In November 2019, our client was involved in a cycling accident while using a cycle path in Dumfries. He suffered a shoulder injury as a result of the incident.
Our client contacted his union, Unison, for legal assistance and was referred to Thompsons' cycling accident solicitors so that we could pursue personal injury compensation against Dumfries and Galloway Council on his behalf.
The background
Our client is a serving police officer who enjoys recreational cycling, swimming and going to the gym. On the morning of the cycling accident he had taken his bike out for a ride near his home in Dumfries.
He was riding on a cycle path which took him onto a bridge over the A75. However, as he followed the path to descend off the bridge he found that it was covered in fallen leaves which were mushy and wet. As he attempted to cycle through them, the front wheel of his bike skidded to the right and he was thrown off his bicycle.
The consequences
Following the fall, our client sat up but knew immediately that he had suffered an injury to his shoulder. A passer-by assisted our client as he took photographs at the scene and then he walked his bike back to his home.
The cyclist attended the Accident & Emergency department at Dumfries and Galloway Infirmary where an X-ray confirmed that he had suffered a fractured collarbone. The next day he received a phone call from an orthopaedic surgeon who advised him that the shoulder injury would require surgery.
An operation was carried out two days after the cycling accident and a plate and screws were required to set the bone in place. Thankfully, the surgery was successful, but our client was unable to work for three weeks or take part in his fitness regime during the healing period and he continued to suffer pain in his shoulder for some time after the accident.
The settlement
Thompsons' personal injury solicitors intimated a cycling accident claim with Dumfries and Galloway Council in respect of our client's shoulder injuries.
Liability was denied throughout, however, we were able to negotiate a pre-trial settlement offer of £9,500.
Settlement was agreed on 3 August 2021.