Accident causing broken front wheel - what do I do?

[Aussie Rider in London]

Had an accident today heading down Jewell's Hill toward Saltbox Hill today. I'm fine, but my front wheel is completely bent and unusable. Don't think there's any damage to the frame, but will take to LBS to check.

Driver overtook me around a hard shoulder, then drove into a blind corner and stopped for oncoming traffic, leaving me no space to go. I opted for hitting the wall/side of the road instead of going through the back of the car, and ended up bending the front wheel while my back wheel hit the back of the car.

After making sure I was ok the driver gave me phone number and I took license plate, but didn't want to show me her drivers license. While waiting for my wife to come pick me up I get a call from the driver wondering who on earth had called them (after I had dialled to make sure it wasn't a fake number), and I answered, and asked her to send through a photo of her drivers license so that I could report the incident to the police. Once that happened, she drove back with her husband in the passenger seat.

They were by no means trying to intimidate, but I get the feeling that she was flustered after the incident and tried to drive off. When they arrived back at the scene 20 minutes later they first asked if I was ok, then took a photo of the bike and said that the car would have recorded the incident as it has a rear camera. I asked again to see her drivers license, but was given the response that all her details are linked to the registration of the car, and they took off again.

I am in the process of lodging a report of the accident, but wondering what legal options I have in a scenario like this where my bike is severely damaged, I am not a member of a cycling organisation that provides insurance or cover, and apart from car registration, mobile number and first name of the driver have no other details.

 

[vickster]

General advice here
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/accident-advice.226114/

Do you have legal cover through home or motor insurance or any sort of employee support programme through work?

You have up to 6 years to pursue a claim against the drivers insurance for damage to property

 

[Smokin Joe]

From your description of the accident it appears to have been your own fault. If the driver stopped after the corner and you couldn't then you were going too fast for the conditions.

Perhaps a more detailed account of what happened with a streetview picture of the area might make it clearer.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

^Would agree with the above, you would be at fault here - kick up a fuss at your own peril.

 

[rualexander]

You don't need to see her driving licence, but you should have asked for her insurance company details.

 

[Cycleops]

Sorry, not a nice thing to happen. If you'd ridden into the back of her car damaging it she would be the one claiming on your insurance. If someone does something silly/unexpected in front of you it's down to you for not leaving sufficient space/being prepared to avoid.

 

[PaulSB]

I don't fully understand your second paragraph which describes the incident but it appears you were unable to stop when the vehicle in front did.

You'll have a hard time proving this is the driver's fault.

 

[Aussie Rider in London]

From your description of the accident it appears to have been your own fault. If the driver stopped after the corner and you couldn't then you were going too fast for the conditions.

Perhaps a more detailed account of what happened with a streetview picture of the area might make it clearer.

^Would agree with the above, you would be at fault here - kick up a fuss at your own peril.

My main concern is the time in between her passing me and coming to a complete stop due to the blind corner, and the fact that the driver shouldn't overtake if they can't see the space.

Streetview below. Where the arrow is was where the driver overtook me, at the front of the bus is where they came to a complete stop.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

You were also close enough to the car to hit it, which is on you. I'm being harsh here because I have been in the same position and lost.

Approaching from the rear and hitting something is always your fault

 

[vickster]

That looks like quite a big gap between the overtake and the driver stopping. How fast were you going?

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Sounds to me like the driver made a hasty overtake and then abruptly stopped, giving the rider no chance.
If there is video from the car it’ll make it easier to determine what happened. I’ll be very surprised if it materialises and there isn’t some excuse about it not having recorded at the crucial point.

 

[BurningLegs]

My main concern is the time in between her passing me and coming to a complete stop due to the blind corner, and the fact that the driver shouldn't overtake if they can't see the space.

I have a lot of sympathy for you on this, but it will be one that a car insurer is likely to fight hard.

I assume you feel that without the overtake you could/would have stopped in time for the queue at the blind corner? But a counter to that would be that you could have slowed as you were overtaken to ensure you kept that safe stopping distance.

 

[Aussie Rider in London]

That looks like quite a big gap between the overtake and the driver stopping. How fast were you going?

Probably about 20km/h, the issue is it's a 17 percent gradient downhill.

Edit: have checked the Garmin file and was 23km/h.

 

[Aussie Rider in London]

I have a lot of sympathy for you on this, but it will be one that a car insurer is likely to fight hard.

I assume you feel that without the overtake you could/would have stopped in time for the queue at the blind corner? But a counter to that would be that you could have slowed as you were overtaken to ensure you kept that safe stopping distance.

Yep, having watched the traffic there were no other cars there and having ridden that road before I know there's plenty of space for two cars to go opposite directions.

As others have pointed out, sounds like I don't really have a leg to stand on, which I find a shame as without a dangerous overtake there would have been no issue in the first place.

 

[Cycleops]

Sorry but I don't hold out much hope getting the front wheel cost back from her insurers. All you can do is appeal to the drivers better nature and and ask her to cough up.