BIKE ACCIDENTS, CAN YOU CLAIM IF YOU’VE BEEN INJURED?

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Did you know that there are over 500.000 bikes in Copenhagen alone? Scandinavians are keen cyclists and love being on the road. When I first moved to the UK, I was anxious to ride. If you’re a keen cyclist as well, you’re probably well aware of just how dangerous the roads are getting nowadays, especially in bigger cities like London. Other road users are not always helpful and the roads aren’t always geared for riding so cycling along peacefully can be a challenge. It’s no wonder that bike accidents are on the rise. If you’ve been involved in a bike accident recently, you might want to make a bike accident claim for compensation especially if you’ve been personally injured. Here is a brief guide to everything you need to know, so read on below for more info. Always seek professional advice should you have any doubts.

MAKING A BIKE ACCIDENT CLAIM

For starters, before you make a bike accident claim, you’ll need to make sure that you receive medical attention in order for you to be able to start a claims process. It’s always best to get yourself checked out even if you feel fine, as some injuries can take a while to show up or might not be immediately obvious, such as concussions or back and neck injuries. This happened to my dad years ago after being in a bike accident. Luckily he wore a helmet and thought he was fine. It wasn’t until 3 weeks later that his speech suddenly slurred and he struggled, that he was taken to the hospital and had to undergo brain surgery. He was fine in the end luckily, but it was a scary experience. Always make sure you are okay.

From there, once you’ve reported the accident to the police, get in touch with a lawyer, such as London based personal injury solicitors Hodge Jones & Allen, who can advise you on whether you have a bike accident claim and how to go about making such a claim. Experts at Timothy J. Ryan & Associates suggest that you don’t need to have been immediately injured to make a claim, as you can make a claim as long as you’ve had an accident in the last three years.

Once you’ve made contact with a lawyer, they can take on the next part of the claims process and can assist you with anything. They can also help advise you on the amount of compensation you might be able to claim, so it’s always worth checking out a lawyer as soon as possible.

BICYCLE ACCIDENT CLAIM TIPS – DOS AND DON’TS

Here are a few tips on what to do and what not to do in a bike accident. Or after a bike accident.

If you are able to at the time of the accident, get the details of any potential witnesses that may have been around when the accident happened. Additionally, you’ll need to get the details of anyone else involved in the accident. As well as pictures of the scene, your bike and the damage to it if possible, assuming you have a working camera or phone camera on you.

One thing you shouldn’t do is admit liability at the time of the accident, as this can be used against you when it comes to making a claim. Additionally, try and keep your cool as well. Whilst it might be satisfying to go off on the person who hit you off your bike, you’re better off keeping cool and checking if there’s any additional evidence that you can use in your claim instead. And finally, one last thing you shouldn’t do is get back on your bike and ride away immediately. You might be suffering from an injury, or at the very least you are probably a bit shaken up and most likely aren’t thinking properly. This can lead to another accident, so take it easy and don’t ride immediately after a bike accident.

CHOOSING CYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS

Choosing a decent lawyer for a cycling accident can be tough. After all, you’ve got a lot of different things that you can claim for, such as personal injuries, bike damage, property damage, additional travel costs after the accident, and even potential loss of earnings depending on how severe the accident was. So it’s crucial to choose a lawyer who can handle all of this.

It’s recommended to do some research before selecting a legal professional as you’ll be able to find a good lawyer who understands your needs as well as fight to get you a decent amount of compensation for everything you’ve suffered. So if you’ve had a cycling accident in the last three years, go and find a lawyer who can get you the compensation you deserve.