Bicycle Injury Lawyers & Cycling Accident Claims

In NSW, if you have sustained an injury as a cyclist due to being hit by a car, you can claim compensation for any injuries sustained under the Motor Accidents Injuries Act 2017 NSW. This is known as a CTP Claim. Cyclists are covered for any compensation payable for injuries sustained by the CTP Insurance of the car that caused the accident. You are entitled to up to 12 months of compensation for medical expenses, care, and loss of income no matter who was responsible for the accident. To receive compensation beyond 12 months and to make a Common Law claim for damages the driver of the vehicle must be at fault and you need to have an injury that satisfies the definition of a threshold injury (a non-minor injury).

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No Fault and Fault based Claims For Cycling Accidents

Updated September 2023

If you have sustained an injury whilst riding your bike that was caused by the use or operation of motor vehicle during:

the driving of the vehicle, or
a collision, or action taken to avoid a collision, with the vehicle, or
the vehicle’s running out of control, or
a dangerous situation caused by the driving of the vehicle, a collision or action taken to avoid a collision with the vehicle, or the vehicle’s running out of control

You have an entitlement to make a claim for compensation.

The new Act has both a no-fault and fault-based scheme to compensate people for injuries sustained when hit by a car whilst riding a bike.

In the no-fault based scheme, compensation is payable for 12 months including loss of income, medical expenses, and care. It does not matter who was at fault, as long as you were injured in a car accident.

As a cyclist, if you are hit by a car, most of the time you can also prove that the driver of the car caused the accident. This can be done through police documents and other records or witness statements confirming the driver to be at fault.

This is the fault-based scheme. A cyclist injured in a car accident can receive loss of income payments, medical expenses, and care for more than 12 months if they can prove the accident was not wholly or predominantly their fault and the injuries cyclist must also prove they also have a non-minor injury. See Minor injury blog .

If the accident was not your fault and you have a non-minor injury you can also make a claim for Common Law Damages.

No Fault Accidents

Luckily for cyclists, the law in NSW allows cyclists to make a claim even if they cannot prove the driver or owner of the car was at fault; this is known as a no fault accident.

A “no fault motor vehicle accident” is one not caused by the fault of the owner or driver or by the fault of any other person (this does not include the pedestrian or cyclist).

For example, we acted for a client who was severely injured in a hit-and-run car accident. There were no witnesses and our client could not recall what had occurred other than he was crossing a road. We could not prove the driver was at fault as we had no idea how the accident occurred. The client was successful however under the no fault accident provisions as no other person could possibly be responsible.

This provision allows almost all cyclists to make a claim for compensation in most circumstances even where the accident may partially be the fault of the cyclist.

How To Make A Claim For A Cyclist Accident

If you are a cyclist and you are injured by a car you need to:

Obtain the contact details of the driver who injured you
Obtain the registration number of the vehicle that injured you
Record the contact details of any witnesses
Take photographs of the accident scene, including:
- The vehicle that injured you
- Yourself, and any visible injuries
- The damage to your possessions (E.g. bike, computer, helmet)
Report the accident to the police (within 28 days) and obtain an event number
See your doctor immediately for your injuries
- You will need to make sure the doctor records that you have been involved in a car accident and takes a detailed recording of the injuries you have sustained
Complete an Application for Personal Injury Benefits within 28 days. You can complete the form HERE
You must make a Common Law Claim within 3 years after an injury. You will need the assistance of a lawyer to make such a claim

Who Will Pay My Cycling Injury Compensation If I Take Legal Action?

If you have been hit by a car whilst cycling, then you can make a claim through the NSW CTP Legislation. In NSW it is compulsory for all vehicles to have CTP insurance, that is insurance that covers the driver for injuries caused in a car accident. To make a claim for compensation if you have been injured by a motor vehicle whilst cycling you need to complete an application for personal injury benefits through the SIRA website.

www.sira.nsw.gov.au

An application for personal injury benefits must be made within 28 days of the date of the accident. You also need to report the accident to the Police and obtain an event number.

You need to obtain a medical certificate from your general practitioner in relation to the nature of the injuries you have received and any loss of income.

Once you have completed a claim form online, you are entitled to payment of loss of income, payment of medical expenses and care, this is initially paid for up to 12 months.

All compensation is payable by the CTP insurer.

What Can I Claim Cycling Accident Compensation For?

Once you have made a claim for compensation through SIRA, you are entitled to the following compensation.

For the first 12 months

For the first 12 months, you are entitled to claim loss of income, payments of medical expenses and care. For the first 13 weeks, you are entitled to up to 95% of your pre-injury average weekly earnings, and thereafter up to 80% of your pre-injury earnings.

After 12 months

To obtain ongoing weekly payments of compensation and medical expenses after 12 months, the insurer must make a decision to accept the following.

That you were not wholly or predominately at fault.
That your injuries are not assessed as being minor injuries.

If you satisfy both categories, then you are entitled to ongoing payments of weekly compensation and medical expenses beyond 12 months and you are entitled to make a claim for Common Law Damages.

A claim for damages entitles you to make a lump sum claim for compensation for:

Pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life (if you have a greater than 10% whole person impairment).
Damages for loss of income, including loss of superannuation.

How Long Will A Cycling Injury Claim Take?

To make an initial claim for compensation, you must do so within 28 days of the accident. The CTP insurer will then commence payments of weekly compensation and medical expenses almost immediately.

Once your injuries have stabilised and you are entitled to make a claim for common law damages, this usually occurs around one year following the accident.

Most claims for damages are commenced and finished within 2 years once commenced.

Are There Time Limits When It Comes To Making A Cycling Injury Claim?

Yes, there are several time limits to make a cycling injury claim in NSW.

The first-time limit is that you must make an application for personal injury benefits within 28 days from the date of the accident. You must also notify the Police of the accident within 28 days. Failure to notify the Police of the accident could prevent you from making a claim.

You then must make a claim for common law damages within 3 years from the date of the accident.

The Motor Accident Injuries Act NSW 2017 has strict time limits in which to commence claims and you should contact an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law to ensure your claim is commenced within the required time limits.

For details on what compensation is payable in such a claim please see our blog HERE .

If you need further assistance as a result of your pedestrian or cyclist accident, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows;

1. Complete our FREE case assessment form HERE
2. Email us at info@garlingandco.com.au
3. Give us a call on (02) 8329 9500

The Claims Process:

Obligation free meeting with Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law
Understand what you are entitled to, the process and timeframe
Proceed on a No Win No Fee basis
Your case is built using the best experts to achieve the optimum result
Your will be kept updated throughout the process
We will secure the financial result in the shortest possible timeframe

Would you like assistance with your claim?

Complete our free, no obligation confidential case assessment form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Alternatively, we are available to talk by phone and email. Please contact our experienced accredited specialist personal injury lawyers to find out how we can help.

Call now to start your claim 02 8329 9500

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Graeme M.

04:22 29 Oct 25

Matthew Garling and his team have been excellent in dealing with my case. I am very happy with the result and the process to guide me through everything over the last two years. Most importantly... happy with the payout. Highly recommend if you’re thinking of claiming for an injury caused by another party.read more

Melanie F.

00:20 18 Oct 25

3 years ago, I got injured at work and at first I was denied getting any help from a certain insurance company so I looked up lawyers that could possibly help me getting what I was entitled to and I... am so glad Garling and co took on that responsibility to help me,I still have some way to go but Kerry Byrnes and her team have gone above and beyond for me I am so grateful I had her in my corner,I highly recommend Garling and co I don’t know where I would be now if not for guidance and understanding THANKYOU Kerry and team I am 1 happy customerread more

steve J.

00:38 29 Sep 25

Brilliant Service and I am always kept well informed. Definitely recommend this law firm to anyone seeking compensation lawyers. I really appreciate and thank Matthew and his wonderful team for their... incredible and sincere hard work they have put in for my case in the last couple of years. My family and I are blessed and very satisfied with our outcome. God Bless you Matthew Garling and your team.read more

Mark W.

10:50 17 Sep 25

Garling and Co. are an exceptional outfit. Matthew Garling is a talented lawyer and supported and surrounded by a great team of people including Allison Luck and others. What made Matthew... particularly impressive with my case were his ability to communicate complex legal processes and simplify options for the next steps, his genuine interest in the law, and his passion to seek appropriate compensation on my behalf. He was not ready to settle my case until I was ready to settle the case. I am very grateful to have had Garling and Co. 'in my corner' and would not hesitate to recommend this business to others.read more

Elyce

22:22 06 Sep 25

I never imagined this chapter would close, but it finally has.I cannot thank Joelle enough for the incredible support she gave me during one of the most challenging times in my life.Her... professionalism and genuine care throughout my claim process exceeded all my expectations.Whenever I contacted Garling and Co to speak with Joelle, I was assisted by Lynn. She was always polite, clear, and concise, and consistently showed empathy whenever I called or emailed.read more

Anonymous 1.

22:02 04 Sep 25

I was referred to Garling & Co Lawyers, after previously retaining another law firm who failed to progress my matter for a period verging on three years.This was extremely frustrating and damaging,... causing me a lot of unnecessary stress and unreasonable delays. After my first conference with Matthew, he understood the challenges that I had faced and that I wanted to resolve my matter with the defendant reasonably and in a timely manner.My matter was resolved at mediation and during the process, Matthew and Dallas Morgan (barrister), professionally communicated the procedure to me and they negotiated a reasonable settlement, that I was comfortable in accepting.Thank you to Matthew and Allison for being patient with me during the most challenging time of my life. I can now move on with my life and heal. Had I not retained Garling & Co Lawyers, I highly doubt my matter would ever have been resolved.read more

Sammy R.

01:07 04 Sep 25

Garling and Co have been the best lawyers. Kerry and Matthew have worked and been working on my case for a long time now. They have worked so hard and fought for my case every step of the way. They... are highly experienced in what they do, and are compassionate at the same time. I highly recommend this firm. My life changed in an instant when I was hit by a car, I will be forever grateful for the help they've given me. 10/10read more

Donelle L.

20:37 11 Aug 25

So very happy with the service Garling has provided with both of my claims from the start to the end cannot thank them enough Mathew and the team are the best

Rachel J

01:46 09 Aug 25

The level of service that Garling & Co provides is truely unmatched.Thank you to both Matthew and Allison for your professionalism & dedication throughout my journey of being a client.Matthew... provided me with genuine, factual and straightforward advice throughout the process and this made things easy to understand and put any uncertainty I had to rest. A complicated process ran smoothly and I always felt supported, knew where things were at and that I was in good hands.The communication at Garling & Co is exceptional. Every question I had, whether by email or phone was responded to in a timely manner and at every stage I was confident Matthew would be guiding me through the next steps - which he did, until my case was finalised.Thank you for upholding clients dignity and respect, these are values people like me need in such critical times of their lives. As a client, it is clear these values shine through. You provided me with a safe space where I was able to focus on my day to day challenges caused by my injuries, while you took care of the legal aspect on my behalf.Lastly, I’m grateful for your commitment to the work that you do and the care that you provide to people who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances beyond their control. And thank you so much for the very positive outcome that I received.read more

Ros P.

07:12 29 Jun 25

Staff polite, clear and concise. Explained well in a logistical manner. Overall a great service.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What you need to do after having a bicycle accident?

Seek immediate medical assistance from your local general practitioner or, if necessary, the emergency department of the nearest hospital.Report the accident to the police within 28 days and obtain an event number.

If you can, obtain the following information:

The name, address, licence details, and phone number of any driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.
The make, model, and number plate of any cars involved in the accident.
Contact details of any witnesses.
If possible, take photographs of the accident scene, including the location and any damage to any vehicles.

2. How to make a claim?

There are two types of claims which you can make for injuries sustained in a bicycle collision with a car. In both cases, the injury must due to the use and driving of a motor vehicle.