Serious injury specialist

A north east lawyer has called for a major rethink of Newcastle city centre's bus and pedestrian areas to prevent more people from getting hurt.

Davis, partner and serious injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell, represented Judith Trundley, the Alnwick woman who was left with long-term brain injuries after she was hit by a bus in Newcastle's Haymarket in 2005. Mrs Trundley benefited from a recent Court judgement in her favour which means she is in line to receive compensation for her injuries.

Now, following the crash involving a bus and a pedestrian on Market Street, Newcastle, on 2nd March, Mr Davis says the current road layout around the city centre is often too ambiguous and could lead to more accidents.

He pinpointed areas around Northumberland Street, the Monument, The Haymarket and the Theatre Royal as particularly problematic. John Davis said: "We deal with dozens of victims of road accidents and their families every year and witness first hand the devastation that they can cause.

"Yes, people need to be more careful but they would be helped a lot if the road markings and rights of way were much clearer.

"Of course nobody deliberately walks out in front of a bus and bus drivers don't deliberately try to hit pedestrians, but there are several areas in the centre of Newcastle where the buses and pedestrians are brought alarmingly close together.

"Several areas look like pedestrian zones on which buses can drive, while others look like designated crossing points at which nobody is quite sure who has the right of way. Measures should be taken now to clear up the confusion before more people are hurt."

If you or a loved one has been injured in road traffic accident as a pedestrian, our pedestrian accident lawyers could help you claim compensation. Visit our Road Traffic Accident Compensation page for more information.