I was cycling down ChongDe Street this afternoon and nearing the bottom when I suddenly found myself flying forwards, shortly before hitting the ground and sliding to a stop opposite a funeral parlour - this one: 極樂殯儀館靈骨塔辦事處-極樂佛堂.
I’d been hit by someone on a racing motorcycle who seemingly tried to overtake me, before losing control and taking both of us out. Fortunately my helmet cushioned my head in the fall and I just came away with grazes, cuts and bruises on my knees, elbows, shoulder, and rear. He wasn’t wearing any gloves so had grazed palms, but luckily had a full crash helmet so the both of us came away without any serious injuries.
He apologized to me and said it was the first time he’d ridden on this street, he was going too fast and then called emergency services. This was in a mix of Chinese and English. The proprietor of the funeral parlour came out and offered us some water, then a short while later an ambulance arrived and cleaned us up and took our details. Following this a police officer arrived, surveyed the scene, asked the motorcycle rider what happened and then also took our details.
I then had to jump in the back of the police car and give a statement in Chinese, which the police officer wrote down and asked me to sign. He also produced a diagram of the road with arrows indicating the positions of my bicycle and the motorcycle while moving and where they ended up, which I also had to sign. He asked me how much the cost for replacing my cycling gear and helmet was roughly, and indicated that the motorcycle rider and I would need to agree on a settlement. He gave me a document with our names and contact details on it and said I could leave as my bicycle was miraculously undamaged, save a sheared front rim.
There was no way the motorcycle was being ridden home so the rider remained at the scene with the police officer as I left.
I’m pretty scratched up but not enough to justify a hospital visit in my view, and I think I’d be happy to just have my costs covered.
What happens next? Will I be contacted about a mediation session? Should I reach out to the motorcycle rider to tell him how much compensation I expect to cover replacing my gear? I haven’t had to deal with this situation in Taiwan before so don’t know if I need to take steps to protect myself, or whether it’s straightforward as it was clearly not my fault.
I have not personally experienced something like this but.
I would go to the hospital, document all the injuries even if you think nothing, but you’re not an expert so you just go explain your situation let them check what they need to check, seek legal counsel, and prepare yourself for whatever he may throw at you.
He may come blame it all on you and try to get you to pay for everything and more.
It’s just common Taiwan culture.
If you don’t want to go full Taiwan style, which may be coming at you regardless, at least cover yourself the best you can.
Edit: they were doing some construction near there recently so keep that in mind could be a government related issue
I second this. Bike falls usually result in fractures and concussion. You might not feel the pain immediately due to shock. Get x-rays done just in case…You do not want to go round with a hairline fracture.
Thanks both of you for your advice. At the hospital now getting checked out as suggested. Doctor recommended a tetanus shot but other than that fortunately just dressings required.
I’ve called the police and they said their part is finished and the motorcycle rider should contact me to discuss compensation so will wait for that.
A couple of years ago I met a Canadian woman who’d also gotten into an accident when a couple on a scooter just pulled out in front of her and sent all 3 of them flying. She broke her leg and one of the other people was injured as well. It seemed as though once they realized she was a foreigner, they claimed it was her fault. At one point she was also approached by someone who urged her to settle the case by paying the couple a big chunk of money. She didn’t pay anytime, but the whole thing was quite a hassle.
Get yourself checked out and document any bruises/injuries. Never sign or agree to anything before you know exactly what’s in it. Get copies of any documents. Don’t trust anyone or what they say unless you’re 100% sure it’s true or correct.
Sorry to hear this. Chongde St. is great for cycling – quiet, gentle grade, close to the city with little traffic – but it’s narrow and has some dangerous blind corners. The fact that it has two-way traffic makes it even more dangerous. The problem is some motorcyclists use it as a shortcut between Liuzhangli and Nangang, so they tend to go fast. And that’s a recipe for disaster. Glad you’re not badly hurt.
You’re thinking of the mass grave of victims of White Terror, right? That’s further up the hill. The section they’re working on has proper individual graves that are being relocated to make room for the new park.
It is great for cycling - I had cycled up it a few hours prior as it’s my regular route in and out of Taipei, so I’m usually there at least once a week.
I heard him talking to the police officer and he mentioned that he was a student on the way to class - very lucky student to have a motorcycle worth NTD150k!
Glad to hear you’re ok and that you went to the hospital to get things checked up. I’ve been riding in Taipei for awhile now and have had my fair share of crashes and close calls with motorists. That’s always the first course of action in any kind of accident (after police have written the report).
Any updates? Has the motorist reached out yet? It’s always best to have some sort of agreement preferably something written down that the two parties were going to settle the damages. Always exchange contact info so you can keep in communication. It sometimes may start a bit harmless, but things can escalate. Be sure to bring someone who can help translate if you decide to discuss.
He didn’t reach out to me for almost a week, so I sent a message to him by text and Line to the number the police had supplied on the form they gave me at the collision site.
In it I detailed the total cost in damages for replacing my cycling kit, helmet, repairing my bike (front rim was banjaxed so new rim and rebuild, plus truing rear and service), and my medical expenses which were only NTD800 after insurance. I mentioned that I had been to the hospital and there they had documented all my injuries. I also let him know I had consulted a lawyer but if he agreed to settle for the cost of replacing the things he took from me he wouldn’t have to go through the subsequent legal process.
He replied about an hour later apologising for not messaging me and said he had spent the last few days wallowing in a deep mood of guilt and self-blame so he hoped I would understand. He apologised for causing me such a big loss and said he understood my requirements. However, this didn’t stop him from trying to negotiate a discount on the compensation because he is a student. He also wanted to wait until the preliminary analysis of the collision came out 30 days after the collision.
Later I replied that I saw no reason to discount the settlement amount as those were simply my costs for replacing what he’d taken from me. I also reminded him that the injury part of the collision included criminal responsibility. I said I had spoken to my lawyer and was fine to wait, and I don’t want to infringe on any of his rights.
He sent a flurry of replies trying to get me to confirm whether or not I would still file a criminal complaint even if there is a settlement. I have not replied and will wait.
You could consider telling him you won’t file criminal complaint if he compensates for your time and anguish, since he feels the need to stretch this out
I’m not a lawyer and have no experience with this kind of thing. Just thinking, you tried to be fair and he’s making your life difficult
