accident - what can i do next?

boborange

last week i was unfortunate to be in an accident where a car coming from the opposite direction pulled to his right, into my lane to make a uturn but did not see me coming and as a result i went over the bars and broke my wrist and a bit of damage to my bike, luckily i went over the bars and hit the deck before i hit the car.

police took statements etc and the driver has admitted he was at fault to the cops but what can i do now in terms of compensation to the damage to my bike, and if possible for the inconvenience as 2 days after the accident i had a holiday booked which i still went on but where i was taking my bike to ride a few climbs and snorkel/swim which i could not do, but more importantly the fact i can't drive for the next month or so which directly effects my job and ultimately my earnings.

has anyone been in a similar situation and what did you do or do i just be thankful it wasn't more serious and stop whinging? any advice would be appreciated.





i was knocked off my bike last week and

Bozman

Get a solicitor and then put your feet up for six months.

jscl

Sorry to hear about your accident, never a fun experience. Are you a BC member?

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/member ... sistance-0

boborange

hi,

thanks for the link david. I've contacted the cycling lawyer that is mentioned on there so will see what comes of that.

im not a member of british cycling but however i fortunately do have bike insurance.

danlikesbikes

boborange wrote:

hi,

thanks for the link david. I've contacted the cycling lawyer that is mentioned on there so will see what comes of that.

im not a member of british cycling but however i fortunately do have bike insurance.

Check your policy wording to see if you have any legal expenses cover built in to your policy and what it will cover you for if applicable.

Could also buy ATE (after the event) legal expense cover or check your home insurance policy to see what legal cover you may get built into that policy

stuwig30

Hi boborange,

Pretty much exactly the same happened to me about four years ago. I was cycling to work and a driver coming the other way went to turn right and I did the same as you - over the handle bars, knackered bike, broken wrist. I now have a nice scar and some lumps of metal to show for it!

(As much as I hate the idea of ambulance chasers) I contact a local no-win no-fee solicitor. They were really helpful.

I was also playing quite a bit of rugby at the time and the drivers insurance company paid for:
- Bike repair
- Inconvenience of not playing rugby and cycling
- Refunded work my wages for the time I had to take off sick (about six weeks due to an operation) so it didn't go on my sick record
- Lump sum for the broken wrist
- Taxi fares due to not being able to drive to work / physio appointments

All in came to about £11k, but I would rather not have a lump of metal in my wrist!

dag_on_a_bike

If you have bike insurance, or home contents insurance, check to see whether you have legal expenses cover that will assist you. This really is an essential check.

If not, then consult a solicitor (there's plenty advertising in the various cycling mags) about a 'no win - no fee' arrangement. However, heed those words carefully...'No win - no fee' = 'Win - fee'.

Unfortunately, following changes to the law in April 2013 by our current government the legal process has significantly and, generally speaking, the compensation you receive/are entitled to will be reduced to some extent by the ATE (after the event legal expenses) premium and/or damages based agreement/CFA success fee. The solicitor is under a duty to give you best advice and that includes advice about the funding of your claim, even if that advice is not to the solicitors commercial benefit.

A word of warning - do not expect the motorist's insurers to do you any favours. They may offer you a settlement up front and without medical evidence to 'buy you off'. They will not, generally speaking, make you a fair offer!

Old_Timer

Sorry to read you had the shunt, it sounds pretty painful with the broken wrist. I've had my left wrist broken twice, lost a seat at USAF OTS and flight school because of the second time. Make sure you document everything, especially the medical issues. Try and keep them on the hook for future medical issues that cold show up a bit down the road (no pun intended :roll: .) All the advice about a solicitor and checking all you insurance policies for coverage are spot on. Hope that things go your way and that you're fully compensated for wages, lost time, your holiday and especially your bicycle

Also, it's nice to hear of a motorist taking responsibility for their actions and not shrugging them off.