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Cyclist wins £5m compensation

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01 / Original postCyclist wins £5m compensationGuy Chapman · 2 Oct 2003 02 / This pagePosts 1–9Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #9Zog The Undenia · 3 Oct 2003

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Original section
UK and Europe
Published
2 October 2003
Last activity
3 October 2003
Original author
Guy Chapman
Posts
9
Discussion status
Public discussion
Total views
592
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0
Topics
Concussion and head injury

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  1. Original post
    Guy Chapman
    Archived post
    #1

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.

    news.bbc.co.uk3158588.stm

    A cyclist from Northumberland, who suffered serious head injuries when he was knocked off his bike
    four years ago, has been awarded damages up to £5m. Richard Harrison, 35, was hit by a car near his
    home in Hexham on Monday 3 May 1999.

    The accident left him with severe brain damage, paralysis in his legs and arms and unable to speak
    coherently.

    But thanks to constant care from his family and friends, Mr Harrison can now swim, eat and drink
    unaided and has started to rebuild his social life.

    He was given up to £5 million compensation in an out-of-court settlement on Thursday.

    Richard was simply out of it for a long time and this was terrible to see, but we always knew that
    with help he would get back

    John Harrison, father

    It followed an interim compensation payment of £450,000 in 2002 by the driver's insurers.

    The latest will see a one-off payment of £1.3m and then annual payments of £180,000 for the rest
    of his life.

    The compensation is calculated to meet the cost of Mr Harrison's ongoing medical and therapeutic
    care and could reach up to £5m or more.

    Mr Harrison's father, John, said: "Pursuing this award, which means so much to Richard, has been a
    long, exhausting process.

    "Richard was simply out of it for a long time and this was terrible to see, but we always knew that
    with help he would get back.

    The accident happened near Mr Harrison's home

    "We would like to thank all of the people who have helped Richard and us over the last four and a
    half years."

    "He has shown immense courage and we now need to move on."

    John Davis, of law firm Irwin Mitchell, who represented Mr Harrison said: "This compensation award
    brings great relief to Richard's family.

    "Richard can now receive the very high level of care that he needs. His new house can be fully
    equipped and the funds are there to pay for the nursing staff needed to assist him with many of his
    daily tasks."

    Before the accident, Mr Harrison worked for the Analytical Environmental Services, testing for toxic
    gases in air for the Environmental Agency.

    Report
  2. Soup
    Archived post
    #2
    Guy Chapman said:

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.

    news.bbc.co.uk3158588.stm

    A cyclist from Northumberland, who suffered serious head injuries when he was knocked off his bike
    four years ago, has been awarded damages up to £5m. Richard Harrison, 35, was hit by a car near
    his home in Hexham on Monday 3 May 1999.


    <snip>

    First thought was lucky b**£$^% but then I saw the state he was in. I bet he would give all the
    money back to not have been hit. I have a disabled son we get DLA and we have been moved to a
    front and back door house (we lived in a flat before ) it is much better out here and the money
    comes in handy, but we would give up the money and move back into the centre of town if only my
    son was "well" again.
    --
    yours S (addy' not usable[not that you would try it anyway]) Illegitimi non carborundum
    www.killies.co.uk/forums/index.php

    Report
  3. Zog The Undenia
    Archived post
    #3
    Guy Chapman said:

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.

    He wasn't wearing one.

    cobr.co.ukthird insurer.htm

    Doubt it would have done a whole lot of good in a bike-car collision though, especially as Subaru
    Imprezas tend to be driven by lunatics who think they're Colin McRae. Basically, no-one can prove
    their efficacy, hence the full £5m.

    Report
  4. Stephen \
    Archived post
    #4
    Soup said:
    Guy Chapman said:

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.

    news.bbc.co.uk3158588.stm

    A cyclist from Northumberland, who suffered serious head injuries when he was knocked off his
    bike four years ago, has been awarded damages up to £5m. Richard Harrison, 35, was hit by a car
    near his home in Hexham on Monday 3 May 1999.


    <snip>

    First thought was lucky b**£$^% but then I saw the state he was in. I bet he would give all the
    money back to not have been hit. I have a disabled son we get DLA and we have been moved to a
    front and back door house (we lived in a flat before ) it is much better out here and the money
    comes in handy, but we would give up the money and move back into the centre of town if only my
    son was "well" again.

    Absolutely. It's not £5m for him to play with - it's simply to help him recover and allow his
    parents to help him do so. Good luck to him - and to your family.

    Report
  5. Just Zis Guy
    Archived post
    #5
    Zog The Undeniable said:
    Quoted message said:

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.


    He wasn't wearing one.

    I guessed wrong, then ;-)

    Quoted message said:

    Doubt it would have done a whole lot of good in a bike-car collision though, especially as Subaru
    Imprezas tend to be driven by lunatics who think they're Colin McRae. Basically, no-one can prove
    their efficacy, hence the full £5m.

    I know they can't - I am a CTC member, we get occasional news from the Cyclists' Defence Fund who
    help fight the Axis of Weasels in cases like this.

    --
    Guy

    Marvin is dead, long live Zaphod!

    Report
  6. Zog The Undenia
    Archived post
    #6
    Just zis Guy said:

    I know they can't - I am a CTC member, we get occasional news from the Cyclists' Defence Fund who
    help fight the Axis of Weasels in cases like this.

    Me too - as well as the people who make money from selling helmets, the road lobby would love us all
    to wear them to help demonstrate how unsafe cycling is, then they can finally legislate us off the
    roads and onto the pavement where we belong.

    Report
  7. Nick Kew
    Archived post
    #7

    In article <[email hidden]>, one of infinite monkeys

    at the keyboard of (Guy Chapman) said:

    The accident left him with severe brain damage, paralysis in his legs and arms and unable to speak
    coherently.

    IOW, well and truly buggered.

    Quoted message said:

    He was given up to £5 million compensation in an out-of-court settlement on Thursday.

    For a road casualty that's a lot.

    look so much at all. Especially when you consider this victim's family are actually having to spend
    lots of money on him.

    Quoted message said:

    It followed an interim compensation payment of £450,000 in 2002 by the driver's insurers.

    Well, it does look like an insurer doing the Right Thing. Lets have some more awards like this, and
    stop the despicable practice of road victims subsidising motor insurance.

    --
    Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
    Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

    Report
  8. Simon Brooke
    Archived post
    #8
    (Guy Chapman) said:

    Not a word about helmets. Amazing.

    Presumably he was wearing one; otherwise, they'd have said.

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simon

    ' ' <------- this blank intentionally spaced left

    Report
  9. Zog The Undenia
    Archived post
    #9
    Simon Brooke said:

    Presumably he was wearing one; otherwise, they'd have said.


    Bzzzzt, thank you for playing.

    Report

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