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Guide · Cycling accidents
What Can I Claim For After a Cycling Accident?
If you were injured in a cycling accident that was someone else's fault, you can claim for your injuries and for the financial losses they caused. That includes pain and suffering, lost earnings, treatment, care, travel, and the repair or replacement of your bike, helmet and clothing. For serious injuries, you can also claim for future costs, such as ongoing care and lost future earnings.
This guide explains everything you can include in a cycling accident claim, who you'd claim against, and how things like not wearing a helmet can affect your compensation.
- Cyclists killed in 2025
- 79
- Source
- Department for Transport, reported road casualties
- Whiplash tariff
- Doesn't apply to cyclists
- Time limit
- Usually 3 years
The two parts of your compensation
Compensation for a cycling accident is made up of two parts:
- General damagesFor the pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life caused by your injuries. The amount depends on how serious your injuries are and how long they last.
- Special damagesFor your financial losses and costs, both what you've already lost and what you'll lose in future.
Cyclists aren't covered by the Official Injury Claim service or the fixed whiplash tariff that apply to many car drivers and passengers, so your injuries are valued in the usual way. See general and special damages.
What can you claim for?
Depending on your injuries and circumstances, a cycling accident claim can include:
Pain and suffering
The physical and emotional effects of your injuries, including any psychological injury such as anxiety about cycling again.
Lost earnings
Wages, overtime and bonuses you've lost while recovering, and future earnings if you can't return to the same work.
Treatment
Private treatment, physiotherapy, prescriptions and rehabilitation. NHS treatment is free, but other treatment costs can be claimed.
Care and help at home
Care and support you need, including help given by family and friends, even if they weren't paid for it.
Travel and other costs
Travel to medical appointments, and other costs caused by your injuries, such as paying someone to do jobs you can't.
Your bike and kit
Repairing or replacing your bike, helmet, clothing, lights, phone or cycle computer if they were damaged.
Keep receipts, payslips and a note of the help you get from others. These make it easier to prove your losses. In our £17,500 cyclist case, a cyclist was hit by a car pulling out of a car park.
Future costs after a serious injury
If your injuries are serious or permanent, your claim can also cover future losses, such as:
- Ongoing treatment and rehabilitation
- Care and support, now and in the future
- Changes to your home or vehicle
- Lost future earnings and pension
Serious claims can take time to settle, but you may be able to get part of your compensation early through an interim payment. Head injuries are a particular risk for cyclists. See brain injury claims after a cycling accident.
Who do you claim against?
A driver
If a driver caused the accident, the claim is made against their insurer, not against them personally.
An uninsured or untraced driver
If the driver had no insurance or didn't stop, you may be able to claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau. Report it to the police as soon as you can.
The council
If a pothole or road defect caused your fall, you may be able to claim against the council. See pavement and pothole claims.
Someone else
Such as another cyclist or a pedestrian who caused the accident, who may be covered by their home insurance.
What if you weren't wearing a helmet?
There's no law requiring cyclists in the UK to wear a helmet, although the Highway Code advises it. Not wearing one doesn't stop you claiming.
The other side may argue that your compensation for a head injury should be reduced. To do that, they usually need to show that a helmet would have prevented your injury or made it less serious. It won't affect compensation for injuries a helmet couldn't have prevented, such as a broken wrist.
Since January 2022, the Highway Code has also set out a hierarchy of road users, which says drivers have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they pose to cyclists and pedestrians. If you were partly to blame, your compensation may be reduced, but you may still be able to claim. See claiming if it was partly your fault.
Compensation guide
How much compensation could I get for a cycling accident?
The table below shows indicative ranges for some common injuries from trips and falls, based on the current guidance used by the courts in England and Wales. Wrist, collarbone, knee and hip injuries are common in cycling accidents too. Their value depends a great deal on the type of injury and how well you recover, so talk to us about yours. You can also claim for financial losses, such as lost earnings, treatment and travel costs.
| Type of injury | Key factors | Indicative range |
|---|---|---|
| Minor soft tissue injurySprains, strains and bruising | Recovery period, impact on daily activities | Up to £16,500 |
| Arm or shoulder injuryFrom soft tissue damage to fractures and elbow injuries | Severity, dominant arm affected, impact on work | £5,500 – £42,000 |
| Leg fracture (simple)A simple fracture of the tibia, fibula or femur | Recovery time, surgery required, long-term impact | Up to £18,500 |
| Moderate back injuryDisc, ligament or muscle damage with longer-lasting symptoms | Duration of symptoms, impact on mobility and work | £16,500 – £51,000 |
| Serious leg injuryComplex fractures and injuries with lasting effects | Multiple fractures, permanent symptoms or disability | £36,500 – £117,000+ |
| Head and brain injuryFrom less severe brain injuries to life-changing damage | Cognitive impairment, personality change, long-term care | £20,000 – £530,000+ |
How to read these figures
- These are indicative ranges for pain, suffering and loss of amenity only. You can also claim for financial losses, such as lost earnings, treatment, care, travel, and repairing or replacing your bike, helmet and clothing. See how compensation is calculated.
- Figures are rounded and based on the Judicial College Guidelines (18th edition, April 2026). A "+" means the most severe cases can be worth more.
- Every claim is different. The amount you receive depends on your medical evidence and circumstances, and past results don't guarantee future outcomes.
Cycling accident claims: FAQs
Can I claim for my damaged bike?
Yes. If someone else caused the accident, you can usually claim the cost of repairing or replacing your bike, along with your helmet, clothing, lights and other kit that was damaged. Keep the damaged items, or take photos of them, and any receipts.
Can I still claim if I wasn't wearing a helmet?
Yes. There's no law requiring cyclists to wear a helmet. The other side may argue that compensation for a head injury should be reduced, but they usually need to show a helmet would have prevented the injury or made it less serious. It doesn't affect injuries a helmet couldn't have prevented.
What if the driver didn't stop or wasn't insured?
You may still be able to claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau, which compensates people injured by uninsured and untraced drivers. Report the accident to the police as soon as you can, and keep a note of any details you remember.
Can I claim if a pothole caused my fall?
You may be able to claim against the council responsible for the road. The council can defend the claim if it shows it had a reasonable system for inspecting and repairing the road, so photos of the pothole and its exact location are important. See pavement and pothole claims.
Can I claim for care my family gave me?
Yes. If family or friends helped you while you recovered, for example with washing, dressing, shopping or getting to appointments, you can usually claim for the value of that care, even though they weren't paid. Keep a note of what help you had and for how long.
How long do I have to claim after a cycling accident?
You usually have 3 years from the date of the accident to start court proceedings. For children, the 3 years doesn't start until they turn 18. See how long you have to claim.
Injured while cycling?
Talk to our team for free, with no obligation. We'll look at what happened, work out who was responsible and tell you whether you have a claim. Eligible claims are handled on a No Win No Fee basis.