Self-Employed Family Man Unable To Return To Work More Than A Year After ‘Avoidable’ Crash

A self-employed builder has urged motorists to ensure their vehicles’ windows are clear after being seriously injured by a driver who failed to remove ice from her windscreen.

With temperatures expected to plummet, Ian Allen is speaking out to warn of the dangers motorists pose by driving when their view is obstructed.

It comes after the 36-year-old suffered serious leg fractures when a car with an ice-covered windscreen ploughed into him when he was loading his van ready for work.

Ian, who is still off work following the collision which occurred in November 2016, instructed specialist serious injury lawyers at to help secure funds to provide for his family and pay for rehabilitation. 

Ian, of Bexleyheath, London, said:  “I was just loading up my van for work when all of a sudden this car came out of nowhere and ploughed into me.

“I remember being on the ground in absolute agony. I had to undergo two surgeries on my broken leg and was initially in hospital for 16 days. Since then I have needed several more procedures due to infection.

“The last year since the collision has been a real struggle for me and life has changed from a very busy and active one to one of constant hospital appointments.

“The crash has had a huge impact not just on me, but my partner Laura and our four children, Demi, Georgie, Boycie and Dolcie. We have had to put everything on hold and I am still off work, which for someone who is self-employed has a huge impact.

“I just hope that people now realise the danger they can pose by driving with ice on their windscreen and the terrible consequences it can have for other road users. I would urge motorists to make sure they don’t set off until their view is clear – they would not drive without their lights on if it was dark.

“Is setting off a minute or two before your windscreen is clear really worth the potential years of hurt and pain you can cause others by being responsible for a crash?”

Ian was preparing to set off for work when he was struck by a VW Polo just before 8am on November 30 2016.

He was taken to King’s College Hospital where he underwent urgent surgery to fix an open fracture to his right tibia and fibula as well as clean his wound.

Police attending the scene found that the driver had not cleared the ice from her windscreen. She was later charged with driving without due care and attention. The driver pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to seven penalty points and £180 fine at Bexley Magistrates' Court in June 2017.

Hayley Symington, an expert serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing Ian, said: “Prior to this awful and avoidable accident, Ian was an active father and a hardworking man . He had been preparing to begin work when he suffered horrific injuries which have turned his life upside down and prevented him from providing for his family.

“This incident highlights the devastating consequences a lack of care and attention behind the wheel can have - something we see first-hand every day.

“Clearing your windscreen of ice in cold weather is a simple thing but, as we know from Ian’s case, it can be the difference between having a safe journey and a devastating one.

“We are now working to pursue a claim against the driver’s insurer which will fund much needed rehabilitation and therapy and offer his family some financial security while he works towards returning to his business.”

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in handling serious injury cases.