

Victim’s Family Speak Out About Importance Of Road Safety After Collision
The family of a promising IT professional who was left with a serious brain injury and wheelchair dependent after he was knocked off his bicycle on the way to work in Leeds, are pursuing legal action to secure the vital funds he will need to help with rehabilitation to achieve the best possible recovery.Daniel Carter aged 30, suffered catastrophic injuries when he was struck from behind by a vehicle travelling at speed alongside another vehicle on Gelderd Road Leeds, on the morning of 13 September 2013.
His family have instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office, to investigate the circumstances of the crash and secure funds to cover the cost of his care, therapy and rehabilitation treatment. Together, Daniel’s family and his lawyers are speaking out to raise awareness of “Road Safety Week” organised by the charity “Brake” which this year is themed around looking out for each other on roads.
Two cars were involved in the incident which left Daniel critically injured and left for dead. One car with passengers fled the scene and the car was later found by the police burnt out - the driver has never been traced. In addition the police were unable to bring charges against the second driver.
Daniel, from Morley, suffered a very serious brain injury, with a fractured skull and brain haemorrhages, as well as multiple orthopaedic injuries including fractures to his lower right leg, which required surgical shortening, and external fixation with a frame for several months. He also sustained fractures of the upper vertebrae of his spine, a serious crush injury to a lower vertebra requiring internal fixation along with injuries to his left shoulder, upper arm and ribs.
Following the accident he spent eight months at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), before being transferred to Chapel Allerton Hospital in April 2014. Daniel is unable to walk and uses an electric wheelchair to get around although he remains confined to the ward due to very limited arm movement. He remains an inpatient in hospital over a year after the crash, due to the severity of his injuries.
Daniel does not yet have a discharge date when he can go home and is dependent on hospital staff and family members for all aspects of his care and to help him with the activities of daily living. He also suffers with memory problems, fatigue, struggles with a short attention span and remembering things.
Martha Sweet, an associate solicitor specialising in brain injuries at Irwin Mitchell’s Leeds office, who is representing Daniel, said:
Daniel’s father Martyn said: “It has been a complete nightmare since the accident and the whole family has been affected by what happened to Daniel. He is still undergoing extensive treatment for his injuries and needs a lot of support and assistance from carers and healthcare staff to live his daily life. The crash has had a significant impact on Daniel and he continues to struggle to attempt to re-learn any day-to-day task.
“Over a year on from the accident we are still struggling to come to terms with the impact it has had on Daniel and we hope that by speaking out about the incident it will remind drivers to remain vigilant while behind the wheel and to look out for other road users.”