Herefordshire biker awarded £550,000 after horror smash

A Herefordshire biker who was badly injured when hit by a van has been awarded £550,000 damages.

Mr S, aged 48, was riding along the A417 towards Ledbury in April 2007 when a van travelling in the opposite direction pulled out to overtake traffic. The van struck Mr S head on, causing eight fractures to his right leg, a badly dislocated shoulder and damage to his right eye. He spent more than three weeks in hospital and it has subsequently taken him two years before he could attempt to return to work.

The lawyer who negotiated the successful settlement for Ms S is Elisabeth Roth, head of the serious injuries team at Cardiff-based NewLaw.

"Given the circumstances of the accident Mr S is lucky to be alive," Elisabeth Roth says. "It was a head-on collision and, though his injuries are substantial and life-changing, they could have been very much worse.
"At the time of the accident Mr S was self employed, installing equipment into hospitals and making a very good living. But he was unable to return to that job because he can no longer work in tight places, bend or climb ladders.

"Mr S is very happy with the result we've achieved, and there is every hope that the settlement will help him make the adjustments in his life which the injuries have made necessary."

28/05/2010