Boyes Turner’s personal injury solicitors secured a £110,000 settlement for a cyclist who suffered multiple injuries when he was knocked from his bike by the defendant driver’s vehicle as it entered the carriageway from a slip road. The 53-year-old cyclist had right of way on the road when the collision occurred in the middle of the day. He was wearing a high-visibility helmet and light, and had additional flashing lights on his bike. Collision from merging vehicle leaves cyclist with multiple injuries The cyclist lost consciousness after the collision and was taken by ambulance to hospital. His injuries included a T6 burst fracture to his thoracic spine (without spinal cord injury), a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with subarachnoid haemorrhage leaving him with an increased risk of epilepsy (but no permanent structural brain injury), a displaced scapular fracture, a left-sided pneumothorax, multiple cuts to his face, head, body and legs, and a psychological injury (adjustment disorder). He underwent surgical fixation of the spinal fracture at T4/5 and T7/8. The rest of his injuries were treated conservatively. Restricted mobility and activities He remained in hospital for a week and was then discharged home. Following his return home he suffered ongoing pain with restricted mobility and short-term cognitive impairment. He was reliant on care from his wife. His continued pain affected his ability to carry out household maintenance and gardening. He could only drive or walk for limited distances, and was unable to resume his sporting activities. He needed time off work before gradually resuming his work, which involved regular international travel, but suffered no loss of earnings. Claim leads to admission of liability and funded rehabilitation We sent a letter of claim to the defendant driver’s insurers and requested their cooperation in prioritising our client’s recovery with funded rehabilitation. Liability was admitted and the insurers agreed to the joint instruction of a case manager, who prepared an immediate needs assessment (INA). We secured funding for our client’s rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Code which paid for a range of therapeutic interventions. These included physiotherapy and Pilates treatment to increase our client’s spinal strength and mobility; neuropsychology and neuro-occupational therapy to help with cognitive difficulties, planning, memory and concentration; a home assessment and ergonomic set up for his home-based work by an occupational therapist (OT); and clinical psychological treatment to support both our client and his wife. We secured an interim payment of £5,000 which paid for our client’s additional expenses arising from his injury, including help with gardening, gym membership and other aids to his recovery, whilst we gathered the necessary evidence to value the claim. £110,000 out-of-court settlement Once our client’s condition had stabilised, we served a schedule of loss on the defendant’s insurers, supported by medical reports from our experts and supportive documentation. We entered into settlement negotiations with the insurers, resulting in a settlement of £110,000 for our client. The case was concluded without the need for court proceedings. Client testimonial Our client kindly commented: “I was unfortunate enough to be hit by a car while out cycling, leaving me needing spinal surgery, a week in hospital and months of recovery. Claire and the team were fantastic - professional, clear, friendly and a pleasure to do business with. They secured me and my wife a substantial out-of-court payout with minimal fuss and stress. I would highly recommend Claire and her team at Boyes Turner.” If you have suffered serious injury in an accident at work, on the road or on public or commercial premises, you can find out more about how we can help you obtain rehabilitation and compensation by contacting our specialist solicitors.
