I’ve only had two car accidents, one in 1996 where I was approaching a junction on my commute, old car in front started to move off, so, seeing as he was moving already I didn’t slow down much, checking the road I was going onto was clear, looked back and he had stalled…eek. Slam on brakes and my Carlton shunted him across the road. Luckily I was hard braking, so he had a dent in his bumper, I had a corresponding dent on the top of my bonnet! He reckoned he wasn’t bothered given the old car and small dent and didn’t want to claim, so I had my car fixed at a garage only for him to claim anyway.
Second one was a 10 ton truck rear ended me in 2006 at a roundabout, he was on his phone. He tried to say he did not hit me, my car was already damaged etc…lucky for me a policeman was watching the whole thing from the pavement & came and took statements, so that didn’t get him very far.
Worst of all was doing 80+ on my motorcycle at midnight in December on a dual carriageway back in 1987, hit black ice on a bend and went into the armco. Very luckily was thrown nearly 70 yards into a farmers field. I broke my foot, fractured my rotator cuff on my left side, damaged my neck and have a lovely 6″ jagged scar on my back from a rock as my jacket rode up to my armpits. Lots of pin holes all over from straw (it even punctured my leather jacket). Bike ran up the armco, peeled off then went up the road on the other side. Front wheel was snapped, petrol tank was the size of a grapefruit and the battery was shattered – which was amazing as it sat under the seat between the frame rails. Needless to say it was a write-off. Police turned up as I was dragging the bike off the road (didn’t want someone to have an accident hitting it), breathalysed me (all clear) and took me home. I woke in agony a few hours later and went to A&E for the above injuries.
I learnt why you should always wear a full face helmet as I had a massive score from chin to top of the helmet, right up the middle of the visor too.
Went to see it the next day, hobbling about with the biggest bruises all over than I’ve ever seen on anyone. Stopped at the local bike shop and told them they could have the V5 if they picked it up. They had seen it that morning and could not believe I was walking the next day. I still get shoulder and neck issues and I can make a fab clicky sound by raising my left arm…lol.
My mum thought I’d give up motorcycling after that, but no, I bought a bigger, more powerful bike a few weeks later…then carried on riding them for decades with no more accidents.
In life, it's not who you know that's important, it's how your wife found out.