The Chainlink

So, I was hit by a car for the first time today.

Cut off at 26th and State by a CTA bus that passed me on the left and then pulled to the curb in front of me (not at an actual stop), I had to swerve around the rear of the bus to the left, where I was clipped by an oncoming car and dragged the length of the bus, pinched between the car and the bus. Incredibly, a police SUV pulled up to the intersection from 26th, and I was able to flag down the two officers, who were models of kindness and concern. The woman driving the car that hit me also stopped to see that I was okay. Here's the thing, though. As far as I was concerned, the woman who actually hit me was not at any fault, and I did not want to see her held liable for what I thought was the CTA driver's liablilty. But the bus driver just kept repeating "I didn't hit you. I didn't hit you." And it is true that he didn't. I waited around with the police and the woman who hit me for a while, thinking I needed some time to get a clear idea of whether I was seriously hurt or not and to make sure there were no serious damages to my bike. But in the end I decided not to file a police report, even though the police had taken the woman's information and the number of the CTA bus. I never gave them my name or information, in part because I didn't want the woman held liable, in part because it didn't seem necessary in the absence of injury or damages. I did the wrong thing, didn't I? I'm sitting here at home and I still seem okay, but the pain in my left knee is considerably more severe than it was immediately after I was hit and dragged. I'm pretty sure the only damage to my bike was to the bar tape, but I haven't had a chance yet to go over it in detail. I was able to ride it home after putting the chain back on and trying to realign the front fender, and it seems fine. But I am realizing that it is probably frequently the case that injuries or damages only become evident after some time has passed, and that I should have filed a police report in anticipation of that probability. This is the first time I have really been hit, and I have to confess that my impulse was just to let it go and move on, which was probably not the thing I should have done. I have paid much more attention to bike theft issues and "safety" concerns involving salmoning and sidewalk riding, and of course I never even considered that I would actually be hit and dragged by a car. Is there anything I can and should do after the fact--like try to contact the police who responded and complete a report, even though I also didn't bother getting their names or badge numbers (of course)? Or do I just serve as an object lesson for others and learn better what to do the next time this might happen? I stayed eerily calm throughout the whole ordeal, even though aware that it might not end as well as it did, but I guess I was rattled enough not to know what to do under what were pretty much the best circumstances.

The only real damage, I hope:

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 25, 2011 at 12:17am

Jeff,

Based on what I've seen I don't believe this is completely accurate.  Or, I guess there's no arguing with a statement beginning with "I've never seen any evidence. . ."  Do you have some sort of insider knowledge of CTA internal procedures? Just trying to figure out what this assessment is based on so I can decide what to take away from it.

Thanks.

 

Jeff Markus said:

 

I have never seen the CTA show any signs they wish to assure their drivers and supervisors are capable of doing what's needed to stimulate the drivers to be better, rather all they have at their disp[osal is draconian measures meant to remove drivers...they have no stepped process to revitalize a driver into a better driver. Because they dare not lose the number of drivers that their dramatic reactionary discipline would put out of commission they tend to ignore any but the most dramatic errors before involving the management and union layers of their discipline.

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 25, 2011 at 12:20am

I don't know about the "next day" thing but it's fairly frequent to only become aware of serious injuries after the initial adrenaline rush wears off.

Buycyling magazine used to run fairly frequent "what to do after a crash" articles (maybe they still do but I haven't read one in +/- 10 years) and one point of advice I agreed with was "don't get up after a crash."


S said:

 

Like Mike says, sometimes it takes a night's sleep for the injuries to appear.  It's hard to figure out how bad things are when you're amped up on adrenaline and not feeling much pain.  

Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on August 25, 2011 at 12:23am

Does this mean you don't intend to attempt to at least pass a complaint along to CTA?


I understand that you don't think the driver of the car should be held accountable, but have we ruled out the possibility of legal action against the CTA?


Moc Artsy said:

Thanks, Kevin, but I decided at the time that I would not be following up on this, and aside from a bruised left knee, I am unharmed and I'm pretty sure the bike is okay. My interest in posting this was really about trying to elicit a conversation I don't think we have had on Chainlink yet--which is a really comprehensive set of instructions for cyclists so that they know what to do if and when they are involved in a crash involving a car or a bus. We have done a pretty good job of setting out comprehensive instructions about bike theft, for instance, or bike registration, and I think the crash support group is extremely useful. But we haven't really set up a kind of checklist of what to do when you are involved in a crash. It's really easy in these situations to lose your composure a bit and fail to focus on further consequences beyond the immediate concerns about injuries or damages, and it just seems to me that if everyone were as well-versed in steps to take and things to be sure to do in the wake of a crash--assuming, of course, they are relatively unharmed and conscious--in the way they are about what to do if their bikes are stolen, we could set a template people could refer to in a time of crisis. Having come out of this relatively unscathed, I think my own example offers an opportunity to do so.


Kevin C said:

The only lawyer in the room is recommending this thread get taken down immediately.

 

Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on August 25, 2011 at 1:00am
Permalink Reply by roofis lee king on August 25, 2011 at 1:25am

glad to hear your ok, but your gonna be sore tomorrow.  i was hit while grabbing luch at work once and didnt want to be late so i didnt file a report.  The next day my knee locked up and was real jacked up for like a month.  My advice is even if you feel fine, be wary becuse it really does take a day or two for the effects of the crash to kick in, especially if your in shock , which most people are after getting hit.

 

Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on August 25, 2011 at 8:27am
I hope you don't need to.


Moc Artsy said:
Again, James, I have no intention of making a case or pursuing this through any legal channels.
Permalink Reply by John Wirtz on August 25, 2011 at 8:46am
From an engineering perspective, I would say you should always file a report because it helps us have more accurate data when we evaluate safety of roadways and come up with solutions.
Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 25, 2011 at 9:11am
Ok, so object lesson number two, I guess. Surprised to wake up in the middle of the night in pain on the left side of my pelvis, which I had not even realized was injured in any way, but which I suppose must have taken the worst of the impact. So, yes, injuries don't immediately become fully apparent. It doesn't seem to be serious, though, and I am otherwise OK, just a little sore in general. I am going to propose one serious post-crash imperative, though: Always complete a full police report, with complete information about yourself and the driver(s) involved. Do not assume that either you or your bicycle are unharmed based on your initial post-impact evaluation.
Permalink Reply by Moc Artsy on August 25, 2011 at 9:17am
Thanks Dan, I didn't realize they had posted this. I think this should be circulated more prominently so that riders have this information also BEFORE they are involved in a crash. Having this as part of the crash support FAQ is not unlike finding out you should record your serial number only after your bike has been stolen.

Dan Korn said:
Permalink Reply by Dan Korn on August 25, 2011 at 9:35am
Moc Artsy said:
Thanks Dan, I didn't realize they had posted this. I think this should be circulated more prominently so that riders have this information also BEFORE they are involved in a crash. Having this as part of the crash support FAQ is not unlike finding out you should record your serial number only after your bike has been stolen.

Dan Korn said:
You're right, but I'm not sure how else it could be circulated. It's been in the Derailleur 'zine before.  Hopefully some of that will still help you.  And hopefully someone else will see it here before their first crash.
Permalink Reply by yaj 7.4 on August 25, 2011 at 9:52am
That Active Trans post-crash list is a great resource.  I never knew about it before.
Permalink Reply by S.Presley☠ on August 25, 2011 at 9:56am

This is good information...

Make a police report and seek medical attention are the two most important things to remember. I just hope I have the frame of mind to take this advise when it happens to me.

 

Dan Korn said:

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