Can You Claim Compensation After a Bike Accident?
Cycling can be a great form of exercise, as well as an efficient way to get around. If you live in an urban area, traveling around by bike enables you to beat the traffic and encourages you to be more active. Conversely, off-road biking gives you a chance to explore rural areas and enjoy the scenery.
Despite its benefits, there is one drawback when it comes to cycling: the potential injuries you may sustain. While falling off your bike can cause you harm, being involved in a collision can result in sustaining serious injuries.
Who Caused Your Accident?
Around 500,000 bicycle-related injuries occur each year, but most people are unaware that you could claim compensation after a biking accident. To successfully claim compensation, however, you’ll need to be able to determine who caused the accident and, therefore, who is legally responsible.
In some situations, the person responsible may admit their liability straight away, which can make it easier to obtain compensation for your injuries. Sadly, it’s not unusual for people to deny that they’re responsible or to try and blame the cyclist instead. When this happens, accident investigations may be required in order to confirm exactly what happened.
What Evidence Do You Need?
When you make a claim for compensation, you’ll need to have as much evidence as possible. Your personal injury lawyers will help you to collate relevant evidence but, in general, the following types of evidence can be helpful:
- CCTV footage of the accident
- Witness statements
- Video or mobile phone footage taken of the scene
- Images of the scene
- Medical records
- The bike and/or vehicles involved
If you don’t currently have any evidence to support your claim, there’s no need to panic. By seeking legal advice, you can find out if you’re eligible to take legal action. If so, your attorneys will help you to obtain the evidence you need to move forward.
When Will You Receive Compensation?
The length of time it takes to obtain compensation varies from case to case. If the person responsible admits their liability, you may receive your compensation more quickly than if they fight the claim in court, for example. Similarly, if the at-fault party’s insurance company agree to pay your compensation quickly, you may receive a pay-out more efficiently than if they dispute your account of what happened.
Fortunately, personal injury lawyers are experienced when it comes to negotiating. By working with the other side to agree a fair settlement, they can conclude the claim more swiftly and help you to obtain compensation more quickly. This also means you won’t need to go to court to get the compensation you deserve.
Of course, you can’t receive compensation until you get your claim underway. If you’ve been hurt because of a bike accident that wasn’t your fault, you can get the ball rolling by contacting personal injury lawyers now. Once you start your claim, you’ll be a step closer to getting compensation for the injuries and discomfort you’ve suffered.
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