It’s important to ensure that if you are injured in a cycling incident, you instruct solicitors to bring a claim on your behalf who are experienced in dealing with cycling injuries.
Depending on the nature of the injuries, housing adaptations may be needed, or a move to temporary accommodation whilst you recover. It’s likely some form of rehabilitation will be needed, and there may be a future requirement for medical procedures, rehabilitation and care, as well as loss of earnings.
Major Trauma Group is a not-for-profit community interest company, set up to assist people following serious injury, including in cycling-related incidents.
Our member law firms are highly experienced in assisting those who have been injured whilst enjoying cycling.
This week, we caught up with member law firm Moore Barlow, to learn more about their client who was recently injured whilst cycling.
Circumstances of incident
During the pandemic, a large amount of the population took up cycling in order to increase their daily exercise and my Client was no exception. On the day of his accident, he was out for an early morning ride cycling along a main road. As he was riding, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a van approach from the left at a junction. Unfortunately, the van driver did not stop and give way at the junction and continued through, colliding with my Client. As a result of the accident, my Client sustained a complex fracture to his pelvis. He was taken to a local major trauma centre where he underwent surgery to repair the fracture.
Rehabilitation and accommodation
Once instructed, we immediately made contact with the Defendant driver’s insurers to discuss rehabilitation and whilst they would not fund an immediate needs assessment until their liability investigations were ongoing, they made it clear that they would be willing to provide rehabilitation if required.
Prior to the accident, my client lived alone in a three-storey town house. As a result of the injuries sustained, he was initially unable to return home and luckily, his niece was in a position to offer him a place to stay where he could continue his recovery. After a few months, his injuries had healed sufficiently enough for him to return home without the need for any further care and assistance.
Although the accident circumstances appeared very straightforward, it took some time for the Defendant Insurers to accept liability. Even when they did accept primary responsibility, they sought to allege that my client was contributory negligent in failing to have lights on his bike switched on. Given it was broad daylight at the time of the accident, they very quickly changed their mind about pursuing this argument and liability was admitted in full.
Medico-legal evidence was obtained from a report from an orthopaedic surgeon which confirmed that the injuries, whilst complex, had healed well. As a result of the accident and the injuries sustained, our Client was likely to need a total hip replacement in the near future. The cost of the future surgery was recovered as part of his claim. As our client was nearing the end of his working life, there were minimal loss of earnings but we were able to successfully recover the costs of the care which he had received from his family members.
How Major Trauma Group can help?
If you have suffered serious injury in a cycling accident, our member law firms are available for a free, no obligation chat. Call us – 0330 311 2578, email – hello@majortraumagroup.co.uk or speak to us on live chat via our website – available Monday to Friday from 9 am until 5pm.
