Legal Assistance after a Bicycle Accident

Questioner

Dear, Last week I was involved in an accident. I hit a cyclist, damaging his bike. Because it was early in the morning (7:30 a.m.), I didn't see the cyclist coming, so I thought I hadn't caused an accident. A few hours later, the police called me to tell me I'd been involved in an accident. Of course, I went to the police right away (an hour later) and agreed with the police that we would settle the matter between us. The cyclist (owning a business) didn't file a report, so we agreed to settle the matter between us. Besides the repair costs, he also wants compensation for consequential damages, so he's demanded his hourly rate (double the hourly rate). My question: can he claim consequential damages because he was involved in an accident? (To be honest, 2 hours seems too much to me, because his work is a 15-minute bike ride from the scene of the accident.)

Lawyer

Dear questioner, Yes, in principle, the cyclist can claim consequential damages. If they were unable to work for two hours due to the accident, you must reimburse the costs. However, because the cyclist had to repair their bike, contact the police, etc., I don't consider two hours an unreasonable amount. Success!