The Ultimate Guide to Liability Insurance | Do Cyclists Need Third Party Liability Cover?

Laka’s complete guide to cycling liability insurance, making protecting yourself from liability charges simpler and easier to understand.

What Is Third Party Bicycle Insurance?

3rd party liability? Third-party cover? Liability cover? Liability? All of these terms mean the same thing! This policy helps protect other people, vehicles, and property when an accident is deemed to be your fault. Your third-party policy would cover the cost of the other person's property and medical expenses.

It's a nasty thing to have to think about. But should the worst happen, third-party liability insurance could really save your bacon. If you were involved in an accident with a pedestrian or motorist out on the road, you could end up being sued to fork out for medical costs, loss of earnings, court costs, and damages to the other person's property, such as car and bike damage. It's easy to see how this all starts to add up quite quickly.

Someone who knows all about this misfortune is this guy. Robert Hazeldean was left to pay £100,000 out of his own pocket after being sued by a pedestrian when they collided on a busy junction near London Bridge. The judge ruled that both were equally to blame for the incident but only the pedestrian was allowed a payout because they had put in a claim.

It's in these exact circumstances where Laka's third-party liability cover is designed to protect you.

If you were looking to claim back any damaged, broken, or unusable gear, you'd need suitable bicycle insurance.

Do I need public liability insurance for a bicycle?

Cycling isn’t like driving a car, where it’s a legal requirement for all drivers to be insured for liability. This is because cycling poses a low risk to other road users.

This article from The Guardian illustrates how out of the 1,800 or so people killed every year on the UK’s roads, between zero and two typically tend to be killed because they were hit by cyclists.

What should I do if I’m being sued?

Being sued for an accident can be unexpected, isolating and an overall painful process. Luckily there's some great people out there who can help you every step of the way. The first thing to do is collect as much evidence as possible. The information you should try get hold of includes:

• The names, addresses, and car registration details as well as the colour or make of the vehicle. If it's a lorry or other HGV get a note of the livery and a description of the driver.
• Names and phone numbers of any witnesses who might've seen the incident.
• Any photographic evidence whether that's pictures of your injuries or onboard camera footage that may have been captured.
• Ask for the insurance details of the driver but avoid getting into the details of the accident with them until you have sought legal advice.

How Much Does Cycling Liability Insurance Cost?

The cost of cycling liability insurance in the UK can vary depending on the type of coverage and the company providing the coverage. Generally, the cost of a policy can start from around £20, though some policies may cost more.

You should also note that some policies will lock you in to yearly contracts.

The Laka Club is both easy on the pocket and flexible. It costs just £1.50 a month (£18 per year), much better value than other liability bike insurance. It's also a monthly rolling contract so you can cancel anytime.

Cycle Liability Insurance with the Laka Club

With Laka's liability cover, simply hit the chat icon on our website, where you'll be paired with a liability expert who will guide you through the process of being sued.

Laka's cycling liability cover suits every type of cyclist. No matter what you ride, you'll get up to £2,000,000 that you are liable to pay including legal costs if you injure someone, or damage their property whilst using your bike.

The amount you can be asked to pay takes into account:

• The claimant's medical costs
• The claimant's loss of earnings
• The cost of replacing or fixing what's damaged
• Replacing or fixing what's damaged

Our claims team are always available for help if you're worried after being involved in an accident or are being sued. They're experienced in helping cyclists every day.

Laka Club vs British Cycling vs Cycling UK

All liability insurance policies are different, and will vary depending on the specific organisation. Remember to read the details before choosing your liability protection. As a brief summary, here's what you get with Laka Club, British Cycling & Cycling UK:

Laka Club provides a comprehensive insurance package for its members, which includes liability protection for clubs and their members. It costs £1.50 per month (£18 per year).

British Cycling offers a range of insurance products, including public liability and personal accident insurance, as well as legal protection for clubs and their members (Their commute membership costs £40 per year). You receive £20m third party liability insurance and legal support. It's worth noting that this cover is invalid if you need to make a claim against another British Cycling member - even if said person is not using their bike.

Cycling UK also provides a range of insurance products and legal services for clubs and their members. It costs £40 per year). When you join Cycling UK you'll receive £10m third party liability insurance and access to legal assistance.

All true at time of writing 07/12/22.