Injured in a bicycle accident? You may require the services of a bicycle accident lawyer to claim compensation. This guide explains when you might need to instruct a cycle injury solicitor and how one could help support your compensation claim.
Additionally, we provide information about the common causes of bicycle accidents. We also elaborate on the eligibility criteria for a bicycle accident claim and the steps to take after getting injured. Furthermore, we detail how compensation could be awarded for a successful bike accident claim.
Want to know more about road traffic accident claims? You can contact our advisory team through the following options:
- Leave your enquiry on our Contact Us form.
- Reach a member of our team directly through the Live Chat.
- Call at 0800 408 7825.
Jump To A Section
- How A Bicycle Accident Lawyer In The UK Could Help You
- Could You Make A Bicycle Accident Claim?
- Common Causes Of Bicycle Accidents
- The Steps To Take When You’ve Been In An Accident
- Providing The Right Evidence.
- Finding The Right Solicitor For Your Bicycle Accident Claim
- What To Expect During The Claims Process
- The Role Car Insurance Plays In Bicycle Accident Claims
- How Much Compensation You Could Receive
- More Information on Road Traffic Accident Claims
How A Bicycle Accident Lawyer In The UK Could Help You
You might like to instruct a bicycle accident lawyer to help you make a personal injury claim. One of the cycle accident solicitors from our panel could help you navigate the claims process. This includes:
- Sending important documents on your behalf.
- Helping gather evidence to support your case.
- Negotiations with the defendant’s insurer to ensure that you receive all of the damages that you are eligible for.
- Ensuring that your claim is valued accurately with all of your injuries accounted for as well as the related expenses.
If you would like to discuss how one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel could help with your claim on a No Win No Fee basis, get in touch with a member of our advisory team.
Could You Make A Bicycle Accident Claim?
A solicitor cannot help you claim compensation, unless you meet the personal injury claims eligibility criteria.
For an eligible claim, your bicycle accident lawyer would have to prove the following:
- A road user owed a duty of care towards you. All road users, including drivers, cyclists, motorbike riders and pedestrians, must ensure that they use the roads in a safe manner that prevents injuries to themselves and others. This is the collective duty of care owed by anyone using the roads. To comply with this, road users need to adhere to Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
- There is a failure on part of the road user to perform the above duty.
- You’ve suffered an injury due to the above failure.
One of the advisors from our team can discuss this eligibility criteria with you and assess whether you have good grounds to make a cycle accident claim.
Types Of Injuries Covered
Some examples of the injuries which could lead to an eligible bicycle accident claim are:
- Head injuries, possibly leading to brain damage.
- Injuries to the hands and wrists.
- Facial injuries leading to scarring.
- Soft tissue injuries.
- Knee and leg injuries.
Contact our team now for a discussion about how a bicycle accident lawyer from our panel could help you.
Common Causes Of Bicycle Accidents
In the following sections, we examine a few common causes of cycling accidents.
Human Error
A bicycle accident could occur due to human error. For example, a car driver might incorrectly estimate the distance and hit you from behind. This could make you fall off your bike, leading to pelvic injuries.
Distracted Driving
A driver could be talking on the phone while driving, causing them to be distracted. This could lead the driver to veer into the cycling lane, colliding with you and causing you to sustain a fracture in your leg.
Speeding
When a driver is speeding, it becomes difficult for them to control their vehicle and they could collide with cyclists at a roundabout, causing wrist injuries.
The Steps To Take When You’ve Been In An Accident
After you’ve been in an accident while on the roads, some of the steps you take in the aftermath could help you build a compensation claim. These may include:
- Seek medical attention: The most important step is to seek medical attention even if you feel that your injuries aren’t very serious. This would prevent the possibility of serious injuries and would also be useful as evidence if you’re considering a bicycle accident claim.
- Note accident details: If you’re in the condition to do so, you could make notes of the accident like the location and number plate of the vehicle, if applicable. You may also like to take the contact details from anyone who saw what happened so they can give a witness statement later on.
- Inform the authorities: Certain road traffic collisions and incidents must be reported to the police. The details of the report can also be used as evidence by your bicycle accident lawyer.
Speak to our team now. It isn’t too late to take some of these steps and start building your case.
Providing The Right Evidence
Some examples of the evidence you could use to support a cycling accident claim include:
- CCTV footage, helmet cam recordings, or dashcam videos of the accident.
- Your medical records to demonstrate the severity of your injuries.
- Contact details of any witnesses.
- Financial evidence of the losses connected to your injuries, such as bills related to medical expenses.
- Photographs of the accident scene or your injuries.
Your bicycle accident lawyer would help you to compile evidence to strengthen your claim (if you decide to appoint one).
Learn about child injury claims by getting in touch with our advisory team.
Finding The Right Solicitor For Your Bicycle Accident Claim
While it isn’t necessary to engage a solicitor for your personal injury claim, it’s recommended to enlist professional support. Your bicycle accident lawyer will help you to compile evidence and ensure that you start your claim in time.
If you choose to make your bicycle accident claim with one of the solicitors from our panel, they will work hard to help secure a favourable outcome. The solicitors on our panel have years of experience and competence in road traffic claims. Choosing a solicitor who is the right fit is essential for the outcome of your bicycle accident case.
The Benefits Of Working With No Win No Fee Solicitors
You may be concerned about the potential solciitor fees you would have to pay to your bicycle accident lawyer. However, if you choose to make your claim with a solicitor from our panel, you could benefit from the No Win No Fee services. Our panel offer these services under a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
This means that your bicycle accident lawyer from our panel will:
- Not charge you upfront for their work on your bicycle accident claim.
- Also, they won’t take ongoing payments from you for their services.
- Won’t charge you a fee for their work if your bicycle accident claim is unsuccessful.
Your bicycle accident lawyer will only charge if the claim is successful. This payment is made by a deduction of a fixed percentage of the compensation. It is known as a success fee. The law has limited this percentage so you can enjoy the maximum benefit of your compensation.
Wish to find out if a No Win No Fee solicitor from our panel could support your claim? Speak to a member of our team now.
What To Expect During The Claims Process
If you would like to make a cycle accident claim, you will need to adhere to the Pre-Action Protocol for Personal Injury Claims. Following the Protocol could help your claim reach a settlement before it reaches court. If you instruct a bicycle accident lawyer from our panel, they could help with these steps, which include:
- Sending a letter of notification.
- Addressing rehabilitation needs.
- Sending a letter of claim.
- Disclosing documents and appointing experts, such as a medical expert.
- Negotiations.
From here, the claim could be settled, enter into an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), or proceedings could be issued.
How Long Will It Take My Claim To Settle?
Another question which must be coming to your mind is how long it would take to conclude your claim. Since no two bicycle injury or road traffic accident claims are the same, the timeframe for each individual case to reach a settlement would differ as well. The time it would take for you to receive your compensation depends on factors such as:
- Evidence: The stronger your evidence, the less time it could take to conclude your claim.
- Liability: If the defendant accepts or refuses liability will affect how long it takes to settle your claim.
- Negotiations: If the defendant admits liability but you aren’t satisfied with the compensation they’re offering, this could lead to a long-drawn process of negotiations.
- Severity of Injuries: If you’ve sustained very serious injuries, it could take some time to determine the impact of the bicycle accident on your life.
A bicycle accident lawyer from our panel could advise you on the timescale if they agree to take on your claim. To find out if one of the solicitors from our panel could help you, speak with a member of the advisory team.
The Role Car Insurance Plays In Bicycle Accident Claims
If you make a successful claim against an insured driver, typically, the compensation settlement will be paid out through their vehicle insurance. However, if you’ve been injured by an uninsured driver, you could still launch a compensation claim.
You might be able to make your bicycle accident claim through the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB). This scheme was devised to help in the following cases:
- Victims of untraced drivers, also known as ‘hit and run’ cases.
- Victims of uninsured drivers.
- Victims who are residents of the UK and involved in accidents with foreign-registered vehicles in the UK or Europe.
If you’ve been injured by an uninsured driver, a bicycle accident lawyer from our panel could still help you (if your claim meets the eligibility requirements). Learn more about MIB claims against untraced and uninsured drivers by speaking to a member of our team.
How Much Compensation You Could Receive
The compensation you could be awarded for your bicycle accident claim might include the following:
- General Damages: This part of a successful settlement awards compensation for physical and psychological injuries caused by the bicycle accident.
- Special Damages: These include the financial losses you have suffered as a result of your injuries.
Your bicycle accident lawyer may ask you to appear for an independent medical examination to assess the general damages. They could also refer to the figures given by the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG).
We provide you with some of these in the table below. However, you should note that these figures are only guidelines and the first row isn’t from the JCG.
| Injury | Severity | Compensation Guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Severe Injuries and Special Damages | Very Serious | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage | Very Severe | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Neck Injury | Severe (ii) | £80,240 to £159,770 |
| Ear Injury | Total Deafness | £110,750 to £133,810 |
| Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring | £36,340 to £118,790 |
| Back Injury | Severe (iii) | £47,320 to £85,100 |
| Finger Fractures | Severe | Up to £44,840 |
| Skeletal Injuries | Multiple Fractures of Facial Bones | £18,180 to £29,220 |
| Toe Injuries | Severe | £16,770 to £25,710 |
| Shoulder Injury | Serious | £15,580 to £23,430 |
If you wish to claim for long-term financial impacts or special damages, as discussed above, you could include the following:
- Loss of Earnings: You could claim this if you’ve been unable to return to work during your recovery.
- Medical Expenses: This could include the costs you incurred for diagnostic tests, prescriptions, counselling sessions and to travel for medical appointments.
- Disability Care and Support: You could include the cost of hiring a carer and modifying your house or vehicle due to the resulting disability. You can also claim the cost of buying a wheelchair or walking stick.
Want further clarity on how personal injury compensation payouts are calculated? Reach out to our team for detailed guidance by:
- Leave your enquiry on our Contact Us form.
- Reach a member of our team directly through Live Chat.
- Call at 0800 408 7825.
More Information on Road Traffic Accident Claims
Thank you for reading our guide on how a bicycle accident lawyer could help you. We present to you some more guides from our website, which may be helpful:
- Our guide on pedestrian accident claims.
- Information on scooter accident and injury claims.
- Details on minor car accidents.
Here are some additional resources which may be helpful:
- Guidance from the NHS on when to call 999.
- Information from the NHS on finding your nearest A&E services.
- Details from the government on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
