Ed Sheeran's Cycling Accident Is The Tip Of the Iceberg17th Oct 2017
Ed Sheeran’s cycling accident – which left him with a broken arm – has put his upcoming tour dates in jeopardy.
The multi-award winning singer songwriter was left with his right arm in plaster and his left arm in a sling after his collision with a car.
Our sympathies go out to Ed because as personal injury solicitors we know the true cost of cycling accidents.
Especially at this time of year when the nights are drawing in and the clocks go back.
All Cycling Injuries Are Serious
Cyclists almost always come off worst in a crash involving a car. Typical injuries include broken bones in the shoulders, hips and knees.
Broken collarbones are a common cycling injury that will leave you in agony. And once broken, they can be susceptible to re-breaking – particularly if a metal plate is used to fix the bone, leaving a weak point.
Dislocated shoulders or torn rotator cuff muscles are also painful, debilitating and take time to heal. Again, your shoulder may never be quite the same again. On paper, they’re described as so-called ‘minor injuries’ but the pain and the long term effects can feel all too serious.
Counting The Financial Cost
You’ll almost certainly need some form of physiotherapy to help you recover from your injuries. The sooner the better if you are to make a proper recovery – and with the NHS under pressure that could mean going private. It’s not cheap.
During this time you’ll probably be off work. That’s difficult if you’re an employee and doubly so if you’re self-employed (if you’re not working, you’re not earning).
Then there’s the damage to your bike. Cycles are expensive. Even back in the 1940s it was always said that a good, dependable bike cost the equivalent of a week’s pay.
That’s £530 in today’s money (based on the average UK salary of £27,600). And while you can buy cheaper bikes that are perfectly good, £530 doesn’t begin to cover the cost of today’s high tech mountain bikes and racers – their price tags spiral into four figures.
Add to that the cost of a cracked helmet, ripped clothes, smashed lights, bent rack, torn panniers and the initial financial cost of the accident soon mounts up.
But that’s just the start…
Cycling is not just a hobby and a great way to keep fit – it may be your essential means of commuting. Your lifeline to your livelihood.
Take away your bike and/or your ability to ride it and you’ll have to use costly public transport. Or you’ll have to get back in your car (assuming you have one and are still able to drive it with your injuries).
That means petrol and parking charges if you can’t get a space at work. And parking spaces are at a premium these days – one of the reasons you decided to ride to work in the first place!
All of this costs money…
Find Out More About Claiming Compensation
It’s not fair that you should be left out of pocket because of an accident that wasn’t your fault – it adds insult to injury.
We’re here to help you claim the compensation that’s rightfully yours.
Contact Coles Miller Partner Adrian Cormack, head of the Personal Injury Department, for more information about claiming for cycling injuries, 01202 355695.
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This document is not intended to constitute and should not be used as a substitute for legal advice on any specific matter. No liability for the accuracy of the content of this document, or the consequences of relying on it, is assumed by the author. If you seek further information, please contact Managing Partner Neil Andrews at Coles Miller Solicitors LLP.
