What can be done if you get knocked off your bike by a car?

[t0ph0id]

Just got back from a really nice ride, worst bit though was getting knocked off my bike by a Range Rover.

Got his details, he even came back and said, 'serves you right for cycling in the middle of the road, I only clipped you with the wing mirror anyway'

But what can I do? What will the police do if I report it to them?

[worstshotever]

Depends. Why not find out and let us know. Hopefully he gets arrested and prosecuted. More likely he gets a ticket. More likely still, nothing. But there's only one way to know for sure.....

[t0ph0id]

Depends. Why not find out and let us know. Hopefully he gets arrested and prosecuted. More likely he gets a ticket. More likely still, nothing. But there's only one way to know for sure.....

Reported now, just wondering if anyone's had prior experience.

I don't expect anything to happen to be honest.

[NS]

I got hit by a car back in May. I phoned the police, she had stopped, there were 2 witnesses. The police said as they hadn't seen it they couldn't do anything. I asked what they suggested I do. Their answer was to speak to a solicitor. I sued the driver or rather her insurers successfully for the best part of £6k + costs.
I think she will look in future.

[Roobay]

its actually against the law not to report an accident...
i mean what happens (god forbid) if you go into a coma
due to a blood clot..
Does this guy just get away with it?
Report it to the police, then then in turn it WILL be investigated
And if he doesnt report it then he is in the wrong.
Im fed up of these bullies on the road, some one needs to set precendent

[NS]

No it isn't, if nobody is injured and details are exchanged there is no need to report an accident.

[principiamacb]

were theres blame theres a claim.

[t0ph0id]

I rang they police and they were pretty much uninterested.
Told me it was up to the driver to report it within 24hrs, but if I'm not supposed to, and he doesn't, then that's just it?

Have to go to the station on Monday to report it in person. Apart from a few scrapes and bruises I'm pretty much uninjured so I doubt anything will happen.

I did get the name and number of a woman who stopped and helped, but she didn't see it.

NS - Were you injured?

[stella-azzurra]

First off, when you get into an accident you and you are able to get up from it you call the police or have someone call the police while the person that hit you waits there.
You make your statements to the police and not the driver.
You get witnesses at the scene to make statements on what they saw.

That is what should happen but most of the time it doesn't.

You either get a driver that checks you out and if you are argumentative they drive out of there.
You get a driver that helps you out and settles the accident with you or through their insurance company
You will have to rely on someone else to be a witness to the accident and prove your story. Even then it's questionable based on the severity of the accident. Unfortunately the more severe the better the chances are that you have a case.

[NS]

I trapped a nerve in my back and twisted my knee my rear wheel was damaged and my frame was scratched. Solicitor claimed for a new frame new wheel and the cost of the bike being rebuilt they also claimed for personal injury. All I did was fill out the form I left the rest up to them and my LBS.

[Geoff]

That happened to a friend of mine. The guy sped off after flipping us the 'bird', so we called another guy I know in Traffic Division at CPS. I understand that he was charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Because he was a professional driver (trucker on his day off), they didn't suspend his licence, but he had to take a class, which took-up a lot of his otherwise free time.

[stella-azzurra]

Damn he got off easy.

[wcntan80]

Get a lawyer and sue the motherf*cker! But you need to have some sort of injury.....

[stella-azzurra]

Yeah someone like Jackie Chiles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpcEietI ... re=related

[Rick]

If you are in the USA, you definitely should have reported this immediately.
Carrying a cell phone on rides is cheap insurance for a lot of things that might happen.