Cycling Accident FAQs

What types of injuries could you claim for?

At Healys LPP, we deal with a wide range of different personal injuries caused by cycling accidents, from short-term injuries which keep an individual off work for a substantial amount of time to serious long-term injuries which require round-the-clock care.

We can also help family members of a deceased individual claim compensation for their loss. This can help relieve financial stresses and make sure that any dependants are provided for.

Some of the injuries we could help you claim compensation for are as follows:

• Broken or fractured bones
• Head and brain injuries
• Damage to internal organs
• Amputation injuries

This list is not exhaustive, so please contact our offices to speak with a member of the team about your case.

Who is liable for a cycling accident?

Just as cyclists have a responsibility to other road users, car, bus, lorry, and van drivers have responsibility for the safety of cyclists.

Although there is some unfair victimisation of cyclists by certain commentators and interest groups, the truth remains that they are the most vulnerable of road users on wheels. In fact, hundreds of cyclists in the UK each year successfully claim compensation for incidents caused by the negligence or recklessness of motorists.

The majority of litigable incidents involve accidents which have occurred in built-up areas or junctions, most commonly as a result of motorist failure to observe a cyclist’s presence on the road.

Even in instances where liability is split – with both cyclist and motorist bearing some responsibility for the accident – it may be possible to claim some compensation for injuries, albeit at a percentage reduced according to the breakdown of liability.

How much compensation could you receive?

The amount of compensation awarded a successful claim will depend on the type and severity of injury. Common cycling injuries include sprains, fractures, breaks, and head or spinal injuries.

Who is most at risk?

Whilst it seems like bike accidents occur most frequently on the busy roads of London, cycling casualties are evident throughout the UK. In recent years the popularity of cycling has increased, meaning the amount of people killed, seriously injured or slightly injured has also risen. In the UK, 80% of all bike accidents involve adult cyclists, and, to date, more male cyclists have been involved in incidents than female. The remaining 20% of fatalities and injuries involve children, with those aged between 10 and 15-years-old deemed most at risk.

The majority of accidents also take place in urban areas with roundabouts and T junctions still proving to be where cyclists are the most vulnerable. In fact three-quarters of accidents happen at or near a road junction.

Whilst four out of five accidents involving cyclists occur in daylight hours, the most dangerous times to ride being 8.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 6.00pm on weekdays, incidents that take place after dark are most likely to result in fatality.

What are the common causes of bike accidents?

The relationship between motorist and cyclist has always been a difficult one. However, more and more facilities are being made available on the roads to ease tension and a greater understanding surrounding bicycle road safety is being promoted. Yet, motorists emerging into or turning across the path of a cyclist is still one of the most common causes of injury or death.

Of course, it cannot be said that cyclists are completely blameless; in incidents involving a bicycle and motor vehicle, cyclists riding into the path of another vehicle is still a reason why accidents happen.

Both cyclists and motorists failing to make the correct observations remains the key factor when accident reports are filed with the police. Some 57% of serious incidents were attributed to the car driver failing to look out for cyclists, whilst 43% were attributed to the cyclist’s lack of observation.

Cyclists riding from the pavement and onto the road is also a common cause of bicycle accidents in the UK.

What injuries are sustained during cycle accidents?

Whilst the type of injury sustained depends entirely on the severity and nature of the collision, there are a number of patterns decipherable from the research completed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Despite improvements in protective clothing, head injuries still remain the number one injury type amongst adult and child cyclists. Limb injuries were also particularly common with 40% of cyclists sustaining arm injuries and 25% affected by leg injuries.

Injuries to the chest and abdomen were less frequent, affecting just 5% of cyclists; however, in the majority of cases, this injury type resulted in a life-altering or fatal outcome.