Cycle Accident Claims Guide – How Much Compensation Can I Claim As A Cyclist Hit By A Car?

By Lewis Lennon. Last Updated 2nd November 2023. If you have been injured as a cyclist in a road traffic accident, you may be eligible to make a claim for bicycle accident compensation. However, you will need to prove that you suffered your injuries due to another road user breaching their duty of care.

In this guide, we will discuss the duty of care all road users owe, and the types of injuries you could sustain in a cycling accident. Additionally, we will discuss some of the evidence that could be used to help support your cycling accident compensation claim. Furthermore, we will discuss some of the benefits of making a claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor on our panel.

To find out whether you may be eligible to make a claim for cycling injury compensation, you can contact our friendly team of advisors. They are available 24/7 to offer you free advice and answer your questions.

You can connect with them via the following methods:

  • Using the live chat pop-up widget on your screen.
  • Calling 020 3870 4868
  • Filling out your details in our online claim form for a free call back.
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Cycle accident compensation claim

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Bicycle Accident Settlement Amounts In The UK – What Could I Receive? 

If your claim is successful, your bicycle accident compensation could consist of two heads of claim. These are general and special damages. 

General damages compensate for the pain and suffering that has been caused by your injuries, both physical, psychological or both. When valuing this aspect of your personal injury claim, legal professionals may refer to the guideline compensation brackets found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG) to help them. 

In our table below, we’ve included some figures from the 16th edition of the JCG. Due to the differences between claims, it is only to be used as a guideline. The figures also only apply to claims made in England and Wales.

InjuryComments On This InjuryPossible Settlement
Severe Head InjuryThere may be some ability to follow basic commands and there will be little, if any, evidence of meaningful response to environment, and a need for full time nursing care.£282,010 to £403,990
Chest Injuries (a)Total removal of one lung and serious damage to the heart.£100,670 to £150,110
Severe arm injuryInjuries where the victim does not lose the arm, but the effect is extremely similar to this.£96,160 to £130,930
Less severe arm injuryWhilst there may be a level of disability, the claimant will have recovered a lot already.£19,200 to £39,170
Fractures of Jaws (ii)Serious fractures where permanent consequences could include paraesthesia and difficulty opening the mouth and eating.£17,960 to £30,490
Simple Fractures of the ForearmSimple fractures only affecting the forearm.£6,610 to £19,200
Wrist Injuries (C)There will still be some form of long lasting disability, such as pain and stiffness.£12,590 to £24,500
Digestive System Injuries (a) (i)Serious non-penetrating injury causing long permanent complications£16,790 to
£27,760
Fractures of Nose or Nasal Complex (i)Either serious or multiple fractures of the facial bones where there is permanent injury to either the airways, to the facial nerves or to the tear ducts. There may be facial deformities.£10,640 to £23,130

If you would like to know more about bicycle accident settlement amounts in the UK, please contact one of the advisors from our team.

Cycling Injury Claims – Other Compensation

If you’ve been knocked off your bike by a car, your compensation may include special damages. If you are eligible, this is a figure that is calculated to reimburse you for losses of a financial nature that have taken place due to your injuries.

Some examples include:

  • Additional care at home – Whether on a short-term or long-term basis, you may require extra help at home whilst you recover.
  • Loss of earnings – Your income may suffer as a result of your injuries. You could reclaim figures associated with your salary, bonuses, pension contributions, and even tips.
  • Damage to property – For example, if your phone or laptop was damaged in the same accident, you could be reimbursed for repairs or replacements.
  • Medical costs – That can include expenses such as prescription medication or even some private healthcare.

Make sure you keep records of these costs in the form of documents such as receipts and payslips. If you have any questions about cycling injury claims, get in touch with our advisors today. We can even give you a valuation of how much cycle accident compensation you could be awarded.

Eligibility Criteria For Cycle Injury Claims

If you have been injured in a cycling accident and wish to make a personal injury claim, your case must meet the following criteria:

  1. Another road user must have owed you a duty of care.
  2. This road user breached their duty of care.
  3. Due to this breach, you suffered an injury.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, road users owe each other a duty of care to navigate the roads in a manner that avoids causing harm to themselves and others. Additionally, they must adhere to the rules set out for them in the Highway Code.

If another road user breaches their duty of care towards you, and you suffer an injury as a result, you could be eligible to make a claim for compensation.

If you would like to check your eligibility to make a bicycle injury claim, you can contact our advisors. They can offer you free advice as well as answer any questions you may have about starting a personal injury claim.

Bicycle Accident Claims – What Injuries You Could Sustain

Before discussing the average compensation for being knocked off a bike, you might be interested in knowing what injuries you could sustain following a cycle accident. Please note that no matter how you are injured, establishing negligence has caused your injury is crucial when claiming bicycle accident compensation.

Injuries can range in severity. For example:

  • If a car knocks you off your bike, you might suffer broken or fractured bones.
  • Hitting the road’s surface may cause road rash or skin abrasions due to the friction.
  • A HGV lorry might crash into you and cause a crush injury.
  • Bruising or cuts might stem from the impact of a crash.
  • You could suffer mental health problems from the trauma of the incident, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

For free advice regarding bicycle accident claims, connect with our advisors at any time. They can discuss your injuries at no extra cost to you. Additionally, if you seek legal guidance, you could be connected to our panel of specialist cycle accident solicitors.

How Much Time Do I Have To Claim Cyclist Accident Compensation?

After a cycling accident, as per the Limitation Act 1980, you usually have three years from the date you were injured to start your personal injury claim. However, in some instances, the time limit might be suspended. For example:

  • When a minor under the age of eighteen is injured, the time limit is frozen, and is not reinstated until their eighteenth birthday. Then, they will have until their twenty-first birthday to claim for themself.
  • If a claimant lacks the mental capacity to make a personal injury claim for themselves, the time limit is suspended indefinitely. It will only be reinstated if the claimant regains the appropriate capacity. 

In both of the cases mentioned above, a court-appointed litigation friend can make a claim on behalf of the claimant while the time limit is frozen.

Our advisors are available 24/7 to answer your questions about cycling claims and compensation. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch. 

Cycling Accident Claims – Do I Need Evidence?

You will need evidence in order to successfully claim cycle accident compensation. In cycling accident claims, the injured party needs to prove that they were injured due to negligence. The duty of care all road users owe each other is set out in the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code. Additionally, a valid cycle accident compensation claim requires proof of injury.

Supporting evidence could include:

  • Medical records.
  • CCTV footage, dashcam/doorbell footage, or mobile phone footage.
  • A police report.
  • Witness contact details.
  • Photographs of the accident site or injury.

A specialist road traffic accident solicitor could help you by collecting statements from witnesses or appealing for footage of the accident.

Call our advisors to discuss what evidence could be supplied to successfully claim bicycle accident claim payouts.

Cyclist Accident Claims – No Win No Fee Solicitors

You could claim cycle accident compensation with the support of a No Win No Fee solicitor. They could offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). This is a type of No Win No Fee arrangement.

When claiming cyclist accident compensation with a No Win No Fee solicitor, they will generally not charge you an upfront solicitor’s fee. If your bicycle accident claim is successful, a success fee will be taken from your award. The amount that can be taken is legally capped. When a cyclist accident compensation claim isn’t successful, then you won’t be required to pay your solicitor.

Call our advisors to discuss cyclist accident claims. If you have an eligible claim for cycle accident compensation, you could be connected to a solicitor from our panel. To get in touch:

Further Resources

We hope this guide has been helpful and clarified how a cyclist accident claim works.

If you have any further questions, our advisers may be able to help you if you get in touch. They are available for free claims consultations and could speak to you directly to help you better understand your potential claim for a cycling accident and the compensation you could receive

The links below could be helpful resources when considering bicycle accident claims:

We hope this claim helps if you’re looking to claim cyclist hit by car compensation.