If you are unfortunate enough to be one of over 16,000 cyclists who have an accident every year then it’s important to know how you can obtain help from a solicitor afterwards if you need to make any legal claims. These figures are based on statistics from the accident prevention charity RoSPA. The charity also estimates that around 60 to 90 per cent of accidents are unreported. If you have had a serious accident then you need to ensure that you report it.
Many clear-cut claims can be streamlined because of a 2010 government initiative that processes claims for under £10,000 electronically. You can also obtain a lot of online advice and assistance by consulting claims companies such as cyclaim.co.uk
Advice Is Crucial
A solicitor can also provide very useful advice on how to make legal claims and can demystify the whole claims process for you. You won’t necessarily feel up to wading through the complexities of the legal processes if you have been injured and it helps to make sure you are getting advice that will cover everything.
If your cycling accident did not involve an obvious third party — for example, if you ran over an obstruction on the road — then a solicitor can help you to prove your case. This is a scenario where a solicitor can bring their expertise to your cycling claim because they will be well versed in how to go about proving negligence when the case is not as clear-cut as a collision with a vehicle with a driver who was at fault.
Evidence Gathering
When you make a personal injury claim there is a lot of evidence that needs to be gathered and a fair amount of administrative work to be done. A solicitor can start the process and gather all of the required evidence. Hopefully, you took photos at the time of the accident and wrote down the details of any witnesses. A solicitor can then use all of this evidence as they build your case and they can make the necessary contact and follow-ups with hospitals and the police.
When your solicitor has all the relevant information they will write your official claim letter and send it to the party responsible for the accident. Some claims are dealt with quickly within a few weeks and some may take longer, depending on the complexity of each case. Most cycling claims will end in a settlement offer and rarely go to court, although this can happen in very serious and complicated cases where an agreement is not going to be reached easily.
There are a few things to consider when choosing a solicitor. Try to find one who has dealt with lot of cycling claims or has personal injury experience. You should also look for solicitors who are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. It’s useful to remember that if you have insurance you are not required to use the solicitors recommended by your insurance firm.
Julia Davis is an experienced legal affairs writer. She has been writing for websites and print media for over ten years. Julia uses sources such as cyclaim.co.uk for information about cycling accidents and personal injury claims.