Had my first real accident... yet another update!

[LeeR]

Oh here goes cathartic mode on, Friday whilst on the commute to work in Avonmouth I collided with a truck. It's difficult to explain but there's a major junction on the A38 south of Gloucester city that was remodelled recently to incorporate a new road. Anyway I'd cleared the first set of lights off the new road which meant I was in the right-hand of two lanes. I was approaching the new layout and as the next set of lights were red, the right-hand lane was full. There was no traffic on the junction or behind me so I moved into the left hand lane, because I didn't want to sit exposed on the junction. Ahead of me was a truck waiting behind a "keep clear" section, as was the car along-side him. This "keep clear" section runs diagonally left to right in a '/' direction. This is a filter lane to allow buses leaving the city to cross the junction for ahead only traffic, and join the further 2 lanes on the right to turn right and head down to Quedgely.

So as the lights were red and I'd memorised the sequence I knew I had enough time to filter to the front. The truck driver seemed to have a different idea, I was still moving when I made my decision to filter but he had most definitely stopped. I continued braking and changed down, I was either in 2nd or 3rd and doing about 20-25mph as I began to move between him on the left and the cars on the right. I looked in his mirror and saw him, then his front wheel turns out across my path, my thoughts were "What's he doing?" I slowed more and moved further right. Then I think, and I say think because I'm not entirely sure but I remember my reaction "Oh no!" as he physically moved right closing my path completely.

"Oh no", was a phrase that went through my mind at least a dozen times as first I struck his protruding wheel crushing my left foot between his wheel and my bike. Then as the bike stopped I was flung over the bars and right, over and clearing completely the bonnet of the car alongside. White light is all I remember as I flew then struck the tarmac and rolled in the "keep clear" zone, and the lights were still red.

As I writhed in agony a very concerned crowd gathered around me, the truck driver came over and started talking to me, he held my hand as I groaned and cursed. Things got better as the adrenaline kicked in but I knew either my ankle or foot was busted. I could lift my leg and I was rolling and writhing like a good 'un. Anyway I'm a bit confused as to what exactly happened next but in short, I got them to loosen my clothing and un-do my back protector waist belt as I was struggling to breathe. A doctor, a G.P., stopped and we spoke, I told him I wanted my helmet off, he refused to do it but said I could do it if I had no back or neck injury. I took my helmet off and the air never tasted sweeter, but it was a bittersweet moment as the adrenaline was wearing off, and I had clearly broken something.

They all stayed with me until the ambulance arrived and I lifted myself onto the stretcher. In the ambulance I was given entonox (gas & air) which was very, very odd and was difficult to self regulate, take it constantly and you end up feeling sick, stop and the effect immediately wears off. In A&E I continued the entonox which gave me bouts of emotional highs and lows; I was crying like a baby one minute and laughing like a loon the next, I mean how is a guy's name "funny"... weird?

I was asked to quantify my pain on a scale of 1 - 10, I said 7 or 8, the paramedic said you must have kids. How can you say 10 when you've never given birth, I knew I'd never live it down... Throughout all this my mind was sharp and focused though bits are hazy now and bits are a complete blank. I do know that I had a nasty turn in A&E after being given a second dose of Morphine (20mg total) basically I was turning blue and leaving this realm, so they lay me down gave me oxygen and stopped poking me.

After the x-ray I was informed I had a complex and compound fracture to my left foot, but thankfully my ankle and heel were intact. I'd broken 4 metatarsals in 4 toes (excluding the 1st, big toe). So the 2nd and 3rd metatarsals were each snapped, the 4th has 3 breaks, and the 5th (the little toe) has 4 breaks. Nine breaks in total in one foot, plus the open wound where either the compression had caused the skin to burst, or a bone from the 5th metatarsal had punctured the skin.

The worst was yet to come, I'd had my boot taken off in the ambulance under entonox, and now they needed to set my foot. I tell you honestly 2 shots of morphine and entonox on demand were not "enough". Oh boy now that was a 10! My wife heard me arcoss the hospital concourse, I always wondered what they were doing to those poor unfortunates I heard screaming.

I got out of hospital last night, they'd kept me in to monitor my condition and make sure I didn't get an infection in my open wound. I was very well cared for, and even the food was edible. I've now got a huge cast, crutches, a 4 week sick note, and 6-8 weeks before I go to physiotherapy.

It appears I struck the wheel nuts of the truck wheel one breaking my foot and another bruising my shin, I have a few bumps and bruises on my shoulders I guess from where I landed. I'll not blather on but as I always ride in all the gear I consider it a worthwhile investment, especially the boots, which I was going to replace at the NEC bikeshow as I didn't think they offered enough protection. The boots have a small tear and some stitching has come undone, my trousers have a small rip on the shin.

Not much else to say except I'm glad I'm here, I'll not give up and to keep it in perspective... "it's only a broken foot"

Ride safe
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Dalemac]

Sounds like a pretty hard ordeal,glad your ok though mate, 9 breaks in your foot...bloodyhell that has gotta hurt.

The main ting is that your still here, and you will be able to ride again (if you choose to)

Take it the bike is written off?

take care mate,

Dale
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[LeeR]

Cheers Dale, not sure on the bike last time I saw it, it was lying between the truck and the car next to it. I know one of the levers was off as I saw someone pick it up, Carole Nash should have collected it by now and I'll ring them later and find out how it goes. It was lovely I'd only had it a month, Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom K2, I've never once felt anything emotional towards any of the cars I've owned but I actually felt a pang as I looked at it lying on the road, it was my ride
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Chriss]

Sorry to hear that, hope you get well soon.

Hate to ask it, but who do you feel fault will lay with, or are you just going to leave that to the insurance to argue about?
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[LeeR]

Thanks Chris, I'm resting up at home, bothering the missus...

I've spoken to the solicitor and as I said to her, I accept there were two vehicles involved in the accident and that I was the rider of the bike that struck the truck. But I'm not accepting blame and that's the politician's answer.

The solicitor reckons it'll depend on my speed and position etc... personally I've always acknowledge the premise in law that 1) you must be able to stop and 2) if you hit something you're usually in the wrong. Having said that, it was a perculiar manoeuvre he was pulling, even the policeman said he had no idea where the guy thought he was going or what his intent was. I think there's some speculation that he intended to either occupy the keep clear zone, or use the bus filter lane to move across to the next carriage-way and turn right.

If I get anything equal to, or better than 50/50 I'll be philosophically "happy"
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Chriss]

[iooi]

[LeeR]

[kawashima]

Ouch. Very unlucky... I hope you get well soon.

[st3v3]

Bloomin 'eck, good to hear your ok, hope the insurance isn't too hard on you and Best of luck with it.
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[LeeR]

Thanks chaps, bit of an update; I just spoke to the recovery driver he says it's missing a lever, a foot peg and is fairly scratched, but it's not leaking fluids. Even my tank-bag strap had been found and tied to the pillion grab-handle, bless I'm gonna have to buy the guys at Hi-Q a beer...
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[Philious]

Ouch dude thats put you out of action over christmas, my wrists still on the mend as i fractured it 3 weeks ago because some old lady didnt bother to look in my direction and pulled out on me.

Get well dude
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Previously; Honda XR125 - Yamaha DT125r - Aprilia Rs125 - Suzuki GS500e, Currently; Kawasaki ZX6R + ZX10R
Theory : Passed 28/7/09 Module 1: Passed 21/09/09 Module 2: Passed 23/09/09

[Ariel Badger]

Glad you are ok.
As you have time on your hands why not do a paint diagram for us to criticise?
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[LeeR]

You know for a moment I thought about it, I also thought about a google image but this new junction is so new it's not on the maps or websites. I also know that if there's no pictures it didn't happen...
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[deanoet]

Glad you are okay(ish) and seem to be in quite high spirits.

Hope you heal up well and fast.
Good luck with the insurance, but insurance is just money, your bones and body are harder to replace.

Dont over do it and listen to the docs and medical people. As much as we dont like to admit it they do tend to know best.

[MattHirst]

Ouch.....hope you get well soon mate

And these poofs that call them selves footballers cry for months about braking 1 toe
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It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, then it's bloody hilarious!!!

[repiV]

Sounds pretty awful, on the plus side though it could have been a lot worse for a lorry-motorbike interface. Get well soon.

[BorderHooner]

mend soon buddy
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Benelli. Happy as a pig in cacky.

[kitty kat]

hope you repair quickly, and as has been said at least you are still here and able to tell us about it.

good luck with the insurance
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Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[tintin]

LeeR - sorry to hear about your accident, as others have said the main thing is that you are basically OK. Bones will heal (slowly) and bikes can be mended - it could have been a lot worse.

When I was on a Bikesafe course one of the coppers said the thing he hated most was being too near lorries. When he overtook he would ride way over in the other lane and he hated filtering past them.

One of the guys I work with went down the inside of a lorry that was stationery, he was halfway past when it started turning left , caught him and his bike in the side bars. Luckily he was thrown clear, but his bike was dragged along the road. He somehow got a full payout on the lorries insurance (which surprised me).

Take care and keep taking the Glucosamine, it helps stop all my broken bits aching!

https://www.agestop.net/Agestop/product_detail.aspx?PID=259&CID=85
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The older I get the better I was

[Elz]

Good luck with the claim and get well soon matey
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"Burn rubber not your soul"

[Kris]

Get well soon dude

Feck knows what the lorry driver was up to. Next time remember to expect the unexpected and go a little slower into situations like that one...
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[Qube77]

Get well soon.
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Current Bike - Bandit 650s
Next Bike - ????

[McGee]

Wow, get well soon dude
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[LeeR]

Cheers everyone I really appreciate the goodwill.

tintin: I'll look into the Glucosamine, thanks for the info

Kris: I really thought I had been on top of the situation, clearly the result shows I wasn't 100% I'm kicking myself because it's cost me and I know I'm not as good as I thought I was. But in reality I knew I wasn't an excellent rider I was just getting to grips with the bike, the commute, and well everything; it's been a hard lesson well learned.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...