Andrew Middlehurst

Taxi Accident Claim Settled for £130k

Andrew Middlehurst, a specialist cycling injury lawyer, has settled a claim for a cyclist who was struck by a black taxi while riding in a cycle lane in London. Andrew was able to agree a payout in the region of £130,000 for the cyclist.

The cyclist had been riding their bike in a segregated cycle lane through a popular park in Central London. A black taxi driver drove out of a junction into the cyclist’s path without giving way. The cyclist had no time to avoid the crash and was thrown from his bike as a result.

Cyclist suffers serious fractures

The cyclist suffered serious fractures to his hand and wrist requiring surgery, fractures to his spine and psychological injury. The injuries to the hand and wrist required metal plates and wires to fix the fractures.

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To better understand the long-term impact of the injuries sustained, we arranged for the cyclist to be examined by several medical experts to build up a full picture of his prognosis. The hand and wrist injuries caused permanent problems and would impact the Claimant’s work into the future. The psychological injuries were such that the cyclist will be unable to cycle in London again.

Andrew was able to calculate the full extent of the future financial impact resulting from the injuries. For example, the cyclist was able to seek the costs of further medical treatment, increased costs of gym membership as a result of needing someone to assist him, public transport costs as a result of being unable to cycle and the costs of having to pay for assistance with DIY which he would not be able to do himself.

Andrew brought in an experienced barrister to help advise and maximise the value of the cyclist’s case.

A settlement was reached with the insurers of the black taxi driver which brought the matter to a conclusion.

Cyclist claims £35k compensation after taxi driver causes accident

In a second case involving a cyclist being hit by a taxi Blanca Diego, a bike accident solicitor in the Osbornes Personal Injury Department, settled a claim for a 30-year-old Spanish cyclist who claimed compensation after a taxi driver caused an accident.

Our client rode along a cycle lane, the defendant taxi driver drove past him at a speed and very close to his offside, clipping his front wheel. Our client fell off to his left and the bicycle then fell on top of him.

Cyclist fractures kneecap

As a result of the accident, our client sustained a fracture of his left kneecap and soft tissue injuries to the side of the leg, the right hand and the left side of the torso.

At the hospital, his knee was fitted with a knee brace extension. He had to go back to Spain to receive care and help from his family. In order to fly with his leg extended, he had to buy three airline tickets.

Our client wore the rigid knee brace for a number of months and used a soft knee brace after. He also needed to use crutches. He received extensive physiotherapy but still had a significant loss of muscle mass in the left quadriceps due to the patella fracture. He was finally discharged six months post-accident

He was not able to return to his original job as a waiter following the accident. Whilst he was off work he developed a recurrence of depression and anxiety due to the fact that he had to go back to Spain, the physical restrictions of these activities and the financial consequences of being out of work.

The case settled for £35,000 and included the cost of future psychological therapy as well as a few months of loss of earnings.

Unfortunately, accidents involving cyclists and taxis are all too common on London. With nearly 15,000 registered taxis on London’s busy streets it is no surprise that these types of accidents are so common. That is why Osbornes Law campaign for better cycling infrastructure like dedicated bike lanes to help taxis and cyclists avoid one another. We also urge a strong culture of mutual respect between cyclists and taxi drivers while road-sharing. The behaviour of both taxi drivers and cyclists, including adherence to traffic laws and being attentive to one another has a big impact on the frequency and severity of accidents.

If you have suffered an injury due to a bike accident, you may be able to claim compensation. Call our specialist bicycle accident lawyers for a free consultation on 020 7485 8811.