Nasty Accident

Beasty

Just out of hospital following accident when commuting into work on Tuesday morning. Cannot remember what happened, but based on what I have been told and Garmin info I was on the hardshoulder on the R132 about 200m from the M1 roundabout travelling from Blakes Cross/Turvey when I hit poorly completed roadworks - it looks like a trench has been dug across the hardshoulder, but they have not flattened it when completing the roadwords. The work was done a few months ago, and the surface is very uneven.

I've had a couple of wobbles on this bump before, but nothing serious. However this time I was travelling at 23mph when I hit it. An eyewitness indicated to someone else at the scene that I did a full 360 degree somersault, presumably still attached to the bike (my hands and lower body have suffered relatively little injury)

I sustained heavy concussion and a nasty gash to the corner of my eye, which has required a skin graft. I also have badly grazed both forearms, and a shoulder, with numerous other cuts & bruises. The good news is I was wearing a helmet, otherwise I would certainly not be telling the tale today, and possibly would never have been able to.

I presume this is something I need to speak to Fingal County Council about. Most importantly to get this very poor bit of road sorted out, and secondly to consider a claim both for damage to my property (not yet sure of bike damage, but I have shredded some high quality Assos gear) and my personal injuries. I would prefer not to go through a solicitor initially, but simply make my case. If I do not feel they are dealing adequately, then I would consider formal legal process. Does anyone have experience or advice on how I should approach this?

lukester

Very sorry to hear that.

No experience, and only advice is to go after them with everything you can muster.
Ireland is like a developing nation when it comes to shoddy road repair, and I know a few people who've fallen victim to this kind of cr*p on bikes, including motorbikes. So very dangerous.

Good luck.

scottreynolds

lukester wrote: »

Very sorry to hear that.

+1 -- Glad your okay.

kenmc

get well soon.
no other advice I can add I'm afraid.

Loveless

Sounds like a very nasty accident. I would suggest that you try and get photos of the road in it's current state of (dis)repair before it gets tarmacked over or something, and photos of damage done to the bike and your own personal injuries etc.

trad

Get out there quickly with a camera and record the condition of the road. Bring something like a newspaper that can date the photographs. Also find out if the gardai attended, and get details of what they saw, also look for witnesses. You'd be surprised how many people would have seen a tumble like yours.

Get well.

Nietzschean

Ouch sorry to hear about that OP.

Speaking of shoddy repairs, anyone paying a visit to howth might want to be carefull of the descent into the village, there is more or less a speed bump near the bottom when your at near enough on full speed...

Ghost Rider

Sounds like a nasty accident and good to hear you're recovering.

I was involved in a cycling accident last year and ended up having to claim against the driver's insurance policy. (I offered to let him settle it directly with me but he stopped returning my calls so I had no option but to pursue the claim. I wanted my medical bills paid.)

Your case is quite different, though, as it involves what sounds like negligence on the part of a local authority. I'm not sure but I think you, or a solicitor acting on your behalf, will need to contact Fingal County Council and advise them that you're seeking damages. Then I imagine they will direct you to their insurance company and it will be taken from there.

You will need documentation regarding your accident. If you had photos of the roadworks in question, that would be helpful, I'd say. If there was a Garda report, that would be even better, though I'm not sure a Garda would get involved if no crime, in the strict sense of the word, has been committed. Finally, a medical report detailing your injuries and treatment will be necessary.

Beasty wrote: »

Just out of hospital following accident when commuting into work on Tuesday morning. Cannot remember what happened, but based on what I have been told and Garmin info I was on the hardshoulder on the R132 about 200m from the M1 roundabout travelling from Blakes Cross/Turvey when I hit poorly completed roadworks - it looks like a trench has been dug across the hardshoulder, but they have not flattened it when completing the roadwords. The work was done a few months ago, and the surface is very uneven.

I've had a couple of wobbles on this bump before, but nothing serious. However this time I was travelling at 23mph when I hit it. An eyewitness indicated to someone else at the scene that I did a full 360 degree somersault, presumably still attached to the bike (my hands and lower body have suffered relatively little injury)

I sustained heavy concussion and a nasty gash to the corner of my eye, which has required a skin graft. I also have badly grazed both forearms, and a shoulder, with numerous other cuts & bruises. The good news is I was wearing a helmet, otherwise I would certainly not be telling the tale today, and possibly would never have been able to.

I presume this is something I need to speak to Fingal County Council about. Most importantly to get this very poor bit of road sorted out, and secondly to consider a claim both for damage to my property (not yet sure of bike damage, but I have shredded some high quality Assos gear) and my personal injuries. I would prefer not to go through a solicitor initially, but simply make my case. If I do not feel they are dealing adequately, then I would consider formal legal process. Does anyone have experience or advice on how I should approach this?

JohnW2008

Jaysus, that sounds nasty! Glad to hear ya survived.

I work in the area and drive those roads everyday..where exactly did the accident happen? Was it on the dual carriage way part near the Topaz garage? OR was it more towards th Chuck Wagon( that stretch is an absolute death trap at the moment with the road works.!)

Trojan

If you haven't done so, call into your local Garda station and ask their advice on whether you need to make a statement.

ec101

Hey,

I had something similiar happen to me last year (although not half as serious). Basically due to some very shoddy road repair I came off my bike (going over the handlebars) on infirmary road and broke my arm. Luckily I was wearing a helmet so the noggin was ok. I took pictures of the road the next day and immediately got in contact with Dublin City council. I did not get involved with a solicitor. But I must say that (although they were very slow) DCC were fine to deal with.

If you have any further questions feel free to get in contact with me and I will tell you about what I did etc.

All the best,

Emmet

Beasty

JohnW2008 wrote: »

J
I work in the area and drive those roads everyday..where exactly did the accident happen? Was it on the dual carriage way part near the Topaz garage? OR was it more towards th Chuck Wagon( that stretch is an absolute death trap at the moment with the road works.!)

It happened on the hard shoulder of the dual carriageway, about 200m or so before the M1 roundabout. The road itself is fine - its just the hard shoulder where the raised repairs are.

Beasty

Thank you all for your good wishes, comments and suggestions.

I do not think the Garda attended, but have no recollection from setting off (from Skerries) until undergoing a CT scan at the Beaumont about 3 hours later.

Once I can drive I will get some pictures and pick up my bike from a very kindly gentlemen who stopped to help me. Again I cannot remember him, but have spoken to him about the incident. He did not witness it himself, but relayed someone else's account of it.

From this, and the GPS, I have pieced together what happened, although I am not sure if I can track down any independent witnesses. Hopefully the evidence I do have will help pull together a case to force FCC to do something about this.

bcmf

Glad to hear you are ok. The only advice I will offer you is get to a solicitor 9am Mon morn. Believe you will get nowhere with Fingal Co Co. Also will do no harm to post this in the North County Dublin Thread. You never know. I would really like someone to take FCC to task about the atrocious state of the roads both as a standard and post road works.

Eoin D

Looks like FCC are at fault all right, as everyone said get out there and take photos as soon as possible, maybe take photos of measurements etc. ie. heights of bumps and stuff, even use a euro or something for scale if you have to. Get as much information as you can about the location you fell before it's changed. There's no harm knowing more than you need to, plus there may be specifics in the contract that have to be met and you could photograph the fact that they weren't met.

Speedy recovery!

Ryaner

As everyone says, take photos for proof. As soon as you mention injury to the council, the road will be repaired as quick as possible.

Queen-Mise

+1 on solicitor and photos. Get them asap.

Hope you get better soon.

Spiritoftheseventies

maybe there is a reason for the speed bump being there.

Beasty

bayviewclose wrote: »

maybe there is a reason for the speed bump being there.

Who mentioned speed bump? Hard shoulders do not have speed bumps. As I clearly stated this was a poor road repair. At least speed bumps are marked and you can adjust your speed accordingly. This particular "bump" is hardly visible until you are right on it (which is too late, and risks, as I did, failing to see it at all)

victorcarrera

Something similar was discussed on a previoous thread.
Here is the newspaper article.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1210/1228864618975.html

Your case may be considered differently though as the above article applies to neglect and disrepair whereas your case may be due to careless or shoddy workmanship.
Some solicitor firms who specialize in personal accident operate on a first consultancy free and no win no fee basis. Agree a fee in advance if possible or percentage.

Spiritoftheseventies

sorry was referring to that neesh chap who went off the subject a bit by mentioning there was speed bumps at the bottom of howth hill.

kavanagh_h

That's really awful. Best of luck with your case. Don't feel at all guilty as this was badly completed road works. Any company who digs up roads should be made to put it back perfectly. Sounds like it could have been fatal!

kincsem

From my work with a utility company many years ago I know that road surfaces are not put back in exactly the same condition as they were before they were opened. When the repair is completed the surface repair is usually temporary as the ground will settle over the next few weeks. A final repair after the ground settles then puts the surface back to "as new" condition.

I suggest you measure how high the (temporary) repair was higher (or lower) than the surrounding unworked surface.

I hope you have a complete recovery.

Also, it may not be the County Council that did the work - it could be water, sewerage, gas, electricity, telephone.

Beasty

kincsem wrote: »

From my work with a utility company many years ago I know that road surfaces are not put back in exactly the same condition as they were before they were opened. When the repair is completed the surface repair is usually temporary as the ground will settle over the next few weeks. A final repair after the ground settles then puts the surface back to "as new" condition.

I suggest you measure how high the (temporary) repair was higher (or lower) than the surrounding unworked surface.

I hope you have a complete recovery.

Also, it may not be the County Council that did the work - it could be water, sewerage, gas, electricity, telephone.

Thanks for your comments. I guess as the Council have primary responsibility for the roads they are the first port of call. I am sure they will quickly identify if someone else carried out the work.

Beasty

bayviewclose wrote: »

sorry was referring to that neesh chap who went off the subject a bit by mentioning there was speed bumps at the bottom of howth hill.

sorry, missed that bit of the thread, but he did say it was "more or less a speed bump", which to me indicates it is not designed to be but acts as one - ie it is simply another poor road repair

Beasty

victorcarrera wrote: »

Something similar was discussed on a previoous thread.
Here is the newspaper article.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/1210/1228864618975.html

Your case may be considered differently though as the above article applies to neglect and disrepair whereas your case may be due to careless or shoddy workmanship.
Some solicitor firms who specialize in personal accident operate on a first consultancy free and no win no fee basis. Agree a fee in advance if possible or percentage.

Thanks for that link. I remember seeing reference to a judge stating the local authorities are not responsible for potholes until they repaired them, which is clearly absurd, but appears to be the way the law works in Ireland. The authorities cannot be expected to repair roads instantaneously, but should have an obligation to do something once they are made aware of a dangerous fault. In this case I have no doubt it is shoddy workmanship, and hence I think whoever carried it out has responsibility.

My main motive here is to prompt those responsible to carry out necessary repairs before someone gets badly hurt. I would also like some compensation for the costs I will incur replacing damaged clothes, and possibly repairing or replacing my bike. I will probably be scarred for life and have suffered quite a lot over the past few days (and am still in discomfort), and hence I think a reasonable personal injury claim is also justified.

n-dawg

Hey,

I'm glad to here your ok now. Sounds like a scary experience. I hope it doesn't completely put you off cycling.

A similar thing happened me on the Rock road in between Merrion gates and Vincents Hospital (I'm sure some of you remember how bad that section of road was for nearly 18 months). My front wheel got stuck in a long narrow pothole and I went over the handlebars and ended up in Vincents A and E... Thankfully it was a short walk. I took about 50 photos of the road condition and sent them to the city council... they told me to contact the contractor who had apparently "fixed" the road. As soon as I showed them the photos they said "How much do you want?" In the end I just got them to pay my admission fee for the hospital and the x-ray expenses (I didn't tell them I had medical insurance that would have paid it if they didn't) and I got a nice new set of wheels (I told them you have to buy them in pairs:D) and a helmet worth about 5 times what my old one was worth.... I recon they got off lightly though.

Anyway... My advice is take lots and lots of photos! If you have friends who also cycle that route get them to write a letter explaining that its not just you who thinks this hole is a death trap. And don't give up, its there responsibility that the road is in a safe condition for ALL road users not just cars.

Good Luck

kincsem

I reviewed the claims files in one utility years ago. There were families who all seemed to fall into the same hole and put in claims. And the other utility companies found those people also fell into their roadworks. A high percentage of claims were connected.

Have a written account, witnesses, photographs, and fill in a claim form. List personal and machinery damage. Do it now.

Ryaner

victorcarrera wrote: »

Some solicitor firms who specialize in personal accident operate on a first consultancy free and no win no fee basis. Agree a fee in advance if possible or percentage.

It is illegal for a solicitor to charge a percentage based fee in a personal injury case like this in Ireland. It is the first thing they'll advise you when you go in the door.

doozerie

As suggested, you really should get legal advice as soon as you can. The Citizen's Information Board provide some useful info on their website, which is worth a read if only to get some kind of idea of the process involved in a legal case. Some interesting links, with some possibly useful extracts:

From: Personal Injuries Assessment :

Under the Civil Liabilities and Courts Act 2004 the time-limit for claims for compensation is two years from the date of the accident. Even so, it is very important that you notify the person you hold responsible for your injury within two months of the accident. While it may not effect your application to the Board, it may effect your case later if you have to go to court.

From: Commencing proceedings in your civil case :

It is important to note that you cannot pursue a personal injuries action throuth the courts without first submitting your claim to the InjuriesBoard.ie process.

From: Instructing a solicitor in Ireland :

If the accident was a road traffic accident, you will need to clearly describe where you were coming from or going to, what the weather conditions were like, what was the sequence of events leading up to the accident, whether you were wearing a seat-belt at the time of the accident, what markings and signs were on the road, who was the investigating Garda and what were the names and addresses of any witnesses.

A solicitor should be able to save you the time, effort, and worry, of figuring out what you should do next. Alternatively, ring the Citizens Information Board (phone number on their site) or drop into one of their centres (addresses on their site) for their advice initially.

drcopernicus

(disclosure/disclaimer I'm a lawyer and the following does not constitute legal advice or warranty and it cannot be relied on as such.)

Look at www.piab.ie. The time limit for bringing a personal injuries claim is two years, which is very short. Also, within 2 months of the accident you should have "written" to your tortfeasor (Fingal Co Co) to let them know you intend to submit a claim to PIAB. If you don't though, it's not fatal to your claim.

PIAB just assesses your injuries in accordance with its Book of Quantum. It does not assess liability. If liability is contested, the matter then goes to the courts.

It's important to get your evidence together as quickly as possible. If you could track down the eye-witness that would be great, but it is not essential or fatal to the claim if you don't have one. There is plenty of other evidence.

If I was you, I would read the PIAB FAQs (question 5 deals with legal costs and who pays them) and armed with that info have a consultation with a good PI solicitor on Monday. You won't have to commit to using them, but it might be useful to get their view of whether or not legal representation is necessary.

It probably depends on the form of Fingal Co Co and the complexity of your injuries.

There is also the distinct possibility that Fingal Co Co will refuse to allow PIAB to make an assessment, in which case you will definitely need a solicitor.

It might be a good idea to see if the Council will give you a clue as to the attitude they would take to a PIAB assessment of your injuries. I wouldn't hold out much hope of full and frank disclosure though. At the very least, this communication will serve to put them on notice of the claim.

You can take a bit of time to make your decision. Don't be rushed into anything, but bear in mind that you need to get as much info together on all aspects of your case quickly and efficiently. 24 months is not a long time to put all your ducks in a row. Especially when dealing with a local authority.

This should tell you what you need to know.

http://www.injuriesboard.ie/eng/Making_a_Claim/

Beasty

Thanks again for all the useful information and comments posted. The PIAB information provided by drcopernicus is particularly interesting.

On the personal injury front, fortunately (and thanks mainly to the helmet), there are no breaks, just soft tissue damage, most of which will eventually sort itself out. I will probably have some permanent scarring following the skin graft and as a result of some of the severe abrasions I have suffered.

I now have a clear view of my next steps. I will try and get some photos of the offending roadworks tomorrow. I already have a good idea of the costs of replacing damaged clothing/equipment. I still need to get my bike back to assess that for damage. I have had to give up a ticket for the men's final at Wimbledon later today as I do not feel fit enough to travel - it will be interesting trying to put a monetary value on this (and before anyone asks, I have already found someone to take my ticket!). I will get in touch with a solicitor specialising in personal injury claims on Monday to get legal advice on how to take this forward.

waitforme

Hi, best wishes for a speedy recovery.

You mention that you were cycling on the hard shoulder, not sure if this may invalidate any claim, anyone else know as they may say this is just for emergencies?

mikemac

Sorry to hear of your accident OP.

Not trying to argue your case, but will the council claim you shouldn't have been in the hard shoulder in the first place?

I'm not saying that you weren't cycling in the incorrect place, I often cycle on hard shoulders on main roads. And I don't have links to legislation so I don't know the exact law

But will a clever lawyer from the council shoot down any claim over this?
Just something to think about

Beasty

mikemac wrote: »

Sorry to hear of your accident OP.

Not trying to argue your case, but will the council claim you shouldn't have been in the hard shoulder in the first place?

I'm not saying that you weren't cycling in the incorrect place, I often cycle on hard shoulders on main roads. And I don't have links to legislation so I don't know the exact law

But will a clever lawyer from the council shoot down any claim over this?
Just something to think about

Interesting point.

I thought cyclists were encouraged to ride the hard shoulder, as this is supposed to be safer than being among fast-moving traffic on the main carriageway. Can't find any reference to this in the Rules of the Road though. I would have thought there is a requirement to maintain some standard of road surface on the hard shoulder as well as main carriageway.

I will be speaking to a solicitor anyway, and they should be able to advise me. As I have said previously, personal injury compensation is not my main motive here. I would firstly like the local authority to accept its resposibility for maintaining a reasonable road ncluding hard shoulder) surface, I would then want compenation for damage to my clothes and equipment, and some compensation for my pain and suffering would certainly not go amiss.

I also need top speak to the Garda if no-one else has reported the accident, as personal injury was involved (I am not sure if this has already been done, or even if they attended the scene). I will also ask them their position on whether cyclists are allowed, expected (or even required) to use the hard shoulder, when available.

I will report back the respective views of the solicitor and Garda

Nietzschean

waitforme wrote: »

You mention that you were cycling on the hard shoulder, not sure if this may invalidate any claim, anyone else know as they may say this is just for emergencies?

http://www.rulesoftheroad.ie/rules-for-driving/traffic-signs-road-markings/road-markings.html

would seem to suggest cycling there is fine

Beasty

Beasty wrote: »

I thought cyclists were encouraged to ride the hard shoulder, as this is supposed to be safer than being among fast-moving traffic on the main carriageway. Can't find any reference to this in the Rules of the Road though. I would have thought there is a requirement to maintain some standard of road surface on the hard shoulder as well as main carriageway.

Just found reference to this in the Rules of the Road (Road Markings Section - page 60):

A single broken yellow line along the side of the road:

This road contains a hard shoulder, which is normally only for pedestrians and cyclists.

If a driver wants to allow a vehicle behind them to overtake, they may pull in to the hard shoulder briefly as long as no pedestrians or cyclists are already using it and no junctions or entrances are nearby. Different rules exist for hard shoulders on motorways. See Section 11 for details.

Hence I presume the local authority has a responsibilty to maintain hard shoulders to a standard suitable for cyclists and pedestrians

NewDubliner

Beasty wrote: »

Just found reference to this in the Rules of the Road (Road Markings Section - page 60):

Problem with this is that the RoTR is a mixture of advice and legal interpretation. Use of the hard shoulder by any vehicle falls into the realm of advice. The law is that you must drive your vehicle (even a bicycle) on a roadway and that the boundary of the roadway is indicated by a broken yellow line (except motorways, where it's a continuous one).

It's a typical Irish solution - make a law and then 'advise' people to break it, not being responsible for any idamage or injury then. A win/win for the councils.

Lumen

Ah man, not the Assos! I hate it when that happens. I lost a garment last year that way.

Skin heals, but the dead Assos just gets buried in the garden next to the cat.

Beasty

Lumen wrote: »

Ah man, not the Assos! I hate it when that happens. I lost a garment last year that way.

Skin heals, but the dead Assos just gets buried in the garden next to the cat.

It's a bit like Whacko Jacko - can't bury it until post mortem carried out (or Fingal County Council accept liability)

Lumen

Beasty wrote: »

It's a bit like Whacko Jacko - can't bury it until post mortem carried out (or Fingal County Council accept liability)

Terrible stuff.

You might consider posting pics of your injuries (but don't use inline images, just attachments). Tunney crashed into a bus recently and almost wrote off his face. I don't think he actually posted pics, but his tale was so graphic I bought myself a new helmet and ridiculously stylish (non-splintering) eyewear to match.

On the upside, every injury is a new shopping opportunity.

Hope you heal well and have (at worst) darkly seductive scars. When I met my wife I told her that my mole-removal wound was a bullet scar sustained in the Troubles. When I saw the look of gullible belief in her eyes I knew she was the woman for me.

Beasty

No pictures.

Good point on the eyewear. I recently invested in some Adidas cycling specs with prescription insert. Unsurprisingly they were written off in the accident, but did not shatter, or contribute materially to my injuries, as they were made from plastic. If I had been wearing my normal titanium-framed glasses they could have inflicted more damage on my eye.

Plenty more Assos gear in stock, so will await outcome of legal claim before splashing out on any more (although replacement specs are already on order).

alfalad

Lumen wrote: »

When I met my wife I told her that my mole-removal wound was a bullet scar sustained in the Troubles. When I saw the look of gullible belief in her eyes I knew she was the woman for me.

Thats brilliant!!!

JD24

I would suggest going to a Solicitor. County Councils are very quick to deny liability particularly when there is building works being carried out around the area. In fact if work of any kind over the years has taken place i.e. ESB, bord gais, any kind of work at all that invovled the road being dug up and relaid, then the County Council will take no responsibility. Responsibility will rest with the party who carried out the works.

Jawgap

Beasty wrote: »

Just out of hospital following accident when commuting into work on Tuesday morning. Cannot remember what happened, but based on what I have been told and Garmin info I was on the hardshoulder on the R132 about 200m from the M1 roundabout travelling from Blakes Cross/Turvey when I hit poorly completed roadworks - it looks like a trench has been dug across the hardshoulder, but they have not flattened it when completing the roadwords. The work was done a few months ago, and the surface is very uneven.

I've had a couple of wobbles on this bump before, but nothing serious. However this time I was travelling at 23mph when I hit it. An eyewitness indicated to someone else at the scene that I did a full 360 degree somersault, presumably still attached to the bike (my hands and lower body have suffered relatively little injury)

I sustained heavy concussion and a nasty gash to the corner of my eye, which has required a skin graft. I also have badly grazed both forearms, and a shoulder, with numerous other cuts & bruises. The good news is I was wearing a helmet, otherwise I would certainly not be telling the tale today, and possibly would never have been able to.

I presume this is something I need to speak to Fingal County Council about. Most importantly to get this very poor bit of road sorted out, and secondly to consider a claim both for damage to my property (not yet sure of bike damage, but I have shredded some high quality Assos gear) and my personal injuries. I would prefer not to go through a solicitor initially, but simply make my case. If I do not feel they are dealing adequately, then I would consider formal legal process. Does anyone have experience or advice on how I should approach this?

Your accident happened last Tuesday?

Were you on that road yesterday - a Focus, I think.

I was the one desperately trying to hold your wheel before you punctured.

LeoD

How much money are you hoping to get off the Council? Did you ever consider telling the Council before your accident about the dodgy road works you had cycled over many times previously without falling off? Sorry but the "some compensation for my pain and suffering would certainly not go amiss" is the bit that gets me. Yeah the roads are a bit crap in this country and you fell off your bike but you cycled this route many times before and were aware of the state of the road. A bit sad to see so many posters shouting for solicitors/compo but hardly a surprise in this country these days. Keep it up and we'll see what effect public liability has on road racing/sportives in the future.

Jawgap

LeoD wrote: »

How much money are you hoping to get off the Council? Did you ever consider telling the Council before your accident about the dodgy road works you had cycled over many times previously without falling off? Sorry but the "some compensation for my pain and suffering would certainly not go amiss" is the bit that gets me. Yeah the roads are a bit crap in this country and you fell off your bike but you cycled this route many times before and were aware of the state of the road. A bit sad to see so many posters shouting for solicitors/compo but hardly a surprise in this country these days. Keep it up and we'll see what effect public liability has on road racing/sportives in the future.

I cycle that stretch of road regularly and it's like Mogadishu - potholes, lumps of tarmac, rocks......you name it. And because of the works the hazards change regularly. If you were to complain to the council it would be a waste of time - however, a couple of decent claims against them might shake it up a bit.

Also given the width of a road tyre it's possible to cycle a route repeatedy and avoid a hazard until the day you just pick the wrong line.........

blorg

Jawgap wrote: »

Your accident happened last Tuesday?

Were you on that road yesterday - a Focus, I think.

Look at the dates on the thread, 03-07-2009. Not last Tuesday.

Jawgap

blorg wrote: »

Look at the dates on the thread, 03-07-2009. Not last Tuesday.

Thanks.

It was probably the guy I met yesterday, just his recovery wasn't as spectacular as I first thought.

He mentioned having the accident, the grafts and a few other things that resonated when I read the thread.

blorg

@LeoD- more than whether the council maintain a road properly I think it is an absolute disgrace how utility companies dig up roads left right and centre and then do NOT restore them... I would have no problem with someone claiming damages in the case where a utility has deliberately fecked up a road and not restored it (presumably as to restore it properly would cost them too much.) Maybe if more people claimed it would force them to fix the roads they feck up (for that matter it might encourage them to synchronise their digging up and share the cost of restoration.) Bottom line, if you dig up a road, you have to fix it (and clearly signpost the deformities until you do so.)

I would not be claiming for a pot hole that arose through wear and tear...

Beasty

Jawgap wrote: »

Thanks.

It was probably the guy I met yesterday, just his recovery wasn't as spectacular as I first thought.

He mentioned having the accident, the grafts and a few other things that resonated when I read the thread.

Yes it was me - the accident happened about 20 metres before the place I pulled up yesterday (first puncture in over two years of cycling Ireland's roads)

Nice to meet you Jawgap - hopefully I will be able to give you a longer pull next time:)