Every year in the region of 150 cyclists are killed on Britain's roads. Over 2000 are seriously injured, suffering life-changing brain injury or paralysis and in excess of 16,000 cyclists suffer other injuries. Fewer than 10% of road accidents involve cyclists; however, the casualty rate for cyclists is almost 100 times greater than car users. The regrettable conclusion is that cyclists are the group most likely to sustain significant injury and loss in an accident.
Cyclists are not legally obliged to insure themselves against third party risks and are, therefore, personally responsible for claims for compensation brought by other road users. Similarly, in the event of an accident due to someone else's fault, there will be no compensation unless the cyclist (or a Solicitor on behalf of the cyclist) brings an action against the "guilty party".
The purpose of Cycle Aid is to help redress this imbalance and to provide the cyclist with an understanding of the procedure involved in making a claim where he or she has been unfortunate enough to suffer loss and/or injury.
There are many types of accidents involving cyclists; some are as follows:
- Accidents involving another vehicle
- Accidents due to poor or badly repaired road surfaces
- Failure of cycle, for example, failure of suspension forks
- Sporting or training accidents
- Interference with cycle by uncontrolled animals
Where another vehicle is involved the driver will usually be identified. In the case of a hit and run accident, an injured cyclist may still be able to recover compensation through the Motor Insurers' Bureau who provide a fund for victims of untraced drivers and also for those cyclists who have been the victims of uninsured drivers.
