A 73 year old man had to undergo skin grafts after a man leaned out of a car window and pushed him off his bike. His helmet prevented a head injury but he suffered deep cuts and grazes on his arms and legs. After the accident he said, “He was laughing when he did it. What person in their right mind would do something like that? You get incidents with cyclists on the road all the time but nothing like this”. He travelled 200 miles a week before the accident and is keen to get back on the road, despite the dangers. Police are investigating the incident but the culprit has not yet been caught.
A similar incident occurred in Bromley when a 59 year old cyclist was pushed off his bike by a man leaning out of a car. As he fell, he hit his head and blacked out. He also suffered neck and back injuries. The road where the incident took place is well known for speeding motorists and police are looking for witnesses as part of their continuing investigation.
Unfortunately, incidents of abuse against cyclists are becoming more and more common. Many cyclists will tell you about incidents where people have shouted verbal abuse at them or where cars have swerved in order to scare them, often barely missing them.
Abuse from other road users is not the only danger that cyclists face. It is an unfortunate fact that 5% of road deaths each year are cyclists but only 0.8% of miles travelled by vehicles are by bicycle. Cyclists are 12 times more likely to be killed or injured on the road than people in cars (figures from BRAKE).
These figures indicate the dangers of cycling. These dangers can come in many forms: from vehicles, from poor road surface or obstacles in the road, from mechanical faults or from pedestrians or animals. So how can cyclists protect themselves?
In 57% of accidents involving a car and a cyclist, the driver of the car failed to look properly or did not see the cyclist. Therefore, it is a good idea for cyclists to wear high visibility clothing and put accessories on their bike, such as lights and reflectors.
The issue of cycle helmets is somewhat controversial. Some campaigners say that cycle helmets do not offer enough protection in a vehicle collision and instead give cyclists a false sense of security. They call for a greater focus on driver awareness in order to prevent accidents in the first place.
However a TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) study, entitled ‘The potential for cycle helmets to prevent injury – A review of the evidence’ did find that cycle helmets would be effective in a range of different accident scenarios, particularly when a cyclist is either knocked or falls from their bike.
A US study also found that if every US cyclist had been wearing a helmet whilst cycling in 1997, more than 100,000 cycling head injuries could have been prevented. One example is of a 12 year old boy who was cycling near his home when he was hit by a car. He was flung across the bonnet and hit the road. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for a leg injury, bruising and shock. His cycle helmet was smashed into three pieces. Doctors said that the helmet had saved his life; without it, that impact would have been on his skull.
Cycle accidents can have devastating consequences. Gary Mason, a former British boxing champion was killed earlier this year as he was cycling in London. Mason, aged 48, was doing his regular early morning cycle training when he was hit by a van and suffered multiple injuries. The van driver was arrested for causing death by careless driving.
Every year thousands of cycle claims are made for many different reasons. If you have been injured in a cycle accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Then you may wish to speak to a solicitor about your cycle claim options. You may be able to claim compensation if the accident wasn’t your fault. If you have been involved in an accident with a vehicle, you may be able to claim compensation from the driver’s insurer. This is the case even if the vehicle involved was a bus or HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle); a compensation claim would be made against the driver’s employer’s insurance.
If you have been involved in a cycle accident as a result of poor road maintenance, you may also be able to claim compensation. Local councils have a responsibility to ensure roads are maintained so that vehicles of all kinds can travel safely. If they have failed in this responsibility, a claim for compensation can be made.
Cycle claims can also be made if your cycle accident was as a result of a manufacturing fault or a fault after repairs.
The expert solicitors at Macks Solicitors are on hand now to speak to you about making a claim. Cycle claims are our speciality and we have many years of experience.
