From accident to recovery to court...

[thefollen]

Keeping this short, but obviously I can expand on anything if people are interested.

I didn't really post much about it but last July (6th) a driver cut straight across the front of me, I t-boned the side of the car, he accelerated off and I ended up with a grade 3 shoulder separation.

Anyhows, more or less fully recovered. No surgery, lifting more weights than before, but shoulder still occasionally aches mildly (have a bump too). Took a good 5 months before I was putting my shoulder properly through its paces down the gym again. Although, was back on the bike after 6-8 weeks.

Driver's (hired BMW) plate taken down by a black cab following directly behind who also served as an independent witness (I owe this man a lot!). As well as this he allowed me to sit in the cab to await the police and ambulance.

It went to court and the driver got: a £200 fine (£100 fine, £100 costs) and a 6 month disqualification. Bit lenient in my view considering the charges were driving without due care, failure to stop and failure to report. But hey, at least he didn't get away with it.

Currently in the midst of a civil claim, will see how that turns out! Especially as I'm freelance and it had me out of work for 5 weeks.

What's the point of me posting this I hear you cry? Well, guess something I felt I'd share, plus I'm good for advice if anyone has experienced similar relating to any aspect of my experiences.

 

[kishan]

glad the driver got some sort of punishment. hope you take him for every penny he has got and glad you have made a recovery.

 

[Hip Priest]

That seems incredibly lenient for leaving the scene of an accident.

Glad you're on the mend.

 

[BSRU]

That is far too lenient, as far as I remember its lots of points and a big fine just for not reporting a collision.

At least you back on your bike.

 

[BentMikey]

Wow, what an awful experience!!! OTOH it just goes to show how many good people are out there, that cabbie is the bomb! At least you have the criminal conviction behind your civil claim now, that should make it quite a bit easier I would imagine.

 

[Origamist]

Glad to hear that a)the Police/CPS pursued this, b)the taxi driver was an upstanding citizen, and c) you're recovering well.

The result sounds a bit lenient, but I as I know very little about sentencing guidelines, I don't know whether this is the norm for a "hit and run".

 

[TwickenhamCyclist]

As everyone else says, sounds a bit lenient given that it was a hit and run, glad you are recovering and nice to hear a positive thing about cabbie – I thought some of them must be human after all…

 

[dhd.evans]

Recently had a collision like this (2 weeks ago)and did a number on my shoulder also - glad to hear everything has turned out alright.

 

[gaz]

The courts applications of fines to careless/dangerous driving is laughable.
The owner that failed to provide the drivers details to the cops when he nearly rammed me from behind was given a larger penalty (fine wise) than any 'results' i have seen involving a collision.

Not supplying details should of course be pretty serious and have consequences but if you hit some and flee from the scene is that not worse?

 

[siadwell]

The courts applications of fines to careless/dangerous driving is laughable.
The owner that failed to provide the drivers details to the cops when he nearly rammed me from behind was given a larger penalty (fine wise) than any 'results' i have seen involving a collision.

Looks to me like the "justice" apparatus of this country is keen to protect its own importance. Witness the six month custodial sentence given to juror Theodora Dallas recently.

 

[CopperCyclist]

The courts applications of fines to careless/dangerous driving is laughable.
The owner that failed to provide the drivers details to the cops when he nearly rammed me from behind was given a larger penalty (fine wise) than any 'results' i have seen involving a collision.

Not supplying details should of course be pretty serious and have consequences but if you hit some and flee from the scene is that not worse?

Yes it is, but it's sort of a catch 22. If you make it more beneficial to refuse to supply details, no one will ever do it!

Either way, I fully agree, the sentence is far too lenient. Like Mikey says, at least with the criminal conviction you should have no problem at all with a civil claim, the only thing they can try arguing now is the price they pay you. Seek good legal advice and don't settle for less than you deserve! Hope you've made a full recovery.

 

[Jehannum]

In addition to the fine and costs, his insurance premium will rocket, and he'll have been fleeced by the hire company for the damage done to the hire car, hopefully. Eventually the sheer cost of motoring might just induce him drive more carefully?

Just my 2c

J.

 

[paulw1969]

thanks for sharing, bit lenient as far as i'm concerned.....but that our "justice" system ........at least your ok and glad your on the mend

 

[Jezston]

Refreshing to hear of a black cab driver being nice to a cyclist, though.

 

[Graham1426]

He may have gotten off lightly with £200 fine/cost, but that 6 month ban will cripple him next time he renews his insurance......great stuff