September 24th, 2009
A woman who was injured when her car skidded off a road in Cambridgeshire is seeking compensation after claiming that its surface is dangerous to motorists.
Jo Howard, 22, had been driving along Byall Fen Drove in February last year when the accident happened, Cambs24 reports.
She rounded a corner and her car skidded on a large patch of mud, sending her careering into a ditch.
Ms Howard could not work for nine months and still gets terrible headaches as a result of her facial injuries.
She is now seeking compensation and wants the surface of the road to be improved.
"I know a lot of people have come off that road and something needs to be done because it is so dangerous," the victim said.
The news follows reports earlier this month that a cyclist had been awarded compensation after his bike hit an oil spill on a road in Lancashire, leaving him badly cut and bruised.
Tags: Cambridgeshire, Crash Victim, Ditch, Facial Injuries, Headaches, Lancashire, Motorists, Ms Howard, Mud, Nine Months, Oil Spill, Road Crash, Woman
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September 22nd, 2009
A new proposal put forward to the government has suggested that motorists should be liable for compensation for all crashes involving cyclists or pedestrians, even if they were not at fault.
The suggested changes have been outlined by the Department for Transport-funded body Cycling England, which has said it would encourage more people to get out of their cars and onto bicycles.
Under the proposed legislation, the party with the most powerful vehicle would become liable, for instance, the motorist in cases between a car and a bike, or the cyclist in crashes involving a bike and a pedestrian.
However, motoring groups have reacted with anger, stating that it would create disharmony on the roads.
Germany and Holland have both already adopted such laws.
According to statistics from the Department for Transport, 2,538 people were killed in road accidents in 2008. The number of cyclists involved in fatal road crashes totalled 115 during the same period.
Tags: Anger, Bicycles, Cars, Cyclists, Disharmony, England, Fatal Crashes, Germany, Holland, Motorists, Pedestrian, Pedestrians, Proposal, Proposed Legislation, Road Accidents, Road Crashes, Statistics
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September 15th, 2009
A man who hit his head on the roof of his car after the vehicle went into a pothole is seeking compensation from the council he holds responsible.
Melvin Bangle, 71, had been driving in Bracklesham Bay when he hit the sudden dip in the road, the Surrey Herald reports.
The jolt was such that his jaw was clenched together, badly cutting his tongue and breaking several of his teeth.
Mr Bangle alleges that the council came out the day after his accident, which occurred in June, to fix the holes. He says he wants compensation for his ordeal, as well as the expense of his dental work.
"It’s not about the money, I want them to admit responsibility," the victim commented.
The AA said last month that there are as many as 1.5 million potholes on UK roads, putting motorists and cyclists at serious risk. President Edmund King said some of the surfaces are "crumbling".
Tags: 5 Million, Aa, Bangle, Cyclists, Dental Work, Edmund King, Holes, Jolt, Money, Motorists, Ordeal, Pothole, Potholes, Risk, Surfaces, Surrey, Sussex, Teeth, Tongue, Uk Roads
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August 27th, 2009
A new report has discovered that as many as one in five young people is driving without the correct level of insurance.
The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) found that 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 are taking to the roads without cover, putting insured drivers at risk if they are hit.
Many young people claimed they did not know that insurance is a legal requirement, while others said that the high cost of insurance has led to them breaking the law.
Ashton West, chief executive of the MIB, commented: "While we recognise the financial pressures for drivers taking to the roads for the first time, it is also a criminal offence to drive without proper insurance cover."
The MIB was established to deal with cases stemming from uninsured driver accidents and manages over 30,000 claims from people who have been hit by someone without cover every year.
Anyone involved in such an accident may wish to seek legal advice, as motoring claims can be complicated and lengthy.
Tags: 000 People, Accidents, Ashton, Breaking The Law, Chief Executive, Criminal Offence, Driving Without Insurance, Financial Pressures, Insurance, Insurance Cover, Led, Legal Advice, Mib, Motor Insurers Bureau, Motorists, Proper Insurance, Risk, Uninsured Driver, Young People
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