Can I claim losses and expenses in a motorbike accident compensation claim?

In short, the answer is yes. In any personal injury claim you’re normally entitled to claim for reasonable losses and expenses caused as a result of the accident or injury, and it’s the same for motorbike compensation cases as well.

That being said, we often find losses and expenses in motorcycle injury claims can be a lot higher. With injuries typically more severe, and a multitude of expensive damaged gear and clothing, it’s not surprising at all for injured motorcyclists to have to recover higher losses and expenses when they’re the victim of an accident claim.

A rider isn’t punished and forced to cut their losses short at all.

What losses can a motorbike rider claim?

Typical losses will be things like:

You could also claim for care and assistance on an hourly rate basis, and private physiotherapy that’s often very useful for injured riders. Keep receipts for bus and / or taxi journeys for getting around without your bike, or mileage claims for car use if that applies.

How do I know what I can and can’t claim back?

Generally speaking, you may be able to claim back any cost or expense where the following applies:

Mitigating your losses means keeping them to a reasonable minimum. You don’t have to be forced to buy the cheapest replacement helmet and gear on the market, but equally, don’t try and buy gear that cost ten-times what you paid for yours because its designer or luxury. It should be like-for-like as far as is reasonably practicable.

Ultimately, it’s about putting you back in the position you were in had the accident have never occurred. If you have lost out or paid for it and it was reasonable to claim it back, you should be able to include it.

Will my lawyer guide me when it comes to losses and expenses?

Good lawyers will always guide you and make sure you’re fully aware of what you can and cannot claim, so you have every opportunity to recover reasonable losses and expenses. Notably, some lawyers do try and do things a bit “cheaply” and are not always bothered about maximising your reasonable losses. There is a difference between lawyers not bothering; doing it right; or even going overboard.

You can only claim what’s reasonable, and if you intentionally go overboard with it, you can land yourself in hot water.

So, you should be careful when instructing a law firm, but that applies when it comes to selecting the right lawyer anyway. Our advice is simple: do your homework, and choose the right specialist lawyer for you.