Cyclists and pedestrians are among the most vulnerable road users. When a motorist's negligence causes an injury — a door opened without checking, a left turn without indicating, a car on a cycle lane — Irish law strongly protects your right to compensation.
Irish courts recognise that cyclists and pedestrians are physically vulnerable road users and apply a correspondingly high duty of care to motorists. A driver does not need to have been speeding or grossly negligent — a momentary lapse of attention, a failure to check a mirror, an unsafe overtake, or a failure to give way can all give rise to liability.
This includes dooring incidents (a car door opened into a cyclist's path), vehicles encroaching on cycle lanes, pedestrians struck on crossings, and cyclists hit at junctions by turning vehicles.
If you are involved in an accident with a motor vehicle as a cyclist or pedestrian, ask for the Gardaí to attend and make a report. The Garda report is important evidence in any subsequent claim. If the driver leaves the scene, note their registration plate and call 999 immediately.
Colm was cycling home from work along the quays in Dublin when a car turned sharply left across his path without indicating. He went over the bonnet and landed heavily on the road, fracturing his collarbone and breaking two ribs. His bike was destroyed.
The driver was apologetic at the scene but his insurance company took a different approach. Their position was that Colm had been cycling too fast and had not given the driver time to see him. The driver had no dashcam. Colm had no witness.
His solicitor identified that a Dublin Bus vehicle had been travelling behind Colm at the time. The solicitor requested the dashcam footage from the bus. It showed clearly that Colm had been cycling at a normal pace with a clear right of way, and that the car had turned without indicating or checking its mirror.
The insurance company's position changed entirely within weeks of receiving the footage.
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