What Types Of Bike Accidents Can A Lawyer Near Me Help With?

If you were injured in any kind of accident while riding your bike that wasn’t your fault, contacting a solicitor to make a compensation claim should be at the top of your list of things to do. Often, a quick internet search for “bike accident lawyer near me” is the place to start.

But many people are hesitant to take the first step because they are unsure if the type of bike accident they had is eligible to make a claim for.

The deciding factor here is always liability. In short, was the accident entirely your fault?

If the answer is “no”, then you should be able to make a claim. Bear in mind that you might also be able to claim against your local authority or the highway agency (in the case of potholes or malfunctioning traffic lights) or the Motor Insurance Bureau (in the case of hit-and-runs).

Reach out to our specialist accident claim solicitors today FREE on 0800 0747 644 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and let us explain your rights and options.

“I was initially in two minds whether to go for a claim and had no experience in this area but from the start Helen was extremely helpful and reassuring.  Please pass my thanks on to Nathan, Nadine and Emma too for their great service and support.  I will certainly recommend you guys.  Thanks again Helen, I really appreciate it.”

If you are still in any doubt, here is some more information just to underline the range of bike accidents a lawyer can help you with:

Who Can Claim Cycling Accident Compensation?

You can make a claim for cycling accident compensation if you:

1. Have suffered some degree of injury from an incident while riding your bicycle
2. Are over 18 years of age
3. Are not responsible for the incident (or at least not wholly responsible)
4. Had the incident within the last three years

What Types Of Bike Accidents Can I Make A Claim For?

The types of accidents you can make a claim for include but aren’t limited to:

1) Road Traffic Collisions

This covers all types of incidents where you hit or were hit by another road user – most frequently the driver of a motor vehicle such as a car, bus, or lorry – where the driver of the vehicle was at fault.

It does not matter the degree of injury you suffered as a result. The important factor is whether liability for the incident rests with them (for instance, because they quickly changed lanes without looking and hit you or pulled out of a parking space right into you).

The person you will be making a claim against in this event will be the driver of the other vehicle (or, more usually, their insurance company).

2) Potholes And Defective Traffic Systems

A depressingly common cause of bike accidents is the potholes and damage to the surfaces of UK roads.

If this is where responsibility for your accident lies, it is usually said to be the fault of either your local authority or the highway agency that covers your part of the country. That’s who you will normally be making a bike accident claim against.

3) Collisions With Stationary Vehicles

This includes the incredibly common event of a driver or passenger in a stationary vehicle opening a door – often into a bike lane – without checking for cyclists first.

Again, the person you will be claiming against in this instance will usually be the driver of the vehicle or their insurance company.

4) Collisions With Animals

Rarer but still fairly common – especially in non-urban parts of the UK – are collisions with animals, usually cows or horses, where the owner of the animal is responsible for the incident.

You might picture a situation where a horse kicks out or moves unpredictably in the road, causing the cyclist to swerve.

5) Hit-And-Run Events And When You Can’t Trace The Driver

Although most drivers will stop and be horrified by their collision with a cyclist, a percentage will quickly drive off and hope you haven’t been able to identify them.

Needless to say, this is an immensely frustrating situation to be in. Luckily, you can still make a bike accident compensation claim even if you can’t trace the driver who was responsible.

This is done by making a claim to an organisation called the Motor Insurance Bureau or MIB. The MIB is a non-profit organisation that compensates the victims of incidents caused by:

• Uninsured drivers
• Untraced drivers
• UK citizens involved in incidents with vehicles registered abroad

This organisation was set up as part of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Motor insurers that provide mandatory road insurance are required to help fund it.

Reach Out To A Bike Accident Lawyer Near You Today

Grieves Solicitors has helped deserving clients achieve millions in compensation following personal injuries of all kinds.

We provide you with free, supportive advice from a team with a combined 76 years of niche experience in this specialist field of law.

Tell us your story today by reaching out to us on 0800 0747 644 or fill in our Free Online Enquiry to have us get back to you as soon as possible.

Here at Grieves Solicitors, Personal Injury Specialists, we offer a no win, no fee solution to funding your claim (a conditional fee agreement) which means that you do not have to worry about legal costs and expenses.  You can read about our no win, no fee agreement here.