Last Sunday, for the first time, my family and I went out on our bikes. My daughter, 3, was on her balance bike; my wife on her inexpensive (sorry darling) Christmas present bike; and my son, 15 months, on the back of my 16-year old Raleigh mountain bike.
We cycled around 400m – that’s all we managed! We have never felt more like a family.
It’s wonderful that cycling is an increasingly popular method of travel due to its low cost, zero emissions and recent British success in cycling sports. I hope that my children become keen cyclists. And Olympic winners, too!
However, our roads are still not safe places for cyclists. Fatalities and serious injuries are increasing year on year, rising in line with the increase in cyclists. In 2011, over 3,000 cyclists were seriously injured and over 100 cyclists were killed. Absolutely scandalous.
At Truth Legal, my law firm, we have seen a surge in cyclists who have been knocked over by cars. We have won – using No Win, No Fee agreements – every cycling claim. As a firm we prefer to be representing David rather than Goliath – and no situation is more akin to David V Goliath than the battle between cyclist and car. But unlike the biblical story, David – the cyclist – always loses.
What we cyclists need is for drivers to be more aware of us. And negligent drivers, who injure us, must be sued to prevent the same accident happening again to another cyclist.
Here are a number of things you should do if you are involved in an accident with a vehicle:
- Seek medical assistance from the hospital and/or from your GP.
- Take photos (using your phone) and/or video of the accident scene.
- Inform the police as soon as possible – they may investigate the accident and see if a criminal offence has been committed.
- Take insurance, registration and contact details from the driver of the negligent vehicle.
- Take names and contact details of any witnesses, because friendly witnesses can be key.
- Write everything down: time of accident, road conditions, what people said, any nearby CCTV, how your symptoms develop.
- Make contact with a specialist personal injury solicitor (not a paralegal in a call centre) to see if they will offer a No Win, No Fee agreement to pursue your injury claim.
If you have recently been involved in a cycling accident and would like to pursue a claim, please do not hesitate to contact our experienced team at Truth Legal. There are several types of damages that you may be able to claim for, so it is important that your chosen solicitor is able to identify these so that you can receive the full amount of compensation to which you are entitled.
