Driver overtook me with half a foot - Hit the curb and came off

[Pale Rider]

The OP's young age - 15 years I believe - may help in terms of police motivation.

 

[bozmandb9]

Sorry to hear about this James, I had a recent incident too. Might be worth considering joining British Cycling membership for the future, they help with legal representation in the event of incidents such as this.

I'm glad you're not letting it get you down, and are still keen to get out on your bike. Good on you!

 

[Arjimlad]

Get well soon and well done for getting out on the bike again. I hope the Police are helpful and find this moron.

 

[Accy cyclist]

It sounds to me like one of those evil moves designed to make you wobble and fall off. I've said it many times, if they can make you fall off without making contact with you they think they're in the clear. The scumbag who knocked me off in April thought he'd cut across my path at the last second but he miscalculated my speed and i hit his side. I'm glad in a way that he hit me because if he hadn't he'd have driven off with me in the road, pretending he had nothing to do with it.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Unfortunately a difficult one, and a surprisingly common event with motorcycles.

Car driver does something stupid, the rider crashes taking evasive action. Insurer says "Prove it was the driver", with no collision, unless you have vidoe, or very good witnesses, it's unfortunately going nowhere.

 

[raleighnut]

GWS fella
but remember to ride a bit further out into the road to give you that 'dive into' space. It may seem counter intuitive, but the further out into the road you are the safer you are (within sane limits of course ) but you need that 'space'.

 

[Saluki]

So sorry that you have had this happen to you, especially so early on in your cycling. Get well soon and get your Mum to contact the police again and see where they have got to.

Pleased that you are keen to get back out on your bike. Don't let the few idiots out there put you off.

 

[Saluki]

Unfortunately a difficult one, and a surprisingly common event with motorcycles.

Car driver does something stupid, the rider crashes taking evasive action. Insurer says "Prove it was the driver", with no collision, unless you have vidoe, or very good witnesses, it's unfortunately going nowhere.

I had an incident with a car driver, when I had a motorbike. Driver jumped a red and drove at me, I came off taking evasive action and did well over £500 of damage to the bike as it slid down the road. No CCTV everywhere then, but I did have a reliable witness (Off duty policeman) behind me who saw the whole thing. I still had to fork out to fix the bike as no contact actually made.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

I had an incident with a car driver, when I had a motorbike. Driver jumped a red and drove at me, I came off taking evasive action and did well over £500 of damage to the bike as it slid down the road. No CCTV everywhere then, but I did have a reliable witness (Off duty policeman) behind me who saw the whole thing. I still had to fork out to fix the bike as no contact actually made.

Thankfully, I have no first hand experience. But I hear that far too often from friends in that situation. It takes very good solicitors to get them to pay.

 

[TheJDog]

There is an insurance pool to cover damages and costs for incidents like this when the driver can't be found. You should contact the CAB or a solicitor about claiming for damage to clothes, bike, injury compensation if you feel it would be worth it.

 

[martint235]

There is an insurance pool to cover damages and costs for incidents like this when the driver can't be found. You should contact the CAB or a solicitor about claiming for damage to clothes, bike, injury compensation if you feel it would be worth it.

Is this insurance pool likely to pay out in a situation when if the driver were found, the insurance company would be unlikely to pay out?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

There is an insurance pool to cover damages and costs for incidents like this when the driver can't be found. You should contact the CAB or a solicitor about claiming for damage to clothes, bike, injury compensation if you feel it would be worth it.

You need to be able to identify a driver or a vehicle.

From the MIB website

"If you cannot identify the driver, try to identify the vehicle involved through any registration number you have been given. To make a claim for property damage you must be able to identify the vehicle that caused the accident."

 

[jonny jeez]

Oh James, that sounds a bit rough. Get well soon and take a look at the advice already offered, its sound.

Seems like your mum is on the case.

If she needs advice, suggest she pops a question in this thread, there is a wealth of experience on cyclechat

 

[martint235]

You need to be able to identify a driver or a vehicle.

From the MIB website

"If you cannot identify the driver, try to identify the vehicle involved through any registration number you have been given. To make a claim for property damage you must be able to identify the vehicle that caused the accident."

It's the "caused the accident" bit. After Emsworth, approx 20 witnesses, the insurance company said that although the van had passed the group closely while beeping loudly there had been no contact and therefore the van driver hadn't caused the accident.

 

[TheJDog]

You need to be able to identify a driver or a vehicle.

From the MIB website

"If you cannot identify the driver, try to identify the vehicle involved through any registration number you have been given. To make a claim for property damage you must be able to identify the vehicle that caused the accident."

Maybe OP wants to claim for a visible scar or something...