Case study: £20,000 for cyclist who suffered head injury in road accident

Our specialist cycling accident solicitors advised a cyclist who was involved in a road traffic accident in central Bristol.

Mr S was cycling along the road in Bristol city centre on his bicycle when a car turned right into his path, colliding with him. Mr S was thrown off of his bike and fell to the ground. He could not remember the exact details of the accident and was unable to recall the period after the accident. Due to this, our client did not have details or a description of the Defendant who was driving the car.

Unable to work after physical and psychological injuries

Mr S was taken to hospital after sustaining injuries to his head, lower back and left shoulder. He also experienced some hearing loss and psychological injury. Due to his physical injuries, Mr S was forced to resign from his manual handling job and was unable to work. He was then employed within a security job, but was too restricted by his injuries to continue.

Investigating the road traffic accident claim

Our personal injury lawyers initially started by investigating the accident circumstances and locating the Defendant by requesting a copy of the Police report.

Once the report had been obtained and the driver had been identified, a Claim Notification Form was submitted to their insurers, along with a copy of the Police report to aid their investigations. After further research into whether there was any available CCTV (which there was not), the Defendant’s insurers confirmed that they would deal with the claim.

Medical reports and cost of treatment

We obtained copies of our client’s medical records and medical experts were approached to ascertain whether they could assist. Instructions were sent to a GP and a Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon (ENT) who examined Mr S, reviewed his medical records, and prepared medical reports for the claim. It was recommended that Mr S undergo a course of physiotherapy to aid his ongoing physical symptoms. Our personal injury team arranged this on his behalf on a private basis, and included the cost of the treatment within his claim.

Following the examination with Mr S, the ENT surgeon noted that he suffered with some hearing difficulty prior to the accident, and therefore not all of his ongoing symptoms were attributed to the accident, which Mr S accepted.

Settlement offer

On receipt of these reports, the Defendant made a Part 36 offer to settle the claim in the sum of £20,000. Our team discussed this offer in detail with Mr S and, as medical evidence was not yet complete, he was informed of the risks of both accepting and not accepting this offer.

After careful consideration, our client decided to accept the offer in full and final settlement, bringing his claim to a conclusion.

Get in touch with our cycling accident solicitors

If you have suffered physical or psychological injuries as a result of a cycle accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be eligible to claim compensation. Our personal injury lawyers act for cyclists across the UK from our offices in Bristol.

To find out if you are eligible to claim, call our bike accident solicitors on 0117 325 2929 or fill out our online enquiry form.