My only hope...

Zoot Katz wrote:
On 6 Nov 2006 18:22:32 -0800, "Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman"
wrote:

$100 for an ambulance ride? You got to be kidding!

A five minute ambulance ride (at the insistence of my misguided
co-workers) cost over $400 and the five minute check-up by the doctor
at the emergency room (with no treatment) cost over $600.

My ambulance ride took ~35 minutes after waiting about forty. I
figure it saved me maybe two hours crawling to hospital where I spent
the next 65 hrs.

Two month later I got a bill from the ambulance service for $58 and
change. That's all the ordeal cost me and I get to keep the titanium
tibia forever!

I paid the $1,000 deductible and my insurance covered the other $90 of
the bill.

--
Tom Sherman - Post Free or Die!

On 6 Nov 2006 16:31:55 -0800, "landotter"
wrote:

One of my least favorite situations are people that are blinking to
take a left turn in front of you. They're in a center lane and start
turning before you can get by. So you really can't tell if they're
gonna cut you off or not. So you slow down. They turn a little bit
more. You slow down some more. Finally they get ****ed and cut you
off--on purpose. Jeez, you'll get there soon enough w/o the turn creep.

In those situations I stand up figuring that it makes me more
visible, conveys that I'm definitely exercising my right of way, and
also suggests that I'm hurrying to "get out of their way".
In the mean time I've moved more to the left, if possible, while
checking for escape options should they decide to fukup.

One of my friends recently bounced off the hood and windshield of a
left-turnig turdpack. Screwed up her bike bad, wrist not so bad and
cell phone totally. At least the scud scum stopped but she was in
shock so didn't get the witnesses contact information too. I'm afraid
she'll be getting ****t when it comes to recieving any compensation
for damages.
--
zk

landotter wrote:
nash wrote:
80% of bike accidents happen when a car at an intersection carelessly turns
infront of an oncoming cyclist.
Let's try to be 200% cautious knowing that. I know it stinks.


I assume that cars are going to blow the intersection when I have the
right of way. In my neighborhood, they do, something like 10 percent of
the time. Just stare through ya, or don't even look, and blast through
at 30mph.

One of my least favorite situations are people that are blinking to
take a left turn in front of you. They're in a center lane and start
turning before you can get by. So you really can't tell if they're
gonna cut you off or not. So you slow down. They turn a little bit
more. You slow down some more. Finally they get ****ed and cut you
off--on purpose. Jeez, you'll get there soon enough w/o the turn creep.


I think that was my pretty much a watered-down version of my situation,
only I was going downhill and didn't seem him myself until late in the
game b/c of the SUV that was just in front of my in the other lane.

--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the f to ph to reply:.

"Zoot Katz" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:20:27 GMT, "nash"
wrote:

Ouch. And you still ride. Rave on.
If you had 100% medical it would have cost you Zilch but that is in
Canada.

I do live in Beautiful BC.
That's the "user fee" associated with an ambulance ride.

Of course I ride. It's what cyclists do.
--
zk
My medical paid 40 of the 50 I was charged by the ambulance. I know you are
Canadian and my medical is only 80% while others may have more or less.
Depends on what your policy covers.

Pat Lamb wrote:
Bob wrote:
Personally, I wouldn't be too quick to hire an attorney and file a
civil suit. If you appear in court to testify against him when the
criminal case is up the judge can order restitution. Many judges do
just that as a matter of course. Talk to the prosecutor beforehand.

Bob, is that the law in Georgia, or just in your state? If I understand
correctly from the lawyers of my acquaintance, the norm here is to use
the criminal conviction as prima facie evidence in a subsequent civil
case for damages/restitution.


AFAIK every State allows judges to order convicted persons to make
restitution to their victims. That doesn't preclude an injured party
from filing a civil suit and yes, a conviction in a criminal trial is
often very persuasive evidence in a subsequent civil suit. There's a
difference though between restitution and "damages". When people say
they are suing for "damages" they are usually asking for a punitive
award. In short, a criminal trial can result in restitution and a fine
payable to the court while a civil suit can result in restitution and a
punitive award payable to the injured party. It seemed pretty clear to
me that the OP wasn't interested in extracting a pound of flesh, just
in being made whole again. Restitution can do that so my advice remains
the same.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Zoot Katz wrote:
On 6 Nov 2006 18:22:32 -0800, "Johnny Sunset aka Tom Sherman"
wrote:

$100 for an ambulance ride? You got to be kidding!

A five minute ambulance ride (at the insistence of my misguided
co-workers) cost over $400 and the five minute check-up by the doctor
at the emergency room (with no treatment) cost over $600.

My ambulance ride took ~35 minutes after waiting about forty. I
figure it saved me maybe two hours crawling to hospital where I spent
the next 65 hrs.

Two month later I got a bill from the ambulance service for $58 and
change. That's all the ordeal cost me and I get to keep the titanium
tibia forever!
--
zk

Titanium, huh? Closet weight weenie. ;-)

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Paul Hobson wrote:
...is that the children who were riding with their dad (when they saw
him hit me, get out to move my bike out of his way as I lay on the
ground, and then drive off) don't grow up thinking that what he did is
acceptable behavior.

Wow, that's pretty cold-hearted on his part. To do it with kids in the
car and everything.

I'm fine btw. My Bianchi frame is toast, but everything on it is fine.
I'll be riding the train for a few months though as it looks like my
left wrist may need surgery.

So many of my fellow cyclists have been maiming themselves we have
started a thread called "newest member of the one hand party van". Lots
of broken collarbones and arm fractures. God d**n it kids! Those metal
plates are *slick* in the wet. Only one car crash victim.

Good luck in your recovery and in any legal battles you choose to engage in.

--
Dane Buson -
"Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form
of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country
people's fashion." -On the Menu of a Polish Hotel

"Bob" wrote in news:1162958740.351874.236580
@b28g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

When people say
they are suing for "damages" they are usually asking for a punitive
award.

Unfortunately, the "ambulance chaser" lawyers have made that a true
statement, but it wasn't always so. Until recently, punitive damages were
rare and only for the most egregious actions by the defendants. Otherwise,
"damages" intended to make the plaintiff "whole" again rather than to make
them (and more typically - their attorneys) rich.

Sadly, this is no longer the case, and every tort case is assumed to be a
lottery ticket that lines the pockets of the lawyers and costs the rest of
us in higher prices for the goods, services and insurance we all buy.

Cheers,
David

Stephen Dimmick wrote:
Paul Hobson wrote:
...is that the children who were riding with their dad (when they saw
him hit me, get out to move my bike out of his way as I lay on the
ground, and then drive off) don't grow up thinking that what he did is
acceptable behavior.

I'm fine btw. My Bianchi frame is toast, but everything on it is fine.
I'll be riding the train for a few months though as it looks like my
left wrist may need surgery.

I'm really sorry to hear that, Paul. Last night a guy who used to work
at Intown Bikes stumbled into my house on crutches. He was hit at the
intersection of 10th & Techwood, and said the steel frame he was riding
at the time was bent into a pretzel-like mess. Lucky for him, though,
the girl who hit him felt downright awful about the accident and drove
him to the hospital, paid all medical expenses, and offered to buy him a
new bike.

Yeah. I took my wheels in to have Intown true them up and make sure
that they actually did survive the wreck. Mike mentioned him.

What sucks is that I was starting to think that Atlanta had gotten a lot
better for cycling the past year with the huge increase in its
popularity. I think that's still true in the sense that there's less
open hostility.

be safe
\\paul
--
Paul M. Hobson
Georgia Institute of Technology
..:change the f to ph to reply:.

Paul Hobson wrote:
...is that the children who were riding with their dad (when they saw
him hit me, get out to move my bike out of his way as I lay on the
ground, and then drive off) don't grow up thinking that what he did is
acceptable behavior.

sorry for the delayed reply - just couldn't believe this guy would just
walk away with it - that too in front of his kids. I see in your threads
you do not have much interest in pursuing for monetary benefit... but
ask for a judgement that he serve X hours in social service or manning a
school crossing or something - that way he will know have a chance to
learn how it is out there....

I'm fine btw. My Bianchi frame is toast, but everything on it is fine.
I'll be riding the train for a few months though as it looks like my
left wrist may need surgery.


glad that you are ok. get well soon.

+ravi

\\paul