Cycling Accident Claims

At Osbornes Law we pursue cycling accident claims for clients who have suffered serious and life changing injuries and for the families of those killed whilst cycling in London and around the UK.

We have a dedicated cycling accident claims team staffed by experienced lawyers who are themselves cyclists and who are committed members of the London cycling community.

We understand that every case is different and we understand the issues that arise in cycling accident claims. From dooring and flooring, potholing, hooking and filtering, close passing and helmet wearing, to lorry vision regulations and infrastructure standards; we understand the types of injury that cyclists suffer and the short and long term effects that follow; and we understand the often subtle losses and expenses that arise in any given case.

London Cycling Campaign

We are proud to be the legal partner of the London Cycling Campaign. London Cycling Campaign is a charity supported by over 12,000 members. Their aim is to make sure everyone who cycles, or wants to cycle, has a voice in Greater London. Our cycling accident claims team provide free Helpline assistance to any LCC member who has been injured or involved in a collision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cycling Blogs and New

• COVID-19
• Cycling News & Blogs

Boom time for bikes – London Mayor’s new Streetspace plan announced

By admin  / 7th May 2020

Yesterday Sadiq Khan unveiled his ‘London Streetspace’ programme designed to transform London’s streets to accommodate a possible ten-fold increase in...

Read More

• Cycling News & Blogs

Driver Jailed After Attack Left Cyclist With A Fractured Spine

By admin  / 11th May 2019

An unhinged BMW driver was sent down for 27 months for deliberately ramming a London cyclist and then, as the...

Read More

• Cycling News & Blogs

Cyclist pushing bike killed in Southall by HGV

By admin  / 11th May 2019

London’s cycling death toll grew by another death last week – this time a 60 year old cyclist was killed...

Read More

• Cycling News & Blogs

Cycle deliveries

By admin  / 11th May 2019

Whether startups in Waltham Forest or major international express delivery companies, it seems that delivery companies are starting to look...

Read More

• Cycling News & Blogs

Badly maintained roads putting cyclists at risk

By admin  / 11th May 2019

With the numbers of cyclists killed or seriously injured due to badly maintained roads ‘mushrooming’ out of control, there have...

Read More

• Cycling News & Blogs

Research shows that cycling helps you live better for longer

By admin  / 11th May 2019

It is well known that cycling makes you healthier, even if you are breathing in the fumes of London’s roads....

Read More

Osbornes Law Cycling Injury Team

Our cycle injury claims team is headed up by Stuart Kightley who has been representing cyclists and their families for over 25 years. He still commutes by bike into the firm’s Camden office every day. He is an elected member of the Trustee Board of the London Cycling Campaign.

The team also features catastrophic injury specialist and cycling enthusiast Rob Aylott and experienced cycling lawyers Nikki Hall, Laura Swaine and Andrew Middlehurst.

We regularly blog, vlog and post on cycling and the law. Follow us on Twitter @OsbornesCycling

Accreditations

Our cycling injury team and individual solicitors are regularly ranked in the leading independent legal directories ‘Chambers UK’ and The Legal 500′ for offering ‘niche expertise in cycling related injury claims.’

Osbornes Law is featured in the ‘Best Law Firm’ guide 2019 and 2020, published by The Times, and also won the ‘Law Firm of the Year’ award at the 2018 Modern Law Awards.

Typical Situations Resulting in Cycling Accident Claims

Commuter cycling in London is not for the faint hearted, but the benefits far outweigh the risks. Watch out for the following situations that commonly give rise to accidents whilst cycling:

• A vehicle approaching from opposite carriageway, turns right across your path without giving way to you and you collide with its nearside 
• A vehicle emerges from a side road to your left into your path without giving way to you and you collide with its offside 
• You are overtaking or undertaking stationary traffic when a vehicle turns into your path without looking
• A lorry turning left at a junction fails to see you in the nearside  lane
• A pothole or other defect in the road makes you lose control of the bike
• A vehicle door is opened into your path as you pass and causes a collision
• Vehicles, particularly lorries, vans and buses, fail to leave enough room as they pass on the offside  

Shock and pain can make it difficult to react immediately and properly to an accident involving injury, but here is our advice on what to do:

1. Be safe – get out of  danger and get others to help secure the scene;
2. Ring 999 – ambulance paramedics will assess your injuries and the police will investigate the cycling accident;
3. Exchange details with the other party – this is a legal requirement unless the accident has been reported to the police;
4. Evidence – use your phone: photograph the other vehicle, driver and the scene; check for CCTV cameras, speak to witnesses and obtain their contact details;
5. Take legal advice on your rights and obligations.

How our cycling  lawyers can help

Contact our cycling solicitors to discuss your case. We are always happy to advise by telephone and will not charge for an initial consultation.

If we are able to help with a legal claim, what happens next will depend on the particular circumstances of your cycling accident and the seriousness of any injuries, but in summary:

• Funding. We will offer you a No Win No Fee funding agreement so that you will not have to meet the legal costs and expenses as the case proceeds. In the unlikely event that the case is not successful you will not be left out of pocket. If you win you pay us a small success fee but the amount we charge is less than other competitor firms.
• Liability investigation. We will assess what is needed to prove your case and will obtain the police, witness, CCTV, accident investigation and other evidence necessary to win the arguments on liability; we will pursue the claim with the opponent’s insurers and seek an early admission of liability;

Medical investigation and rehabilitation. We will explore with you what your immediate needs are. That may involve you having an Immediate Needs Assessment with an independent Occupational Therapist and then treatment and/or medical investigations; we will also request your medical records and once the injuries have settled commission expert prognostic reports from independent specialists.

• Interim payments. If liability is accepted then we can access funds to give you financial support whilst you recover from your injuries
• Negotiation and settlement. Most cases are settled by negotiations and an out of court settlement although some, in particular the most serious injury cases, require court proceedings. Our job is to get you the best possible settlement. In relation to liability that means using our expertise and experience to secure 100% liability, or as close to it as possible on the facts of the case. On damages (quantum) it means understanding which heads of loss to claim, obtaining the evidence necessary to prove the loss and negotiating the best deal.

 Case Study

We acted for Dom, a 40 year old media executive, living in East London. He and his wife owned their own home; she was expecting their first child and he spent his spare time renovating the house and landscaping the garden. Dom was an experienced cyclist who used his bike for work and leisure.

Dom was cycling straight ahead at a roundabout in broad daylight when a car entered the roundabout from his left and drove into collision with him. He was thrown into the road, landing on his back and sustaining stable fractures to two lower lumbar vertebrae. Dom was admitted to hospital for three days but did not require surgery and he was discharged home. He was off work for a week and then worked from home for the next 6 weeks, after which he commuted to work by public transport for 10 weeks and then returned to cycling.

Dom was unable to resume the home DIY, renovations and gardening; he struggled to lift his baby son out of his cot.  Dom required extensive investigation and therapies, which were arranged through his private health insurers.

Liability was admitted and the insurers agreed interim payments to cover the immediate losses. We commissioned reports from an experienced spinal surgeon and established that despite a good and rapid recovery, Dom would be advised to refrain from heavy gardening and renovation work for the foreseeable future.

We presented a claim for pain & suffering, past loss and future loss. Valuation of the pain and suffering element relied on judicial guidelines and was not the subject of any real argument.

Past losses comprised £5000 of private medical bills, £500 of care from his wife, £800 of travel expenses (including public transport for 10 weeks), £500 for his damaged bike and cycling kit, £250 for medical equipment and therapies, £100 for phone and internet bills, £200 for a new baby cot and £3500 to pay contractors to finish the home and garden works.

The future loss claim comprised the estimated commercial cost of the DIY and heavy gardening that Dom was advised not to do (claimed at £1500 pa for life). The injuries had no long term impact on his ability to work.

Once the reports and other evidence was obtained we opened negotiations with an offer of £74,000. The defendants countered with an offer of £50,000. After protracted further negotiations (which coincided with a change in the law on future losses which improved the value of that part of the claim) the case settled for £70,000.

Dom received the final settlement less his costs contribution of £2600 about 20 months from the date of the cycling accident.

Osbornes Law recent cases

• A cyclist was knocked off her bike by an Uber driver whose insurers admitted liability and made a very early settlement offer of just over £1,300. They put pressure on the cyclist by sending the offer directly to their home address. Andrew Middlehurst, specialist cycling solicitor, advised the cyclist that it was likely that they could beat this offer if they obtained medical evidence. Medical reports were obtained following ultrasound investigations and physiotherapy treatment. The medical reports were then disclosed and the claim settled for over £7000.
• An IT worker was hit whilst on his commute by a car turning right across his path while he was cycling straight ahead in a cycle lane. He suffered injuries to his shoulder, elbow and wrist. He would experience long term problems as a result. The case settled for £40,000.
• A cyclist was travelling near to Blackheath on his way to work when he was struck on a roundabout by a car that failed to give way to him. He suffered multiple dental injuries and a fractured toe. The case settled for £25,000.
• A music teacher was cycling in traffic on his way to work. A bus changed lanes and drove into the back of his bike. The client suffered a fractured hip. Initially the case was rejected by another law firm and he contacted Osbornes Law. His case settled for £20,000.

Case Study

Our client had been cycling along a main road when a van pulled straight out of a side road colliding into her.

As a result of the accident, our client suffered a significant fracture to her ankle, fractured toes and psychological injuries. The fracture to her ankle required surgery within the same week of the accident and an extensive course of physiotherapy thereafter, the costs of which were included as part of the claim and funded by the defendant’s insurer.

Liability was originally denied by the defendant’s insurer as the driver claimed he had been stationary for 3-4 minutes before being struck by our client.  Rebekah Watson, personal injury solicitor was clear, following her investigations, that her client would not have sustained the injuries she did if she had ridden into the van. After further investigation and discussions with the insurer, they agreed to handle the claim on a Without Prejudice Basis – this means the defendant has not admitted that they are liable to pay anything and if the matter proceeded to Court, the Judge must not know about the offer. It does mean, however, they were willing to settle the claim and pay compensation.

Although the defendant’s insurer made an outright denial of liability, settlement was achieved with negotiation.

Damages awarded: £30,000

I recently settled a case for £30,000 for injuries sustained by a cyclist.

My client had been cycling along a main road when a van pulled straight out of a side road looking to his left. My client saw this in time for her to stop but as the van turned right he collided with her.

As a result of this accident, my client suffered a significant fracture to her ankle, 2 fractured toes and psychological injuries. The fracture to her ankle required surgery within the same week of the accident and an extensive course of physiotherapy thereafter, the costs of which were included as part of the claim and funded by the Defendant’s insurer.

Liability was originally denied by the Defendant’s insurer as the driver claimed he had been stationary for 3-4 minutes before being struck by our client. It was clear to me that my client would not have sustained the injuries she did if she simply rode into the van. After further investigation and discussions with the insurer, they agreed to handle the claim on a Without Prejudice Basis. This means the Defendant has not admitted that they are liable to pay anything and if the matter proceeds to Court, the Judge must not know about the offer. It does mean however that they are willing to settle the claim and pay compensation.

This case is an important reminder to thoroughly investigate a matter. In presenting evidence to the Defendant’s insurer where they had made an outright denial, settlement was still possible with negotiation.

Published articles

London Cycling Campaign, Spring 2020 Edition: Stuart Kightley explains why liability insurance can provide peace of mind for every cyclist.  Download document here to read article. 

Our commitment to you:

• Free and fast initial consultation: we will assess your case and advise whether we can assist you within 24 hours;
• Cycling specialists to deal with your claim: a member of our cycling injury team will run your case;
• No financial risk: we run cases on a ‘No Win-No Fee’ basis so you will not end up out of pocket (absent fraud);
• Compensation: as well as maximising your compensation claim we will obtain interim payments and rehabilitation funding where possible.

For an initial discussion call our specialist cycling team on 020 7485 8811 or submit your enquiry online and we will contact you.

Cycling Case Study

SPINAL CORD INJURY

Our client was thrown off his bicycle after being hit by a lorry. He suffered a severe spinal cord injury. Despite footage from a camera mounted at the front of the lorry which shows the collision in full, liability is denied. Collision reconstruction experts have been instructed.
Read More

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND FRACTURED SKULL

Our client came off his bicycle whilst on a cycle path. This was after a large stone became lodged in his front wheel. The local authority responsible for the cycle path are contesting liability and High Court proceedings have been issued. Our client is undergoing intense rehabilitation to overcome the effects of his brain injury. […]
Read More

FRACTURE TO SHOULDER

Our client was injured on an East London road when a car pulled out of a parked position into his path as the driver tried to turn her vehicle around. Our client suffered a fracture to his right shoulder blade which was functional within one year but would take two years to recover fully. Damages […]
Read More

FRACTURE TO WRIST

Our client was cycling to work when a passing car clipped his handlebars and he fell into the road. He suffered a scaphoid fracture to his right wrist and required surgery following the collision. His losses included additional travel expenses as he was no longer able to ride his bike to work. We settled the […]
Read More

FOREARM FRACTURE

Our client was riding in a cycling lane when the passenger door of a stationary car was suddenly opened into his path. He was knocked off his bike and suffered several injuries, the worst being a forearm fracture which required surgical plating. In this case surgery failed to unite the fracture and he will need […]
Read More

NECK AND LOWER BACK INJURIES

Our client hit his bicycle brakes as he approached queuing traffic. As he was doing this he was passing a side road to his left. A vehicle travelling in the opposite direction failed to see our client as he attempted to turn right into the same side road. He drove straight into our client, knocking […]
Read More

HEAD AND FACIAL INJURIES

Our client was cycling to work. He approached a crossroad where he had right of way when a white van unexpectedly pulled out in front of the crossroad before our client. Our client was unable to brake in time and crashed into the side of the van. This resulted in him coming off his bicycle, […]
Read More

SEVERE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Our client was a successful businessman when is was knocked to the ground. He suffered various fractures and internal injuries. The most severe injury was a traumatic head injury which left him with a diffuse axonal brain injury. Following rehabilitation our client did retain mental capacity, however the changes to his behaviour meant that he […]
Read More

FRACTURE TO ANKLE

Our client was cycling at night with lights and a hi-vis jacket. He was using a mini-roundabout when a car drove into his rear as it entered the roundabout behind him. The impact fractured the Claimant’s ankle requiring fixation surgery, effectively leaving our client housebound and having to wear an ankle boot for seven weeks […]
Read More

Gallery