Cycling Accident Claims – what should you do if you’ve been injured? 

In September 2021, gov.uk released statistics that showed people in the UK are cycling for pleasure more often and cycling further than ever before. This increase in cycling and distance covered has been mirrored with an 11% increase in the number of cyclists killed or seriously injured in accidents over the last 10 years. 

Cycling accidents are unfortunately very common, whether it is on busy city roads or the tight lanes of the countryside. If you have been injured in an accident where someone else was either fully or partly at fault you may be entitled to compensation. 

What is a cycling accident? 

One of the most common forms of cycling accident, and the one which may come to mind first, are Road Traffic Collisions where a cyclist is injured by a vehicle on the road. 

Other common types of cycling accidents are: 

• Accidents resulting from road conditions, such as potholes, poor lighting etc. In this kind of accident, the local council or highway agency may be at fault
• Collisions involving other vehicles – taxis, police vehicles or other cyclists 
• Car door collisions – drivers exiting vehicles and the car door swinging into the road and in front of a cyclist 

The scope of what constitutes a cycling accident goes beyond what is detailed above. Contact the experts at Thatcher + Hallam if you’ve been in a cycling accident and are unsure if you can make a claim. 

What can I claim for? 

When injured in an accident there are several areas which can be claimed for and will form part of your compensation: 

• General damages: payable for pain, suffering and loss of amenity for both physical and psychological injury 
• Special damages: any financial loss which you have suffered as a result of your accident 
• Treatment: any private medical treatment which is required to assist in resolving any injuries your accident has caused
• Miscellaneous: any travel costs required for injury related meetings (such as treatment), damage to the vehicle you were operating (including bicycles), etc. 

There are other forms of compensation available to those injured in an accident, which will be explained in detail by your solicitor.

If you have lost a loved one in a cycling accident, or you are the Executor of an estate of someone killed in a cycling accident, a claim may be possible. The guidelines for those killed in an accident is slightly different to that detailed above. You can read more about this in our Fatal Accident Claims update. This is a sensitive area of work and you may prefer to discuss this with one of the team. 

What happens when I start a cycling claim? 

Upon contacting Thatcher + Hallam, your query regarding making a claim will be passed to our dedicated personal injury team, who will then talk you through the beginning stages of your claim, including: 

• Gathering evidence of the accident
• Assigning liability to the Defendant who caused the accident
• Seeking appropriate medical treatment for the physical and/or psychological damage caused
• Seeking the highest level of compensation available

Each claim is unique in its own right and the above is only a rough guide.  In reality, cycling accident claims can become complex very quickly. Contact us or visit our free legal surgery to speak to a member of our Personal Injury team who will guide you through your claim every step of the way.

How Thatcher + Hallam can help

We have extensive experience within the team at Thatcher + Hallam in dealing with cycling accident claims, from low impact minor injury claims up to and including catastrophic impact and severe injury claims. Our experts are on hand to assist with your claim and provide guidance on how your claim will progress. 

To get in touch, you can contact us by telephone on 01761 414646 and ask to speak to someone in the personal injury team. Alternatively, we offer a free legal surgery every Thursday evening. You are welcome to book an appointment at the surgery to discuss your claim in brief, before deciding on proceeding with a claim. Click here for more details of our legal surgery and to make an appointment.