What to Do If You Suffer a Cycling Accident on UK Roads
What to Do If You Suffer a Cycling Accident on UK Roads
Cycling is both good for your health and great for environment. However, cycling does come with a large amount of dangers and risks.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) report that there are over 16,000 cyclists injured or killed in road accidents every year in the UK. Many more incidents may go unreported. The RoSPA reports that 150,000 accidents also occur off-road each year.
Over 3.8 Million bicycles where sold in 2009 and the UK's cycle lane network stretches over 150,000 miles pair this with a bicycle only costing around 75 a year to maintain - it's a no brainer many people are choosing cycling as their choice for transport.
So what happens if you're one of the ever increasing numbers of cyclists on today's roads and you suffer an injury?
Firstly you need to be able to prove the other party was negligent (at fault).
Secondly you need to prove the injury or damage that resulted from the aforementioned negligence.
It is a good idea to check reputable resources such as the Highway Code to ensure you are not at fault, also if there where witnesses or if police were called to the scene then statements are a great way of backing your claim. Pictures speak a thousand words so these are a great way of recording an accident if you happen to be in possession of a camera! Another modern way of describing an accident is by using tools like Google earth and Google Street view to describe clearly how an accident occurred.
A few great ways of proving your injuries could be taking pictures of them after the accident. If the injury was serious and recovery time lengthy, pictures spread over the recovery period help back up your claimed recovery time. Finally, a report obtained from a GP or Hospital as soon as possible is highly recommended.
I've covered these two important points, what next?
It is important to seek professional advice from solicitors specialising in cycle accidents in order to ensure you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your injury claim.