Now in its 102nd year, Bike Week 2025 takes place from June 9th to 15th. This Cycling UK initiative is a nationwide celebration of all things cycling. It showcases how we can all fit cycling into our daily lives, if we want to. The week highlights the benefits of cycling, which include:
- improved health,
- reduced carbon emissions,
- lower travel costs, and
- enabling stronger community connections.
Cycling UK has made this year’s theme ‘Cycling – The Best Way to Get Around’ to highlight the affordability and practicality of cycling as a mode of everyday transport.
In the face of the cost-of-living crisis and growing environmental concerns, this year’s Bike Week focuses on how we can all use our bikes for everyday travel, such as running errands, commuting to work, and visiting loved ones.
The effects of Bike Week themes, in conjunction with broader cycling initiatives and an improvement in cycling infrastructure, have led to a marked increase in people taking to their bikes, up 39% between 2004 and 2023.
This is excellent news for our collective health and the environment. However, increased volumes of cyclists on the roads mean that while total cycling accident casualties have declined slightly, the number of cyclists suffering serious injuries each year remains worryingly high.
One of the leading causes of cycling accidents, especially complex injuries or fatal accidents, is a collision with a motor vehicle. The cyclist almost always comes off worse in crashes with motorised road users. Also, while drivers are protected by their cars or vans, cyclists’ protection consists of a helmet.
If you’ve been hurt in a road traffic accident while riding your bike and it wasn’t your fault, you might be able to claim personal injury compensation. Mooneerams Solicitors will guide you through the claims process and ensure you receive the full compensation you are entitled to. In this blog, we cover the basics of what cyclists need to know about how to make a personal injury claim.
When can you make a personal injury claim for a cycling accident?
You can make a personal injury claim for a cycling accident if someone else’s negligence caused it. All road users have a duty to take reasonable care to avoid injuring others on the road. If they fail in that duty and hurt someone else, they may be liable for negligence.
Here are some common scenarios that could lead to a cycling accident claim:
- A driver didn’t see you and turned across your path.
- A motorist or passenger opened a car door into your path
- A motorist went past you too closely and knocked you off your bike.
- You were thrown from your bike after hitting a pothole in the road
Who do you make a cycling injury claim against?
You make your cycling injury claim against the person or organisation responsible for your accident. That might be:
- The driver of the vehicle involved.
- The local authority if your accident was caused by a pothole or poorly maintained road.
- The Motor Insurance Bureau if the driver was uninsured or the accident was a hit-and-run.
What injuries can you claim for?
You can claim compensation for any injuries sustained in a cycling accident, whether physical or psychological. Some of the most common injuries resulting from cycling accidents include:
Head injuries.
Head injuries are the leading cause of death in cycling accidents. Even when they’re not fatal, head injuries can have a catastrophic impact on a victim’s life.
The risk of suffering a head injury puts many people off cycling on the roads. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk, the most notable being wearing a helmet. A 2019 study into the effects of helmet use on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in cycling accidents showed that wearing a helmet significantly lowers the likelihood of suffering a severe TBI.
Cuts, lacerations, and bruises.
Some cycling accidents result in little more than a few scrapes and bruises. However, when the cuts are deep or the bruising is more severe, the cyclist can experience significant pain and be out of action for quite some time. The cyclist may also be left with permanent scarring.
Limb injuries.
Limb injuries are common in cycling accidents. Arms are more likely to be injured than legs, as cyclists instinctively use them to protect themselves. Fractures are the most common type of limb injury sustained in cycling accidents, but sprains and dislocations are also frequently reported.
How much compensation will you receive?
Understandably, this is one of the first questions many of our clients ask. The truth is, it depends. Your compensation will depend on the unique factors of your case, including how serious your injuries are and how they’ve affected your day-to-day life.
To calculate how much your cycling claim is worth, we’ll obtain a medical opinion on your injuries and prognosis and assess any financial losses you’ve incurred, such as loss of earnings. When we’ve done that, we can start negotiating a settlement with the other party.
Calculating compensation can take time, especially in more serious cases. If it appears that you’ll be waiting a long time for your compensation and you have immediate financial needs, we can request an ‘interim payment’.
Interim payments enable personal injury claimants to receive a portion of their compensation before their claim is fully resolved in the long term. It isn’t an additional compensation payment; it’s simply a partial payment of your overall amount to ease any financial worries, and cover expenses such as helping you pay for private medical treatment whilst the case is ongoing.
How long do you have to make a cycling accident claim?
Cycling accident claims are subject to time limits. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to make a claim; you’ll be what’s known as ‘statute barred’.
In most cases, you have three years from the date of your accident to start your claim. There are exceptions to the rule. If the injured victim is a child, the time limit for bringing a case doesn’t start running until the child’s 18th birthday, meaning they have until their 21st birthday to start a claim.
There are also exceptions that apply to injured persons who lack the mental capacity to bring their own claim. To find out more about time limits for bringing cycling injury claims and indeed other types of personal injury claims, visit our Guide to Limitation page.
It’s always better to act sooner rather than later if you want to make a personal injury claim. Taking action when the events are fresh in everyone’s mind and the evidence intact gives you the best chance of securing the highest compensation.
At Mooneerams, we specialise in personal injury cases. As a firm of personal injury solicitors, we have over 20 years’ experience of helping cycling accident injury clients secure the compensation they deserve. We usually work on a No Win No Fee basis, too, so you’ll only pay us if your claim is successful.
Posted in Road Traffic Accidents
