Cyclist sues council £50,000 for serious head injuries

Posted: June 11, 2014

Posted in: Bicycle Accidents Head & Brain Injuries Knee Injury Pothole Injuries Road Traffic Accidents 

A cyclist is suing Gwynedd council for £50,000 damages after his bike hit a pothole in 2009. 56-year-old Melvyn Griffiths from Blaenau Ffestiniog was left with serious head injuries and broken bones after he was thrown over the handlebars of his bike when it hit a pothole.  After his bid for damages was rejected last year, he has been granted permission to challenge this decision.  He is now due to argue his case before three of the country’s most senior judges at the Court of Appeal in London.

It was heard in court that Mr Griffiths had been riding up a hill when the cycling accident happened.  On reaching the crest of the hill, he was made to swerve to avoid loose gravel and manure on the road, forcing him into a pothole.  When Mr Griffiths’ front wheel hit the pothole, he was thrown off his bike. He suffered serious injuries to his head, back, knees and hand in the accident, as well as two broken bones and damage to his teeth.  The head injuries have left him with the hearing condition tinnitus.

Should have been repaired within 24hrs

In December of last year, Judge Anthony Seys Llewellyn cleared Mr Griffiths’ council claims under the impression that he had simply been cycling too fast.  He also said that the pothole was not too dangerous considering the fact that it was a rural road. Mr Griffiths’ counsel, however, said that the pothole was between 80 and 100mm deep, meaning that it should have been repaired within 24 hours according to section 41 of the Highways Act 1980.

A date for the appeal hearing is yet to be arranged.

If you have been involved in a cycling accident or a road traffic accident, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us. 

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