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Brit's leg left 'hanging off' in Thailand crash

British expat Darren Cummins, 34, is facing GBP22,000 in hospital bills after a motorbike crash in Thailand left him with severe leg injuries, including the loss of five inches of tibia bone.

Cummins, originally from Falkirk, Scotland, moved to Thailand in 2015 after first visiting on holiday. The business development consultant said the crash on 13 June has turned his and his girlfriend's lives "upside down", with three operations still needed before rehabilitation.

Collision on a triple carriageway

Cummins said he was travelling at 100kph when a car allegedly made a U-turn across oncoming traffic on a triple carriageway.

"The driver was travelling in the opposite direction to me so he was on the other side of the triple carriageway and he wanted to do a U-turn," he said.

He said the driver crossed all three lanes and may have believed he could clear two vehicles ahead of Cummins. However, Cummins said he did not see the car until it had passed the second vehicle in the middle lane and was about a metre in front of him.

collage_export_E7171425-B9AF-4AA6-8004-B99E475731E4.jpeg

He said it was impossible to avoid the impact. "My leg took the brunt of the impact but had that been any other part of my body, whether it was my chest or my head, then I wouldn't be here right now."

Cummins said he was thrown about 30 yards from his motorbike, was in and out of consciousness and went into shock. He recalled seeing his "leg just dangling off" and screaming uncontrollably before waking in hospital with an oxygen mask on.

Long recovery and mounting costs

The crash caused a compound fracture at the top of his tibia, with five inches of bone lost. He also suffered comminuted fractures to his ankle and shin and lost the use of his Achilles tendon.

"I lost five inches of tibia, smashed out of my knee, [it] scattered across the road," he said. "I'm lucky to be here."

Cummins, who describes himself as a "motorbike guy" and regularly rode to see Thailand's "beauty", said it is less than likely he will ever walk properly again, though there remains a small chance. He said he has cried himself to sleep over the prospect and doubts he will be able to ride again.

For foreign residents and visitors, his account underlines the potentially substantial upfront costs of serious treatment after a road crash. Cummins said the hospital that accepted his case had already exceeded its initial estimate of about GBP15,000.

"Every single procedure now we get hounded for money before they work on me - even if it's an emergency you have to have the money," he said.

After exhausting his savings, Cummins set up a GoFundMe fundraiser, saying he had never wanted to become "that foreigner in Thailand" asking for help but had swallowed his pride.

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Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail

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17 July 2026

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fredwiggy Star Member

fredwiggy

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Absolutely horrific thing to happen.

When will Thailand ban motorbikes and motorcycles?

Soon, we hope.

Might as well ban rice eating for that matter.

jas007 Platinum Member

jas007

Advanced Member

They should require everyone entering Thailand to buy accident insurance to include any motorcycle injuries. I wonder what it would cost?

Anyway, I gave this guy's GoFundMe a little money.

Antiparovian Advanced Member

Antiparovian

Member

Does his "Thai GF" contribute to GoFundMe?

Hummin Star Member

Hummin

Advanced Member

What strikes me is this line:

“He said he has cried himself to sleep over the prospect and doubts he will be able to ride again.”

He now has a GoFundMe page, but there is no explanation of why insurance will not cover the costs—or whether he had any insurance at all.

Dave1954 Explorer Member

Dave1954

Member
(edited)

After an accident when you are not at fault, your insurance company handles your immediate bills and then steps into your shoes to sue or collect from the negligent driver's insurer.

Understanding the 4 Steps of Subrogation

  1. You File a First-Party Claim
    You report the accident to your own insurer to get your car repaired or medical bills paid quickly.

  2. You Pay Your Deductible
    Your insurer pays out the claim amount minus your policy deductible, which you must pay out-of-pocket upfront.

  3. Your Insurer Pursues the Third Party
    Your insurance company contacts the at-fault driver's insurance company to demand full reimbursement for what they paid.

  4. You Get Your Deductible Back
    Once your insurer successfully recovers the money, they legally must refund your deductible.

Edited by Dave1954

J Branche Gold Member

J Branche

Advanced Member

To much chatter to read all

WAIT - The other driver did Not Stop.

Review

Section 78 of the Road Traffic Act, B.E. 2522 (1979).

It implies that even of the other driver caused an accident but there was no collision with their vehicle they must stop, provide assistance.

Where is the other driver. Why isn't the other driver mentioned in the article?

Antiparovian Advanced Member

Antiparovian

Member
27 minutes ago, Dave1954 said:

After an accident when you are not at fault, your insurance company handles your immediate bills and then steps into your shoes to sue or collect from the negligent driver's insurer.

Understanding the 4 Steps of Subrogation

  1. You File a First-Party Claim
    You report the accident to your own insurer to get your car repaired or medical bills paid quickly.

  2. You Pay Your Deductible
    Your insurer pays out the claim amount minus your policy deductible, which you must pay out-of-pocket upfront.

  3. Your Insurer Pursues the Third Party
    Your insurance company contacts the at-fault driver's insurance company to demand full reimbursement for what they paid.

  4. You Get Your Deductible Back
    Once your insurer successfully recovers the money, they legally must refund your deductible.

If you are totally incapacitated how do do you contact your Insurance Company? Not trolling. A serious question.

off road pat Gold Member

off road pat

Advanced Member
5 hours ago, TedG said:

That's not all that fast. I'll get my BMW over 120 Kph on the US highways. You need to look ahead and always keep a safe following distance from other vehicles.

And even with all precautions and special protective gear, accidents still happen !!

ThailandGuy Advanced Member

ThailandGuy

Member

Seems to be epidemic these British people begging for money for issues they create. Don't drive a motorbike without a license!. Don't go on vacation without propper insurance! How simple can it be?

ThailandGuy Advanced Member

ThailandGuy

Member
5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The only time I've seen money successfully recovered in Thailand from an automobile accident when someone else was at fault is when you have a good insurance company that goes after the responsible party.

Doing it on your own would likely cost a fortune, it would likely take years, and who knows what the result would be?

LOL, As if they have money? Many of them drive cars without insurance and or a license. They don't have any money in the bank and are broke. Goodluck getting any money out of that.

ThailandGuy Advanced Member

ThailandGuy

Member

"Every single procedure now we get hounded for money before they work on me - even if it's an emergency you have to have the money," he said.

Welcome to the land of smiles.... The only thing that counts is the money. They really don't care about you if you don't have it.

Bday Prang Star Member

Bday Prang

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, Srikcir said:

PS: no mention of a helmet)

no mention of any head injuries either , so what's your point?

jcmj Gold Member

jcmj

Advanced Member

Even if he had a decent insurance on his bike, the max they will payout is 50% and much less if you were speeding, under influence etc, He got what he paid for. Unfortunately too many people don't understand this or the need of any insurance it's so cheap when you are his age you'd be a fool not to have it, Saying that I worked with some guys that didn't want it till they got older. Mind numbing, but at least they had social security health coverage from the company. You should always be prepared for the worse things that can happen and count your lucky starts if they don't.

kwilco Ruby Member

kwilco

Advanced Member
9 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

British expat Darren Cummins, 34

Maybe we should require a minimum age to be an "expat" in Thailand? Maybe 34 is too young.

And a Doctor's prescription to rent or buy a motorcycle, which sounds much more dangerous than cannabis.

Never saw anyone's leg dangling after smoking a joint.

And I prefer the smell of ganja to the smell of "road rash" -- human flesh dragged over asphalt so fast it heats up and starts to burn.

Doesn't seem like we're trying to regulate the most dangerous activity. 🤔

What a facile and fatuous post!

kwilco Ruby Member

kwilco

Advanced Member

A lot of people are being wise after the event – except they're not wise, as they really don't seem to have a clue about road safety or motorcycling.

kwilco Ruby Member

kwilco

Advanced Member
13 minutes ago, jcmj said:

if he had a decent insurance on his bike, the max they will payout is 50%

where do you get that information from? THey will cover full costs depending on policy.

Ralf001 Star Member

Ralf001

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, bannork said:

Driving at motorbike at 100kph is insane in Thailand.

There could be anything on the road: strewn sugarcane, empty sacks blowing across the road, tractors crossing, dogs meandering looking for bird carcasses.

I'm sorry but his actions were reckless.

Pfft, my scooter will do 100.

I take my GSXR1000 out for blat evey othe weekend..260+ on the 36 weaving through traffic is hella fun.

SAFETY FIRST Star Member

SAFETY FIRST

Advanced Member
(edited)
10 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Cummins said he was thrown about 30 yards from his motorbike, was in and out of consciousness and went into shock. He recalled seeing his "leg just dangling off" and screaming uncontrollably before waking in hospital with an oxygen mask on

The crash caused a compound fracture at the top of his tibia, with five inches of bone lost. He also suffered comminuted fractures to his ankle and shin and lost the use of his Achilles tendon.

"I lost five inches of tibia, smashed out of my knee, [it] scattered across the road," he said. "I'm lucky to be here

Ouch, that's gotta hurt

Edited by SAFETY FIRST

OneManShow Silver Member

OneManShow

Advanced Member

All big bike riders are on suicide mission. Even does not have to be really a big one, as long as they hit something hard it does not matter 50kmph or 100. Lucky one Remains alive, but in pieces 🤔

rattlesnake Diamond Member

rattlesnake

Advanced Member
2 minutes ago, OneManShow said:

All big bike riders are on suicide mission. Even does not have to be really a big one, as long as they hit something hard it does not matter 50kmph or 100. Lucky one Remains alive, but in pieces 🤔

I stopped riding "real bikes" when I came to Thailand because the situation described here is inevitable. The roads are simply too dangerous to be doing 100 km/h on two wheels.

kwilco Ruby Member

kwilco

Advanced Member

It seems that, once again, many people on this thread have learned very little from the incident itself.

From the photo, the rider appears to have been travelling without a helmet, gloves or any meaningful protective clothing. That significantly increases the risk of serious injury before you even consider how the crash occurred.

As for his account of the collision, it's only one side of the story. It's a perfectly natural human reaction to explain events in a way that minimises our own mistakes, but until we hear from the other driver—or see a proper collision investigation—we simply don't know what happened. Unfortunately, proper crash investigations are still rare in Thailand.

We don't even know exactly where the collision occurred. Darren lives in Hua Hin, but that doesn't necessarily mean the crash happened there. Location matters, particularly if there was a U-turn involved, as these are well-known conflict points on Thai roads and demand a very defensive approach.

One important lesson that is often overlooked concerns insurance. After any road traffic collision in Thailand, the first priority—assuming you're physically able—is to contact your insurance company immediately. They will send an agent to the scene, who acts as the intermediary between you, the other parties and the police. Trying to deal with a collision without your insurer's representative present can create major problems later if liability is disputed.

The article doesn't mention whether he had comprehensive motorcycle insurance. Many people assume the compulsory insurance (Por Ror Bor), included with annual road tax, provides adequate cover. It doesn't. It mainly covers emergency medical treatment and limited third-party liability. Anyone who owns or regularly rides a motorcycle—particularly a larger machine—should seriously consider proper comprehensive insurance.

There are also legal considerations. To ride a motorcycle legally in Thailand, you need a full motorcycle licence from your home country together with a valid International Driving Permit. If you remain in Thailand long-term, you should obtain a Thai licence and ensure you have appropriate health insurance as well.

Finally, Thailand's emergency response system is still highly variable. Ambulance services are not nationally standardised, and the quality of emergency care can differ considerably depending on where the incident occurs.

Having driven extensively throughout Thailand since the 1990s, one thing I've noticed time and again is that many foreign motorists—whether on two wheels or four—never really adapt to the Thai driving environment. They continue to drive as though they were back home, expecting Thai traffic to follow the same conventions. It doesn't. Safe driving in Thailand requires adapting to local conditions, anticipating behaviour that would be unusual elsewhere, and accepting that the road environment is fundamentally different.

roo860 Star Member

roo860

Advanced Member
(edited)
7 minutes ago, OneManShow said:

All big bike riders are on suicide mission. Even does not have to be really a big one, as long as they hit something hard it does not matter 50kmph or 100. Lucky one Remains alive, but in pieces 🤔

I hit a medium sized dog on my Z650 Kawasaki, I was travelling at around 60kph, it ran out of the hedge bank, I made no attempt to brake, that would have been a mistake, kept the bike upright, went back, it was stone dead, a guy in a pickup stopped, said he'd sort it. Friend of mine made the mistake of braking, 2 broken legs.

On another site, the victim says it wasn't a car it was a saleng with a Myanmar fella riding it.

Edited by roo860

Sigma6 Advanced Member

Sigma6

Member
8 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Does he not have SSO coverage ?

Not in the boiler rooms jobs, where they have these kind of titles

DaveCW Senior Member

DaveCW

Member

Would his bike insurance not cover the hospital costs etc. Assuming he had it. As a business consultant, I wonder if had done his due diligence and worked out the some kind of cost analysis re getting additional health insurance?

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