On 16th of August 2018, Sharon Parkin was out cycling in Edinburgh.

She was using a designated cycle route travelling north on Roseburn Street with the intention of turning right into Russell Road.

On her approach to the junction, a taxi pulled out in front of her. She was able to narrowly avoid a collision but then astonishingly the taxi reversed and collided with Sharon. She was unable to avoid the second incident and fell from her bicycle injuring her right ankle.

Sharon assumed she would go on to make a full recovery. She was a fit individual who enjoyed cycling and running. The damage to her bike was relatively minor and therefore it did not cross Sharon’s mind to consider a claim for compensation against the taxi’s motor insurer.

Nine months after the incident, Sharon attended a presentation by Jodi Gordon of Cycle Law Scotland entitled ‘Cycling and Civil Law.’

It was after this presentation that Sharon spoke with Jodi directly to discuss her incident from August the previous year. Jodi explained to Sharon how a claim would work and the benefits for her given that she was still having physiotherapy for her damaged ankle and it was also evident that she had been psychologically affected by the ordeal.

Sharon decided to proceed with a claim and soon afterwards liability was admitted.

As part of Sharon’s settlement eleven months later, funding was agreed for the physiotherapy for her ankle and also CBT to assist with her psychological recovery. She was also compensated for the injury to her ankle and for the minor damage to her saddle.

Thanks to the assistance provided by Cycle Law Scotland, Sharon has been able to engage once again in her love of cycling. Following the incident, she lost all her confidence but up until the Coronavirus pandemic restricted group riding, she was regularly attending her local British Cycling Breeze rides.


Exercise was a huge part of Sharon’s life and so it was crucial to get her back to cycling while her claim was progressing.

Following settlement Sharon had this to say;

“it’s been a long haul and a lot of work for you, but I am so grateful we have reached this stage. I couldn’t have imagined being here this time last year”.

At Cycle Law Scotland, we always put our clients at the heart of the process.

We take each client on an individual basis and find out what matters to them. If a client has been put off cycling as a result of the incident, we will work with them to identify the best treatment in order to rebuild their confidence.

Sharon recently contacted us and provided the following update:-

"On the cycling front, I’m getting out a few times a week and doing some roads. As you know, I’d lost all confidence in my ability to do inclines because of pain, lack of fitness and generally feeling useless, so I’ve been working on that a little on my own. The result - I’m no longer frightened of inclines in town and I don’t avoid them! This means I now cycle better in a decent gear and that’s been a boost too by sorting out my ‘can’t do’ approach. I’ve still a long way to go, particularly with groups, but I’m delighted with this progress. I’m even considering investing in a cycling skills course/classes. All thanks to you and everything you did on my behalf.

I remember saying to you when we met, ‘I just want my life back’. It’s not what it was, but I’m taking it slowly, it’s improving every day and I’m discovering new things that will give me a life I’m happy to live.

I’ll always be immensely grateful to you for giving me the hope to rebuild from such a dark time. That could never be measured by any Court and is a priceless part of what you offer."