Hello everyone, I'm new on this site, and just thought i'd start a random conversation about whether or not you've ever been in a bike accident that indefinately wasn't your fault. As I have just recovered from one due to a dick smashing into the back of me at a junction and writing off my bike and injuring my right hand side of my body. The only good thing out of it of course was my shiney new bike, but there are people out there who really anger me and I want to punch their lights out for being so stupid and silly and ignorent because they think that 'They own the road' and that because i have 'L plates' I'm a leaner and I can't ride..................   Just thought it would be interesting to see if anyone has ever been in an accident. You can also post if it was your fault too.......   Up to you guys! =p                                                                                                                                                                             

Had a few that were my fault when I was younger, we all done the I can take that bend faster than you lol been took out by cars a couple of times just bent bike I've been ok so I will not tempt fate by completing the                                                                                                                                                                              

Welcome to the site Stacey ... wow thats a floodgate you have opened, there are lots of us on here that have had accidents both fault & non fault 

I have been lucky (so far) touch wood, I started riding 29 months ago, and the only accident I have had was very minor, whilst on a lesson we had a sudden thunder storm, I was headed in the rain to turn right onto a duel carriage way & as I did so hit a patch of diesel, sending the bike straight out from under me, yup I snatched the break & the next thing I remember the bike is on top of my foot. 

Lucky it was not a heavy bike & my instructor did the ... do you think you can ride for 5 mins to local supermarket so I can repair the break leaver. 

30 mins later we arrived , I did not realise the damage I had done till a couple of weeks later, by which time I could not walk with pain in my ankle, Mr P (my other half) insisted on taking me to hospital where we discovered I had damaged the ligaments & tendons. 6 weeks on crutches strapped up & then physiotherapy after. I still suffer now with a lump thats there from the damage & high heels cannot be worn for as long as I used to 

As I said very lucky thanks to some good boots, but it has taught me to be very aware of whats on the roads now, as well as if my bike skips out ... leave the breaks alone                                                                                                                                                                               

yep had a few spills when i had my wee yammy,,,,,,non of them my fault,, 1 was going mud being trailed across the road from one field to another,, 1 was diesel spill,, and the 3rd was a woman running across the road in front of me, she just leaped quiet literally onto the road hoping apparently to harm herself !"!!!! she only ended up making me come off my ped and the guy behind ran into it,,,she showed no remorse or anything,,, the air turned blue that day...

Only ever come off twice in the 30 years I have been riding!   Once was ice and snow in the days when we had proper winters!  (Not a fair weather rider, me!!)   The second was last year when I hit some diesel!!!    Only doing about 15 - 20 mph but did £400 damage to bike and I am still suffering the arm damage on my left side!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Whoahhh, It's actually quite amazing how little things can cause such big damage, and yes obviously because we're on bikes, we're at more danger and risk of being injured. But I just hate the stupidity of others- especially as BOODY mentioned about people with no remorse....It's fowl behaviour. Even yesterday on my bike I was almost crushed by a bus, and an idiot didn't check his mirrors on a dual carriage way (I was travelling at around 40-The speed limit there) and he pulled right into my direction, I was in his blind spot but he still didn't have the decency to check and I had to swerve and so did he. It's just so shocking.   And Shell I can't believe that something so little turned out so much for you, it's crazy stuff. The last thing i would want is to injure my legs and feet......oooh gives me shivers thinking about it!                                                                                                                                                                             

I've only had 1 accident. It wasn't my fault, an idiot pulled out from a junction when I was level with his bonnet, he pushed me across the road, bike went from under me, I hit the floor. Luckly only soft tissue damage but put me in hospital for a week, on crutches for a month and suffered so much pain. Best of it was while I was lying on the floor swearing at the prat who knocked me off, he had the cheek to tell me I shouldn't have been there and it was my fault funny how he changed his mind when the old bill arrived But on the plus side I did get a new bike out of it                                                                                                                                                                             

I've had 5. Three on the scooter and two on the bike. One when it was parked outside a clients house. The parked one was weird, the guy had decided I was too close to his parking spot so run it over (scooter). Cost him £1,758 as they had to give me a hire vehicle for my mobile care work. Serves him right   2nd (scooter) on Mansfield road nearly hit head on, I manouvered to the left to minimise the crash as I saw it coming, I always look as far as I can see and figure out whats going on where. He pulled out from behind a stationary car at high speed with no idication whilst chatting to his misses....Grrrr.   3rd (scooter) knocked off by a sparky in a hire van, he s..t himself offered to fix the scooter ( got my own tools thanks A .... ) I stopped for the lights four cars in front of me at a cross junction in Carlton near Thronton, Yes I did beep my horn to warn him before the impact, he was texting and admitted it. Grrrrrrr.   I am almost positive then when I was riding the scooter people used to aim for me, all because they dont like the colour yellow   4th (bike) Devonshire Rd on my way to work, pedestrian crossing thought I would let him pass rather than run him over, guess the car behind me wanted him so bad he was prepared to plough through me. So tempted to put his name up as he was taking a nice shiney new car to the new owner, His shop is in Poulton. Grrrrrrr   5th on the ( bike) Westmorland ave in Layton, stopped at traffic lights just were the Windmill pub used to be in Layton, the guy behind me flash car looking to left, inevitable straight up my a... Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.   It would seem drivers think my backside looks tempting to run over. Not good                                                                                                                                                                                 

OMG Justme101, that's a hell of a lot of bad experiences. Do you see what I mean though, people just don't give a s**t about us bikers. And we're the ones with 3 times more Hazard perception that car drivers, yet we still will get a fair wack.   I like the way people admit they're in the wrong though, at the end of the day if they're gunna pull out infront of us and think they're faster and better then it's their own problem.   When I got hit off my bike, the fella actually took out his wallet and offered me cash, and asked i didn't call the police. I was fumin, i wanted to knock him out in all honestly, How cheeky some people are GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR   LOL                                                                                                                                                                             

OMG Justme101, that's a hell of a lot of bad experiences. Do you see what I mean though, people just don't give a s**t about us bikers. And we're the ones with 3 times more Hazard perception that car drivers, yet we still will get a fair wack.   I like the way people admit they're in the wrong though, at the end of the day if they're gunna pull out infront of us and think they're faster and better then it's their own problem.   When I got hit off my bike, the fella actually took out his wallet and offered me cash, and asked i didn't call the police. I was fumin, i wanted to knock him out in all honestly, How cheeky some people are GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR   LOL                                                                                                                                                                             

Managed to get high sided off the pilly seat by a friendly van driver in my youth lol

Last year i got run over by a bike at the Farmyard Rally does that count lol
                                                                                                                                                                             

was that before or after you put that pot on your head Jackie lol   was told once all accidents are some ones fault ! not sure if thats true but normaly there avoidable .   been over the top of a van once but to be fare that was kinda my fault as the van i was following around a round about had to break sharp due to a car pulling out on him i didnt get chance to break hit my back on the corner of the roof while still holding the handle bars , i eventualy let go and landed in front of the van i was following ,  no injurys incured thank god !                                                                                                                                                                              

I could post mine on here, but I'm not sure how many characters you can get in one post!    Suffice to say, I've been knocked off a few times, had a blow-out as a pilly on the motorway, had the diesel spill straight after my Sportster's custom job was finished (oops - and I'd gone on a long ride following an argument with my ex who put it together).  I've also dropped bikes from standing on occasion from inexperience.  Not the best advert for bikers am I?                                                                                                                                                                             

Had a few and a few near misses, most recent was last year coming back from Rockingham on the A14 at Kettering, joined the rounderbout and a car decided he was gonna come into my lane parrallel with me. He got so close I managed to kick the side of his car, denting the back passenger door. He follows me so I stop, he asks for my insurance, to which I not so politely told him to do one as if he'd have kept coming into my lane, he may not being having this conversation at the time. Realising he was wrong and worried I think about the repercussions. He aplogised and went on his way. Result for me but there was deffo a touching cloth moment as he nearly collided with me.
                                                                                                                                                                             

Stacey , I think the only reason it got so bad is cos I was walking on it for a few weeks & it got worse & worse   (high heels didnt help apparently)                                                                                                                                                                              

I've only ever had 2 near misses, and they were both my fault.  Thanfully they WERE misses so I put them down to experience, learnt from them, and, fingers crossed, won't repeat them!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Apart from a couple of the usual bumps and spills on a 50 and 125 as a learner, I've only had one serious accident....but it was a biggie.

Dozy git in a car was in a rush to get home after his shift, and when coming out of a side road to the main road, he decided to cut in front of the guy that was turning right into his road. In so doing, he was driving head on into me and was totally oblivious to the fact, until there was a load bang and I expect a few crunches. I have no memory of it whatsoever, I've a 2 week blank in my memory from 10 minutes before until 2 weeks after when I was being weaned of the morphine in ITU and out of my tree courtesy of the NHS.
In hospital for 2 months, but on the sick for 3 years, and it took nearly a year before the inquest and I finally found out what happened.                                                                                                                                                                              

Hi Stacey and welcome to BM ....Well i have had 2 offs both not my fault.

1st was on A127 on way to Southend Shakedown traffic was heavy and I was in outside lane slowing to stop as I knew there were other bikes filtering i stayed right near to barrier as I slowed to stop I felt thud behind me and was shunted onto barrier crushing my calf kept bike upright till i came off barrier and woke up on road with fractured wrist. Now th bad news was another biker who had been looking behind me and not paying attention he says it was my fault and it is still going through the solicitors over a year later and I am still undergoing physio for my injuries.

2nd was as pilly on friends bike went through some diesal and we came off spent next 4 hours in A&E
                                                                                                                                                                             

Oh dear .. well all those who know me will know I've had more than my fair share of accidents.  Everyone has a right to have accidents, but I used to abuse the privilege!

Aged 17.  First bike.  

Drunk driver pulled out in front of me.  Very dead motorcycle and permanently damaged right knee.  Interestingly, his wife (in the passenger seat) was a litigation solicitor and so the Police report stated that she had been driving as he had been drinking.  This was despite her shouting at him at the scene about how she'd told him to watch out for the bike!

Aged 19.  First big bike.

Big patch of oil on a tight right hander on my way to work.  Front wheel hit and down I went.  However, thanks to the oil I slid very well and so wasn't hurt at all.  And the bike was a CX500 (about as solid a bike as was ever made) so a little slide down the road wasn't going to hurt it!

Aged 21.  Second big bike.

Riding in a queue of traffic at around 30mph when a guy pulled out from the right.  Knowing it was a choice of dropping the bike or hitting him, I chose the former.  The bike wasn't badly damaged and I only slid about ten feet. 

This though was mainly because my forward momentum was very quickly depleted when I slid straight into the back of a car parked at the side of the road!  Injuries ... ahem.  (Note; do not read if you are of a sensitive nature or could be put off riding motorcycles).  Broken spine (two places), fractured pelvis, shattered tibia, fractured knee joint and smashed patella.

Metal plate over patella, metal plate along length of tibia and (proud bit) three TITANIUM screws in knee joint.

(POST EDIT ... Four months in hospital and six months learning to walk again.  Although I was riding my bike before I could walk again lol!)

Advanced Training

It was at this time in my life that I decided to start doing some advanced training ... ie before I killed myself.  No accidents therefore until ...

Aged 25.  Third big bike.

On a dual carriageway, doing around 50mph (speed limit 40mph).  Approaching an uncontrolled crossroads with a central reservation in the middle of the dual carriageway.  As I approached I saw a car about to pull out from the left who appeared to be going straight on or turning right (turns out she was going straight on).

I moved out into the right hand lane to get a better view (and to offer the driver a better view of me) at which point she started to move.  I was still a fair distance off and so quickly worked out that there was no need to brake, simply rolling off the throttle will avoid the collision.  So that's what I did.

Then she stopped.  In the middle of the right hand lane directly in front of me and well before the central reservation.

Amazement caused my slight delay in braking, at which point I realised I wasn't going to stop (deja vu accident above) and so I dropped the bike.  I remember sliding and rolling down the road, waiting for the impact with her car, thinking "this is going to hurt", only to then find myself having stopped rolling and well past the junction.

Turns out she'd stopped her car and turned around (of course away from me) to shout at her kids for making noise.  (Why do parents do that ... shout at kids for making noise!!)  She had then turned back and carried on, completely unaware of the rolling motorcyclist heading towards her, who then passed a matter of a couple of feet behind her now moving car!

She apparently hadn't seen me ... nor the white long wheelbase transit van behind me!

Then my final and probably most embarrassing accident ....

Aged 29.  Very nice Honda VTR.

On a weekend away in Wales with RoSPA I was asked to lead the fast group for one last ride that evening.  Despite being totally shattered from the days riding I agreed and roughly forty minutes later completely misread a corner and went in about 50mph too fast!!

I clipped the rear bumper of an oncoming car and did the earth, sky, earth, sky thing for a very long time.  Thanks to a very expensive BKS suit and the fact I personally never hit anything other than the ground I was completely unhurt.

Unfortunately the gent behind me in the group who had been told by one of the instructors to "follow Geoff's lines" didn't get off as light and had gone head on with the car!  Amazingly, apart from a sprained neck he was ok.  His bike however was well and truly dead!

Fault or no

Now ... the question at the top of this forum was whether people were at fault in their accidents and I would say this;

Accident 1.  I was very green, on L plates, and didn't know owt.  Looking back now the road which the car pulled out from is clearly visible as you approach and because of the junction, he must have pulled out quite slowly.  And yet I didn't see him at all.  Now, with experience and training I don't believe the same thing would happen again.  So yes, maybe only a small part, but partly my fault.

Accident 2.  Again, still quite green and I was following the car in front far too close and so didn't see the oil until I was onto it.  Definitely my fault in my opinion.

Accident 3.  As with accident 1, I would see this happening now and would be able to stop.  After all I was only doing 30mph and the guy pulled out from the right so had to cross an entire lane before coming into conflict with me.  Again, partly my fault.

Accident 4.  Many would say that this was in no way my fault.  After all the dozy &*$^^%$ stopped her car ACROSS the right hand lane of a dual carriageway!!  And then turned around to talk to her kids!  But others would say that I was speeding.  Which I was.  So perhaps very slightly my fault.

And ...

Accident 5.  Completely and utterly my fault!!  I knew I was tired and yet still rode.  I knew I was tired and yet still rode very fast!!  And speaking of fast, I was doing about 90mph and had broken the 100mph only a few hundred yards earlier on.  Absolutely my fault.



My fingers are sore now!  Is this post my record?  Has anyone read to the end LOL?



                                                                                                                                                                             

I've read to the end Geoff. I feel quite sorry for you though........you've had some dangerous crashes. That woman in the car with the kids is a silly cow for that, you made me laugh when you said 'why do people shout at their kids for making noise!' my mum used to turn around from the passenger seat and squeeze our knees to tell us to be quiet, so it does happen! haha   You're lucky to be alive!!!