Involved in cycling accident - advice for compensation.

[classic33]

@Accy cyclist, if more us did what you said, how long could they continue to laugh at us?

 

[Keith Oates]

A definition of and Insurance Company which I also found to be true, they are 'mostly' bookmakers who 'Welsh' on their bets.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Racing roadkill]

I have been through exactly the same and there is some great advice already posted. Ignore the bull crap by Racing Roadkill he's well known on here for his trolling.
Contact a cycling specific company. I used Slater and Gordon (as previously mentioned) Be prepared as there may be a good amount too-ing and fro-ing between your representatives and theirs. But they will work in your interest, working to get the best compensation for you. My case took 18 months to come to a satisfactory conclusion. But I did have a long term injury to deal with. We went from, my fault, to 50/50, to finally them admitting fault.

Call one of the compensation companies up. They will have an initial chat to decide whether your case is worth pursuing. If they do decide to go ahead then you have a great chance of an outcome that is good for you.


Good luck and hope it get's sorted.

"Bull crap" "trolling" oh you really are mr Irony aren't you.

 

[Racing roadkill]

If you were knocked off your bike and it was all the driver's fault that would still be your reply?

The damage to your bike, loss of earnings, and other expenses could run into four figures and you would say, "that's the way it goes, I see no reason to claim off the driver's insurance?"

I'm not speaking theoretically.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Ouch, I've had a similar crash before when passing a bus in the cycle lane which then decided to stop to let a car turn right in front of it which didn't see me. Luckily I was fairly luckily and managed to do a somersault and land on my feet but it's still a shock.

I'm now super cautious about filtering past traffic on the left approaching side roads now, much prefer to go down the middle these days. As you will have probably learnt, cycle lanes aren't a magic road safety device.

If you go down the compensation route just be aware that the solicitors may try to argue that you should share some percentage of the blame because you were filtering (despite it being perfectly legal on a bike and in a cycle lane). You should win, there have been some precedents and unless they can prove you were cycling dangerously fast then you should be in the right. Just depends on the value of the claim if they would bother, since yours will hopefully be fairly low if your thumb heals up they might not argue.

Personally I would give it a few weeks and see how your thumb heals up. If it looks like it is going to be ok in the long run then I would see if the other party is willing to cover the costs of repairing/replacing your bike plus a courtesy amount for your injuries/travel/inconvenience (only you will know what that is worth). If the other party is agreeable then that will definitely be a quicker way of getting some sort of compensation (although you will lose your right to claim any further compensation later).

 

[benb]

I was stupidly not wearing my high vis jacket

Irrelevant. You were fully visible, and lit. If you had been driving a car, would anyone think it was important that the car wasn't painted fluorescent yellow?

Hope the injury heals soon. I fractured my scaphoid a few years ago. Luckily I only needed a wrist brace and it healed in a few weeks. Sounds like yours is significantly worse.

Good luck.

 

[vickster]

You have 3 years to lodge a PI claim so it may be best to wait for the scan outcome, but in the meantime, make a note of everything that has happened and keep any receipts for expenses

 

[stephec]

I'm not speaking theoretically.

You may have had a bad experience but that's not to say everyone will, are there other people who've been involved in accidents who've successfully claimed, or are they all in your position?

If the OP is entitled to compensation from the guilty party then he should claim it, if he doesn't he'll have no way of knowing what the other side's reaction will be.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Forget the compo. Every pound your side throw at it, will be countered by five from the other side. Put it down to experience.

I'm all for presumed liability; aside from benefitting the victim it would save us from crap advice like this.

GC

 

[classic33]

I'm not speaking theoretically.

We tried to help you.

 

[vickster]

I'm not speaking theoretically.

Do you happen to work in car insurance?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Don't be in too much of a rush to get compensation for your injuries - sometimes longer term health issues arise out of often simple looking injuries.

I had a claim (car to car accident) against the Met Police in '97 (unmarked police car pulled out of a side road whilst driver was using a 'walkie talkie') and they wanted to settle very quickly at £3k for me plus pick up the tab for my car (company car so I didn't get involved in that).

My solicitor said wait and see how things develop - I had usual neck pain/headaches for a while and a 'compacted' left knee - possibly not a medical term but that was how my Consultant termed it as it took quite a bit of the load by all accounts.

Two years later I was still limping (I still do to this day although most times you would not notice but it does when my knee gets wet & cold) and they eventually settled at £.8.4K plus usual costs.