If you sustained an injury whilst riding your bike, you might be interested in learning about the average compensation for a cycling accident. Within this guide, we will discuss the different forms of compensation that could be awarded for a successful personal injury claim, and how compensation is valued for injuries you sustained after being hit by a car.
Additionally, we will set out the specific eligibility criteria that your bicycle accident compensation claim must meet in order for it to be valid. We will also share some examples of how you could be injured while on your bicycle and the injuries you could suffer.
Furthermore, we will share the importance of gathering evidence as part of the personal injury claiming process, as well as providing some examples of the evidence you could obtain. Lastly, this guide will look at how one of the personal injury solicitors on our panel specialising in cycle accident claims could help you with your case on a No Win No Fee basis.
If you want to know how much compensation you could potentially receive for a bike accident, get in touch with our advisors. They can also help answer any questions you may have about the personal injury claims process or bicycle accident claim payouts.
Contact today by using our claim online form and we’ll call you back at a time that suits you.
Browse Our Guide
- What Is The Average Compensation For Cycling Accident Claims?
- When Are You Eligible To Claim Compensation For Cycling Accidents?
- When Can A Cycling Accident Be Caused By Negligence?
- Evidence That Can Help Support Bicycle Accident Claims
- Make A Bicycle Accident Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
- Learn More About The Average Compensation For A Cycling Accident
What Is The Average Compensation For Cycling Accident Claims?
If you have been injured as a cyclist, you may be wondering, ‘What is the average compensation for a cycling accident?’. How much compensation is awarded in successful cycle accident claims will vary greatly between claimants and their specific cases. Some factors considered when valuing payouts include the severity of the injuries plus any incurred expenses, such as loss of earnings. Therefore, it may be more beneficial for you to know how compensation is calculated.
Settlements for road traffic accident claims may consist of two heads: general and special damages. General damages is the head of a successful cycling accident claim that compensates for the pain and suffering caused by your injuries. These can include physical injuries, such as a broken leg, and psychological injuries, such as anxiety.
To help assign value to bicycle accident injuries, those responsible for evaluating personal injury claims may refer to the compensation brackets found in the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). These brackets provide guideline figures for different types of injuries at varying severities.
In our table below, we look at a few figures that could be relevant to injuries suffered in bicycle accidents from the 16th edition of the JCG. We’ve also provided an example of how much cycling accident compensation could be awarded for both parts of a successful claim. These figures are only provided as guidance and do not represent the value of an individual road traffic accident settlement.
Compensation Table
The top entry is not from the JCG.
Injury | Severity | Notes | Guideline Compensation Bracket |
---|---|---|---|
Multiple injuries of a very serious nature and special damages | Very Serious | Settlement could include compensation for the pain and suffering of multiple very serious injuries and expenses, such as lost wages, care costs, and the cost mobility aids. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
Brain Damage | Very Severe | There is little to no evidence that the injured party can respond to their environment in a meaningful way and they require full time nursing care. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
Foot Injuries | Amputation of Both Feet | The claimant has lost their ankle joints due to the amputations of both feet. | £169,400 to £201,490 |
Leg Injuries | Amputations (iii) | The claimant has lost one leg above the knee. | £104,830 to £137,470 |
Severe (ii) | This bracket is for very serious injuries that cause permanent problems with mobility. | £54,830 to £87,890 | |
Arm Amputation | Loss of One Arm (i) | One arm has been amputated at the shoulder. | Not less than £137,160 |
Facial Disfigurement | Very Severe Scarring | Claimants in this bracket are relatively young and the cosmetic impact of the facial scars is very disfiguring. They also have a severe psychological reaction. | £29,780 to £97,330 |
Back Injuries | Severe (iii) | Injuries found in this bracket result in chronic conditions and disabilities. | £38,780 to £69,730 |
Arm Injuries | Permanent and Substantial Disablement | The claimant suffers a significant permanent residual disability due to serious fractures affecting either one or both arms. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
Shoulder Injuries | Severe | This bracket includes injuries that cause serious damage to the brachial plexus and result in significant disability. | £19,200 to £48,030 |
How Much Compensation For Financial Losses In A Bike Accident Claim
Additionally, you could also be awarded special damages as part of your cycling accident claim. Special damages compensate for the financial losses you’ve suffered as a result of the road traffic collision in which you were injured. As part of your compensation, you could be reimbursed for:
- Your loss of earnings – If you needed time off work to recover from your injuries, this could result in lost earnings. Special damages could compensate you for both your past and future lost earnings.
- Medical costs – For example, this could include having to pay for prescriptions or physiotherapy.
- Care costs – If you require an at-home carer to help you with your daily tasks due to your injuries.
- Travel expenses – For example, taxi or bus fares to medical appointments, work, or solicitor meetings.
To recover your expenses, you should submit evidence. This may include bank statements, invoices, and receipts.
For a free valuation of your potential cycling injury compensation claim, contact a member of our advisory team. They can also help answer any questions you may have about the bicycle accident claims process.
When Are You Eligible To Claim Compensation For Cycling Accidents?
All road users, including motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorbike users, owe each other a duty of care to navigate the roads in a manner that prevents injury and damage both to themselves and others. As part of upholding their duty, these road users must comply with the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the Highway Code.
Additionally, cyclists are classed as vulnerable road users, which means they are given extra protections under the Highway Code. If you sustain injuries in a bicycle accident because another road user breached their duty of care, you could be eligible for cycling accident compensation.
Additionally, you must have evidence that proves you meet the personal injury claims criteria. For bicycle accident claims, this is as follows:
- A road user owed you a duty of care.
- They breached this duty.
- Your injury was caused by this breach.
Additionally, all bicycle accident claims must be started within the 3-year personal injury claims time limit. However, there are some exceptions to this, such as when the person lacks the mental capacity to claim for themselves, or the person is under the age of 18.
For further information about how long after a road traffic accident you can start a claim, eligibility, or the average compensation for a cycling accident, please get in touch with our advisors.
When Can A Cycling Accident Be Caused By Negligence?
Cycling accidents can occur in a variety of different ways and cause different types of harm, such as soft tissue injuries, spinal injuries, head injuries, and a hip injury. However, in order to claim compensation for cycling injuries, it must be proven that the harm you sustained was a result of another road user not upholding their duty of care.
Examples of how cycling accident injuries could be caused include:
- Speeding motorists.
- Motorists failing to follow the signs and road markings or driving in the wrong direction down a one-way street.
- Car-dooring (when a vehicle’s doors open onto a cyclist’s path).
- Hit and run. If your claim involves an untraced driver or one that lacks insurance, it might have to be made through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). The MIB provides a way to seek compensation for those who have been injured on the roads by uninsured and untraced drivers.
- Distracted driving. For example, a driver using a mobile phone.
Our advisors are here to discuss the specific circumstances of your cycling accident claim. Just use the contact details at the top of the page to get in touch. Additionally, they can discuss the average compensation for a cycling accident, your claim eligibility, or the benefits of claiming for your road accident with a No Win No Fee solicitor.
Evidence That Can Help Support Bicycle Accident Claims
As with all personal injury claims, cycling accident compensation claims must be supported with compelling evidence. This evidence needs to prove liability for the accident and the injuries you sustained.
Evidence you can collect and submit for a cycling accident compensation claim includes:
- Video footage: This can be from a dashcam, CCTV, or a video taken on a mobile phone.
- Witness contact information: Although you cannot collect witness statements yourself, if you make a note of contact details any witnesses can be contacted later in the claims process for a statement.
- Medical records: For example, a copy of your medical records. This could contain information about the injuries you sustained and the treatment you required for them.
- Photographs: These can be of the accident scene, your injuries, or the damage to your bike.
- Police report: If the police attended the bicycle accident scene, you can submit a copy of their report.
If you have any questions regarding what evidence you could collect to support your specific case or the average compensation for a cycling accident, you can contact our advisors. They may also connect you with a personal injury solicitor from our panel who could help you gather evidence and claim compensation.
Make A Bicycle Accident Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis
If you have a valid bicycle accident claim, you may wish to have legal representation. One of the solicitors specialising in cycling accident claims from our panel could work on your case. Our panel generally offers their representation under a type of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA).
When your solicitor works on your cycle accident claim under the terms of a CFA, they won’t charge you upfront for their services. There also won’t be any ongoing costs.
However, if they succeed in claiming compensation for your cycling injuries, they will take a success fee out of your award. The amount that they can take as this fee is a percentage that is capped by the law.
Furthermore, if you aren’t awarded compensation following an unsuccessful cycling injury claim, they won’t charge you for the work they have provided.
Contact Our Team
If you have any questions or would like to know more about the average compensation for a cycling accident, please speak to us for free. If you meet the eligibility requirements and wish to pursue a bicycle accident claim, you could be connected to one of the personal injury solicitors from our panel.
Fill in our claim online form, and we’ll get back to you at a time that suits you.
Learn More About The Average Compensation For A Cycling Accident
Additional articles that you might find helpful:
- Further information about how cycling accident solicitors can help you.
- Guidance about claiming compensation if you were hit by a car with the support of a No Win No Fee solicitor.
- Information about how compensation is awarded for quadriplegia suffered in an accident that wasn’t your fault.
External resources that could be useful following bike accident injuries:
- Information about driving and mobile phones from the government.
- Advice about when to call 999 from the NHS.
- Guidance on road safety for cyclists from Think!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like more information about the average compensation for a cycling accident or if you would like to find out how much compensation you could receive for your cycling injuries.