I’ve always loved cycling, ever since I was old enough to manage the wheels with no stabilisers. During my childhood, my Dad and I used to cycle hear, there and everywhere, enjoying the English countryside surrounding the village where we lived. We’d stop for picnics in shady spots by the river and build pretend tepees in the woods near our house.
A few years on and my mates and I would spend long summer nights as teenagers cycling around the same village, hanging out with girls and taking the odd illicit sip of cider. Having a bike gave me a sense of freedom and independence that I couldn’t find elsewhere. Cycling was also a great deal cheaper than learning to drive and running a car!
It was only really whilst I was at University that my love for cycling became an obsession. I joined the cycling club and spent many wonderful weekends exploring the Cornish countryside. Before long, I was entering cycling competitions and doing charity cycle races, both of which I greatly loved.
This hobby was to continue past my University days and into my working life, during which time I married and had two children. As an architect, many was the afternoon I would spend in a hot office, imagining the moment when I could head off on the next half marathon or charity cycle.
Unfortunately, my whole life changed forever when I participated in a cycle race last year. A lorry, manned by a drunk driver, collided with my bike on a particularly narrow stretch of road. Thankfully, I lived. However, I did permanent damage to my right arm and completely wrote off the expensive racing bike I had purchased.
I spent several weeks in hospital and several months rehabilitating to my new condition. Needless to say, those months were extremely difficult for my young family and me, as we came to terms with such life-altering changes. Our income was affected, as I had to take time off work. When I did return to work, I was unable to perform all the duties that I had done before.
Thankfully, I have a friend who works as a solicitor and she put me in touch with a compensation service for people who have been injured in cycling accidents. After an initial consultation, I found out that they would be able to help me to claim money for the cost of my medical treatment, loss of earnings and damage to the bike.
Almost a year on since the accident and things are looking much better. I am back at work full time and have recovered some feeling in my right hand. Although I haven’t started cycling again, I’m sure that in time I will feel confident enough to do so. In the mean time, I’m much happier knowing that we are going to win back some of the money we lost during such a difficult time.