 Poster: A snowHead
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So I finally got away for three days skiing at Morillon only to be clattered from behind on the first run down of day 2. The female assailant was simply going to fast for ability and straight lining unable to turn and hit me from behind pitching me forward and landing on my left shoulder and head. I estimate I was travelling at 15 to 20mph so she must have been doing considerably more.
I knew it was bad as heard the pop of my shoulder. Thankfully an ESF instructor saw it and stopped and ensured the woman went down to the station with me swap details and file an accident report.
I saw a doctor in resort and got a brace but the x-ray machine was not working. My friend rearranged an early flight from Geneva and we came home yesterday afternoon/evening.
After very pain riddled night went to A&E at Exeter this morning and my left shoulder is basically shattered, broken clean at the neck of the humerus and four fractures around the ball of the shoulder. Add to that ligament damage and I have a long road to recovery. Go back to see shoulder fracture specialist Tuesday who will decide about surgery and screwing it back together.
Wife and kids are all gutted as I now cant ski with them for our main family holiday in la plagne at Easter.
Moral of the story is please slow down folks be able to turn and steer in the distance you can see to be clear! glad I had a helmet on got some large bruising on left temple and a cut on bridge of the nose.
still love skiing and i'll be back next year. insurance will pay my expenses but not loss of overtime at work, cant drive for 6 weeks off work at least that long as have a physical job. not angry but bloody miserable and glum!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jirac18, oh dear. 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@jirac18, Such a shame. I think you are being amazingly calm about it. I hope the other skier was suitably contrite?
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@Iski, she was very tearful. with my good arm I gave a quick hug and said not to worry. she has been texting all day for updates from hospital. doesn't help to stay angry it is what it is. mind you when the pain killers ease of I'm less calm!! it is excruciating as injuries go.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Iski wrote: |
| I think you are being amazingly calm about it. |
+1 ... Respect. Hate to say those trite words, 'it could have been worse', but by the sounds of your injuries ...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I can imagine it's excruciating and also totally gutting, so massive well done for already remaining positive about skiing and looking forward to next year, and also for being so lovely to the person who caused your injury - sounds like she's learnt a lesson out of this rather than not caring/trying to offload blame at the very least. Will you still travel with your family at Easter? The mountains are a lovely environment to recuperate in...
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 6-03-15 22:02; edited 1 time in total
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what's a tad embarrassing is I'm 5'11" and a stocky 16 stone plus with bloody big strong shoulders former rugby player. She was 5'6" and no more than 9 stone quite slim. just goes to show if you get walloped unexpectedly without protection its a game changer. so glad she didn't clatter a child I dread to think what could have happened. we estimated from witnesses she may have been doing near to 40mph her right shoulder caught my back as she went over the back of my skis.
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@miranda, yeh i'll still go. we are with another family so will all have some fun at the end of the day. I will probably mooch about belle plagne and take a bus ride or two and use the pool and spa. bit worried about mrs jirac driving all the way to la plagne though she says she can do it so girl power.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@jirac18, I agree about not nursing the anger, especially if the other person is just wishing they could put it right. I can imagine how painful your shoulder is as I know what mine was like when I fell and hit it without even breaking anything. Wishing you as speedy a recovery as possible.
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Accidents happen.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@jirac18, sorry to hear about the injury, and good luck with the rehab.. If it was me I'd be telling her to leave me alone! - that last thing I'd want is the "assailant" pestering me for updates - my stock answer would be that she'll hear from the insurance company.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You may want to find out what kind of insurance she has to discuss your loss of earnings. Most have third party cover, but you might have to take legal action to get them to pay out.
Bonkers, frankly. The number of these kinds of incidents is leading me to consider back protection in addition to helmet, getting wiped out from behind is an increasing concern.
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| Mistress Panda wrote: |
You may want to find out what kind of insurance she has to discuss your loss of earnings. Most have third party cover, but you might have to take legal action to get them to pay out.
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This is right, to be honest from the sound of it (accepting that its one side of the story), its clearly her fault, and part of what we pay insurance of is so that if we accidentally hurt someone else they will pay for our liability. Its not a personal thing against her, she sounds very genuine, and shouldn't cost her personally a thing, but you are clearly financially hurt as well as physically.
Edit- and if there is an ESF instructor as a witness, I am sure that the insurance would pay out rather than go to court
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You know it makes sense.
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@holidayloverxx, I think she feels genuinely upset and concerned. I've passed all her details to my insurers and they say they'll pursue what they can. She could have just buggered off but didn't so I'm thankful to her for that although of course I really wish she'd skied more carefully.
Hopefully for her a lesson learned and for everyone else too.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@SkiG, fair points obviously I can only tell it from my point of view and that of those who saw it and explained it to me. The woman did acknowledge it was entirely her fault.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@jirac18, bvgger! Sympathy. Speedy rehab!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jirac18, ow, what rotten luck. I too am scared of collisions from behind, following the near demise of my brother-in-law (he was in intensive care in Chambery for some time) a couple of years ago, following such an accident. His was 'hit and run' to boot.
I too can imagine your pain, as I'm still being woken by the pain of a rotator cuff injury incurred in the first week of January. Hope it all heals up quickly.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@jirac18, ...I would be mentally prepared for a long period of rehab. I have had three shoulder injuries including a grade 3 separation, but the expansive nature of the injury you have is likely to make it long and complex. This is not designed to make you feel glum, but to encourage you to pursue clear and effective guidance on rehab exercise. I accessed specialist sport physio and private advice from the best shoulder surgeon in England ( Ian bayley at Stanmore) which my assailant's insurers paid for without a murmer. Shoulders have an amazing range of movement, and leaving them immobile in a cast or sling can cause formation of nasty scar tissue and atrophication of the muscles. Early highly targeted physio and manipulation of the joint is vital in restoring movement and you should insist on this. I am afraid that my most recent injury - left shoulder impact injury and damage to rotator cuff by exactly the same kind of accident which you had - assailed from behind but hit-and-run) has taken over a year to resolve and is still twingey, but improving. It will most likely take a long time - and I repeat that early but not premature targetted physio is a crucial ingredient in recovery.
@Mistress Panda, ...I have been hit twice from behind in the last 18 months, doing nice tight turns, following a consistent and obvious line, and then WHAAM - taken out from behind. I wear a good helmet (POC) and a back protector (ortovox protector combined with pack) When my shoulder was trashed by hit and run from behind, a ski school director friend immediately said 'did you have your back protector on?' - thank god, he said, one of our guys has been taken out in the same way but it's not just his shoulder but his spine too. I don't think it's overkill to have a helmet and back protector - my kids have both (POC vpd spines) and they've been excellent - light, unobtrusive and high spec.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 6-03-15 23:09; edited 3 times in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@jirac18, sorry to hear of your injury, and well played.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@valais2, I doubt that my b-I-l will ski again, but I hope he will consider a back protector if he does. The number of ribs broken in several places was truly gobsmacking.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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That's very bad luck and whilst she's very contrite and concerned, etc etc I wonder if she's gonna slow down the next time. She clearly was not a beginner, travelling at that speed. Was she French? A guy took me out from behind, skiing very fast down the edge of the piste. I was turning consistently down the right hand side of the piste and he just ran out of space to pass. He was an experienced skier (and his stupid wife was doing the same thing down the other side of the piste, my OH was behind me and saw the whole thing, including her laughing at him (as we both ended up on the floor). I had a bruised back from landing on my backpack with thermos flask in but no real damage except to the flask. Your injury sounds really nasty. I hope you are able to enjoy the Easter trip - doesn't sound a whole lot of fun.
Let us know how it goes with the insurance. Good that you have a reliable witness.
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@jirac18, Really sorry to hear. I know from experience how painful shoulder injuries can be, so good luck with it. As @laundryman, says, well played 
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@Pedantica, ...that's truly awful ... So sorry to hear of it ... Terrible that someone else's incompetence can have such a devastating effect.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@valais2, loads of info to take in there thanks so much. I'll be determined to get this repaired and recovered as soon as I can. Think I just need to be pragmatic and patient for now. Hopefully the specialist on Tuesday can give me some positive vibes going forward
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@valais2, luckily all he's left with now is intractable neuropathic pain in his hand. He was lucky, at his age (73 or thereabouts at the time) to have survived at all. It was bloody terrifying when he was in an induced coma in Chambery for ages, and also when he came out of the coma, when he was raving bonkers for a while and had to be restrained! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@jirac18, well played indeed.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@pam w, yes she is French and local to Morillon so must know the piste well she was doing exactly as you described straight lining the right hand edge of the slope even though I was already holding that line consistently having already traversed.
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| Quote: |
straight lining the right hand edge of the slope
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Interesting. When faced with a very crowded piste, say on a home run, I quite often side-slip tidily down the very edge of the piste. It has occurred to me that this might not be too sensible, as that's where boy racers tend to straight-line...
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You know it makes sense.
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| Pedantica wrote: |
| Quote: |
straight lining the right hand edge of the slope
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Interesting. When faced with a very crowded piste, say on a home run, I quite often side-slip tidily down the very edge of the piste. It has occurred to me that this might not be too sensible, as that's where boy racers tend to straight-line... |
And clearly girl racers too 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Glad to see you still have your sense of humour @jirac18, ! 
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Poster: A snowHead
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And not racers either. I tend to overtake on crowded pistes on the edges. I do try to be responsible however 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oh, OK, I'll just snowplough down the middle, like everyone else!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@jirac18, i feel your pain. I did exactly the same injury racing a few years back. Be prepared for operations as it took 2 to sort mine out. Its honestly the most painful fracture i had and the loss of range in movement in the shoulder is frustrating.
Well done you tho for behaving so well about it rather than being all american!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@jirac18, what bad luck; I hope your rcovery goes well.
Awareness of reckless skiing in the Dolomites during the Birthday Bash, this thread, and the 'who's at fault' one recently, make me wonder if there is a growing number of skiers who think it's just fine to blat through traffic at high speed, without thinking about having the control to avoid collisions. I often used to feel safer off piste, not withstanding the need to avoid being caught in avalanches. Since my off-piste days are over, I am beginning to rethink about skiing much more at all, strong though the lure of the mountains is. I shall probably carry on - but I am beginning to wonder about doing so. I really don't fancy skiing in a back protector.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@jirac18, Only meant that from a balanced point of view, it certainly sounds like a straight forward thing, and you have all my sympathy. I do think that its only right that you get some compensation for your genuine losses (whilst not wanting to move to the American style culture of 'sue for everything!).
It sounds like one of those horrible accidents where there was literally nothing that you could do to avoid it. Hopefully recovery is speedy, and if I would suggest (with a bit of professional knowledge on the subject) that the more physio the better, and the likelihood is that you would benefit from some extra on top of what the NHS can offer, another thing you might be able to chase her insurance company for...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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it seems that my shoulder doesn't much like lying down beyond 0300 hrs!!! pain was dreadful feel much better sat up downstairs now!
many thanks to everyone for kind words of support and insight into recovery. I will certainly get all the physio I can and make use of proper gym program when I'm advised its ok to get back in there.
@achilles, I echo your sentiment, I am left wondering how safe it is but I'm thinking that surely the number of incidents versus the number of skiers about and potential for incidents still means we have a relatively safe pastime doesn't it? I worry about my kids and wife being hurt though.
@Pedantica, I hear you but I wasn't snow ploughing and was skiing responsibly as a good intermediate skier usually does. on most runs there is sufficient room for everyone doing their own thing with proper planning and execution. In my case I think the woman's actions are akin to driving 50mph past a school at home time, it just unreasonably increases the opportunity for disaster. however once she has caused the accident its too late so no point in crucifying her as long as she thinks about it and adjusts her attitude and actions before she or someone else gets hurt again.
now let's see what duff tv I can find to watch until the sun comes up 
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@jirac18, so sorry to hear and wishing you a quick and thorough recovery.
You might find one of those wedge pillows good for bed?
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Get well soon. Sounds terrible and respect for the digi field way you handled it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| achilles wrote: |
@jirac18, what bad luck; I hope your rcovery goes well.
Awareness of reckless skiing in the Dolomites during the Birthday Bash, this thread, and the 'who's at fault' one recently, make me wonder if there is a growing number of skiers who think it's just fine to blat through traffic at high speed, without thinking about having the control to avoid collisions. I often used to feel safer off piste, not withstanding the need to avoid being caught in avalanches. Since my off-piste days are over, I am beginning to rethink about skiing much more at all, strong though the lure of the mountains is. I shall probably carry on - but I am beginning to wonder about doing so. I really don't fancy skiing in a back protector. |
Back protectors are very comfortable, or at least mine is. There is no loss of mobility. They also help to keep you warm on cold days!
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Really sorry to read your story and wishing you all the very best matey. Re: insurance; try and keep a close track of who is doing what to represent your interests. I KNOW this is a different scenario but after our car was "touched" whilst my wife was parked up we were then besieged for many months by an array of "ambulance chasing" / "had an accident that wasn't your fault" merchants seemingly unconnected with our insurance co. Her case ended up being subcontracted to several companies to eventually cover a minor repair / hire car costs.
As I say I know this is obviously different from your situation but this type of litigation activity seems to be the norm now re: insurance, so thought it worth mentioning - hope u don't mind and more importantly hope your claim is as straightforward as poss and you recover ASAP.
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