In late December, a fellow member of Big Horn Velo and the Corning Race Team, Twin Tiers cycling groups, was in a serious accident.

Brian Klotz was out on a training ride when he was rear-ended by a motorist. I’m representing Brian in his case against the driver who hit him, and I’ve been able to share some of his story here on the NY Bike Accident Blog. Since his ordeal, Brian has been very open about his accident in the hope that his experience will offer a lesson to other cyclists.

The accident was in no way his fault, but Brian’s learned a great deal about insurance coverage and the extra precautions it’s smart for cyclists to take. You can read about his advice in the NY Bike Accident Blog post, “SUM Insurance: The Inexpensive and Important Coverage Every Bicyclist Needs to Know About.” He’s also been learning about the complicated legal issues involved in any car vs. bicycle collision, a topic I recently wrote about in the post “NY Bike Accident Lawyer Explains the Law in Car Vs. Bike Collisions”

I wanted to give readers an update on Brian’s condition and outlook in his own words. He suffered severe injuries, including a separated shoulder, which still requires additional more surgery. He recently shared an update about his improving condition and outlook in an e-mail he send out to other members of Big Horn Velo.

He wrote about the pain of his injuries, which included a concussion, deep gashes and the aforementioned shoulder injury. He says he’s reached a place that he didn’t think he could in the close aftermath of the accident – of believing himself lucky to be alive instead of unlucky to have been injured.

Brian is a fellow member of the Corning Race Team, and he thanks members  for their concern and help. I’m very happy that Brian singled out me, my paralegal Karen Wheadon and the Ziff Law Firm in general, to thank. Ziff Law is proud to be a sponsor of the Corning Race Team.

Brian says “Jim Reed and his paralegal Karen Wheadon were invaluable in helping me navigate the super complex and confusing arena of the legal side of the accident. I don’t know how Jen (his fiance) or I could have handled the situation through that traumatic time without their help.”

Thanks Brian, for your confidence in us and the kind words. I know we couldn’t be helping a more appreciative guy.

Brian ends with a description of his new training regimen, and how he’s been working hard to reach the level he was at before the accident. The accident has left both mental and physical traces – from more nervousness around cars on the road, to lingering pain.  Even with all his hard work, Brian is nowhere near being back to where he was before and he still faces another surgery this September.

“It’s been a tough road to recovery, but I am grateful for all of the support that I have had throughout, so to all in the riding community, I say Thank You,” Brian says.  “Getting back on my bike was my “carrot” throughout my recovery and without it, I just don’t know how inspired I would have been.”

I’m sure I speak for anyone who reads this when I say I marvel at Brian’s fortitude and upbeat attitude in the face of some very nasty injuries.

Thanks for reading, and ride safely.

-Jim

_______________________________________

James B. Reed, Esq.
NY & PA Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William St., Elmira, NY 14901
Tel: (607) 733-8866
Fax: (607) 732-6062
Toll Free: 1-800-943-3529
Email: jreed@zifflaw.com
Web: www.zifflaw.com

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