Lawyers Call For Drivers To Be Vigilant of Other Road Users
A cyclist seriously injured when a car ploughed into him on a busy roundabout, hitting him with such force that he was thrown through the air, has joined calls for drivers to be more vigilant of other road-users after receiving a five-figure settlement to help get his life back on track.
Trevor Head, 49, from Southampton was wearing yellow high visibility clothing and had reflectors and high power lights fitted to his bike, as he cycled to work just after 6am on 14th September 2011. Yet despite taking every possible precaution, the driver of a Citroen C2 failed to spot him as he cycled around the traffic roundabout on Roman Road in Dibden Purlieu, pulling out of a side junction straight into Trevor’s path.
The father-of-two was rushed to hospital where it was found that he had broken his pelvis in three places and broken a rib. He remained in hospital for five days before finally being allowed home. Trevor then suffered a further health blow just days later when he was found to have suffered a blood clot in his left leg.
He turned to road traffic injury experts at law firm Irwin Mitchell to help him in his battle for justice and, following a full admission of liability by the driver’s insurers, the firm has secured a five-figure out-of-court settlement to cover Trevor’s pain and suffering and the rehabilitation and care he needed during his recovery.
Trevor, who works as a project engineer for a petrochemicals company, needed a Zimmer frame to help him to walk around his home and had to turn his dining room into a makeshift bedroom whilst he recuperated from his injuries. He was unable to return to work for 15 weeks and more than a year after the accident still suffers some pain and has to take preventative measures against the re-occurrence of a blood clot.
Sophie Davies, a road accident expert at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Trevor is only too aware that his injuries could have been even more serious.
“After the accident he needed a great deal of help with everyday tasks such as washing and dressing himself and had to rely on his wife Noelle for support. Although he has made great strides and has now returned to work, he continues to suffer some pain and, in all likelihood, will do so for the rest of his life.
“Sadly, our team of lawyers continues to see too many people whose lives have been devastated as a consequence of road traffic accidents and Trevor is keen to ensure that what happened to him serves as a lesson to other motorists to be aware of other road users.”
Following the collision the driver of the Citroen C2 was not prosecuted but is understood to have received a fixed penalty fee for failing to give way.
Trevor said: “The whole thing happened in a split second and I had no time to avoid the car. I could not have done any more to make myself visible to other road users, but despite this the driver appeared to have not seen me and just pulled straight out of the junction.
“Although the pain of my injuries was hard enough to deal with, the biggest disappointment was the fact that my eldest daughter was due to start her first year at university, just ten days after the collision happened.
“My wife and I had both really been looking to taking her to Bath to get her settled in, but as it was I was too unwell to make the journey. My wife had to take my daughter by herself, which was upsetting for us all. We also had to cancel a holiday to Rome.
“My younger daughter had also been learning to drive at the time and I had been taking her out to help her practice but that had to stop after my accident.
“Noelle was so supportive and I had to rely on her for almost everything as I slowly recovered from my injuries. Thankfully things are easier now and I am grateful to be able to move forward with my life, but the daily rehabilitation exercises I have to do are a constant reminder of what happened.
“If the driver had been more aware of what was going on around her it would never have happened, and I hope my story acts as a warning about the potential consequences of not paying full attention to other road users.”