What to do after a bike accident
Incidents involving bikes are among the most common types of road traffic accidents, with the severity of these incidents ranging from minor cuts and scratches to serious injuries to the head, spine and other sensitive areas of the body. As bikes don’t provide much protection for cyclists, the impact from a collision can cause severe damage to them. In some cases, victims make compensation claims to reflect their pain and suffering and help them to recuperate financial losses caused by the incident.
In this blog, we look in detail at bike accidents and explain how to report them and make a compensation claim, whether you should get medical attention if you’re involved in one, what you’re able to claim for and how much money you could be entitled to.
How to report a bike accident
If the incident caused major injuries or left significant damage in the road, you should report the bike accident to the police. You can do this by phone, in person or online, and by taking this action, you may be able to strengthen your compensation claim.
As well as reporting your bike accident to the police, you should make notes of as many details as possible and take pictures if you’re able to. If other people are in the area at the time, you should ask for their contact information. As with the police report, documenting these details may help with proving the validity of your compensation claim.
Do you need to report an accident with a bike?
As mentioned previously, when a bike accident causes injury or damage, it’s important to report the incident to the police. You should do this within 24 hours of the accident occurring. However, if the incident was only minor and didn’t result in any debris being left in the road, you may not need to report it to the police.
That said, even if it isn’t necessary to report the incident to the police, you should always exchange details with the other road users involved. Without their contact and insurance information, it may be harder to make a compensation claim.
Should I go to hospital after a bike accident?
Unlike drivers in cars or other vehicles, cyclists don’t have the benefit of safety measures such as a seatbelt, airbags or the protective shell of the car. Due to this, injuries can be far more severe and the chance of death is also increased.
If you were involved in a bike accident, you should be cautious regarding any injuries you may have suffered, especially as concussion and brain injuries may be hard to detect early on, but if they go untreated, they could have serious long-term effects.
Aside from the obvious precautionary health benefits, going to the hospital after a bike accident can also help your future compensation claim, as proof of your injuries will be visible in your medical records, which can be used as evidence in your claim.
How to make a claim after a bike accident
After the police investigation is complete and you’ve finished the process of claiming on insurance (if applicable), you can start your compensation claim. To do this, you can visit the Bicycle Accidents section of our website. You can then click ‘Make a Claim’ and fill in the relevant details of your case. A personal injury solicitor will then look into your claim.
Once you’ve started your compensation claim, your personal injury lawyer will assess the details you’ve given them, look over evidence of injuries sustained and any lost earnings and value the claim. They will then negotiate with the third party you’re claiming against and either reach a settlement or arrange for the case to go to court.
What can you claim for after a bike accident?
Although you may think that you’re only able to claim compensation for any injuries sustained as a result of a bike accident, there are a number of other factors that you can claim for. These include:
- damage to your bicycle
- damage to your property
- earnings lost as a result of the incident
- the cost of alternative transport if your bike was your primary method of transportation.
How much compensation will I get for a bike accident?
As each incident is different, it’s not always easy to estimate how much compensation you could be entitled to as the victim of a bike accident. Although compensation is partly based on recuperating finances lost due to the incident and its long-term effects, the amount of compensation you can receive from a successful bike accident claim also takes into account any injuries you suffered as a result of the incident.
On average, a compensation claim for a bike accident is worth around £2,500. However, each injury is worth a different level of compensation, with severity of the injury playing a role in how much money you may receive from a successful claim.
For example, you may be able to claim the following sums, depending on the type and severity of your injuries:
Leg injury – between £1,800 and £215,000
Knee injury – between £4,750 and £72,970
Ankle injury – between £10,300 and £53,100
Achilles injury – between £5,300 and £30,100
Foot injury – between £5,300 and £152,750
Toe injury – between £4,500 and £43,250
Arm injury – between £4,500 and £227,250
Wrist injury – between £2,550 and £44,500
Hand injury – between £700 and £151,250
Finger injury – between £375 and £69,330
Elbow injury – between £3,100 and £42,250
Shoulder injury – between £350 and £37,000
Back injury – between £350 and £123,300
Neck injury – between £1,800 and £112,450
Ear injury – between £4,300 and £108,500
Eye injury – between £1,600 and £205,300
Face injury – between £1,700 and £73,200
Head injury – between £1,500 and £310,000
While these figures provide an indication of how much compensation you may be entitled to as the victim of a bike accident, the amount you receive will depend on the specific circumstances of the incident you were involved in. You will only be able to get an accurate assessment of how much you could receive when you make your bike accident claim.