It has been reported that cycling rates have risen by almost 300% as a result of recent lockdowns, as more and more people fall in love with the sport and hobby. However, along with this dramatic increase in people out and about on their bikes, has come a corresponding rise in the number of cycling road traffic accident claims that our expert personal injury solicitors are dealing with and working on with our clients. 

 

From 2019 to 2020, it was reported that a total of 330 cyclists were either killed, or seriously injured, as a result of Road Traffic Accidents. Still, with the number of cyclists on the road having increased so dramatically in recent months, it is likely that this number is now much higher. 

 

In this post, our expert road traffic accident personal injury solicitors discuss cyclist accident claims in more detail, such as how to pursue a claim for your injuries, and how much financial compensation you could receive. 

There are a huge number of things on the roads that can result in a bike accident or crash. One of the most common causes of cyclist road accidents that our team of personal injury solicitors deal with is vehicle drivers failing to see cyclists when turning at a junction, or crossing over a lane of traffic. No matter how much of an effort cyclists go to in order to ensure that they are clearly visible to other road users, our solicitors see this happening time and time again. And it shouldn’t be the case. 

 

Another common occurrence that our legal team see is cyclists hitting dangerous potholes, other uneven road surfaces, or other spillages or debris in the road causing unsafe road conditions, and sustaining serious injuries as a result. The Department for Transport figures for 2019 show that ten cyclists died and 262 were seriously injured as a result of potholes on our roads. This is another unacceptable accident cause, and one which many people overlook as part and parcel of travelling and cycling on public roads. This is absolutely not the case. 

 

It is the responsibility of either the local council authorities, or The Highways Agency for larger roads and motorways, to maintain the quality of our roads. This maintenance is done using money from the public budget, and is taken out of the taxes that we pay to the government. If either the Highways Agency or your local council have failed to rectify and repair any potholes in the roads of pavements that have caused your injuries in a cycling road traffic accident, then you could be entitled to financial compensation. 

Our expert team of personal injury solicitors have dealt with a huge number of cyclist accident claims on behalf of our clients. In doing so, we have come up with a number of tips and advice of what to do if you find yourself involved in a road traffic accident while cycling. 

 

If you have been injured in a cycling road traffic accident, then where possible, try to: 

 

Take photos of the incident location- Photo evidence of any accident or incident can increase the validity of any subsequent personal injury claim. They can provide hard evidence for the injured party’s explanation of how their injuries occurred, and show evidence for any potholes, debris, or other things that played a part in the incident. 

 

Get the details of any witnesses around- Our expert road traffic accident solicitors are so good at what they do, that the large majority of our cases are settled out of court, and our clients receive their financial compensation without having to attend court proceedings. Still, if your personal injury claim does end up having to got to court, it will be extremely helpful to have the word of any eye witnesses involved. Chances are you probably won’t need to make use of them, but always try to gather the contact details of anybody nearby at the time of the incident. 

 

Get the details of the other parties involved in the accident- If your cycling road traffic accident involving another road user of any kind, whether it was a car driver, a bus driver, someone’s animal, or a motorcyclist, then make sure to take their details down. If it was another vehicle, it will probably be easiest to take a clear photograph of their registration on your mobile phone, as this cannot be disputed. If possible, also take a note of the vehicle’s make and model, as well as the name and address of the driver. 

 

Take photos of your injuries- You might not be too sure whether you want to pursue a personal injury claim for the incident, or you might simply want to get photographic evidence of your injuries as they were worst off right after the cycling accident. Either way, our expert team would advise our clients to always take regular photographs of their injuries, and even to keep an up to date pain diary to strengthen their claim. 

 

Always report the incident to the police- Any road traffic accident involving another vehicle should be reported to the police and authorities. In order to make your claim appear as legitimate as possible, ensure to report the incident to the local police station. When doing so, also remember to get a record of the police incident number. 

 

Visit your doctor, or local A&E department regarding your injuries- Whether it’s just after the incident, or a few days after when you notice an injury beginning to emerge, you should always seek medical attention for your injuries. As well as helping with your recovery, this helps to ensure that you have evidence of your injuries further down the line. 

 

Keep records of any damage to your bike- While most people think of a personal injury claim providing compensation for your injuries, this is only one part of the claims process. The other part, known as special damages, covers any other costs that you have incurred as a result of the incident. See a full overview of this, here. 

In the eyes of the law, cyclists are included in the group known as vulnerable road users. This means that they are more likely to incur serious injuries as a result of any road traffic accidents, and as a result they are often awarded higher amounts of financial compensation than other road users for their injury claims. 

 

Our team of Road Traffic Accident solicitors regularly act on behalf of cyclists who have been injured as a result of the actions of other road users and vehicles. In these instances, it is often a quite straightforward process to recover financial compensation through the insurance provider of the other vehicle. 

 

Even if the insurer does not admit liability right away, our solicitors will fight tooth and bone in court to ensure that our clients obtain substantial financial compensation through court proceedings. Because of this, MG Legal’s team have achieved a success rate of over 99% across their 30 years of working in the personal injury field. 

 

Our personal injury solicitors accept all of their claims on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning that if they do not win your case and financial compensation on your behalf, as our client, then we will not get paid for our work and you will owe us absolutely nothing. 

You can get in touch with our team of expert road traffic acciddent solicitors specialising in cyclist accident claims, here, and will hear back from a specialist within the hour for a no-obligation chat regarding your potential claim. Otherwise, if you have any queries or questions that you would prefer to discuss with a solicitor in person, come and see us in our local offices in Lancaster, Longridge, and Garstang for the Preson area.