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When you take up bike riding as a leisure activity, use it for transport, or enter races, you must be one of the bravest people on earth.
Heading out into traffic on busy roads with hardly any protection can be terrifying. In the 80s, nobody wore helmets; they weren’t even really a thing yet. I think youngsters have this ingrained, infallible attitude and think nothing would ever happen to them.
They’re invincible. Until they aren’t.
One bike accident can put you off riding a bike forever.
The Realization
There is that saying that if you fall, get right back on the bike; well, it doesn’t actually refer to a bike, but it makes sense.
You want to show yourself that you can do it, it doesn’t scare you, and so you keep getting back on, literally, get back on the bike.
There’s a whole other level associated with this, the mental anguish you can put yourself through, not feeling successful, terror, yet brave to continue to try. It’s a journey in and of itself. The risks you face are daunting!
You’re closer to the road, you can get thrown, and even though you now wear a helmet, head injuries and spinal injuries can change your life forever. Fractures, sprains, gashes, road burn, you have no airbag protecting you: no seatbelt, and no bumpers to prevent you from bouncing off the hood of a car.
Brave!
If you were in a car, you would have insurance and some protections preventing injury, but a bump in the road can throw you off the bike, throw you into the road, and possibly get hit by a car.
A lot is going on in your head here, and an accident on your bike can deeply affect your mental health, and the fear can keep you paralysed.
Your body may recover from the injuries, but your mind may take longer.
The (Unseen) Impact
Psychologically, things like Adjustment Disorder and PTSD, combined with physical injuries, can make recovery an uphill battle. The mental issues seem to make the physical issues feel worse and can slow your healing and make it harder to recover.
The trauma of the accident itself can leave lingering emotional images that haunt you, sometimes for the rest of your life.
If a cyclist is afraid to ride, they may avoid their physiotherapy or strength training as they have an aversion to getting back on a bike, so why bother?
If cycling was your normal social group, connections may dwindle away now that this passion is no longer shared.
Loss of your passion can also be heartbreaking. You loved cycling so much, you liked the fitness, the endorphins, the joy. Many cyclists enjoyed the lifestyle of cycling. It was not just a mode of transportation; it was part of you, and this can be a desolate feeling. You might feel isolated and like you have lost your family and all your friends.
There’s a deep grief that can take over, and hopelessness. No new joy, just pain, recovery, and loss.
Pushing Through it
When you had your accident, you never planned ahead for a spinal injury; you didn’t have insurance like you would have had with a car.
You were lucky enough to have a little health insurance, but the full picture is starting to dawn on you. Medical bills, long recovery periods, and costs of therapy are just more things to worry about. Never mind not knowing if you will be able to walk again or work. These worries can exacerbate the recovery time as you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Here is where you need to let a specialist with expert experience take on the burden of your future legal battles and seek compensation for all you’ll need in your recovery.
A quick example why:
If your accident happened on the streets of Chicago, you can ring an attorney who deals with bicycle spinal injuries. They can help you with your medical needs, financial obligations, and future costs for adapting your home, employing long-term carers, whatever you need. They work under Illinois law, so they’ll know about the modified comparative negligence that basically states if you’re more than half at fault for the crash, you lose the claim.
If the accident were to happen in NYC, under New York law, where there’s pure comparative negligence, even if you’re 99% at fault, you would still be able to seek damages.
Let the professionals worry about the resources you need to recover and get home; lay your burden down, the goal is now just for you to concentrate on your recovery.
Conclusion
Every time you got on your bike, there was an awareness of the risks you may be taking.
As prepared as you can be, wearing a helmet, using your hand signals, and cycling responsibly, does not always prevent an accident; you cannot control other drivers using the same space.
Your life can change in a minute, a second, and all you can do is sit back and watch it happen, or you can participate in getting better, battling through the trauma with the right supports, the physiotherapists, and let the healing and recovery include your heart, body, and mind.
Your life may be different, but no one says it can’t be great again.
You can do it.
