Articles by ‘Mark Hambleton’

I was very surprised to read that a number of politicians hold the view that the laws relevant to cyclists who cause death or injury to other road users should be reviewed.

There has been a lot of bad press about cyclists in the media recently. I have seen some reporters describe cyclists as being “reckless” and a “menace” on our roads. This paints a totally inaccurate picture, and it’s one that is generating skewed policies from our Government.

Between the 4th and 8th October I had the privilege of cycling in France to raise funds for the Bath Rugby Foundation. It was a great ride that showed team spirit, commitment and also how riders should be treated on the road!

I am on my bike every day; commuting to work, visiting friends or riding in sportives. I have seen my fair share of close calls with dangerous drivers and pot-holed, congested roads.

It probably won’t have escaped your attention recently that the press is focusing on driving standards and the gap that should be left by motorists overtaking cyclists. It’s great news that this issue is now in the public eye. Ultimately, I hope drivers will leave more space for cyclists as a result of this publicity.

What is your attitude to cycling? I’m a strong advocate of it, but I appreciate how views differ and I know people often take a ‘them and us’ attitude on the road. However, I believe that this attitude is completely unnecessary, and even potentially dangerous.

I have been asked by a few people recently whether they have any rights to bring a claim for their injuries, and subsequent financial losses, following collisions with hit-and-run drivers and uninsured drivers. The sad truth is, the number of hit-and-run accidents and the number of uninsured drivers on our roads seems to be increasing.

Unless you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you probably haven’t thought about the evidence that supports a compensation claim. So, today, I thought I’d summarise the key evidence to highlight how thoroughly we handle these types of cases in order to achieve the best possible outcome for our clients.

Every now and again, we see a high profile case in the news, where a walker has been killed or seriously injured by cows. This news may be a shock for most of the country but, sadly, given my role as a solicitor representing people who have been injured or killed by animals, this type of incident is not uncommon.

What happens if a Deliveroo courier is knocked off their bike and injured? Or what happens if they damage someone else’s vehicle?

One of my biggest fears when I’m riding my bike is that I will fail to see a pothole. If you do hit one whilst riding, the best outcome is generally getting a nasty jolt; the worst is being thrown into traffic.

At the outset, let me be perfectly clear; I consider myself to be a passionate cyclist and advocate for cycling safety. Half man, half bike, I will be amongst the first to defend the rights of cyclists and the values of the lifestyle.

Combined with this, I am also someone who through their profession, has to deal with the realities of accidents involving cyclists on a near daily basis. This unsurprisingly, also makes me an uncompromising and vocal advocate for cycling safety.