My son got hit on his bike *Update post 37*

[lucyanna girl]

I'm so sorry you have more stress in your life right now.

Thank goodness your son wasn't hurt worse and will be alright.

Maybe every once in a while unconditional support for each other is the way to go here on the Dis. There is plenty of time to argue and pick posts apart and to decide that we aren't "getting the whole story".

Penny

 

[kirstenb1]

Exactly.

There are only three important things here:
1) That the biker rider recover fully
2) That a determination of fault be made to determine who covers his medical expenses.
3)That the identity of the other vehicle be identified.


The law requires parties involved in an accident to exchange information, that's a two way path. Both failed to do that. I think most District Attorneys would pass on prosecuting that because they would have to charge both parties, and that doesn't benefit anyone.

smart, nonjudgmental post. I've been in a couple of car accidents. One where I was more lucid than the other person. One, thank god, where other people looked out for me and kept everyone safe until the police could arrive(and that was the one I was at fault in--I was so consumed with guilt, I couldn't process anything).

 

[Talking Hands]

Sorry to hear about your sons injuries. I hope they heal quickly. Tell Him I said to use the time to practice his fingerspelling with his uninjured hand and to remember he can always sign one handed if he wants. Deaf people do it all the time.

 

[MushyMushy]

People are just looking at this as outsiders with no emotions and LOGIC. Her son said he was fine, accepted a ride from the man who hit him and got no information whatsoever from the man.

OP is very upset at the man and said that "he creamed him" was going into the police report. Her son is not 16 years old, he is 23 for goodness sakes! He is old enough to take some responsibility here, it was not very smart to not call the police and get NO information. I could understand if he suffered from a brain injury, but his mental state was not altered.

I just find it wrong to paint the guy that was driving the truck as a villian, he sounds like a nice guy, who just had an accident.

JMO, from a diser going off just logic alone.

Nice guys who have accidents STILL need to face the consequences of their actions. Nobody said he was a villain. Nobody said he needs to be punished for this, just that he might possibly be. I don't believe he would be, especially considering the fact that he stopped and gave the young man a ride, but he still needs to be found for financial responsibility if he's truly at fault for this.

I can't believe anyone sees anything wrong with her son trying to find the guy to get his insurance information! Why on earth do any of us even have car insurance if not to cover us in accidents? I've never been at fault for an accident, so I can honestly say I might do the same thing that driver did -- take the boy's word for it, drive him where he needs to go, and go on home myself. But that wouldn't make me any less at fault.

Sorry, but I don't see any "logic" in bringing up the fact that Phors' son isn't 16. I don't care if her son is 16 or 60, she's still his mother and is worried about his accident. Wouldn't you be? Wouldn't that be, logically speaking, logical?

 

[monsterkitty]

People are just looking at this as outsiders with no emotions and LOGIC. Her son said he was fine, accepted a ride from the man who hit him and got no information whatsoever from the man.

OP is very upset at the man and said that "he creamed him" was going into the police report. Her son is not 16 years old, he is 23 for goodness sakes! He is old enough to take some responsibility here, it was not very smart to not call the police and get NO information. I could understand if he suffered from a brain injury, but his mental state was not altered.

I just find it wrong to paint the guy that was driving the truck as a villian, he sounds like a nice guy, who just had an accident.

JMO, from a diser going off just logic alone.

He did have a head injury. His mental state was altered by the shock and the injury. Those with head injuries may not know about the injury as you really can't see inside the head.

Have you ever asked a person with a possible head injury a simple question? Such as, "who is the president?" or "what day is it?" If you have any paramedic or firefighter friends ask them if they have had any bizare answers to easy questions from a person who doesn't present with a head injury. Who was the actress who fell while skiing, hit her head, and died hours after claiming she was fine?

Hugs to 4s and her son.

 

[MushyMushy]

He did have a head injury. His mental state was altered by the shock and the injury. Those with head injuries may not know about the injury as you really can't see inside the head.

Have you ever asked a person with a possible head injury a simple question? Such as, "who is the president?" or "what day is it?" If you have any paramedic or firefighter friends ask them if they have had any bizare answers to easy questions from a person who doesn't present with a head injury. Who was the actress who fell while skiing, hit her head, and died hours after claiming she was fine?

Hugs to 4s and her son.

Natasha Richardson. So sad.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

I know what I am about to say will rub the OP and some of the respondants the wrong way, but my experience with young bicycle riders, 20's to 30's is that they have no respect for the rules of the road. I know many bicyclists that run through stop signs and red lights like they are a priviledged and protected species. If a sane and comprehensive investigation takes place, the truth should come out. I'll bet the responsibility will be 50-50.

 

[DaParkers]

I'm so sorry you have more stress in your life right now.

Thank goodness your son wasn't hurt worse and will be alright.

Maybe every once in a while unconditional support for each other is the way to go here on the Dis. There is plenty of time to argue and pick posts apart and to decide that we aren't "getting the whole story".

Penny

Most that disagreed with the driver being charged said that they wish her son well. Isn't that supportive? Support does not mean agreeing with a person. This is a "Public" forum. You have to expect to get opposing views, even if they're insensitive. The OP is emotionally vested in this situation. Her son is hurt and she wants someone to pay. I don't begrudge her for that. That's human nature. But, that feeling does not mean that her son was not at fault either. I wasn't there, so I have no opinion of "Who's at fault". I just think that some of us have an unrealistic expectation of support from strangers. Some families don't give unconditional support in all situations. JMO

 

[Ceila]

I know what I am about to say will rub the OP and some of the respondants the wrong way, but my experience with young bicycle riders, 20's to 30's is that they have no respect for the rules of the road. I know many bicyclists that run through stop signs and red lights like they are a priviledged and protected species. If a sane and comprehensive investigation takes place, the truth should come out. I'll bet the responsibility will be 50-50.

And I know many that do follow the rules of the road, and I've seen older ones who do not.

My husband rides all the time, and he and his friends get really pissed off at those who don't follow the law. It makes the rest of them look bad. But to ASSume that the fault is 50-50 is wrong. You don't know the circumstances.

To suggest that perhaps her son might have contributed to the accident? That's fair. We don't know what happened, and even good cyclists make mistakes, just as good car drivers do. But to "bet the responsibility will be 50-50" is completely rude and uncalled for.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I'm so sorry you have more stress in your life right now.

Thank goodness your son wasn't hurt worse and will be alright.

Maybe every once in a while unconditional support for each other is the way to go here on the Dis. There is plenty of time to argue and pick posts apart and to decide that we aren't "getting the whole story".

Penny

I totally agree with you.

There has been a lot of sympathy for the "nice" driver and not so much for the OP's injured son. Her injured son was criticized for not calling the police and not getting information from the "nice" driver. The son's responsibility has been debated here. He was injured! I think that really crosses the line of decency.

This isn't a fictional case. Why pick at a scab of a person that is hurting?? Is it a sport for some people? If you don't agree with the OP, fine but can't you do it in a way that isn't hurtful? Why speculate that the son is at fault and "not so smart"? It's just wrong! Being on a public forum doesn't excuse being rude and insensitive. I dare say you, (general you) would not say those things to someone's face, but you can hide behind a computer and hurl such mean spirited things with ease. It's shameful.

The OP and her son will gather the information that is needed. That's the process of determining culpability. Why would someone criticize her for that? Would you pay medical bills that were incurred through no fault of your own, because someone "nice" hit you? I'm sorry, but that is nuts! People feel the need to continually defend the driver. The message from those posters was delivered. There is no need to continue to hurt the OP. She is gathering the information. If there is no case, the driver doesn't need defending.

Think of the person you are responding to. She is hurting. Her son is injured. She could have lost him! Show some compassion, people!

Geesh.

 

[surfgirl]

There has been a lot of sympathy for the "nice" driver and not so much for the OP's injured son. .

bullpucky. I don't believe there is "sympathy" for the driver, I believe there is empathy, that maybe he was upset, too. I said it before and I'll say it again... I"m sorry your son was hurt to the OP. Having said that, I still choose to disagree with her viewpoint.



If Chris' only intent on tracking down the driver is to get his insurance, why was there so much discussion of calling the police and discussion of the alleged "crime" ? I wasn't there, I don't know what happened, but it sounds like an accident. Both should have called the police. Your son is subject to the same rules and regulations on the road... so he was "traumatized" and didn't know to exchange information. Maybe, just maybe the driver was traumatized also. That is the point that many are making that you refuse to see.

I guess I need to say it again... I'm sorry your son was hurt. I'm expressing sympathy for him and your family.

 

[OceanAnnie]

bullpucky. I don't believe there is "sympathy" for the driver, I believe there is empathy, that maybe he was upset, too. I said it before and I'll say it again... I"m sorry your son was hurt to the OP. Having said that, I still choose to disagree with her viewpoint.



If Chris' only intent on tracking down the driver is to get his insurance, why was there so much discussion of calling the police and discussion of the alleged "crime" ? I wasn't there, I don't know what happened, but it sounds like an accident. Both should have called the police. Your son is subject to the same rules and regulations on the road... so he was "traumatized" and didn't know to exchange information. Maybe, just maybe the driver was traumatized also. That is the point that many are making that you refuse to see.

I guess I need to say it again... I'm sorry your son was hurt. I'm expressing sympathy for him and your family.

I don't know, but it I would guess that the insurance company won't pay for the medical expenses unless it's documented by the police.

 

[Zerosinthecloset]

And I know many that do follow the rules of the road, and I've seen older ones who do not.

My husband rides all the time, and he and his friends get really pissed off at those who don't follow the law. It makes the rest of them look bad. But to ASSume that the fault is 50-50 is wrong. You don't know the circumstances.

To suggest that perhaps her son might have contributed to the accident? That's fair. We don't know what happened, and even good cyclists make mistakes, just as good car drivers do. But to "bet the responsibility will be 50-50" is completely rude and uncalled for.

You are absolutely right, no one knows the real circumstances of this event. Ganging up on the driver of the vehicle is premature, and I doubt we will ever know the full and complete story. Whether you think my comment regarding 50-50 responsibility is rude or not is your perogative, but the truth always resides between the two extremes.

One thing I have not read in however many pages this thread has been going on is, was the young man wearing a helmet?

 

[BCDisneyFanatic]

One thing I have not read in however many pages this thread has been going on is, was the young man wearing a helmet?

Perhaps you should reread the very first two lines of the original post.

 

[surfgirl]

I don't know, but it I would guess that the insurance company won't pay for the medical expenses unless it's documented by the police.

oooh ooooh oooh, I know this answer !

Typically, the insurance will pay and they will subrogate to cover their costs. Basically, that means they sue the other party to recover their costs. As an individual, you are not responsible for trying to recover the money... that is what your insurance is for.

Your son will most likely receive such a form. He is expected to fill it out to the best of his knowledge and fill it out truthfully. He is not expected to contact the driver's place of employment, "hang around" (not stalk) around the same intersection, or track down any witnesses to determine the driver's identity. However, if those same parties state that he blew through the stop sign (for example... not insinuating that he did), he will be assigned a percentage of fault and that will be applied to any costs recovered.

His medical bills *should* be covered by his insurance. However, if the driver was found at fault, he could be responsible for any deductibles. Or if the driver was 100% liable, his insurance could be responsible for all medical bills.

OP, I"m sorry this happened to your son.

 

[L107ANGEL]

Wow!!! Just wow!!!!
Sorry your son is hurt 4s

 

[OceanAnnie]

oooh ooooh oooh, I know this answer !

Typically, the insurance will pay and they will subrogate to cover their costs. Basically, that means they sue the other party to recover their costs. As an individual, you are not responsible for trying to recover the money... that is what your insurance is for.

Your son will most likely receive such a form. He is expected to fill it out to the best of his knowledge and fill it out truthfully. He is not expected to contact the driver's place of employment, "hang around" (not stalk) around the same intersection, or track down any witnesses to determine the driver's identity. However, if those same parties state that he blew through the stop sign (for example... not insinuating that he did), he will be assigned a percentage of fault and that will be applied to any costs recovered.

His medical bills *should* be covered by his insurance. However, if the driver was found at fault, he could be responsible for any deductibles. Or if the driver was 100% liable, his insurance could be responsible for all medical bills.

OP, I"m sorry this happened to your son.

The OP has to get the information in order to have the process started.

Your compassion is stunning.

 

[Ceila]

Whether you think my comment regarding 50-50 responsibility is rude or not is your perogative, but the truth always resides between the two extremes.

Actually, no, it doesn't "always" reside between the extremes. Sometimes one person is completely at fault and one is completely innocent.

Since we don't know the facts, you have no business assuming that they both MUST have been at fault. Again, there would be nothing wrong with suggesting that perhaps he shared some responsibility, but that is not what you did.

 

[HonnyDipp]

To the OP. I'm so glad your baby is ok! I know he's 23, but he's still your boy. Sending hugs! Hang in there Mama!

 

[L107ANGEL]

The OP has to get the information in order to have the process started.

Your compassion is stunning.

Yep