I hit a kid

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 03:54:20 GMT,
<[email hidden]>, "Mike Kruger"

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

kerch wrote:

My advice to you mr. kerch is to not get too
excited about claims against your insurance.
Just be thankful you didn't run over the kid and
kill him. Put your energy into being more careful.

That's good advice. The parents are doing the right thing by filing a claim.
They may have taken their son to the ER to be checked out, for one thing,
and a trip to the ER will be vastly more expensive than a $150 bike.

Because the collision occurred on the road, the ICBC* will cover
medical expenses regardless of fault. Failing that, their provincial
medical insurance would cover it anyway. The ER trip cost them
nothing.

For example, my recently broken leg cost me fifty-four dollars for a
$396.00 ambulance ride and another $28.00 for medications. Everything
else was covered by my BC medical insurance. The mandatory employment
insurance paid by my employer and me compensated me for lost wages. It
wasn't an ICBC claim because it didn't happen on the road.

After being backed into by a van last year, the doctor's visit and
x-rays cost me nothing. Even though ICBC decided it was my fault they
covered the medical expenses. It was a road/vehicle related injury.

Work related injuries are covered by the workers compensation
insurance that all employers must pay.

*The OP's email address suggests he too is a resident of British
Columbia. ([email hidden]) = British Columbia Institute of Technology
--
zk

"Zoot Katz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Because the collision occurred on the road, the ICBC* will cover
medical expenses regardless of fault. Failing that, their provincial
medical insurance would cover it anyway. The ER trip cost them
nothing.

For example, my recently broken leg cost me fifty-four dollars for a
$396.00 ambulance ride and another $28.00 for medications. Everything
else was covered by my BC medical insurance.

You're right. I was forgetting that the accident occurred in Canada.

"Sock Puppet" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The parent(s) of the child are at fault for letting him ride unsupervised
when he does not yet have the training and/or ability to ride as a
vehicular
cyclist.

In some places (like here) children are allowed (and encouraged) to ride on
the sidewalk.

(kerch) said:

I hit a kid on a bike on Monday. I was approaching
a one way going to my right. I slowed at the
crosswalk and there were pedestrians
approaching on my right well back from the
corner. I checked to my left and the walk light said
stop. I still had a red light. But no one was
aproaching the crosswalk. I crept through the
crosswalk and about 2/3 way through while I was
looking left for oncoming traffic the kid came out
of nowhere and I bumped him with my right side
bumper. I didn't really knock him hard or off the
bike but he went down on one hand. His thumb
nail was bent back and was bleeding a little. His
front wheel and front brakes were bent. No
damage to my car - 1968 fairlane. Some
witnesses said I did not come to a complete stop.

You've already admitted to not coming to a complete stop. You said you
slowed and crept through the crosswalk on a red light. It was probably a
bad idea to post that to usenet.

Quoted message said:

He did not cry but was a little shook up as was I.
He was riding a Supercycle or something. Some
kind of cheap 1 year old bike. A fireman was there
immediately and there were other witnesses.
Police and ambulance were called and all info
was noted. No charges laid. I at first offered to fix
anything on the bike but later I decided for
$150.00 I could get him a new bike. I offered this
to his mother and she seemed okay. Now it
seems they are putting in a claim with my
insurance.

While it was nice of you to offer to replace the bike it's esy to
understand why she's puttin in a claim to your insurance. An emergency
room visit isn't cheap. And that's not taking into consideration any
follow up care that may be needed. I don't see how she has much of a
choice but to file a claim.

Quoted message said:

Now I feel bad and feel it was certainly partly my
fault but this kid was riding the wrong way on the
sidewalk riding through a crosswalk, without a
helmet(not really relevant, he did not come near to
hitting his head, but it is the law.).

I don't live in Canada but I've never seen a one way sidewalk. It was a
bad idea to admit even partial fault in a public forum. That may come
back to bite you. Standard advise here in the states from my insurer,
Geico, is to admit to no fault.

Quoted message said:

I think he is just as much at fault. Does he bear
any responsibility

How can a little kid be held to the same level of responsibility as a
grown adult operating a 2 ton vehicle? If anyone bears any
co-responsibility it's the kids parents. But that's stretching things a
bit.

Hopefully, the only thing that will happen to you is your insurance
rates will go up for awhile and you'll have to pay for a new bike.
Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. Fingernails grow back and property
can be replaced.

_Dave_

If I read this right, he was riding on the wrong side of the street or
on the sidewalk.

If so you are not at fault as both are illegal and stupid for that very
reason.

- -

"May you have the winds at your back,
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner