[MisterClean]

> In September, 2004 60-year old Jerry Reese
> sustained a severe spine injury when he fell off
> the side of a wooden bridge while mountain biking
> on the popular Bluff Creek Trail near Oklahoma
> City, Oklahoma. At the time of the accident, a
> deck board on the bridge was broken, but remained
> loosely in place. Reese alleges the broken board
> caused him to lose control of his bike and fall
> into a dry creek bed.

Apparently he's suing the MTB club that built the bridge: The Full Story

This Reese dude sounds like a lamer. We should be counter-suing for his lack of skills and a frivilous lawsuit. The precedent this could set has frightening implications. If a club doesn't completely sanitize a trail when doing "maintenance", a "loose rock" could cause another barney to lose control and crash and leave them open to a lawsuit.

Mountain Biking is an inherently dangerous sport...

 

[Transcend]

Dear lord...more frivalous law suits. Good grief. It's not my fault i take part in dangerous sports, no siree!

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Ya just can't trust them old farts...

I take it Oklahoma doesn't have good landowner protection statutes?

 

[skatetokil]

I had a friend get hurt pretty (think spine + 24in of titanium rod) bad on a trail around here so I went and sanitized it myself.

I know it's after the fact but I would hate to think of somebody else getting F%(#ed up like that. I think a lot of really senseless accidents could be avoided if people tooks some responsibilty for the conditions of the trails they ride.

It's just a matter of keeping your eyes open for the real dangerous stuff on your local trails and taking the time to fix them up. If it means you have to stop for a couple minutes to rip out a pointy stump or fill in a man-eater rut or loose plank or whatever, it seems like a small price to pay to keep trails open.

Besides, I've had my share of bonehead moves and close calls, so I realize it could easily be me taking soil samples and getting hurt.

 

[splat]

The implications this is going to have are going to be far reaching . either for the better r for the worse. if he wins and takes the the Mt bike group to the cleaners I can garuentee you all Bike groups ( mt and Road ) will lose there insurance and then you will see some serious Trail sanatizing out of fear.

All Bike groups knew this would happen one day sommer or later , all were hoping for later , and that it would not be them . well now it will be interesting to see what happeneds

 

[peter6061]

Please. This is why each of us have our OWN health insurance. Why can't people take responsibility for their own actions?

As trails wear, obstacles change. I don't know how many times I've passed a small sappling that has been broken off at about 4 inches and thought, "damn, that would suck if you fell right there and it went through your skull." But c'mon, there are hundreds or thousands of them out there. It would be nearly impossible to make every trail 100% safe. That is why mountain biking is a dangerous sport and you accept that risk every time you ride.

What a dolt.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Perhaps his insurance company is forcing him to sue. Happens in auto accidents Im told.

 

[peter6061]

Perhaps his insurance company is forcing him to sue. Happens in auto accidents Im told.

Guess that could be the case.

 

[N8 v2.0]

This is a very bad thing in deed!

Our club carries insurance to protect itself agains such things and the officers also are protected but still... nothing can stop an asshat from filing and forcing the MTB into court.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

Maybe we need to start sending mail to Mr. Jerry Reese...

 

[hooples3]

you have to love people sueing for there own stupidity or mistakes

 

[BurlyShirley]

Thats a good idea JBP. Im going to send him a douche.

 

[Echo]

Somehow I don't feel an overwhelming urge to harass someone who is sue-happy.

 

[Westy]

Perhaps his insurance company is forcing him to sue. Happens in auto accidents Im told.

Whenever I have an health insurance claim that can somehow be considered and injury my insurance company sends me forms asking the nature of the accident and if anyone else can be blamed. I alway say it happened at home, with no one or no products involved. My injuries are almost always related to bike wrecks.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Whenever I have an health insurance claim that can somehow be considered and injury my insurance company sends me forms asking the nature of the accident and if anyone else can be blamed. I alway say it happened at home, with no one or no products involved. My injuries are almost always related to bike wrecks.

Yeah, kind of sad that the smart thing to do is LIE to them. However, insurance people are scum of the earth. But this nutsack probably told them the truth, and cant get any medical coverage unless he at least attempts to sue. Sad world.

 

[JRB]

I'm with echo on this one.

Next thing you know, someone will sue McDonald's over a hot cup of coffee.

 

[robdamanii]

I'm with echo on this one.

Next thing you know, someone will sue McDonald's over a hot cup of coffee.

The real trick would be to sue the coffee bean companies when you spill a cup of home brewed coffee in your lap.

 

[peter6061]

Whenever I have an health insurance claim that can somehow be considered and injury my insurance company sends me forms asking the nature of the accident and if anyone else can be blamed. I alway say it happened at home, with no one or no products involved. My injuries are almost always related to bike wrecks.

Yeah, like when I break my arm next week at Ray's, a week before our race, I'll blame it on myself because in no way would I want to get the place shut down for others... should be fun racing in a cast.

 

[Westy]

Yeah, like when I break my arm next week at Ray's, a week before our race, I'll blame it on myself because in no way would I want to get the place shut down for others... should be fun racing in a cast.

Bring some handlebars to the Hospital so they can form the cast around your grips. A cast should be nice armoring against cactus needles too.

 

[JRB]

The real trick would be to sue the coffee bean companies when you spill a cup of home brewed coffee in your lap.

Or the toothpaste company because your teeth aren't white.

 

[robdamanii]

Or the toothpaste company because your teeth aren't white.

Wait, can you do that? Maybe sue crest white strips for not bleaching your teef out? If so, I'm going to start gargling with coffee.

 

[peter6061]

Bring some handlebars to the Hospital so they can form the cast around your grips. A cast should be nice armoring against cactus needles too.

Yeah, every now and then I'm still pulling some out from a crash into a Saguaro cactus back around '96 when I lived there. It's funny how the skin slowly worked impurities out of the body.

I anticipate a few run-ins with some cholla cacti while we're there.

 

[Echo]

Yeah, like when I break my arm next week at Ray's, a week before our race, I'll blame it on myself because in no way would I want to get the place shut down for others... should be fun racing in a cast.

You're going? Shoot, I might just have to head up there again. You riding both days or just one?

 

[stosh]

So was it Biker Fox or not?

 

[MtnbikeMike]

So was it Biker Fox or not?

No, Biker Fox would have flipped over his handlebars and landed on his feet.

 

[Cooter Brown]

The real trick would be to sue the coffee bean companies when you spill a cup of home brewed coffee in your lap.

by claiming that you're addicted to the caffeine and that the fat content in the beans made you become morbidly obese

 

[robdamanii]

by claiming that you're addicted to the caffeine and that the fat content in the beans made you become morbidly obese

Niiiiiice. Split the loot 50/50??

 

[Cooter Brown]

Niiiiiice. Split the loot 50/50??

good 'nuff

 

[Slugman]

Whenever I have an health insurance claim that can somehow be considered and injury my insurance company sends me forms asking the nature of the accident and if anyone else can be blamed. I alway say it happened at home, with no one or no products involved. My injuries are almost always related to bike wrecks.

When I busted my collarbone my insurance sent me one of those forms.

I forget the exact questions, but it went something like this:
WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN? - Outside
DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT - I fell off my bike
WHO CAUSED THIS INCIDENT - Myself and the planet earth

 

[Westy]

When I busted my collarbone my insurance sent me one of those forms.

I forget the exact questions, but it went something like this:
WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN? - Outside
DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT - I fell off my bike
WHO CAUSED THIS INCIDENT - Myself and the planet earth

When i broke my hand it went something like this.

Where: Living Room
How: Tripped over my own feet
Who caused it: I did.

 

[Angus]

I am sorry that dude got hurt, but from reading the article and watching his interview it sounds like his injuries where caused most likely by his poor bike handling skills and his overreacting to a loose board. on a 2 x4 bridge a normal bike can still traverse the span if a single board is missing. I do it all the time. It sounds like he saw a loose board, got freaked out, lost control of his bike and crashed (badly) off the side of the bridge. I contend that if he wouldv'e stayed calm and rode in the center of the bridge nothing adverse wouldv'e happened.

my 2 cents...

 

[Echo]

OK did anyone watch the video? That has got to be the widest, most non-challenging bridge on the f*cking planet. I would seriously ride across that bridge no handed with my eyes closed, and I'm NOT a particularly skilled rider.

A loose board had NOTHING to do with this dude wrecking.

 

[Sorgie]

I am sorry that dude got hurt, but from reading the article and watching his interview it sounds like his injuries where caused most likely by his poor bike handling skills and his overreacting to a loose board. on a 2 x4 bridge a normal bike can still traverse the span if a single board is missing. I do it all the time. It sounds like he saw a loose board, got freaked out, lost control of his bike and crashed (badly) off the side of the bridge. I contend that if he wouldv'e stayed calm and rode in the center of the bridge nothing adverse wouldv'e happened.

my 2 cents...

What he said. This guy was in WAY over his head before he even got on the trail if a broken board on that bridge freaked him out. Just from the video I don't know how much more "sanitary" that section of trail could be.

 

[JRB]

I'll bet the ass kickings he gets hurt more than the crash, if he gets the trail closed.

 

[brungeman]

I am sorry anytime I hear about an injury... but!!! loose board my a$$ this d@*chebag should be ashamed to show his face and point out where it happened, knowing he was going to make himself look like an incompetent biker. As echo said that is the most tame bridge I have ever seen!!! :mumble:

Maybe the guy was that messed up before he fell and the impact just made him realize just how uncoordinated he was!:mumble:

 

[Slugman]

OK did anyone watch the video? That has got to be the widest, most non-challenging bridge on the f*cking planet. I would seriously ride across that bridge no handed with my eyes closed, and I'm NOT a particularly skilled rider.

A loose board had NOTHING to do with this dude wrecking.

Yup... should be easy to get this case thrown out - local riders could set up a demo. Build a replica with lose board and show how easy it is to go across a 4" gap... hell even if the board came up and was sitting on top of the other boards - It's still easy!

Besides - the guy didn't have any brakes?!?!? Even wet and muddy there should have been plenty of room to stop… unless he was riding irresponsibly fast for the conditions.

I hope this case is laughed out of court...

 

[sanjuro]

Does anyone remember the Canadien Lawyer who crashed and sued? It got posted to NSMB, and I remember a ton of harassment afterwards...

EDIT: http://www.nsmb.com/shore_news/beardwinter_04_05.php

 

[urbaindk]

"Reese's attorney said crashes are to be expected from natural difficulties on the trail such as rocks or trees, but not from a broken board on a man-made bridge."

That sort of ignorant attitude just pisses me off. The bridge in the movie looks like it has zero difficulty and was probably put there to prevent errosion in the gully or to traverse a low swampy area. You just can't win can you?

 

[Slugman]

If I was on the jury - Someone would have to prove that the missing board is HARDER than rock, trees, roots, dead squirrels on the trail...

 

[johnbryanpeters]

When I busted my collarbone my insurance sent me one of those forms.

I forget the exact questions, but it went something like this:
WHERE DID THIS HAPPEN? - Outside
DESCRIBE THE INCIDENT - I fell off my bike
WHO CAUSED THIS INCIDENT - Myself and the planet earth

'03 and '05, both broken arms due to my lack of skill on bike, no, suckahs, I'm not going to blame anyone!