Syed Husain, 38, first approached Bott and Co in July 2017 after he was knocked off his bike at a roundabout in broad daylight. He sought Bott and Co’s bicycle accident claims solicitors for a second time after he was hit by a car again in 2018. On both occasions, the drivers fled the scene without giving their details
Having cycled to and from work on London’s busy central roads for over six years, Syed has seen many road collisions. But when he himself was knocked off his bike on 8 May 2017 by a motorist who failed to stop, Syed was thankful that his helmet camera acted as a witness.
“I was at a roundabout waiting for the traffic to be clear from the right. As soon as it cleared and I started to peddle, a car hit me from behind. It took me by complete surprise and happened so fast.” Syed explained.
“At the time of the accident, it was daylight and I had light reflectors on my bike but the driver still didn’t notice me in front. There are a lot of variables on the roads that we as cyclists cannot control. We can only control our own speed, our own conduct and making ourselves visible to other road users.”
Having a camera definitely gives me more confidence on the road, it’s a 24/7 attachment that can be used as evidence
At first, the driver stopped in the road momentarily, but when Syed asked him to pull over so that he could get his details, he sped off.
State Of Shock
Syed immediately felt pain in his neck and other parts of his body but due to adrenaline and being in a state of shock, he managed to get back on his bike and cycle to work.
As soon as he arrived at work, he reported the accident to the police. When he sought medical help soon after the accident, Syed was in a lot of pain and had bruises on his left elbow and thigh area and whiplash and neck pain.
A Very Reliable Witness
Syed said “I told the driver that a camera on my helmet was recording but he just drove past me. As he did, he shouted that he was sorry. I was left surprised and shocked.
“I find that usually the camera on my helmet acts as a deterrent. I’ve observed drivers when I’ve got the camera on and they tend to give me extra space. The psychology is that if they think something is being recorded they give more care.”
The accident also affected me being able to enjoy hobbies such as going to the gym. My social life was also different after the accident because of the pain I was in
Although having a camera didn’t convince the driver to stop, it did act as a reliable witness to the accident.
“Having a camera definitely gives me more confidence on the road, it’s a 24/7 attachment that can be used as evidence.
“Sometimes if my camera runs out of battery, I think ‘if something happens now, what’s going to happen’. I can still feel it on the back of my mind. Before every journey, I always make sure the camera is charged and the memory stick is empty.”
Cycling In The ‘Safety Zone’
As an experienced cyclist, Mr Husain was able to continue to cycle after the accident, although his injuries did make it difficult and his confidence was knocked.
“After the accident, I was cycling more in the ‘safety zone’. I still occasionally feel the pain in my left hip bone, especially when cycling or driving, even after so many months.”
“The accident also affected me being able to enjoy hobbies such as going to the gym. My social life was also different after the accident because of the pain I was in.
“Bott and Co arranged physiotherapy sessions for me to attend which helped speed up my recovery time so that I could go back to doing things that I enjoy.”
Legal Action
“I contacted Bott and Co to help me claim compensation for my injuries and also bike damage. I needed the legal representation as I didn’t have the time or expertise to do it myself.
“I was glad to have them on side as even with the clear video evidence of the crash, the firm had to issue court proceedings before the driver’s insurers would deal with the claim.”
Speaking of the second time Syed had to instruct Bott and Co, he explained: “for my second claim, I felt confident knowing what I needed to do. Initially, after the first accident, it took a few weeks for me to get the ball rolling because I was hesitant having not gone through the process before. Bott and Co understood the situation and the legalities needed to act on my behalf.”
Bott and Co continue to act on Syed’s behalf for the second accident.
Food For Thought
Syed said: “Better cycling infrastructure, especially on city centre roundabouts is needed. The accident has taught me the value of having a camera. And I’m even going to be getting a dash cam for my car.”