Reporting an incident to the gardai or not?

smacl

I was passing through Roundwood on the way back from a spin with my brother in law last Sunday, when he got hit by a car. I didn't see it myself, as I was about 100m ahead, but was told by a passing car a cyclist had been hit when I stopped to look back for him. Going back, I found him standing in a driveway, covered in blood, looking pretty shook up, talking to the driver who'd hit him. His wrist and arm was badly swollen, and after cleaning him, we got him a lift to Loughlinstown to check for a fracture on the wrist and / or concussion. As it turns out he was ok other than bad bruising, but being self employed, if he had picked up a broken wrist he would have been very seriously out of pocket. It struck me afterwards that I should have reported the incident, but given I didn't witness it first hand is there any point? He got hit by the car pulling into the driveway, he reckons she hit him, she reckons it was the other way around. Either way, I don't think it's going to be pursued, just wondering should you always report these things as a matter of course.

PCPhoto

report ...it may save someones life ...later in the week/month/year.

macken04

it would be wise to report the incident.

TinyExplosions

Best to report it.

<wild speculation>If she was pulling into a driveway, she most likely hit him, unless she wasn't indicating and he came up behind her, so sounds like she could be liable, unless your brother had zoned out at the time and not noticed an indicator</wild speculation>

PCPhoto

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Best to report it.

<wild speculation>If she was pulling into a driveway, she most likely hit him, unless she wasn't indicating and he came up behind her, so sounds like she could be liable, unless your brother had zoned out at the time and not noticed an indicator</wild speculation>

<added wild speculation> or he was cycling on the footpath !!! <end of my contribution to the wild speculation>

Oink

What if you don't bother and then she reports being hit by "a lunatic on a bike who was driving like a madman" etc.???

cython

One of you ought to report it, though as you didn't witness it yourself, it might be better if your brother in law did it instead, or at least as well? By all means you could accompany him while he does it, but given that you didn't see the incident in question, a report coming from the injured party would probably carry more weight than your recounting of what you were told about an incident that happened behind you.

smacl

Thanks for the replies. I'll suggest to him he reports it, as anything I say would also be speculation.

moby2101

+1 on all that has been said here.
Your brother in law really should report this....hope he's recovering well

GTDolanator

PCPhoto wrote: »

<added wild speculation> or he was cycling on the footpath !!! <end of my contribution to the wild speculation>

not many footpaths around roundwood is there?

PCPhoto

also - just to add ..... you have upto 2years to initiate a civil action for damages for injuries sustained.

photograph all the injuries and goto the doctor to get everything assessed....just as a precaution. (you said earlier it most likely wont result in legal action but just to be sure ...do all the above and keep receipts and documentation for every penny spent)

BostonB

PCPhoto wrote: »

report ...it may save someones life ...later in the week/month/year.

+1 every little helps.

kennyb3

I'd always report it.

She should at least pay for his costs (for the clinic), if its proved she was in the wrong.

Just as an example why to report stuff, i came off my bike during a race just over 2 weeks ago - for first week the pain was mainly from the weeping leg wounds but as they got better i noticed how bad my back was. 3 costly physio sessions later and its still not properly better. Will most likely rise to at least 5.

Tayto2000

As your brother in law was injured in a road traffic accident, both he and she are obliged to report it to the Gardai according to the ROTR:

"If you or another person are injured and there is no Garda at the scene, the accident must be reported to the nearest Garda station."

From personal experience, you won't get a full inventory of pain and injury until at least the next day - too full of adrenaline and shock at the time to feel anything...