Crashes and the Guards

bob b

I was knocked off my bike in March and landed on my head - fortunately my helmet broke and not my skull, but I have suffered with post concussion syndrome with almost constant headaches, personality changes and poor memory. I had a camera on my helmet and that is the only way I know what happened as I was knocked unconscious and still can't remember even leaving work, let alone the accident. The guards had a copy when I gave my statement and decided to prosecute the driver for dangerous driving. This happened on Clontarf Road/Howth Road in Dublin. Fortunately my bike was okay!

Now I am feeling almost back to normal, I'm looking into the insurance aspects of this. Trying to get the insurance details from the Guards has been a bigger stress than being told I had a bit of brain damage. Every time I go to the station or phone them up I get a different answer or have a different hoop to jump through; its the investigating Guard I have to speak to (who is never in the station when I phone and does not return messages) or I have to speak to the superintendent or they can't give that information out. So I'm after some advice - what, exactly, do I have to do to get this bit of information so I can start a claim via the PIAB. I don't really want to get a solicitor but this may be the only way to do this simply without ending up back in hospital. It's so frustrating and the Guards are making me feel like I did something wrong.

Eamonnator

This should not be a problem.
When you are involved in a traffic collision, you are entitled to certain information. In Garda parlance, its called appropriate information, this includes the name and address and insurance details of the other person involved.
If you are having problems with the Garda, go to the Superintendent of the area, and insist on getting the information.
I repeat, you are entitled to that information.
If you can't get the information, I guess GSOC is your next port of call.

On a side note, it is not you, who decides whether or not a person is prosecuted for dangerous driving. That decision is up to the local super. or, in some cases, the D.P.P.

rollingscone

Priority no.1 is to ensure that the incident is logged on Pulse.

Any Garda who has good reason to can check that.

After that write to the station super to complain.

tayto lover

Get your solicitor to write to the Sergeant in charge of the station or the superintendant. You get results a lot faster that way.

conkennedy

bob b wrote: »

I was knocked off my bike in March and landed on my head - fortunately my helmet broke and not my skull, but I have suffered with post concussion syndrome with almost constant headaches, personality changes and poor memory....

Hi Bob, I can empathise, it does get better.... but it takes a while.

Same thing happened to me about 3 years ago. The following day I reported it to the Gardai, initially, they were not interested until I showed them the video.

The motorist pulled out on a roundabout, then stopped leaving me nowhere to go. Bang!

Bike OK, helmet and coccyx write off.

A (motor)biker friend of mine said I should seek legal advice (to be honest, he's the reason why I got the gopro). Which I did. I found Ferry Solicitors to be great - no bull****, straight talkers. When I showed the footage to the solicitor he said: "Don't take this the wrong way... but that's brilliant!" - he'd never seen go pro footage from a bike in this kind of situation. He said the video showed that was "textbook" correct in my action in relation to the rules of the road. If you do go down that route, and a concussion is a serious injury (I'm still missing 40mins), you are claiming against the drivers motor insurance, not them personally.

bob b

conkennedy wrote: »

Hi Bob, I can empathise, it does get better.... but it takes a while.

Same thing happened to me about 3 years ago. The following day I reported it to the Gardai, initially, they were not interested until I showed them the video.

The motorist pulled out on a roundabout, then stopped leaving me nowhere to go. Bang!

Bike OK, helmet and coccyx write off.

A (motor)biker friend of mine said I should seek legal advice (to be honest, he's the reason why I got the gopro). Which I did. I found Ferry Solicitors to be great - no bull****, straight talkers. When I showed the footage to the solicitor he said: "Don't take this the wrong way... but that's brilliant!" - he'd never seen go pro footage from a bike in this kind of situation. He said the video showed that was "textbook" correct in my action in relation to the rules of the road. If you do go down that route, and a concussion is a serious injury (I'm still missing 40mins), you are claiming against the drivers motor insurance, not them personally.

Thanks all. I have an appointment with a solicitor this afternoon. I'm not a litigious person but this accident has had such an impact on my life that I've sort of changed my mind. Medical bills quickly pile up and quality of life decreases. Fortunately my bike was okay but it's taken a while before I felt sufficiently mentally with it to go out. The fact that the guards have decided that there was grounds to prosecute hopefully means the driver's insurance play nicely.