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Personal injury claims - pedal cyclist accident
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Personal injury case studies
This case study discusses a common accident involving a pedal cyclist and a motor car.
Pedal cyclist injury - accident with car
The claimant was an eighteen year old student cycling to college on his pedal bike. He came to a roundabout and moved out in the outside lane intending to take the second exit on his left. As he moved around the roundabout he noticed a car edging out of the first exit. The driver then pulled straight out into the path of the cyclist who collided with the offside centre of the car. The driver later admitted that he didnt see cyclist and was focusing on traffic just behind him.
The claimant was not too badly injured but he did suffer a wound to his face and a knee injury from falling to the ground. His upper body was aching and sore. Luckily his cycle helmet saved him from more serious harm. He was taken to hospital for emergency treatment but released after a few hours.
The cycle was badly damaged and would not be repairable. This put the claimant in a difficult position because he would not be able to get to college or his part-time job without incurring travel expenses. In the days following the accident he also began to suffer from the soft tissue injuries sustained to his knee and upper torso.
He decided to call The Claims Connection for advice on making a claim and recouping his losses. He also wanted to know if he could claim injury compensation and was concerned that he had no insurance or legal cover that might help him claim without incurring costs.
We were happy to advise him of his rights given his circumstances and we agreed to pursue a compensation claim on his behalf with no risk of him incurring any fees. We instructed our road accident solicitors to deal with matters.
The solicitors first task was to discuss liability with the insurers of the car. After an initial delay caused by the car drivers failure to properly report the accident, the insurers admitted liability in full. They agreed to pay for the replacement cost of a new cycle and for travel costs and lost earnings. The insurers and our team of solicitors then agreed to arrange for a medical examination with a local GP to assess the claimants injuries.
It is always necessary in a compensation claim to arrange for the claimant to be examined by a specialist doctor. The purpose for the examination is two fold. Firstly the claimant gains the benefit of a good medical opinion on the symptoms they have encountered, the doctor will also comment on treatment and therapy needs. Secondly the report provided by the doctor allows both sides to consider how much compensation would be appropriate given the pain and suffering caused. We can place a value on the claim once we know what the doctor has to say.
The claimant had made a full recovery after 8 months and his pain and suffering claim was agreed at £2000. He also received payment of his costs in full.
Summary - Pedal cyclists very rarely have the benefit of legal cover to help them with a claim following an accident. They are left to either negotiate their own settlements with insurers (which can be very difficult) or contact a solicitor. We provide a quality service for cyclists or pedestrians and passengers involved in accidents on the road. Just because you have no legal cover does not mean you have no right to costs free compensation.