Because of the vulnerability of cyclists, cycling traffic accidents have the potential to inflict more serious injuries on those involved.
Cycling traffic accidents happen most frequently during rush hours on the roads of our most heavily populated towns and cities and, on average, one cyclist every day is hospitalised due to a cycling traffic accident. Scores more walk away with relatively minor injuries, yet 90% of these cycling traffic accidents could be avoided if drivers of motorised vehicles were more careful.
The main reason given for the collisions between motor vehicles and bicycles in cycling traffic accidents is that the driver simply did not notice the cyclist when making a manoeuvre, and the cyclist was subsequently knocked from their bicycle.
Where cycling traffic accidents such as these occur, it is best not to try and move the victim as injuries sustained to the head and spine may be aggravated – causing more severe injuries than are already sustained. An ambulance and the Gardai should be called, and treatment administered at the scene of the accident.
Making a Claim for a Cycling Traffic Accident
If you have been the victim of a cycling traffic accident where somebody else was even partially to blame, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. However, if you have not waited after the accident for an ambulance to be called, or subsequently chose not to visit a hospital or your local doctor to have your injuries attended to, there is no medical record of the incident and this may hinder you in your compensation claim.
Even when you have received suitable medical attention, you may find that the negligent driver is not prepared to admit liability for the accident, or their insurance company makes an inadequate offer of compensation. Furthermore, conflicting advice offered by family and friends may cloud your judgement as to the right course of action to take.
If you are in any doubt about what you should do following a cycling traffic accident, please call our free advice line on 1800 989 995where you will be able to speak directly with a personal injury claims solicitor with over 20 years experience in dealing with claims arising from road traffic accidents.
Our solicitor will offer helpful and accurate advice about the options available to you and be able to assess whether a case exists which it is worth your while to pursue – with no pressure put on you to proceed with a claim if you choose not to.
Our Promise:
- 100%Speak to a specialist cycling accident injury solicitor
- 100%Free up-to-date advice with no obligation
- 100%Confidential, practical listening ear
- 100%Helpful and courteous at all times
- 100%Impartial & accurate advice
- 100%No pressure or legal jargon
What can I expect?
When you call, our solicitor will ask you to relate what happened in the cycling traffic accident, what injuries you sustained and how they were treated. If the driver has admitted liability and the insurance company has already been in touch, this is a good time to let our solicitor know.
Our solicitor will make a quick assessment of the strength of your claim for compensation, let you know whether to accept the insurance company proposal, your chances of success if you decide to pursue further action and how long the process is likely to take. Should you have any questions about this, please do not be afraid to ask – we try to make our advice as comprehensive as possible but everybody is unique and has their own set of circumstances.
One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “How much will I get?”. Unfortunately we are unable to give an accurate estimate on the initial telephone call. Not only is there a wide scale of recommended compensation levels for physical injuries; out-of-pocket expenses, possible loss of earnings and even the effect of any psychological trauma have to be taken into consideration as well – many victims of cycling traffic accidents never regain the confidence to ride again.
The other question that we are frequently asked is “How much will this cost”. The answer is usually nothing. Expenses arising from pursuing a claim for compensation are borne by the defendant. If there any exceptions to this, our solicitor will let you know in good time.
As it also costs you nothing to take advantage of the information available on our free advice line on 1800 989 995
We recommended that you pick up the phone and give us a call. If it is an inconvenient time right now, please complete your details on our call-back form above, indicating a time when it would be more suitable, and one of our team will get back in touch.
