Hi
Yesterday I was knocked off my bike whilst travelling to work.
A car pulled out in front me at a crossroads and I piled into the passenger side.
I have a painfully bruised thigh and a few stiff joints but nothing broken.
The bike needs a new brake/lever and the mech hanger straightening out.
Can anyone recommend a cycle specific solicitors to help me recover
The repair costs?
The driver gave me all his details and admitted liability.
I have an incident reference no from the police and have had a basic medical check.
Anyone else had this experience?

Are you looking for more than just the cost of the broken bike parts/cost to fit in a LBS?
If not, why not just speak to them - most people feel bad about an accident and are reasonable.

Quicker than a formal route and less stressful/annoying.

Just a thought

Talk to CTC

Definitely CTC. They've been very helpful to me in the past, even when it's been my fault

British Cycling were very good when it happened to me once (long time ago now). They use Leigh Day & Co solicitors. Have to be a member of BC though...(and I only happened to be because I was racing a lot that year, so lucky I guess).

But, having been through the whole lengthy process (coz the drive was being a knut, it's only coz I had the foresight to get the details of a passer by as an independent witness that I managed to get anything out of it); if the driver is admitting liability etc. then I suggest doing it amicably because that is soo much easier and more gentlemanly.

Search on the singletrackworld forum as there are plenty of threads with advice/links

Kumquat wrote:Hi
Yesterday I was knocked off my bike whilst travelling to work.

Anyone else had this experience?

I got knocked off my bike last June (similar circumstances) and I was off my bike for a long time and was still having physio in March this year!

I wasn't going to bother going down the legal route but then when I weighed up everything... damage to bike, personal injury, inability to ride (and therefore cost of bus fares to work) and the fact that I'd paid for a few events like BB200 meant that it all added up. Plus I was bloody angry at how easily it could have been avoided, I could've been injured far worse.

It took a while but I ended up with £3,000 plus damages, I've always been against the "whiplash claim culture" but everyone who knows me said I was more than entitled to it (plus my wife said I was a miserable git whilst I wasn't riding).

If it helps I can give you the name of my solicitors who specialised in my type of claim?

Might be some useful info in here
http://www.lfgss.com/thread4213.html

I was knocked off on my way home from work on wednesday. Have a tatty elbow and a very sore shoulder

I actually work in the personal injury department of the solicitors who deal with CTC claims . . . . . You can not imagine how much I have been 'advised' this week. And im still not sure about claiming.

Part of me does think I should do it to make the guy think twice next time. He had seen me and waited for me to pass him as he pulled off from being parked - only to take me out 50 yards further on doing a left turn without indicating immediately in front of me . . . Not impressed!

The jusry is out atm - a quick grand on a pre med offer does sound tempting . . .

adjustablewench wrote:I was knocked off on my way home from work on wednesday. Have a tatty elbow and a very sore shoulder

I actually work in the personal injury department of the solicitors who deal with CTC claims . . . . . You can not imagine how much I have been 'advised' this week. And im still not sure about claiming.

Part of me does think I should do it to make the guy think twice next time. He had seen me and waited for me to pass him as he pulled off from being parked - only to take me out 50 yards further on doing a left turn without indicating immediately in front of me . . . Not impressed!

The jusry is out atm - a quick grand on a pre med offer does sound tempting . . .

Not looking in his mirror and not indicating is pure laziness and bad driving on his part, do him and teach him a lesson I say. You could have been injured far worse.

I got taken out on a high speed roundabout a few years ago - I could tell that they hadn't even looked at me (looking behind me for faster moving vehicles but no eye contact) so entirely their fault - I was in reflectives and lit up etc. I turned away from her to avoid her going over me from the side but went down very heavily - bike was bent beyond repair. Lucky not to have been run over by the next car/truck coming round the roundabout at 40mph (I hear this is how cycle couriers often get very badly injured).
It was a girl from work in a hurry to get home. She was very upset and offered to pay for the bike and I thought saving her insurance issues would be a good thing.
I heard afterwards she was moaning to colleagues about the cost of a replacement for my commuter (I didn't claim anything for injury, damaged clothing etc.).
In hindsight (always 20/20!) I really wish I'd gone the insurance route and claimed for everything but I did have an issue with the 'blame/claim' culture etc.
I'd go with CTC or similar now.

I'm afraid the "blame/claim" culture is here to stay so you might as well use it to your advantage in my opinion.

That's where I've sadly ended up Ray - I still think "if you've had a trip or a fall" you should look where you're bloody going though