A fireman whose career was ended after he was injured by a hit-and-run motorist has been awarded £280,000 in compensation.
The accident happened when the fire fighter was cycling home from work, wearing his cycle helmet and fluorescent jacket as usual. He had just passed over the brow of a hill when a car coming from behind knocked him to the ground and his bicycle landed on top of him. The driver failed to stop at the scene.
The accident caused a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the fireman’s right knee. The injury made it difficult for him to run, squat or kneel. He tried to return to work, carrying out light duties only until he had undergone further knee surgery. However, the operation did not make him fit to return to operational work and he was retired on medical grounds.
The accident has had a dramatic effect on the man’s life as his career has been cut short.
Although the driver of the car was never traced, the former fire fighter was able to bring his case through the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB). The MIB was established in 1946 to compensate the victims of negligent uninsured and untraced motorists. Every insurer underwriting compulsory motor insurance is obliged, under the Road Traffic Act 1988, to be a member of the MIB and to contribute to its funding.
If you are involved in an accident with an uninsured driver, compensation may be available through the MIB. This is not widely known, leaving many people who find themselves in such a situation under the impression that they have no right of redress.
