Thanks all – some good advice. I get what b r means and don’t take any offence by it, playing things over in your head always makes you wonder what you’d do differently next time. Maybe she’ll move out a bit more at junctions, maybe make eye contact with driver, sit up so she’s bigger etc….
In terms of speed and road layout, the accident was 100% avoidable. The junction is at the bottom of 2 shallow hills (3%?)and is an open junction. As he was in the middle of the road turning right, he had a clear view up the hill with no obstructions, dry conditions, daylight etc… It’s simply an error on his behalf.
I spoke with him this morning and explained I needed his insurance details. He told me I’d get them at 5pm when he finishes work. At 5pm my wife had a call telling her he ‘earned a lot of money’ so would pay for the damage. Makes me even keener to go through insurers, to be honest. Police also called to check she was OK and said they were closing the case, so I need to get in touch with them to see why? Need a ref number for insurance anyway.
Again, thanks all.

He sounds like a complete tosser.

As many have said, you need to have any long term issues covered, not just a quick fix.

Best wishes, Neil.

OP, glad she’s (relatively) ok. There’s too many of these incidents at the moment…

A few points you mention are very concerning:

The driver tried to leave the scene of the accident

– is just utterly cowardly and obviously criminal behaviour.

At 5pm my wife had a call telling her he ‘earned a lot of money’ so would pay for the damage.

Sounds like he may have previous and is trying to stop it appearing on his record (or he’s uninsured and wants to hide this)

Police also called to check she was OK and said they were closing the case, so I need to get in touch with them to see why

With a Police witness to a driver trying to leave the scene of a collision this is pretty shocking.

As a few mention above I would formalise this as much as possible – insurance co and press for charges…

Good luck

Wot brooess said.
plus he said he would give you his insurance details at 5pm then didn’t.
On top of trying to leave the scene….. DON’T TRUST HIM.

go back to the police, they should have his details, and they really should be pursing this.

Yep, I’d happily tell the police that he’s refusing to give you his details (because he is).

Insurance. I forsee promises of money. First installment and no more magically forthcoming/calls unanswered expecting you to give up. You then try his insurance. At this point he tells them he paid for the damage…exactly the first installment sum… etc etc.

You eventually give up as he becomes abusive on the phone…the stress..

As you decides to call him against reason- Im out. Good luck.

I was knocked off Nike by a bus who didn’t stop. Damage to me, road rash down one side and a torn chest muscle. Went straight to police to report it ( get a crime ref number) photograph to bike and person, take photos of person when bruising etc starts to appear. Get witness details and statements. I tried to claim by going straight to the bus company and the legal dept, but after being dicked about for 11 months by them with all the excuses under the sun to drag it out, I think they were hoping I would just go away. I was just wanting the cost of repairing my bike and kit. I went to a bike specific solicitor who got it all sorted within 5 months. Kit costs and injury paid out. Probably got 5 times as much by going through the solicitor.

Keep a copy of all photos, emails and any letters etc.

http://www.royds.com/our-people/profiles/partners/james-millar-craig/

was described by the Times as a number one PI specialist. Might be worth a call.

no relation, BTW.

Member of either BC or CTC?
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/memst-Legal-Support-and-Assistance-0
http://www.slatergordon.co.uk/unions-federations-and-charities/ctc/ctc-accident-line/
(may not even need to be a member of CTC for that either)

At 5pm my wife had a call telling her he ‘earned a lot of money’ so would pay for the damage.

As for this explain that you would like his insurance details anyway, that you are waiting for valuations and medical expenses etc. also mention that if he doesn’t want to provide them to you the police can.

I’d also be asking that he makes any offers in writing and that you wont make any verbal agreements.

Have you contacted CTC etc yet? You already have broken promises from the guy, personally I wouldn’t be dealing direct with him at all, makes you more vulnerable.

At the end of the day you have your wife still here which is the main thing.

Next time you speak to them, you could suggest that 20,000 (paid within the week) would make the problem go away. But unless they pay up pronto, police/insurers/solicitors is the way to go. Don’t skimp on pain, suffering and inconvenience in the claim, eg including your time in chauffeuring around your wife and chasing up this mess.

Oh, and get well soon to mrs mog.

Thanks all – some good advice. I get what b r means and don’t take any offence by it, playing things over in your head always makes you wonder what you’d do differently next time

Thanks Mog.

I wasn’t blaming your wife at all, just pointing out that we owe it to ourselves to always think after an accident – could I have avoided that one, or at least mitigated the damage.

Next time you speak to them, you could suggest that 20,000 (paid within the week) would make the problem go away.

I assume that’s a ‘joke’. Don’t do this.

Just to give you an idea of ball park. I had a similar off before Xmas . The police did not pursue it for reasons I disagree with . I could not be bothered to do the work myself so instructed a local personal injury solicitor think one man band dodgy shop front in a low income area . My injuries were soft tissue principally to knees but also shoulders I also had some really bad psychiatric effects as mine was a real near death experience . Due to personal preference I did not wish to push the psycho point so we just used a independent gp who described situational anxiety. I was off the bike till easter but in truth have only just got happy commuting again .
We settled at £ 3500 for my injuries. Plus some specific expenses new helmet glasses bike repairs.
I have not had to pay a penny to my solicitor who will recover his costs and the DR’s from the other sides insurance co. I spent 1/2 an hour in his office and an hour at the DR’s and have had a couple of phone calls and letters to deal with.
I strongly recommended you get his insurance details and lawyer up.
By way of contrast I did my last crash dealing direct with the other sides insurers and got £2500 for worse physical better psycho injury’s but got royally messed around by the insurance co first.

I have been in an identical situation, coming down a hill, a car coming from the opposite direction waiting to turn right with indicator on up ahead.
As soon as the car in front cleared the junction, the car waiting to go right went.
I Braked hard , they realised I was not stopping so stopped half way across my lane and I did stop pretty much in front of their car.

The drivers response was did you not see me indicating, so he saw me .
And he knew the car in front of me had right of way, that’s why he waited but then thought car trumps bike. And genuinely thought he had right of way over me and that I would/should stop to let him go.

I beleive a lot of drivers think the same way and b r was merely pointing out you should not take people doing the right thing for granted, and are sometimes safer if you think the opposite.

Hope mrs mog gets well soon.

but then thought car trumps bike.

Similar with me just last night. Riding down a residential street with cars on one side, our side is clear and a car coming the other way stopped to let the car in front of me go through. And then once clear she decided that the oncoming bike (me) doesn’t count in the same way. I wasn’t tailgating, there was about 25m between me and the car in front by the time they’d cleared the pinch point, so she must have seen me, but on she came anyway. Would have taken me about 5 seconds to get through, but that’s too long for her.

I took my usual assertive position, ie: not in the gutter so we came to a halt, and when i asked why she gave way to a car but not to me all i got was that if I’d either been riding tight into the side or gone onto the pavement she could have squeezed past!!

Back to the OP – everything I’ve heard about the other party doesn’t make me feel comfortable. Trying to leave the scene, ‘I’m very rich, i’ll just pay to make it go away’ doesn’t make me feel that anything ‘unofficial’ is merited in this case.

Get his insurance details and do it through the channels. Better done properly even if it takes longer, than go for the quick fix only for him to ‘disappear’. And *if it were me* I’d be on to the police this morning advising that he has failed to provide insurance details, he wants to sort it out privately but you aren’t happy given the as yet unknown extent of your wife’s rehab, etc., and use the excuse to politely enquire why attempting to leave the scene hasn’t resulted in them pursuing this further.

To put a bit of perspective on the driver trying to leave the scene of an accident, if a pedestrian had been knocked over rather than a cyclist, do you really think the Police would be so quick to try and drop the matter? Especially given that there is a reliable witness.

Yet again it highlights how cyclists really are viewed as the bottom of the food chain.

To put a bit of perspective on the driver trying to leave the scene of an accident, if a pedestrian had been knocked over rather than a cyclist, do you really think the Police would be so quick to try and drop the matter? Especially given that there is a reliable witness.

Yet again it highlights how cyclists really are viewed as the bottom of the food chain

What are the Police supposed to do in this case then?

Its a RTC with no malice but there is fault. I guess its easier to process by saying ‘involve insurers’.

If the driver was under the influence, driving without insurance, steered at intentionally, road rage etc then thats different.

What are the Police supposed to do in this case then?

Its a RTC with no malice but there is fault.

It’s driving without due care at the least, IMO, drivers need to take responsibility for their choice of vehicle, not get distracted and act accordingly.

@ OP – Solicitor? The mrs is a PI lawyer and a cyclist, she’s done few bike claims now, she’s very good, if you are interested i’ll give you her details, might be worth a chat if nothing else?

Its a RTC with no malice but there is fault. I guess its easier to process by saying ‘involve insurers’.

It’s always going to be easier for the police to say “we’re not doing anything”, whether it’s a bump in a car park or a murder. They’re supposed to do their bloody job properly, not just say “we can’t be arsed, sod off”.

hora – Member

To put a bit of perspective on the driver trying to leave the scene of an accident, if a pedestrian had been knocked over rather than a cyclist, do you really think the Police would be so quick to try and drop the matter? Especially given that there is a reliable witness.

Yet again it highlights how cyclists really are viewed as the bottom of the food chain

What are the Police supposed to do in this case then?

Its a RTC with no malice but there is fault. I guess its easier to process by saying ‘involve insurers’.

If the driver was under the influence, driving without insurance, steered at intentionally, road rage etc then thats different. [/quote]

So you’re saying its an accident and therefore thats it, no further action. What about the driver trying to leave the scene? Suppose the OPs wife had internal bleeding and later died in hospital. Would that still be ok?
We all make mistakes, grated, but there are consequences which need to be faced up to and dealt with.
The driver if unpunished will not modify their behavior and never learn anything.

What are the Police supposed to do in this case then?
Its a RTC with no malice but there is fault.

I crashed a motorbike into a stationary vehicle waiting at a set of filter lights.
I fractured my spine and smashed my heel.
Looked like I was sponsored by mechano and had a cast and not allowed to put my foot down for three months.

Car had a dented rear bumper from my foot peg where my bike slid under the back of the car.

I got done for driving without due care and attention, rightly so as I was not looking where I was going, and so should this driver, the reason they may not, is surely to save money.

What do you want them to do though? He didn’t leave the scene.

The OP has a credible witness and legally can claim/receive good compensation. IF (and I hope I never am) knocked off in a similar situation I’d expect upwards towards 10k to cover the bike and me. I’ve falled bad off my bike before and it DOES affect your work life for weeks. It disrupts your love life, your plans for the weekend(s), it royally balls up your life because of an idiot. 3k wouldn’t be enough would it? If you had to put a £ on your injury, time lost/affect etc.

Plus- I wouldn’t exactly be rushing out on a bike on a commute again.

What do you want them to do though? He didn’t leave the scene.

He tried to, though. It’s not just a crime if you do it successfully.

What do you want them to do though?

You seem to be asking the same question again.

Too many people seem to think being allowed to drive is a right, it is not. It should be respected for what it is and denied if that person can not take the responsibility seriously.

There seems to be in my mind anyway a public opinion when someone is knocked off a bike of.
Well roads are dangerous places and what do you expect or that’s why I would never ride a bike because it’s too dangerous.

So that anyone cycling on public roads is running a gauntlet and not surprising a few get taken out.

If that had been a pedestrian crossing the road and a car suddenly turned in running them over the driver would be facing charges.

Charge him, find him guilty if so, print his name in the paper and his insurance company will penalise him for his claim and subsequent driving convictions.
And try and work towards getting rid of the attitude that getting knocked of is to be expected if you choose to ride on the road.

The roads are only dangerous because people make it so. If they are punished for being dangerous then they’re less likely to do it again surely?
That’s the reason why there is a penal system. Otherwise you’d have anarchy.

There seems to be in my mind anyway a public opinion when someone is knocked off a bike of.
Well roads are dangerous places and what do you expect or that’s why I would never ride a bike because it’s too dangerous.

At our club committee meeting last night there was a distinct attitude of ‘if a driver gets angry and pulls a stupid overtake then we’re partly to blame’

This idea that cyclists are contributing to their own abuse seems to go pretty deep. After yet another near injury/death experience this week from a driver who took exception to me simply being in the road, I’m taking time out from riding on my own, and only in club groups. The bad attitudes/utter ignorance is scaring me now…

I’m the other way around, I dislike riding in groups because of the extra aggro it causes, not unreasonably, so many groups are an unruly mess on the roads!

it’s like bad driving is accepted as common place and the norm so there for roads are dangerous and anyone who chooses to cycle on them are taking their life into their own hands.

If someone is knocked off their bike and hurt the police should investigate and find who’s at fault and prosecute even if it turns out to be the cyclist.
I was stood in front of the judge in a body brace and on crutches when I got done.

In my lifetime I have seen a real shift in public attitude towards drink driving and speeding, from we all do it to outrage.
But peoples attitude to road safety towards cyclist is terrible to the point it is acceptable to publically announce a hatred of cyclist and wish them harm and more likely have someone join in than be berrated for it.
This may be casual banter in reality because I can not see anyone want to deliberately mow down a cyclist, but there is distinct attitude of bloody cyclists getting in the way rather than cyclists have as much right to be on the road.

So, another day after the accident and mrs mog is getting more bruises popping up, stiffer, but in good humour.
My fears about the driver are now confirmed. By the second ‘deadline’ to give me his details I still have nothing. I’ve sent him a text (wanted it recorded) explaining that I was now reporting it back to the police. That was at 3pm today and I’ve had no reply. I’ve tried to contact the policeman who gave us his details but he’s off duty so will contact us tomorrow.
It turns out the driver’s father turned up while we were in the ambulance, gave him a telling off and then left again. Seems wierd. Obviously we now think the worse and assume he has no insurance, which is why dad rollocked him and left and why he’s not giving us his details.
One of the witnesses also told us today that they didn’t breathalise him (may not have had reason to) as they didn’t have a kit in the van and nobody checked his car at all as he’d moved it to a nearby pub car park. None of that seems right to me?
Beginning to get a bad, frustrated feeling about this.
But….she’s still here (although the bloody bake off is on the tv!).

skellnonch – can you drop me an email? I’ll add my address to my profile now……. Cheers

have nothing of worth to add except i wish your wife a speedy recovery,am glad she is reasonably ok.

Cheers raceface, that’s the bigger picture. My immediate worry is over as the pc contact has just emailed me to confirm the driver was insured and has told me I’ll have details on Monday, when he’s next in.
Part of me thinks the driver is an even bigger nuisance now as he’s obviously just ignoring me, can’t think why you’d wait for the police to call for the details when you could just supply them? People, eh?
Although curiosity has got the better of me and I’ve googled his facebook page, which was pretty much exactly as I thought it would be.

Although curiosity has got the better of me and I’ve googled his facebook page, which was pretty much exactly as I thought it would be.

Just a picture of a massive cock? 🙂

@ wonkey donkey – genius!

which was pretty much exactly as I thought it would be.

a load of ill-informed anti-cyclist drivel? If so, maybe a screen dump to pass to the Police as evidence that he’s not of good character?

Nothing anti cycling on it, more just summed up what he and his mates are like. I kind of get the feeling he may be dining out on causing the accident. But I may be wrong.
Wonkey donkey – in my mind, yes!