Irwin Mitchell Represents Jersey Biker Following Accident Abroad
Personal injury solicitors at Irwin Mitchell have represented a British motorcyclist who suffered an accident abroad in a claim estimated to be worth around €520,000.
Mr Taylor was riding his motorcycle on a driving holiday to St Brieuc, France, to celebrate his birthday when, whilst riding in a line of bikers on a straight road, two vehicles coming in the opposite direction cut across his path. One of his friends was in front of him in the line and managed to avoid the first vehicle and carried on. Our client avoided the first vehicle but was struck by the second vehicle which appeared to be following the first on the centre line that separates the two carriageways.
Our client was knocked off his bike and ended up in a ditch around a hundred yards from where the collision took place, where he remained until the emergency services arrived.
Police took statements from some of the witnesses but the driver of the first vehicle had disappeared and nobody took his details. It was assumed that the drivers of the cars knew each other but this claim was denied by the third party.
Mr Taylor suffered a number of injuries following the accident which included a severe open fracture of the left upper tibia and knee, as well as major skin, muscle, tendon and ligament damage. He also had contusions on his upper and lower limbs and thorax and thoracic contusion with rib fracture.
He was taken to the local hospital where it was initially believed that his left leg would need to be amputated. He later had surgery on his left leg, with partial reconstruction of the tibia, screws and plates on the tibia and femur and reconstruction of the knee joint. Upon his return to Jersey, Mr Taylor was referred to a local surgeon and later to a London surgeon where he underwent 11 separate surgeries.
Mr Taylor now has an unstable knee and is undergoing a series of rehabilitation processes to rebuild his muscles and strengthen his leg. He will need a full knee replacement in the future.
After long and difficult negotiations, specialist road accident solicitors with specialist expertise in handing claims for accidents abroad, managed to negotiate a ruling 80/20 shared liability ruling in Mr Taylor’s favour, despite having difficulty in proving that another vehicle may have been implicated in the accident.
Mr Taylor’s claim has been estimated at €420,000, including loss of earnings and his medical insurers claim. His personal injury claim has been estimated at €100,000.
The French legal system also allows victims of personal injury to re-open the case if they suffer aggravation of their condition, making it possible for Mr Taylor to claim further compensation at a later date.
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