Advocacy & Safety - Cycling accident in London

Cycling to Work on Friday (5 September) I was hit by a car that fail to give way at a roundabout while I had right of way. I ended up spending the rest of my Friday in an A&E unit.

I was whisked away by an ambulance but the police did show up and took statements from all the parties involved and from witness.

I retrieved my bicycle from the police on Saturday to find that it was pretty much destroyed.

I would like to claim form the motorists insurance for the bicycle and all the relating kit that was damaged in the accident but I do not have insurance that covers the accident so I will have to claim for their insurance on my own.

Can anyone give me some advice on the legal aspects of making a claim like this privately ?
Has anyone else done this and can they offer some advice ?


Thank you
Wehrner ****:confused:

For future reference it's worth joining the CTC who will sort it out for you as well as providing you with third party insurance. Assuming your not a member I'd contact a solicitor or try the Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Did the place give you a statement confirming that you in fact had the right of way and that you were not at fault?

Did the police tell you his insurance company?

Did they give you his contact information?

Get a copy of cycling weekly. There are some good lawyers who advertise in there. My brother was knocked off in London and used a female lawyer based on the Wirral in Merseyside to sue the driver successfully. I'm sorry I have forgot her name.
Regarding roundabouts generally what is it about drivers who see a cyclist on a roundabout and immediately assume the bike should not be there even when the bike has the right of way. I find I physically have to look drivers in the eye to stop them pulling out at me and have even been beeped and yelled at on more than one occasion when I have the right of way. I find that the problem is worse at rush hour and on the larger rounabouts on bye passes etc. I am even considering avoiding them at these times as some drivers out there just don't seem to know the highway code or choose to deliberatley ignore it when a cyclist is involved.

The London Cycling Campaign are probably the easiest port of call for local info. They deal with this kind of thing a lot.

Originally posted by Wehrner
Cycling to Work on Friday (5 September) I was hit by a car that fail to give way at a roundabout while I had right of way.

As American cities jump onto the traffic circle bandwagon, cyclists need to ensure that these things are implemented in a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly fashion, with tight-radius turns which effectively calm motor traffic.

In the US if you have your own auto insurance policy you should be covered by the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Better to have your insurance adjuster settling with their adjuster, rather than trying to do this yourself. If this is not possible, I recommend going with a lawyer that understands bicycle law and will work for a percentage of damages recovered.

An update to my saga ...

I Phoned the CTC and spoke to one of the people attending their enquiry line. The person was very helpful and told me that I can contact the solicitors ( AKA Lawyers for the guys in the US ) they use. The solicitors agreed to take my case in a privately.

As for the location of the accident ( Some people expressed concerns regarding roundabouts ). It is a quiet single lane mini roundabout where I have never experienced traffic problems. Generally I try and avoid busy multi lane roundabouts since they can be a nightmare.

Regards,
Wehrner