Irwin Mitchell represented a woman after she suffered injuries following a collision with a minicab.
Our client, B, was riding her bicycle when the car pulled out from a side road, hitting her rear wheel. B was knocked to the ground and fell onto her right knee. She felt immediate pain in this area and lost all sensation in her leg for approximately 10 minutes.
An ambulance was called and the paramedics examined B. They asked if she wanted to go to the hospital, but due to her shocked state, B decided that she wanted to go home. She went to her local GP the next day and was told to rest.
However, B continued to suffer with pain, so a few days later she attended A&E where staff advised her to try and walk on her injury, not scanning the area. This advice didn’t help and our client visited her local GP surgery again three weeks later, this time being seen by a different doctor. The doctor referred B for an MRI scan, physiotherapy and for orthopaedic treatment if it was necessary.
The scans revealed that B had fractured her knee and she decided to travel back to her homeland of Italy for urgent treatment.
B now receives physiotherapy every six weeks and can no longer cycle, which was her main method of commuting to work. She had to fulfil her position as a design and test engineer from home for a number of weeks until she felt able to travel to work via public transport. For the first couple of weeks after treatment, B became reliant on her partner and family to complete everyday tasks for her such as housework, cooking and shopping. Both her family and partner live abroad so had to travel to the UK in order to help B.
It’s possible that B may need further treatment in the future and would consequently need time off work. Due to the nature of her knee injury, B could develop osteoarthritis or even need a total knee replacement. Her current role involves lab work which B may not be able to perform if further treatment is needed; this could mean that she has to quit her role and would be at a disadvantage in the labour market.
Our personal injury specialists worked with B to secure her £50,000 in compensation which took into account her pain, suffering, loss of amenity, care costs and the likelihood of future treatment.
The driver of the vehicle admitted that he had failed to keep a proper look out, had pulled out from the side road too fast and failed to give priority to B on her Bike.
Gemma Allsop, one of our legal experts, said: “Safety when cycling is of the upmost importance and drivers should ensure they are cautious when in close proximity of cyclists.
“Sadly, B will be unable to return to commuting to and from work on her bicycle, and there is the risk of her needing future surgery as a result of her injury sustained in the accident. The compensation secured for B includes monies that will allow her to receive private medical treatment should the need arise.”
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a cycling accident, you may be able to claim compensation. See our Road Traffic Accident Claims page for more information.
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