Injured cyclist secures compensation after car just drives off

As a car approached a junction it failed to stop, colliding with Margaret who was cycling her bike at the time. The car driver stopped briefly but drove off, not exchanging any information.

“It wasn’t until the adrenaline stopped that I realised my injuries were a lot more serious than I first thought.”

Unable to trace driver at fault

Margaret couldn’t recall the license plate of the car that hit her and the police were unable to locate the driver at fault.

“I thought I was in a situation where I was physically damaged and in a lot of pain – I didn’t know if it would get any better or what it would mean for the future – but I couldn’t do anything.

“Even though the accident wasn’t my fault, I felt it was a lost cause and the driver had just got away with it.”

Specialist cycling solicitors at Digby Brown

Margaret contacted British Cycling for advice and they referred her to specialist solicitors in cycling accidents at Digby Brown.

For cases like this where it is not possible to trace the driver at fault, the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) step in. They are a government body set up to compensate injured individuals where it is not possible to claim against an individual or a company.

“I’m really grateful I called and spoke to professionals who could help me through it. I wasn’t aware I could go down that route for compensation. It was all because of a flippant comment from someone at work that I even got in touch.”

“Guided through the MIB process”

“Everyone at Digby Brown guided me through the process and were all very helpful. They would touch base and keep me up to date so I was never unsure about where we were.

“They treated me like an individual and were genuine and understanding about my circumstance. It was a really personal service - a solicitor even went out of their way to visit me at my home to take my initial statement."

“Happy ending after three months of pain”

We pursued the injury claim and received an offer from MIB. However, we felt this was a little low and on our advice, our client decided to reject the offer.

MIB came back not long after with a higher offer which Margaret happily accepted, shortly before Christmas.

“It was a happy ending after three months of pain and not sure what lay ahead – I didn’t think I would get compensation at all.

“I would have probably accepted the first offer as I didn’t know what my case was worth or what I was entitled to. The guidance from my solicitor and the service throughout was amazing – thank you!”