Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Totaled a golf cart with my head and a powerbook...

hayduke

hayduke

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 8, 2005
1,177
2
is a state of mind.
So I was riding my bike back from work today. It was a bit rainy as I rode through a housing community that is owned and run by the University that I work at. It was a bit rainy and a maintenance worker that was driving a golf cart in the on coming lane crossed over and hit me head on. I think he was tring to make a left turn and I'm certain he didn't see me until I came through his wind sheild, almost landed in his lapped, and screamed "jesus christ! what the f*&# were you thinking!" I think I scared him I was yelling so loud. I wasn't trying to scare him that was just my immediate, adrenaline fueled reaction.

So why am I posting?

I had my powerbook in my backpack and as I flipped over my handlebars I think it might have hit the golf carts windsheild after my head shatterd it. I had a helmet on...thank goodnes. The machine seems fine. I'm using it as I type, but are there any hardware checks I should do to make sure things are okay? I'll back-up right when I get to work in case the hard drive goes south. Anything else I should test?

Also, my bike is pretty beat up. It was ~$3000 when I bought it, but that was ~10 years ago. It is a carbon/aluminum frame so it might be cracked. My helmet is toast. The front wheel is toast. Not sure what else I haven't had a good chance to look it over.

I'd like to be fairly compensated, but I can't decide what that is. I'll need to fetch rides to work until the bike is fixed or replaced. I'm a bit soar and cut up. Not sure if my bike can be repaired or if it will have to be considered "totalled". I have the contact information I need to get this resolved, but I'm not sure what I should ask for. What is fair? I was once told "fair" is whatever amount of money you would require to go through the experience again. Should I work off of that metric?

Sorry long post...

Short version -- 1) How do I ensure my Powerbook isn't damaged from the crash? 2) What is fair compensation? (Please no ridiculous posts about asking for million dollar bikes and mac pros!).

Thanks.
 
id go with new bike and helmet. unles you find something wrong with your laptop. also tell them to pay for pain killers :D
 
Dude, you have every right to ask for a new bike, helmet, and computer. I have seen countless videos (especially some on dateline I think) that have shown how most people who drive these carts have no regard for other humans. They showed this one guy who was driving one in the Mall of America and ran over a 2 year old and dragged them like 50 feet. Another video showed the driver slide the cart and hit a whole row of people. They didn't even slow down!!!! People like this need to be taught a lesson and then put in prison (it is a motorized vehicle after all). Sorry for the rant.
 
Tech tool pro is a great program to use in figuring out possible issues.

When asking for the compensation, just figure out what it would cost you to buy a new helmet, a new bike and possible a new computer. Getting what you stuff is worth now is not fair compensation, the ability to get back to the point you were at when you started home would.
 
Make sure that you get a date-stamped receipt of a written notice of the incident, which you should submit to the property owners as quickly as possible (do not let more than one week pass). It would also be beneficial to take photos and collect the name or employee ID of the golf cart driver. Having good records will be the only means of leverage you have. Any oral agreements should be subsequently confirmed in writing.

You hopefully will not require them and will instead work out an agreement with the owners, but if anything goes wrong you'll have no real options unless you are meticulous from the beginning.

synth3tik said:
Getting what you stuff is worth now is not fair compensation, the ability to get back to the point you were at when you started home would.
Click to expand...
That's an opinion. It certainly makes sense to seek adequate compensation to this effect if it is offered or feasible, but from a liability standpoint the insurance company will likely at most cover the value of the damaged goods.

If your car is hit in a parking lot and destroyed, generally you get the market value of the vehicle (less the deductible for the claim and other insurance fees and associated costs). Even though my car may have been $48,000 new, if it's only worth $25,000 today, that's all I'd get because that's roughly what it would cost me to replace that car with an identical one.
 
A pretty standard rate is all property damage plus 3x your hospital bills. So if you have a $3000 bike $2000 laptop and $1000 hospital bill (about as low as it goes) you should get about 8K settled easy without hiring a lawyer. Since you don't seem too beaten up 2K seems fair. A broken helmet really scares juries.
If the insurance company doesn't agree with that you can get 5K out of small claims court. They won't even send a lawyer to small claims court.

Take pictures of yourself and your possessions immediately. If you haven't been to the doctor go now and start repairing yourself first!
 
Having gone thru an "ordeal" recently - i'd suggest a trip to the ER just to have your head checked. I didn't - and regretted it. I'd never hit my head that hard before - and didn't realize how long i wasn't going to be able to lay down and sleep.

I think replacing the bike and the helmet, any medical expenses, cost for transport now and anything for damages to the computer is the least they should offer. The guy would be facing some serious charges if he had done the same in a car....

But in reality, they will try to get off as cheap as possible.

So pricing out a new bike of the same level isn't out of line - you will get more for it than it would be "worth" used, BUT, if you aren't seeking personal injury stuff on top of it, they shouldn't balk at all.

Most of all - i'm glad to hear you are ok, AND thankful it was "only" a Golf Cart and not a car.

You are going to hurt for days - lots of advil.

Take care -
tracey
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back