Hey Everyone,
Just writing to try and reply to some of the questions I've gotten on this thread as a way of getting back to you guys. :thumbup:
Sorry for not being able to do this sooner guys. Haha Ive said it plenty of times before but I really appreciate all of the support and good wishes.
As for the questions, Ill try going from the top and work my way down the list
Post #9
Hey RavenFZ6--you say it was about 6 pm. Was it dusk with lights necessary? I'm wondering if the driver was wearing a reading contact or glasses. If so, and vehicles already had lights on, his vision would be blurry and distort his vision significantly. But whatever, it sucks. One of my greatest concerns, for sure, is the motorist pulling a left suddenly in front of me (why sometimes I decrease speed, cover front/rear brake lever/pedal while continuing). Thanks for the story!
From what I saw he did not have Glasses or anything like that on, and I dont believe it noted that in the police report. Some vehicles had lights on but not a whole lot. It wasnt that dark out yet. I remember his truck did not have the lights on.
That is a good possibility though and it may have had an impact on the whole situation.
That is good to decrease speed and expect the worse like you do. All of these tips are what I will definitely remember next time im on a bike.
Post #11
Glad to hear you're still with us! One thing regarding the Titanium rod in your leg... you'll probably want to have it removed in a couple years after the femur is fully healed.
The reason is that if you continue riding motorcycles, or other active pursuits, there is an increased chance that you could break that bone again. Breaking bones sucks, but it's even worse when you have a bent Titanium rod inside the bone.
I have a buddy who was involved in a car accident 3 years ago, and it surgeon suggested the rod be removed 1-2 years post surgery since he is a Public Safety Officer (Police/Fire/EMS). The surgeon reasoned that he was at an increased risk of falling down a smoke filled stairwell, getting into an accident, falling on ice... ect.
Yeah I asked the Doctors if I would be having this removed. They said probably not, and I could understand that since it was a bit of an ordeal putting this big rod in through my knee.
I could understand the benefits of having that done. The last thing I want is to have something like this happen where my leg breaks and I have the rod staying stationary and bust through my skin and stick out. Definitely would mess up quite a bit of stuff.
Post #16
Thanks for sharing, we will all gain from this post, unfortunately from your misfortune. Never assume, anticipate the worst case scenario. You did a great job identifying the hazard, I think you just gave too much credit for the "Cowboy". I'm wondering if you would have made it if you just swerved from the beginning rather than braking and then swerve?
Hope for a speed recovery! I hope that guy is well insured, and if he isn't, you can get a judgement placed on him too. Pain and suffering, you really can't put a price on that.
Get a good lawyer!
Yeah I always have tried to Imagine what can go wrong, and prep myself in advance for what could happen when I would ride.
I guess in this incident I kinda let my guard down though since I saw the Guy in the Truck slow down and stop as he and I approached the Intersection. I was also traveling at a rather slow rate of speed and Had the High Beams on. Unfortunately this guys caught me off guard with his stupidity and we all know how it turned out =/
I spent a lot of time thinking about what different maneuvers I coulda pulled in order to change the outcome of the incident. But I concluded that with only 15 feet to react + Maneuver & all of that, I really had nowhere near enough time to execute a maneuver that would have changed the outcome of what happened a whole lot..
Just a ****ty situation. haha
Post #17
We are so glad you are OK. What a bummer the stupid cowboy deserves to be sued big time. Please heal up fast and get back on that FZ6. How was your dad with you crashing his BMW? Probably just happy you are OK. Thanks
Yeah that was pretty much the reaction I got. My family lives in NJ and by the time I was stabilised and everything monday night it was around 9:30pm in AZ. I called my house and I knew everyone would be sleeping, but I figured they would wanna know. My dad answered and I told him what happened and that I was in the hospital. He was glad I was ok, but also bummed out about his bike. He bought it out here in AZ so that when he came out to visit he could ride around the area on it. He really liked that bike, but I keep telling him that were gunna get him a better one now! haha
I tried convincing him to buy an FZ6! But im not too sure how far Im getting with that.. haha
Post #43
Gawd, aren't you glad you were wearing all your gear?!?! Whew! Unfortunately, I know how your folks felt after getting that call...been there, except my son was: boy on bicycle vs. moving van. He ended up with a titanium rod in his femur, a plate in his hip, and a few screws in the ankle.
Take care & I wish you a fast recovery.......
Holy crap!! Thats crazy.. Im glad he still made it outta that ordeal. You guys must have been really worried about how things would turn out. How old was he when it happened??
And yeah I was told by a bunch of people in the ambulance that Im lucky to have had the gear on and to have made it out of the wreck with only those injuries. They told me about a few other situations that they have seen motorcyclists who were wearing less then the necessary gear get into wrecks, and it was definitely not pretty.
Post #63
Easier said then done!
I see your point though, trying to fly through the air and hopefully land in a manner other than smacking directly into an object like the side of the truck, equivalent to a wall.
But if there is no contact with the vehicle, the vehicle is free and clear to continue on despite failing to yield the right away. No impact, you crash, it's on you.
At this point, we all can consider the positive things on what has transpired.
He's alive.
He has no head or brain injuries due to proper head gear.
He's probably going to get a hefty financial settlement
His Father is going to get a new bike
I'm sure he's glad it was him, not his friend (I'm guessing)
It's a reminder to us all what can happen.
Definitely a few good points noted in here. Ditching the bike was not one of the things that popped into my head in the few seconds I had to react to the dude in the truck pulling out infront of me.
Im Definitely glad I'm alive.
No apparent Brain injuries have been noted.
Im hoping the financial settlement is hefty. This has been one big pain in the butt..
From all of the plans I had (Going to the grand canyon, Renting quads, Flying to NJ to see family, and Being able to return to school and work after,) to all of the stress this has put on my family and I, to the straight up side effects of the accident (Big time Pain, Immobility, pretty much being a cripple, and the effects on my body in the future)
I really hope they get this guy to own up for all this BS his stupidity has put me through. Its just im not too sure how much we will be able to get out of him. I mean.. the guy is probably some poor country cowboy dude who is driving around a beat up 84 F150.
I would be surprised if he is a gold mine, but im just not seeing that I would be able to get a whole lot from him past what the insurance company will cover.
Which sucks..
But yeah back to the subject. I am very glad my friend got out of it unhurt. He and I went through high school together and have remained very good friends since I moved out to AZ on my own (to go to school and set up a strong foundation for my life.)
Hopefully what happened to me does raise awareness for us bikers, who are so often taken for granted on the road.
Defensive Driving has a new meaning to me and I hope everyone else who rides will understand just how dangerous & detached some of the other people on the road are..
Post #74
HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY RAVEN!
Haha Thank you all for the Birthday Wishes. I just might be the only person who did not drink any alchol on their 21st birthday.. haha
I figured my body had been through quite a bit in the last week, and I did not want to really push it any further.. Plus with the pain medication Im on. It probably ain't too hot of an idea.. haha
But its all good. I pretty much just hung out with my cousin, watched movies, and ate a slice of ice cream cake! haha
Post #76
Sorry Raven, I don't mean to thread hijack but I was just wondering if anyone could tell me why I can't see these pics. Do I need some update that I don't know about? It's not just this thread but some others that must have the same format. Any help would be great.
Thats pretty goofy.. I have the images hosted on imageshack.us.
Does your computer have problems viewing other photos online aswell or is it just mine? It could be something screwed up with imageshack or possibly just an error in your computer.
If you can see other photos online hosted by different companies then it might just be imageshack's problem.
Post #77
Looking at your recent pictures of your x-rays and your leg:
What kind of boots were you exactly wearing & what kind of riding pants did you have on?
My riding boot are 3/4, meaning that they cover the shin with solid armour, and my riding pants has shin armour as well which goes over my boots giving me two layers of protection. I also have armour covering my thigh. I'm not sure if my outcome would be any different with my gear if I encountered the exact same contact, but this is why I wear it on every ride, hoping that it prevents injuries like this.
I just had my shop work boots on. I havent made the investment for riding boots yet, but they were leather + steel toed. So I thought they should have been better off then sneakers for riding. I was planning on getting the full gear going once I had the money.
As far as pants, I had my jeans on.. They seemed like the best choice since I dont own a pair of riding pants either. I did not know riding pants had a protective layer in them as well.. Thats good to know though. I was just waiting for the cash to come up so that I could get the rest of the gear i needed.
What I had on during the wreck was:
- Carbon Fiber Helmet
- Protective Riding Jacket
- Protective Riding Gloves
- Leather Steel Toe Work Boots
- Jeans
Definitely would have been helpful to have those boots that you ride with Vegas. Unfortunately things just didnt play out like that for me.
Thanks for the great questions you guys, and I really appreciate how concerned everyone here is with making sure I'm ok and that im getting treated right. There is a lot of good information on this forum. From safety info, bike specs, to personal experience and advice, This place is definitely a great community and I plan on being here for the many years ahead.
Thanks Again!
-Erik / RavenFZ6
