Davis Law Group, P.S.

Man Hit by Truck Driver in Seattle to Portland Bicycle Ride

After the minor hit, Becker fell on his shoulder in the pavement. Then, the truck’s rear wheels ran over a part of his chest.

“I was in a lot of pain,” he said, “more than I ever remember.”

An ambulance arrived to the scene quickly and rushed him to a nearby hospital. After assessing his condition, a helicopter ambulance flew him to a medical center in Vancouver.

He can walk, and he gave a firm handshake with his left hand because of his still-injured right shoulder.

Becker received 18 broken ribs and fractures to shoulder blades, collarbone, and a part of his neck bone. One of his lungs collapsed and the other was partially collapsed. Physicians operated in Vancouver to hold his ribs together in one piece, while being medically induced in coma for a few days following.

“Everything was painful at that time,” he said after waking up in the hospital.

His three weeks in the hospital also included catching an infection. But he was released Aug. 4.

“I was so happy to be leaving the hospital,” he said.

His injuries were covered by medical insurance. The truck driver wasn’t blamed in the bicycle accident.

Becker needed rehabilitation therapy that only took five days, much less than doctors thought since his legs were so strong from being a cyclist.

He believes that he will face two months of therapy for his broken shoulder. After therapy, he will look for a job. Two years ago Becker was lead off at Hewlett-Packard.

“I had a few job leads before this happened,” he said. “It’s not like the job market is humming along right now. Particularly for people our age.”

And after 20 years of road bicycling, riding about 200 miles a month to keep strong, he’s giving it up.

“I love the sport, but it’s just catastrophic when things go wrong,” he said. “It’s probably the closest I’ll come to death before it happens.”


Davis Law Group is glad to hear that Donald Becker will make a full recovery. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Bicycle accident statistics

In the United States, every year there are about 900 bicycle accident deaths. Of the reported deaths in 1999, 29% were under the age of 16. Emergency rooms saw 51,600 bicycle-related injuries in 2008. Intersections are particularly dangerous, accounting for 35% of bicycle accidents. These accidents not only affect people’s lives, but take a toll on the economy in general. Injuries and deaths from bicycle accidents alone cost over $4 billion a year.