How To Claim Compensation For A Bike Accident

If you have experienced a cycling accident on UK roads, you have rights. One of those is to make a claim for recompense against the responsible party. Here are the basics of how to claim compensation for a bike accident.

Before we go any further, it is worth saying that the sensible first step is to consult a solicitor who specialises in this sort of personal injury claim.

This is because the presence of someone who knows how the system works and who can provide support and advice at every stage will help you succeed in what can be a complicated process.

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.”

There is strict time limit to make your claim. There are also certain things you need to do to protect your legal rights – and these should be done as soon as possible after your bike accident:

How To Claim Compensation For A Bike Accident – Important First Steps

It should go without saying that the first thing on your agenda should be to get any medical attention you need for your injuries. Following this, you need to do two very important things right away:

1. Make a police report – making sure there is an official record of your accident – no matter how minor it seems – is vital in case you want to make a claim later on.
2. Collect evidence – you should take the details of any witnesses and the insurance information of any other people involved, take photos of the vehicles and the place where it happened, and – at some point – you will need to ask the witnesses for their statements.

These are the necessary first steps after a bike accident. How to claim the compensation you could be owed though?

Contact A Specialist Solicitor As Soon As Possible

Ideally, you will want to do all of the above as quickly as possible. However, many people who have been knocked off their bikes tend to be understandably shaken by the experience even if their injuries are comparatively minor. Often, evidence collection is the last thing they want to do.

Luckily, many solicitors will conduct an investigation as part of their service. This can take even more of the burden off of your hands at a time when you need to be concentrating on your recovery.

Your solicitor can guide you throughout the process. They will help you:

1. Decide who to make a claim against – this could be the driver of the car that hit you or the local authority in the case of a broken road surface causing your accident.
2. Negotiate with the other side’s lawyer – a specialist solicitor knows the law and guidelines that govern the compensation you are entitled to. They also know how to encourage the lawyers on the “other side” to proceed at a reasonable pace.
3. Go to court if liability is in question – if lawyers are involved on both sides, most bike accident claims don’t go to court. This is because the lawyers understand what the outcome will be based on the evidence and want to avoid the time and expense.

If you have any questions about what you should be doing or how to protect your legal rights, it’s easiest simply to reach out to one of our highly experienced team – there is no fee or obligation.

With 76 years of combined experience helping our clients get the compensation they deserve from personal injury claims, the Grieves Solicitors team is used to providing free, supportive advice.

How Long Does A Bike Accident Injury Claim Take?

It can be very difficult to put an accurate timeframe on a bike accident claim. It can take anywhere from several months to much longer. This will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

• The complexity of the situation and how clear it is what happened
• How severe your injuries are (and thus, the scale of compensation you can expect)
• How long it takes to gather the evidence (to locate witnesses and so on)
• How long it takes to negotiate a settlement with the other party’s lawyer
• Whether your case needs to go to court (though this is rare)

The presence of an experienced lawyer advocating for you is probably the key factor governing how long your claim will take.

You can see the effect of this at all stages. Perhaps the most important is when negotiating the settlement figure with the lawyer representing the other party.

Without a lawyer, you are open to being bargained down to a lower compensation amount and – without knowledge of the law – can also be vulnerable to the other side’s lawyers dragging out the process.

Is There A Time Limit On Making A Bike Accident Claim?

There is a fixed time limit of three years after the date of your incident to make a bike accident claim.

This makes acting sooner rather than later very important if you want to increase the chance of making a claim that gets you the compensation you deserve.

At Grieves Solicitors, we have already achieved millions in compensation for deserving clients. Why not reach out to us and tell us your story today?

Call us now on 0800 0747 644 or complete a Free Online Enquiry to arrange a discussion with one of our highly experienced bike accident lawyers. It’s the most important first step on your journey to fair compensation.

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.