Should I replace a wobbly front wheel?

[TigerNightmare]

I got hit by a car last week and I discovered that my front wheel has a slight bend to it now. There's no problem with the alignment, brake rotor, rubbing, noise, etc., it just looks wobbly. Picture below.

The guy who hit me might pay for a replacement for me, but it will probably cost $250 to get the wheel I want with shipping and tax. There's no way I can test it while I'm recovering from my injuries, but I'm worried about the effect the bent wheel might have on my performance, stability and other unforeseen problems. Any advice?

[Bill]

Ok did he hit the forks or frame at all? I would say YES definitely for the wheel. You can keep the current tire and tube!
If the frame or forks were hit MAKE SURE YOU INSPECT or have inspected by a pro both before attempting to ride your bike again. Down the road you may find out the hard way (possible crash) that more damage was done then noticed!!! In fact just have the whole thing looked over for safety's sake for you and anyone else.

[TigerNightmare]

Thanks for the advice. I got my bike all fixed up today and I rode it around the parking lot to try it out. Seems to ride well. But when I tried to call the guy who promised to reimburse me, I was told I got a wrong number. Man, I hate people. I wish I hadn't been so distracted by pain and naively accepting of the honesty of strangers at the time so it would have occurred to me to get his license plate number. Hopefully the police will still be of help. Grrrr.

[RobAR]

Perhaps you could find the guy and whack the rim really hard against his head in an attempt to straighten it back out.
Ooops! I can't say that, can I? Okay - I only thought it.

[Bill]

Ok I wasn't going to say anything on this one, but lol now I am.
The person who hit you with a car is at fault?
If yes then you are entitled to seek legal action against the fore mentioned party!
Was there a police report filed? Were they present at the accident?
If yes much better for a case. If present then they possibly heard the party admitting to fault.
Was there a credible witness(es) present who saw the accident?
If yes hopefully maybe they would testify, if it came to that.
Did you incur medical expenses? Basically did you go to the hospital after the accident?
If you went by ambulance then maybe the EMT's saw something too!?
Now if the area in which you were, is a park, store, or place of random business then it is likely that they will return. I know it sounds crazy but you can hold a sign up asking anyone who witnessed the accident to stop for information.
I can go on and on, but the main thing is <b>if the person hit you whether intentional or unintentional and is at fault, you were the victim!!! </b>

[TigerNightmare]

The person who hit me is definitely at fault. No question about that. I entered the crosswalk on a green light and white walk signal, then he rammed me. Didn't check his right side before attempting to pull into traffic. I was able to stand and walk through the pain and after the guy got out and asked if I was alright, I asked for a ride home. Because it hurt. I should have collected info from a couple of drivers who were behind him who may have seen it happen, but I didn't. He loaded my bike into his cargo space and I told him how to get to my place. It was only a few miles to go, but I was in no condition to get back on, especially with one of my brake levers snapped off. When we got to my place, I mentioned the brake lever and asked him if he would pay for it, then I asked for his phone number. He then handed me a napkin from Starbucks with a name and number. I should have memorized his license plate, but, again, distracted, naive, etc. I didn't file a police report or anything, but I'm going to try to call the police and see if they can do anything for the limited info I have. A semi-vague description of the driver and the make, model and color of the car.

I went to the clinic a couple days later, worried that I might have a tendon injury on my left knee, but it was just some really nasty bruising. I feel a lot better now, but am not yet confident enough to ride up and down steep hills for 20 miles.

So, cautionary tale, kids: Trust no one. Collect witness information. Call the police. Collect insurance information. Get that license plate number. There's probably not a lot of slender, short-haired caucasian men with multiple tattoos that drive a light green Honda Element, so maybe justice can still be had.

[Bill]

Although he was atleast a good enough Samaritan to give you a ride home. Some do not even stop! That's all you can do for now. Glad to hear you are ok and feeling better. .