Victim of a hit and run today

SwordofLight · 09-04-2022 4:32pm #1

Hi all.

Just wondering what you would do. I was run over by a builder towing a digger who sandwiched me on my bike against the kerb then I was shouting after them and they sped off.

I tumbled and my legs are a bit cut up. My bike is a bit wonky and a pedal is smashed off. My toe and foot feels bruised, and knee also. I'm still a bit shaken although I have had a lot worse to deal with relentlessly over the past year.

I went into the Garda station close by and after quite a wait reported it. He didn't take many details and kept saying they've no cameras. But I spelled it out for him that the builder would have had to drive by the courthouse and fire station in the minute or so preceding the accident. I don't know what they will do.

I am wondering what I should do. No doubt I will be black and blue tomorrow and am lucky I wasn't killed. I am considering I should speak with a solicitor. Should I have my injuries recorded somewhere? My GP barely speaks english, does the bare minimum, is useless; maybe I should go to A and E.

Big Bag of Chips · 09-04-2022 4:46pm

Unless you need immediate medical treatment do not go to ED. It's an emergency department. It's nota service to document that you have bruising and cuts.

I understand you're shaken. Could go to the out of hours GP? If you have trouble with your GP, it might be time to look for a new one. You are going to need a GP you trust.

SwordofLight · 09-04-2022 5:17pm

Well I suppose A and E could be better because the GP would ask me to go anyway due to the risk of there being something wrong I'm not aware of due to shock or otherwise. I know it isn't a service for documenting people's injuries in the event of a court case. The waiting time might be terrible though, welcome to Ireland I guess.

The likes of that driver need to be reprimanded by the justice system for what they've done. I hopew they can be tracked down. Should I phone the guards in a few days to see if they've followed it up?

brokenangel · 09-04-2022 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058240985/victim-of-a-hit-and-run-today

Do you have the number plate?

If not I doubt the Garda is going to head off to get the CCTV footage so I would go down myself and ask do they have cameras etc

Deeec · 09-04-2022 5:30pm

I'm sorry to hear what happened you today - you were very lucky the accident didn't result in more serious injuries.

As there seems to have been no witnesses I doubt you will get anywhere with this. It will just be your word against the drivers. As your injuries do not appear to be serious I doubt the guards will be in anyway interested in catching the driver.

Go to A and E and get checked out just to be sure all is ok.

As regards documenting everything there is no harm in doing it but I doubt this will end in a prosecution or a claim being honest.

.red. · 09-04-2022 5:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118903836#Comment_118903836

The reason A&E is so bad is because a lot of people that are waiting to be seen shouldn't be in there..

I've never heard of a person needing to head off to A&E due to shock.

Go to your doctor, South Doc or your local equivalent if you feel you need to. Not A&E.

brokenangel · 09-04-2022 5:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118903891#Comment_118903891

Do not go to A&E. The hospital are already over stretched with covid and of coruse on a Saturday you will have the usual crowd of drunk plonkers. Go see a doctor. Even go to D Doc

Deeec · 09-04-2022 5:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118903903#Comment_118903903

They are likely to just send them onto A and E to be checked out after a fall anyway. This is what happened my mother and law after a minor fall recently.

Big Bag of Chips · 09-04-2022 5:40pm

Well I suppose A and E could be better because the GP would ask me to go anyway due to the risk of there being something wrong I'm not aware of due to shock or otherwise

Well let the GP/out of hours doctor make that call. The amount of people who self refer to ED instead of seeing their GP is astonishing. Many with complaints that could be dealt with by the GP instead of using hospital resources. If you are not an emergency, you will be left sitting in the ED waiting room while the staff deal with the emergencies.

Take a photo of any bruising or injuries you may have. If you don't think there are injuries that need treatment then wait. If tomorrow you feel that you really need to get looked at, contact the out of hours GP service first. At least let a medical professional make the call. They may send you to ED. Or they may tell you to put some ice on it, take paracetamol and if you get any worse THEN present to ED.

wpd · 09-04-2022 5:45pm

go to the garda station and say you want to report a hit and run

if they refuse to take the report get the name and number of the garda and ring the inspector

in the station. did you get the reg of the car?

09-04-2022 9:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058240985/victim-of-a-hit-and-run-today

Go back and make a complaint to the Gardaí, ask to speak to a higher up if the desk Garda won't take your complaint seriously. They can, afaik, ask businesses to preserve CCTV that might have captured the reg details for any investigation.

On Monday, regardless of whether you attend an out of hours GP today, go to your GP and get checked out. then go get your bike assessed for damage in a bike shop and thirdly, definitely go to your solicitor.

rolling boh · 09-04-2022 9:32pm

Sorry about your accident hope you recover quickly .Can you discribe the motor in any way if not it could be difficult to prove without a witness it would be one word against another .I would go back to the guards and see about cctv in the area if they see the the van or whatever they might speak to the owner .The driver assuming he knows what happened will be a bit nervous if the police came to him and something may happen . I would get legal advice to how best to go about it .Best of luck .

Nigel Fairservice · 09-04-2022 10:08pm

I was hit by a car a number of years ago. When the guy that hit me got out of the car the first thing he said to me was that he wasn't drinking. It struck me as an odd thing to say to someone you've just hit with your car. He didn't even ask how I was. I noted his licence plate number and reported it to the guards. They weren't very interested and I never heard anything further about it from them. The guy that hit me hit me at the entrance to his estate. I took a walk in there a few days later and found his car. It turned out some friends of my parents were his neighbours. They said he was a raging alcoholic and a fairly nasty individual. I was a bit sore physically after it for a few days. In my mind I did all I could do and in the end I was just glad it wasn't worse and I could walk away from it.

Strumms · 09-04-2022 10:13pm

Unfortunately too many experiences with Gardai reflect yours OP.. obviously too much legwork for them…. I’d aquatint yourself with the name of the local superintendent, write a detailed account of your experience and hope for the best.

09-04-2022 10:21pm

Regarding A&E - I wouldn't.

My sister-in-law went to A&E last week with chest pains. She was waiting for 20 hours, and when actually seen too, it turned out it was her heart. Not the staff's fault, they are overrun.

Go to your own GP or if you have health insurance you could go to one of those private emergency clinics?

I don't know what you can do about the Gardai, but i hope you feel better soon.

macvin · 09-04-2022 10:21pm

So the op is complaining about wait times in a&e (welcome to Ireland he says)

Then wants to go to a&e to document a few scratches for a potential claim.

Yeah, welcome to compo culture Ireland where the system is abused by people who want to exaggerate a fairly minor incident.

And please don't give this "I could have been killed" crap.

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@macvin welcome to Personal Issues. Please read The Forum Charter. Your post falls below the standard expected in this forum.

pcardin · 09-04-2022 10:22pm

Builders are quite brainless creatures. If you want to find the builder who did this to you, buy a breakfast roll in the local SPAR shop and stand where the incident happened by waiwing the roll in the air. Builder will appear shortly. Then call Gards.

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Warned for Breach of Charter. Not appropriate in Personal Issues.

wotzgoingon · 09-04-2022 10:24pm

Something similar happened me when I was 12. I heard or watched about not cycling on foot paths so I was on the road and a van came up right on top of me and I fell onto the side of the van. I was ok but sore but what kind of fúcking eejit drives right up beside a child cycling a bike. I was a kid so didn't realize they were talking about adults shouldn't be cycling on foot paths. After that I was back on foot paths.

road_high · 09-04-2022 10:29pm

some of the comments here are a bit shocking for what could have been a very serious incident as someone on a bike has zero protection against a builders trailer.

I don’t see any problem with you going to A&E to be checked over after something like this save for the wait times. An x ray would obviously be prudent. The shock alone of something like that happening wouldn’t be pleasant.

I wouldn’t let it rest with the Gardai either, the incident should at the very least be recorded or whatever the correct procedure should be.

Wishbone Ash · 09-04-2022 10:48pm

The amount of people who self refer to ED instead of seeing their GP is astonishing. Many with complaints that could be dealt with by the GP instead of using hospital resources

Most GP's are terrified of missing something and then be subject to legal action so they refer almost all injuries to A&E to cover their arses rather than deal with it themselves. Most people know this so that is why they go straight to A&E. I would do the same. Why wait in a GP queue only to be sent to join another queue? (.......and I work in the health service).

CreadanLady · 11-04-2022 10:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118903926#Comment_118903926

Traffic Watch? ha. You might as well report it to the cat.

Fandymo · 11-04-2022 11:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118903836#Comment_118903836

What's to follow up? If they contact the driver and he say's he drove the road without incident, it's a he said, she said case which will go nowhere unless there are other witnesses. As they've said there are no camera's where it allegedly happened, him driving past a building a few minutes prior doesn't prove anything.

Xterminator · 11-04-2022 11:19am

if the builder lies to the guards who are investigating a RTA then that is on him. If the guards cant be bothered with the paperwork/investigation/pulling the footage, then that is on them. OP should follow up with the superintendent.

Re attending A&E its clearly not an emergency. OP should attend his GP who could refer him to A&E if needed.

neenam · 13-04-2022 11:13am

https://twitter.com/righttobikeit/status/1400797317134000130?s=20&t=mATJFg2WzeWeKd2XWslGiQ

SwordofLight · 03-05-2022 3:04pm

Just an update.

The guards got the guy's registration from cameras close to the street and may also have a witness.

I am still bruised and cuts slowly healing, back has been quite stiff and taking painkillers from GP.

I don't want to press charges and make someone's life hell, not to mention I have my own much bigger problems besides, but I have asked the guard just to let the man know it was reported and if possible to complete some training related to bicycle users.

Thanks to everyone for posting.

gameoverdude · 03-05-2022 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010422#Comment_119010422

Press charges!

I'm glad you're healing, but courses?

road_high · 04-05-2022 9:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010422#Comment_119010422

Sounds like legitimate grounds for a personal injury claim, at the very least who is paying your medical expenses?

road_high · 04-05-2022 9:02pm

Why should you suffer at the hands of someone else’s reckless behavior?

Tork · 04-05-2022 9:35pm

OP, I think I understand why you don't want to go down the road of making a claim. But it is concerning that nearly a month after this incident, you're still suffering the after-effects of this incident. It would be foolish of you not to keep your options open. What if your injuries turn out to be chronic or you find yourself needing further treatment? Your concern for the man who hit you is noble but it's not going to pay your medical bills. I think at the very least, you should make contact with a solicitor and find out what your options are. You don't have to take any further action but I think you should find out what you need to do, just in case.

CreadanLady · 06-05-2022 11:00am

It is not up to the OP to press charges. That is not how it works. The Gardai will decide whether to prosecute or not.

Now, OP can decide to take a civil case against the driver, but that is not criminal charges, that is sueing for compensation.

06-05-2022 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119022987#Comment_119022987

That's the way it's supposed to operate but Garda will nearly always try not to press charges and ask complainant would they rather s/he had a word with the driver. If it were me and I'd been injured I would insist the Garda press charges as this guy will do it again.

Victim of a hit and run today

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