Personal injury solicitors recently secured compensation worth more than £4,000 for a cyclist who fell from his bike when one of the wheels got stuck in a pothole.
The 62-year-old victim, who lives in Windsor, asked the firm of solicitors to lodge a personal injury claim against Buckinghamshire County Council to compensate him for the accident that happened in October 2008.
Buckinghamshire County Council did accept liability for the incident and agreed a personal injury compensation settlement of £4,191 to cover the cost of the dental treatment the cyclist needed as a result of the accident.
After the case the victim said he hoped both cyclists and councils would become more aware of the hazards caused by potholes. The council wants people to use bikes rather than cars but a lot of our roads are in such a poor condition that this can be an unsafe mode of transport.
Despite having lights on his bike, the victim said the street was not well illuminated and by the time he saw the pothole, it was too late. It was a particularly deep hole and he says the council should have taken steps to cover it over or place hazard lights around it.
Cracks and potholes tend to open up during cold weather spells such as those experienced in the winter months. Cyclists should keep an eye out for these sorts of hazards if they want to avoid accidents.