Motorcycle Accident Case Settles for £400,000

Mr C, an Italian man working in a 5 star London hotel was riding a moped home from work at night in Central London in 2009. He was driving along a straight road. There was a minicab ahead and to his right, turning into a side road. As he approached, the car failed to give way and pulled out into his path, colliding with him. The accident caused serious injuries.

This was his version of events and it appears straightforward. However, Mr C speaks poor English, and the police officer attending the accident scene recorded a different version of events in his pocketbook, quoting Mr C as saying that he himself emerged from a side turning to the left of the main road. The driver of the minicab agreed that Mr C came from that side turning and blamed him for causing the accident. There were no independent witnesses.

We believed Mr C’s version of events and so our motorbike accident lawyers set about obtaining supporting evidence to show that he could not and would not have been in the side road and that the defendant emerged from the side turning to the right of the main road. Liability was strongly denied and it was necessary to issue High Court proceedings, but eventually, the defendants conceded liability and the case was settled for about £400,000.