The final chapter to the bike accident.

It is now 15 months since the accident. I last posted something here about the accident on 7^th July last year, and that was very brief. Before that it was on 23^rd February last year just 12 days after the accident.

So what has happened in the meantime? Some of you will have been keeping up with me on Facebook so will know some of this.

Summery "All sorted (ish)"

• The 'white van man' first pleaded not guilty to "driving without due care and attention", then changed his mind on the morning of the trial to guilty.
• Lots of letters about the damages, loss of earning, etc.
• I saw a doctor (for the insurance claim) who said everything would be back to normal in 18 months, I am not sure if that was 18 months from the accident or from when I saw him. I did not believe him then and I still don't believe him now.
• A settlement was agreed after I had to rewrite the letter to the court from my claim firm.

And with the settlement we splashed out on a new vehicle.

Since we had time to look and we knew what we wanted we had to pay out a bit more (a lot more really) than what we really wanted to spend.

Some of the things we wanted were

• Not too old.
• Low mileage with a service history to match.
• Two Captain seats in the front (not a bench seat for three).
• Three seats in the back so it could act as a 'normal' car.
• Car lined (not ply lined).
• Enough power to pull a caravan easily.
• Enough space to put three cages in for the dogs. And a fourth later on or when needed.
• Not too much of a gas guzzler!

Four wheel drive would have been a nice to have but impossible to find with all the other things we wanted as well.

We also picked the collective brains of our friends in agility to see what they would recommend or stay away from.

You will all know of the expression costing an arm and a leg, well this just cost the leg.

We have ended up a very nice Mercedes Vito Dualiner 115 Sport Comfort Compact in Obsidian Black. With tinted side and rear windows.

There it is kitted out with the cages in the back.

We usually have the middle seat in the back down acting as a table, and we can see into all the cages as well.

It is a nice drive and it is being used as one of our 'every day' cars. Not too thirsty, it is doing about the same MPG as the Renault Laguna Estate that we replaced this with. We have still kept the Nissan X-Trail as well, which has proved handy (more later).