Hi, everyone

[Elk]

Hello, Gang

It's great to see the posted rides and the active discussions.  I hope everyone is enjoying the amazing weather and taking advantage of it to ride. 

I'm much improved.  The ribs are healed, the road rash is nearly healed, and the bruises are gone.  My right shoulder, arm and hand are still swollen and healing.  I am dutifully going to PT.  Unfortunately there is a good amount of nerve damage.  Much of it is improving.  The biggest issue remaining is the inability to lift my right arm and loss of fine motor control of my right hand.  I am still improving however.

My gear did an incredible job.  I am especially glad knowing that this group rides well dressed.  It really matters.

Great riding safety discussion in a couple of threads.  We all ride knowing we can get hurt.   A crash is no reason to stop enjoying riding.  Learn from your own and others' mistakes and go forward. 

My crash was my own doing.  It's frustrating as there was no reason for it to happen - a loss of attention, object fixation, grabbed the front brake too hard - I don't know.  I don't remember what happened but it was my screw up. 

A crash is never the fault of the organizer or the guy leading unless he deliberately punts you off the road.  I know if it was my ride I would feel awful but it is not the organizer's fault.

Thank you again to those of you that visited.  It was great! I really appreciated the magazines and bike mementos. These visits are some of the few things I remember about being in the hospital.  (I'm really sorry if I said anything obnoxious or mean while you were there.  I later learned that because of all the narcotics and low oxygen saturation I said some appalling things.  While I have been told this is common with this level of narcotics and injury, I am embarrassed.) 

Extra special thanks to Greg.  You were incredible.

Now get out there everybody!

Ehrich

[Deplorable, thank you!]

 Especially nice to see you posting, one handed or not.

Sounds like you will be back on a back come spring time, that seems so far away at the moment, thank goodness we still have great riding weather left this season.

I wouldn't be too embarrassed, atleast you had drugs to use for a legitimate excuse.

[Joel S]

good to hear from you , glad you are still progressing.

tony was going to start something but i was wondering if you could also share from your experience. Say for me, i do have passanger medical with progressive, but i do not have the rider for operator medical, i was given some options up to 25k for 300$+ . does the primary medical kick in and cover things, cant figure auto would want anything to do with it since the car was in the garage.  don't know why i was thinking about this lately but i have no understanding of how it works. I have heard to come up with something at home that could have caused it, but that cant always happen.

Super sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, if you want to start another thread, shoot me a pm or tell me to FO (lol) i understand.
thanks again and thanks for the update.
Joel

[Joel S]

lloyd, still up waiting for my morning texts. 
(i have sent texts early responding to late ones on ride days, guess since my phone is miles from me when i sleep i dont think of others having them right there. oops)

[Tumbler]

Ehrich glad to hear you are on the mend & doing well given the magnitude of your crash!!

I wanted to come see you in the hospital but schedules just didn't allow.

As the first paramedic to give you aid & stabilize you after the crash, I'm happy to see the recovery you have made.

I knew the injuries would be long term but I'm glad to hear not worse than they could have been.

Keep up on the physical therapy....no matter what it is IMPORTANT!!!  Especially as we get older. (no dig meant)

I look forward to seeing you back out on two wheels next season!!

[Greg]

Ehrich,
   I know everyone is glad to see you are on your way to recovery. It sounds like you have a terrific support team of family & friends, of which you can be thankful for.
   God speed with your recovery.

Greg

[RCKT GRL]

Ehrich,
Thank you for the update and happy to hear that you are well on your way to recovery!  Hope to see you on a ride next season. 
~Denyse

[carlson_mn]

Thanks Ehrich.  Considering it's only been a couple months I'm sure the arm will continue to improve all Fall and Winter - hopefully back to 100%.  Take it easy in the meanwhile!

[Elk]

Thanks, all!

Also a special thanks to Mark.  I'm really glad you were there.

Joel, medical insurance on motor vehicles is non-intuitive.  In Minnesota, all "motor vehicles" (cars and trucks) must have no-fault coverage, also known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP).  This provides medical coverage and wage loss protection if anyone is hurt by a car, including a finger caught in a door.  It is "no fault" so the injured person need not prove that the owner of the car did anything wrong. 

The idea is to make sure there is coverage for anyone hurt by a car.   For example, if you and a passenger are rear-ended waiting for a light, your car's no-fault picks up the medical bills for both of you.  (Your car picks it up, not the other driver's, because your insurer is "closest to the risk."  That is, they insured the car you were hurt in.)

Thus if someone is hurt by a car, the carrier insuring the car is first on the hook to pay medical costs.  Once this coverage is exhausted, the carrier that provides medical coverage for the person (such as through one's job) picks up the tab.

Motorcycles are different.  As strange as it sounds, motorcycles are not included in the definition of "motor vehicles." As a result, motorcycles need not carry no-fault coverage.  As it is expensive for bikes, most of us do not carry medical coverage on our motorcycles because we have regular medical coverage that will protect us.  Thus, in my case, my medical insurance through my employment is paying the bills.

All of this is different from liability coverage.  This coverage steps in to protect you if you are sued.  However, even if you are responsible for a car accident, the people hurt cannot sue you unless they meet statutorily defined no-fault "thresholds."  These include over $4,000 of medical expenses or a permanent injury, etc..  The idea is that relatively minor injuries are automatically taken care of.

It is generous and thoughtful to carry passenger medical protection on your bike, especially if you know that your passenger(s) is a student, unemployed or otherwise has limited medical insurance. 

I am happy to address this sort of thing.  It is a way I can help the group especially after this bunch was so good to me.

Sidenote:  This is why your employment medical insurer will always ask if your injuries were do to an accident involving a car.  They do not need to pay until the applicable no-fault is exhausted.  Annoyingly, they will deny your claim if your doctor indicates you were hurt in a "MVA" (motor vehicle accident).  The insurer reads this as "car and therefore no-fault pays first."  Blue Cross just denied one of my neurologist visits.  I just told them that it was a motorcycle, not a car.

Other insurance comment: Progressive was amazing.  They paid for transporting the bike, storage for almost two months until I was well enough to see the bike and paid a lot more than I had in it.  Astoundingly the salvage value is $9,300.  The wheels are perfect, the suspension is OK (surprising) and the engine is unscathed due to the frame sliders I installed - but still, $9,300?!

[carlson_mn]

that was a nice bike... I'm sure the engine and other components will live on in someone else's bike at some point.

[Elk]

Yup.  I also have a nice pile of the really nice, non-stock stuff such as the $2k EVR slipper that I can sell.

I know it is only a physical object but I feel bad having destroyed such a beautiful machine. 

The most important thing is that I did not injure anyone else.

[Chris]

glad to hear your on the mend...

[jleosnow]

Ehrich,
Glad to hear that you are coming around/getting better by the day!

On a side note: since you mentioned it....  PM me sometime with a list of parts you have and prices, ok?

Thanks,
-John

[GUZZI JOHN]

   Glad to hear you're getting on. Mayhap I'll see you on a monday next year.  Might another make be in the future as the Ducks seem unlucky for you. GJ

[Aprilian]

Erich,

Continue mending.   Your attitude sounds good for continuined progress.   Don't overlook trying different alternative therapies.   I did Massage, Thai Yoga Massage, Accupuncture and Chiropractic in attempts to make my body move in the manner it did pre-injury.

Feel better (each day).