know from my scant medical knowledge that i need an MRI scan to get a look at the inside of the knee.

The consultant said probably cruciate as the first doctor said. So five hours later, nothing achieved....thumbs up NHS. MRI scan arranged for a week or so....really should of gone private!

[Stig]

Crap crap and crap again :sad:

[ASM-Forever]

I have just had a call from the garage and the bike is a gonner. I still have not seen it in the metal, but the front end is apparently knackered completely. Also the frame has significant damage so i doubt the insurance assesor will disagree.

Now i just have to fight over the insurance value. I paid £1540(£1500 bike and £40 crash bungs) at the turn if the year. It was fully serviced prior to recieval with new chain+sprockets and all the other gizzets. UBG(used bike guide) has top value at £1600, which is close to what i paid because it was in such amazing nick for a 99'. The paintwork/plastics were literally flawless. I polished it 2 weeks ago and it was blemish free! All the metal shiny bits were in ex con. as well!

I am sure i would struggle to replace the bike for £1500, it took me ages to find one in A1 condition. Eventually got it from up north.

Anyhow any tips to get what its worth from the insurance monkeys? Its value was listed as £1500 in the insurance. Will it help that i am claiming against the other parties insurance and not my own, as they have accepted full liability?

Cheers Mark

[ASM-Forever]

Well its official i have always had a reputation for not doing things by halves and the knee has backed this up. Results/analysis of the MRI show i have ruptured posterior and anterior cruciate ligaments as well as damage to some others as well. I have also damaged some of the bone in the knee :(

Long story short, the consultant i saw wasn't happy to personally operate on it, as it will be a long complex procedure. He has referred me to an 'expert' in Hillingdon, who will contact me shortly. I will be sure to google his ass when i found out who he is.

Although its all preliminary...he reckons i wont fully recover...which is obviously going to damage my sport. Just think....i might have to give up ball/contact sports and take up swimming...,.BAH!

Anyhow im going off on a tangent....it may turn out OK. Also by the time i will be able to ride again i will be able to afford a GSXR :)....thats all the motivation i need!

[sarah]

Well its official i have always had a reputation for not doing things by halves and the knee has backed this up. Results/analysis of the MRI show i have ruptured posterior and anterior cruciate ligaments as well as damage to some others as well. I have also damaged some of the bone in the knee :(

Long story short, the consultant i saw wasn't happy to personally operate on it, as it will be a long complex procedure. He has referred me to an 'expert' in Hillingdon, who will contact me shortly. I will be sure to google his ass when i found out who he is.

Although its all preliminary...he reckons i wont fully recover...which is obviously going to damage my sport. Just think....i might have to give up ball/contact sports and take up swimming...,.BAH!

Anyhow im going off on a tangent....it may turn out OK. Also by the time i will be able to ride again i will be able to afford a GSXR :)....thats all the motivation i need!

eeek, that's crap news about your knee.

[StreetHawk]

Sorry to hear that Mark. I'm sure it can be made good and you will be on a GSXR before you know it, before me no doubt!

Take it easy mate,
Nick

[ASM-Forever]

Well some good news!

My cheque arrived from the third parties insurance company today and its a great valuation. Still waiting on payment for my gear but hopefully that will follow in the near future.

A dinner date with Hovis for the person who gusses closest to what they paid.......:)

Bad news is my operation got rescheduled....bloody NHS(etc). I am inclined to blame Mr.Toad for stealing my surgeon/place!

[Stu]

As you got to keep salvage I guess £1,250

[ASM-Forever]

With salvage thats what i would of thought...not even close though :)

Come on people get involved...Hovis is charming company...honest!

[plowsie]

£2350?

[ASM-Forever]

Oooh getting close there Plowsie....but which way do you go from here :)

[plowsie]

2351

[Stu]

2,100

[ASM-Forever]

No comment but only one guess allowed plowsie :)

I will be sending one lucky AR attendee on a date with Hovis(subject to clearance with hovis :) )

It may be a breakfast as i am tight...but then again its up north so you can buy a pub for a fiver!

I will make a new thread to get more response.

[plowsie]

ahhhhh cmon ill be serious 2450

[Biker Biggles]

£1900
I will reluctantly have to decline my prize as I have a better offer.:help:

[Warthog]

£2000