5 Facts about Cycling Accidents 

With the recent growth in the use of bikes First Personal Injury wants to ensure that you know all the facts about cycling accidents so that you can protect yourself while outside and ensure that you get the legal help you deserve if an accident does occur while you are cycling. 

1. What are the Time Limits to Make a Claim for a Cycling Accident? 

Traditionally there is a time limit of three years for most types of personal injury cases. However, there are certain cases where this timeline does not apply such as: 

• If you are making a claim on behalf of someone who does not have the mental capacity to make the claim themselves – there is no time limit in cases like these.
• If you are making a claim on behalf of a child, in this case a claim can be made at any point up to the child’s eighteenth birthday. If a claim has not been made by this point, the child has another three years after their eighteenth to make a claim. 

2. What Kind of Compensation can I get for a Cycling Accident? 

Each case has to be accessed on an individual basis so there is no exact guide to how much compensation you are owed based upon your injuries. However, there are certain estimates that can be understood based upon your injuries: an incredibly serious neck injury could gain you roughly between £35,000 to £112,000. Furthermore, it is important to note that for personal injury cases there are two different types of damages that are taken into account when considering the amount of compensation, you should be owed: general and special damages. General damages refers to the amount of suffering and pain that your injuries from an accident has caused you. A medical professional will evaluate your injuries to understand how much compensation you should be owed in this case. Special damages refers to factors relating to your accident which could incur costs upon you unless covered by compensation, such as the need for rehabilitation or a loss of earnings due to your injuries. 

3. What is the Most Common Cause of a Cycling Accident?

The most common cause of cycling accidents is vehicles turning into the path of a cyclist which usually occurs when another vehicle overtakes a cyclist but then slows down to turn which inadvertently puts this vehicle in the path of the cyclist. Therefore, while it is the responsibility of the motor vehicle driver to be aware of cyclists on the road and to give them enough time to break or avoid their vehicles, the cyclist must also be aware of their surroundings and of other vehicles on the road to ensure everyone’s safety. 

4. How Long do Cyclist Claims take to Process? 

The length that each claim takes to be finished from the initial consultation to finally reaching a decision varies for each case but for most cyclist claims the time length is between three and six months. There are certain factors which can influence the length of time that the case takes to fully process, such as the complexity of the case. 

5. What is a Common Accident Cause that Doesn’t Involve another Vehicle? 

Another very common accident cause for cyclists is cycling on badly maintained roads and hitting a pothole or uneven curb. These issues are often the fault of the local council and so a claim would usually be brought against them or another agency who was responsible for such oversight. If you are involved in this type of accident it is important that you take photographic evidence of the site of the accident, such as the pothole. If negligence can be proven in this case, such as proving that the council was aware of this issue but did nothing to fix it then you may be entitled to compensation. 

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Explore: Cycling Accident Claims