I joined a new club- Conclusion

[loudest143]

http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?topic=24291.msg259479#msg259479

^You may want to read part of the back story, so you can understand this part.^
(long story short, I hit a car that pulled out in front of me at 45mph in June 2010)

I received a call from my personal injury attorney on Valentines Day. He said he had a check for me to endorse. Nearly two years after my accident, and I'm finally going to deposit a settlement check in the bank right around March 1st. (it would be two full years in June)

The Punisher bike got punished... Slid over 50 feet. Good thing I let go and rolled.

I've conquered the injuries, even though I still have scars on my knee, and the skin on my right arm is still a lighter color than the rest of my arm. The skin tone will come back eventually, but not just yet. It's a daily reminder....

I'm very satisfied with my settlement, even though it is much lower than I had initially thought. My attorney and I settled out of court with the drivers' insurance agency. My attorney pointed out that if we had chosen to go to court, we would have to PROVE that my injuries deserved certain compensation. Since my injuries are small, in comparison to many who choose court, it would be very unlikely that I would get any improved settlement numbers. In fact, I may not get ANY more money, and then court costs and lawyer fees would eat up a portion of what I'm already getting. Not my idea of a good choice. I have a bad knee injury. But I have no noticeable limp. Pretty hard to show a jury WHY I think I might need more money. Hope this explains that decision well.

-Yes, boots are a good idea. Wear all of the things!

Someone is handing me a check next week with a five figure settlement on it. I'm very happy this journey is over, and I'm also very happy with my settlement. After all, the important thing is that I'm around to enjoy spending it. It's truly a gift. Truthfully, it's been a constant distraction for the last two years. It's just been hanging in limbo for so long. Sadly, we're dealing with two very dysfunctional industries.... The insurance and healthcare industries. Wore me out just trying to be patient.

What I learned along the way:

Do not negotiate with an insurance company without an attorney. They are far more experienced at this than you are, and do settlements every day. My attorney does 100 cases a year. I'm pretty sure he's far better at this than I would have been.

Do your physical therapy!! Seriously, I don't care how young you are, do the work. You will not be sorry, and you will gain so much from it. Even though my knee cap is tender to the touch, I have great mobility, and no limp, due to my physical therapy. Kind of important, that knee joint.

-That's a week after the accident. Nice, eh?

Thank the Gods that you are around to read this post. We lose so many riders every year for one reason or another. I still ride, I still wear my gear, and I'm planning on riding for many years to come. Be safe, pay attention, and wear your gear. Be thankful for the opportunity to ride. So many accident survivors may never get that chance again.

I wrote this post in hopes that a few of you will read this, and reconsider your choice of riding without a helmet.

-My helmet had road rash in 5 different places. I'm bald... Connect the dots, friends.

-Road rash on your hands? BAD.

 

[troybilt]

Glad things are working out for you. The check will be nice but what a price to pay. That knee will probably cause some problems as you age. However, it sounds like you made the right choice to settle. Take care and ride safe my friend

 

[Drewski]

Good to hear you're over this journey and that you're satisfied! 8)

It's always good to be reminded about the dangers of our hobby. Things happen very quickly in an accident. Ride like they're all out to kill you and be as prepared as you can be.

Steady On! 8)

 

[Fox]

This actually hit me pretty hard, and I'm really glad you shared your story. I fully agree about the FULL riding gear every time, all the time. I always cringe a bit when I see some guy in shorts and tennis shoes going down the interstate.

I have really enjoyed working on my bike. It's been an absolute blast tearing everything down, going through every piece, and building it up exactly how I want it, but I've been really worried about the safety issues on the road. Now that I see a full story of the repercussions of a totally unavoidable wreck, I'm even more apprehensive. 80% of the time I tell someone I'm working on a bike they have some sort of relative/friend/etc. that was involved in a motorcycle accident and suffered serious injuries.

I'll be honest, I'm pretty scared. I'm only 19 and a wreck could screw me up for the rest of my life (talked to a guy today that lost his leg to a motorcycle accident). Shoot, I could even wind up dead. I don't know. I'm really considering parking my bike and only riding it in closed off areas. Sounds severe, but man, too much stuff out of your hands. Riding is incredible and one of the greatest feelings/experiences, but I don't want to carry a cane for the next 50+ years of my life because another driver put me in a situation beyond my control.

Maybe I'm overdoing things, but thats my "young kid's" perspective. Would appreciate some older guys thoughts on this.

 

[Hoofhearted]

Wow Glad to see you're back moving and getting something besides pain. Looks to have been a long journey.

But to tell the truth Fox's post disturbs me. At 19 I was indestructable. I could have hit a wall at 200 mph and walked away without a scratch. Or at least felt that way. Today at 66 the speed would have to be considerably reduced in order to get the same results. Over the years I got all the horror stories from people who knew people that crashed motorcycles. Over the years of road racing I lost a number of racing friends to the roads. But at no moment did I ever think of stopping. I even raced with a guy who loved road racing on true roads but wouldn't ride a bike on the streets as he considered it too dangerous.

Of course you could wind up dead. Eventually, despite your best efforts, you will. This is earth. No one escapes alive. I've been here longer than I'm going to be and I am jealous of you as you have your whole life in front of you. I'd give anything to be able to have a "do over button" that I could press. Riding or driving on the roads, be it for pleasure or getting to work, anything, you are surrounded by situations over which you have no control. The best you can do is pay attention and always try to have an out. If you think about all the things that can happen to you in a day you wouldn't get out of bed. If you think of all the people that die in beds every day you'll never get into a bed.

But if road riding bothers you enough that you don't want to do it, don't. If you enjoy working on/building bikes, continue to do so. When you finish a build sell it and start another. But please don't go through life contemplating and fearing the worst. That would be a terrible waste of a life. We only get one shot (at least I think we do). Grab it with both hands and enjoy it. Whats that old saying about there's no point in arriving at your grave in a beautifully preserved body. Much better to come skidding in sideways in a beat up, worn out body shouting "Man that was a trip!!"

So far my life has been a trip and God and finances willin' I' heading for Bonneville again this year.

 

[crazypj]

Glad your coming out of it OK, you will have problems as you get older, but, when your older so complain about it then ;D
I was (still am) more afraid of being quadraplegic or paraplegic
I did stop riding for about 4~5 yrs because it wasn't fun, plus, 'we' (I) had 7 customers killed in one weekend.
Police investigation totally vindicated shop, couldn't find any mechanical defects with bikes and we had all the repair orders showing what had been done, what was recommended and, couple had warning to 'be careful, bike running really well' (I used to do that quite a lot, particularly if bike was mechanically/electrically a 'bit rough' coming in.

Don't know how many times owners called 'pick bike up, tell me whats wrong with it' about 45min~ hr after leaving shop.
I'm having a panic, what did we do wrong?
Absolutely nothing wrong (Unless making it run right is 'wrong?)
They tell me I was right, it was running fantastic, right up until they crashed ;D
Usually calling from emergency room (casualty in GB), often laughing about how dumb they were not trusting what I told them

Only advice I can give to Fox,
No I-pods, no outside distraction
everyone IS trying to kill you, stay aware and alert (no drinking/drugs/etc)
Helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, denim jeans at minimum, motorcycle jeans prefered
drive 5~10 faster than the rest of traffic, less to worry about behind you and stuff in front is to be avoided.
Any cross road/lights, check in front then left/right/mirrors CONSTANTLY (check one of my few vids, helmet cam I'm looking everywhere, its why I mounted it on bike)

 

[IndieSol]

And to add to PJ's advise, do what you can to ride through blind spots and not stay in them. If traffic sucks, don't be afraid to let the cars to your right and left know you're there by accelerating up to their window or in front of it then back off or stay far enough back that you can see them in their mirrors.

 

[hillsy]

A couple of things told to me as a newbie (many years ago...) that have stuck with me to this day:

1/ You are invisible. Period.

2/ When looking for protective gear, spend as much as you think your body is worth.

 

[Fox]

Great advice from all. I value what you guys have to say, and will definitely structure my riding habits to what has been passed on in here.

Pj,
As far as being indestructible goes, I think I'm past that. Can't say exactly why but I guess I had that "Holy shit. I could die right now" moment earlier than most. It's not so much that I'm constantly afraid for my life (if I was I wouldn't be building a Cafe) it's more that I'm very aware of the risks on the streets, ESPECIALLY on a motorcycle. I actually love risk. I love adventure. I love being on the edge, but I'm just making a conjecture about the trade offs between the joys of riding (which I'm sure are immense) and the fatality ratio of crashes. It's not that I'm scared, just...cautious. I value my life, and as you said, we only have one, so how can I not, at the least, consider the consequences of my actions/decisions. I'd be stupid not too.

With that being said, I do plan to ride. Only roads I know, in full riding gear, and never at night/rain. I'd thought about using my bike to jump around campus, but I may just do it on weekends and free time.

And if my body is worth what I paid for my gear, I should be a male stripper! Haha, but seriously, I got some really cool stuff. Would appreciate you guy's thoughts on it as well as recommendations for alternatives, but I don't want to hijack this thread anymore than I have! Maybe if we got Loudest's permission we could kinda convert this thread into a safety/gear resource? Just a thought.

 

[Wahoo650]

Fox, if you haven't already attended one- you are a prime candidate for the MSF riders course. It's the best way I know to prepare yourself for riding properly and safely and it's a great confidence builder as well.

http://www.msf-usa.org/index_new.cfm?spl=2&action=display&pagename=ridercourse%20info

Matt